UPFRONTBEATS

Marc Romboy’s Systematic imprint will issue a remix package of Stephan Bodzin’s acclaimed tracks Tron, Caligula and Marathon Man this July. The five-track release includes remixes by several label favourites, including Raxon, Fedele, Mathew Jonson, Elax and Hannes Bieger.

Raxon’s remix comes first, manifesting as a rolling, synth-fuelled electronic number, with Raxon describing the original as one of his ‘personal favourites’. Atmospheric percussion resonates within, before Fedele ups the tempo with driving kick-hat pairings and thickened bass tones underneath, resulting in a remix of his ‘favourite piece of electronic club music in the last 20 years.’. Mathew Jonson arrives next, providing us with a minimal-inspired re-work that showcases his signature, stripped-back sound – the likes of which got a ‘great response in [his] live sets’ – whilst Elax’s remix leaves us hungry for the dancefloor courtesy of groove-led house elements throughout. Hannes Bieger finally brings proceedings to a close, describing it best in doing so: ‘The idea was to kind of connect the ‘old’ Bodzin to the ‘new’ one, while infusing the remix with a healthy dose of my own handwriting along the way.”

Germany’s Stephan Bodzin is one of the most esteemed electronic music producers of the 21st century. He is an essential figure in the global techno scene, with a discography that boasts releases on his own Herzblut Recordings, Life and Death and Systematic to name a few. Raxon is the Egyptian-born, Barcelona-based DJ who’s made a name for himself on labels such as Maceo Plex’s Ellum Audio, Adam Beyer’s Truesoul as well as Sven Väth’s Cocoon. Italian talent Fedele is no stranger to several of melodic techno’s most well-revered imprints, including Afterlife, Systematic and Tiga’s Turbo Recordings. Canada’s Mathew Jonson is a truly eclectic performer, bridging the gap between genres through appearances on a globally diverse array of labels, from REKIDS to Metalheadz to Anjunadeep. Elax is the moniker of global German mainstay Boys Noize, who has found a welcome home on Solomun’s Diynamic and Oliver Koletzki’s Stil Vor Talent in recent times. Hannes Bieger is the Berlin-based producer whose releases on John Digweed’s Bedrock and Stephan Bodzin’s Herzblut Recordings have helped springboard him into the international spotlight.