“The 50Weapons man soundtracks the label’s funeral.
With 50Weapons closing shop this year, it’s been a time to reflect on the legacy Modeselektor’s label will leave behind. Benjamin Damage is a key part of that conversation. The Welsh-born Berliner has been there since the beginning—as the first artist signed to 50Weapons, his evolution through techno has been fully documented by the label’s catalog. After a few records of the heavy stuff (and a killer Doc Daneeka collaboration), Damage began to soften and brighten the burly edges, a sound that fully came together on 2013’s Heliosphere. This debut album, informed by ’90s IDM and ambient, tapped into some of the lushest euphoria techno could offer, but also featured outright bangers like “010x” and “Delirium Tremens.” Two years later, Damage’s Obsidian LP continued to explore that space and uncover strange treasures. It was both an excellent release and the ideal final album for 50Weapons. After five years of involvement, Damage seems to encapsulate what the label stood for: heavy beats, flawless production and wide-ranging influences.
Which is also what you get from his RA podcast. Discordant and claustrophobic, percussive and hypnotic, pristine and blissful, melodic and rapturous—all shades of techno are here. So it’s how Damage connects the dots between an atonal drum workout by Vin Sol & Matrixxman and his glistening roller “Cosmonaut,” or J. Tijn’s rugged “Pick Your Battles V1″ and the smothering Flug remix of Felix Lorusso, that’s among his best tricks. Though the Welshman’s label home will soon be no more, this mix shows just how much ground he still has left to cover.”
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Benjamin Damage – Resident Advisor podcast #492 2015-11-02 [Uploaded.net download] [Get Premium for unlimited downloads]
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