It's an interesting time for music at the moment. For the first time in a while, techno seems to be popular, or becoming so, in the UK. If we're really honest it's never really caught on outside a few enclaves like Voodoo in Liverpool, The Orbit in Yorkshire, Lost in London and Club 69 in Glasgow. OK, I know other places have always veered that way, Slam at The Arches and that place in Birmingham where Surgeon had a residency to name but two, but somehow music that has always layered the electronic music matrix has burst out all over like a ripe carbuncle and sprayed its minimal pus on the overground. I suppose every things time comes eventually, and I'm by no means sure that this current proliferation is an entirely good thing.

In any case, what I'm saying is hardly news, it's been smouldering now for the last few years. Funky house seems to have been killed off once and for all, along with funky techno, the type pushed by labels like In-Tec, to make way for an electrotechhousehybrid. I'm certainly not one to rampantly start pigeonholing everything which comes my way. As far as I'm concerned good and bad music are the only two genres worth discussing, but as far as the mainstream is concerned, these are relatively interesting times.

Check out the new Cassy mix cd "Panorama Bar 01" (Ostgut ton) for an interesting ride through some examples of the sounds that are currently heading down the right strasse.

Machines Are Funky Playlist: 9/9/06:


A Thing Of Beauty Is A Joy Forever - Technasia (Technasia)
Zed's Dead - Shonky (Resopal Red)
Baby Kate (Beyer/Dahlback remix) - Heartthrob (Minus)
Grune Rafhauser - Pikaya (Cadenza)
The Last Battle - Magic 12 (Beau Monde)
Erotic Illusions (TTR mix) - Nick Holder (Poker Flat)
Shadows (AlexKid's Acidrain mix) - Loudeast (DPress Industries)
C'mon Up (Product 01 remix) - Lexi (Superstonic)
Geiger Counter - Von Floyd (Submerge/UR)
Up In Flames (Glove remix) - Captain Comatose (Playhouse)
Along The Wire (Superpitcher remix) - Lawrence (Laudomat)
Pentaton (Onur Ozur remix) - Mathias Kaden (Vakant R)
Crazy (Paradise edit) - Rude Hagelstein (Careless)
Peggy Sussed (Robag Mix with Melody) - Underworld (UWorld.com)
Parallel Reality (Disco mix) - Algorithm Method (Mule Electronic)
Ninyo Melon - SWAT Squad (Gastspiel)
Stay High - Solieb (Maschine)