Part 4 of the Drexciya re-issue series! A new repress of the "Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller" series by Drexciya! It comes with new artwork by critically acclaimed American artist Ellen Gallagher, who created a series of paintings titled Watery Ecstatic, inspired by Drexciya's music which she discovered while immersed in the mid-'90s New York techno scene. Now partly based in New York and Rotterdam, the connection was easily made. Her Watery Ecstatic series serves as the inspiration for the covers of this new edition of "Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller", with embossed artwork offering a tactile, physical complement to Drexciya's immersive sound world. Drexciya needs no introduction for most; it's one of the most influential projects in techno history. But for some, this might serve as an entry point into their sonic universe and the broader (Detroit) techno culture. Their music emerged from a harsh environment, and it shows - raw, uncompromising, and boundary-pushing. Drexciya redefined Detroit techno like no one else. Their unique sound and mythical aesthetic made them a true cult phenomenon. Guided by Mad Mike Banks of Underground Resistance, their early releases were works of art in themselves. Drexciya stands for the darker, deeper edges of techno and electro--not just club music, but a profound extension of the mind and spirit. Twenty years after the release of "Deep Sea Dweller" (their debut), and ten years after "Grava 4" (their final album) comes "Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller": an almost complete collection of their early works, remastered from the original tapes. Since the original releases on labels like Underground Resistance had such a strong identity and still stand on their own, this reissue doesn't aim to recreate that magic. Instead, they've stirred up the catalogue, taking the tracks out of their original context to give the 'in-the-know' listener a fresh experience, and the new listener a perfect introduction to Drexciya's sonic universe. Enjoy the ride!
Compared with so much grid-locked house and techno created during their decade-long lifespan, Drexciya offered an intuitively fluid solution, often recording and playing live to capture an abstract, soulful essence rarely witnessed in any of their contemporaries, harnessing and channelling electronic soul energy, rather than being dictated by it. Their treacherously non-linear edits have long tripped up many a DJ who was probably too boring to bother with anyway, and factored with their sonic fictional myth science, artwork and unique, between-worlds soundsphere, they created a legacy whose capital cannot be measured in standard terms and whose impact may never be fully quantified.
Compared with so much grid-locked house and techno created during their decade-long lifespan, Drexciya offered an intuitively fluid solution, often recording and playing live to capture an abstract, soulful essence rarely witnessed in any of their contemporaries, harnessing and channelling electronic soul energy, rather than being dictated by it. Their treacherously non-linear edits have long tripped up many a DJ who was probably too boring to bother with anyway, and factored with their sonic fictional myth science, artwork and unique, between-worlds soundsphere, they created a legacy whose capital cannot be measured in standard terms and whose impact may never be fully quantified.
TRACK LISTING
01 Intro The Unknown Aquazone
02 Depressurization
03 Water Walker
04 Mantaray
05 Unknown Journey VI
06 Unknown Journey VII
07 Unknown Journey VIII
08 Living On The Edge
09 Hydro Cubes
10 Unknown Journey IX
11 Unknown Journey X
12 Aquatic Bata Particles
13 Unknown Interlude
14 Black Sea
15 Sighting In The Abyss
16 The Last Transmission
