THE CANADIAN techno wizard who climbed into all our minds on a perforated sheet of blotting paper back when as Plastikman, Richie Hawtin, has decided to make a return to a properly dancefloor-focused set of bangers after far too long.
He’s just released a new EP, Time Warps, his first missive of tunes bound for the floor since Minus Orange in 1999. It’s also the first release on a new extension of Hawtin’s Plus 8 label, From Our Minds (FOM1).
The EP is comprised of two longform tracks meant for smoke and strobes and hazy abandon; you can watch the video for the four-to-the-floor mantric acid of the title track – all 17 minutes of it – below. Its surging and pulsing sure does things to a brain.
Recorded during lockdown in Richie’s adopted Berlin (where else?), it’s joined on the EP by an alternative mix, “Time Stands Still”, which is more ambient – if a particularly ominous brand of ambient, designed to keep the tension just so before permitted release.
It has an ecological angle, too: the vinyl is to be manufactured by Deepgrooves Vinyl Pressing Plant using recycled vinyl, 100% recycled cardboard and plant based inks.
“After thirty years in the music industry and with the state of the planet, I believe we need to consider the environmental impact of petroleum-based music formats,” Richie says.
“I’m still committed to releasing limited edition vinyl for those who choose to enjoy their music using this format; however, I believe that our community needs to be more sensitive with their vinyl strategy.
“Going forward we need to consider all aspects of our physical releases, including packaging, using recycled products and working together with manufacturers who take this subject seriously.”
Richie Hawtin’s Time Warps is out now on digital download over at Bandcamp; there’s vinyl to follow.
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