Dave Clarke: I ♥ Techno

A legendary DJ, the UK-born Clarke was a featured act at 2007’s I ♥ Techno festival in Brussels, Belgium. This “live in one take” mix is meant to commemorate I ♥ Techno 2007, though it was not recorded at the event. At any rate, it’s a solid, 20-track set, full of the intense, pounding techno that has been Clarke’s stock-in-trade for more than a decade. Several cuts, such as Peter Horrevorls’ “Evolver” and Quince’s “Sub-01”, are influenced by the classic Detroit and Chicago techno sounds. To that end, there’s even a new remix of Kevin Saunderson’s “Bassline”, and Joey Beltram makes an appearance as well. At times, the beats are so heavy and raw that their appeal is limited to long-time fans and purists. Everyone else will be beating off headaches. However, the mix’s final third really gets interesting. Here, Clarke pays tribute to I ♥ Techno’s country of origin, and his own roots, with a series of tracks that are heavily influenced by the Belgium-spawned Electronic Body Music sound of the late 1980s and early ’90s. Depeche Mode obsessives may note that The Horrorist, whose “Wire to the Ear” is a highlight, is the working name of Oliver Chesler, one of the kids in 101.