Harvey McKay steps up for his first EP on Second State with 3 tracks of high rolling techno in ‘Oberon EP’.

Glasgow’s Harvey McKay adds Second State to his already brimming back catalog with ‘Midnight’ EP, featuring 3 driving and grooving cuts. A hard-hitter in Scotland’s techno scene, Harvey regularly appears at international hotspots including Space Ibiza, Awakenings and fabric, to name a few.

The opening track ‘Midnight’ is high-spirited yet dark and energetic, creating a more stripped back style of McKay production. A booming reverberating kick dances with scattered hi-hats and a low slung bouncing synth to create a deep & dusky atmosphere. Ascending keys keep the tension tight and high along with solitary stabs that whine and wring out over the main groove.

‘Oberon’ begins with a dappled kick and solitary hi-hat layered upon minimal pads which are soon buried by a hypnotic, marching churn and percussive wails. These elements are gradually bound together to create the base of the track, with intermittent breakdowns that allow the pads and wails to break through and add depth. As the track develops, the major notes intensify and are brought to the forefront with a cyclic sample that's teased out, but never allowed to fully burst through the chaos.

McKay rounds up with a relentless piece of techno in ‘Elves Playground’. A revolving metallic texture twirls over the booming kick to create a playful element in this cut before a deep and brooding drone takes control. As the devilish track progresses, the buzzing drone is toned down and injected back with ferocious vigor each time. A driving and textured production with clever minimal rave elements that are guaranteed to get you moving. More

Second State founders Pan-Pot mark the Berlin label’s 100th release with the 3-track EP ‘Skin on Skin’.

Berlin based duo Pan-Pot begin 2022 with a momentous milestone for their Second State imprint, including a fresh look for the long-standing label. The winning design by Philipp Ludwig was chosen out of hundreds of entries after the label launched a contest for this very special release in November of last year. ‘Skin on Skin’ marks Second State's 100th release and showcases the variety of different sounds homed by the label since 2014 with 3 fiery contrasting cuts from its founders, giving a nod to the range and expression that Pan-Pot’s imprint has come to be known for in today’s techno scene.

Raw cut ‘Skin on Skin’ takes position as opener. Resonating bongos and rattling shakers incite a tribal element while ominous synths begin to unfold. Sandra Bjurman's taunting, faintly distorted voice comes in, claps and growling organs are layered over while metallic ringing gives way to the vocal once more. Twisted elements and the resonating drums are revived for the finale, closed out by a soaring Balafon.

‘Particle Fever’ is next, kicking off with a resounding, impactful kick and gritty elements: jumping bass line and metallic stabs that ring out and halt swiftly. Yelping keys call out during the breakdown halfway through, exploding back into original pace with the addition of a weighty bass line and stripped back grittier elements.

The closer ‘Bow’ is characterized by warped and pulsating elements that march forward menacingly. A rumbling bass snarls beneath metallic strikes, an oscillating spring synth and a sliced up and brooding sample, injecting a haunting element. Grumbling synths hover buoyantly throughout, as the kick and mechanical elements continue with authority. More

Glasgow’s Gary Beck is back on Second State with weighty 4 tracker “Supervan EP”.

Long-standing techno force Gary Beck will return to Berlin’s Second State with a grooving and cerebral 4 track EP. A pillar of Scotland’s techno scene, Gary has appeared regularly at some of the globe’s most respected venues and festivals including Womb Tokyo, fabric, Output NYC and Awakenings, to name a few.

Title track ‘Supervan’ opens with bouncing bass and rattling percussion. A chopped-up vocal is introduced and commands the track forward as it ascends, with the kick battling to harden the track over the grooving melody and anthemic keys. Next up is the spirited cut ‘Psycho Babble’. A resounding sample attempts to cry out over the jacking bass and kick combo, calling out in ecstasy at intervals of the track. A minimal hi-hat jumps throughout but retracts as the track increases tempo and gallops towards the end, where Beck incorporates breakbeat elements for the final leg.

‘Sparks’ follows with rhythmic shakers and hi-hats juxtaposing each other under the monologue of two young punters. The conversation adds a narrative to the track as it intensifies along with a gritty buzzing element. The voices become distorted as the track builds to crescendo, with the sample and music working together in unison to unravel the story of the character’s night. The finale ‘Pink Castles’ is a pacy and hypnotic trip, conjuring up the energy of both a peak-time workout and high-tempo closer. Haunting vocals and icy synths swirl around the driving elements and atmospherics, engulfing the listener into the darkness of this finishing track. More

German techno producer Michael Klein delivers “Nokaut” EP, an epic 4 track exercise in peak-time rhythms.

Based in Berlin by way of Frankfurt, BLK DRP boss Michael Klein will drop his next record on Second State, “Nokaut EP”. The 4 tracker follows the release of his powerful “No Mercy EP” on the Berlin label earlier this year, and delivers another welcomed edition of Klein’s tough but atmospheric sound.

Taking its place as opener is the title track “Nokaut”. Stomping along with intent, the walloping kick and ravey 303 elements coerces you to move. The robust vocal sample spouts repeatedly while the 303 builds and fades, before storming back in with slapping hi-hats. MK’s Random Mod Edit follows. His rendering is a warped and disjointed edit, but still manages to retain the energy and soul of the original. Showing off his production skills, he transforms the once acid-tinged melody and turns it into a jolting, jittery tune that allows the percussion to take centre stage. The galloping kick drum and searing hot cymbals push the tempo as snare drums and hi-hats layer and fall over each other.

On the flip, “Scream” is a step away from the relentless, high powered rave energy of the A side and a step into the deeper, darker side of techno. Booming kick drums sound out over a powerful baseline and snapping detuned percussions. An echoing woodblock is struck and fades into the distance while the brooding melody takes control. Last up is “Slow Sucker”, which commences as a laboured, chuggy cut, but builds to a steady march throughout. An indistinct voice jolts across the explosive kick drum and snare combination, an element that Klein cleverly uses sparingly during the track. A distorted baseline hangs over an oscillating synth that drapes an impenetrable veil of darkness, creating the atmosphere of this closer. More

Pan-Pot return to their Second State imprint to deliver their first release of 2021, the two track EP “Voodoo Signs” unveiling their take on an unconventional techno sound.

Berlin based DJ/Producer duo and label bosses Pan-Pot return to their Second State imprint to serve up the label’s sixth release this year. The illustrious Second State has been fostering the sound of some of techno’s biggest tastemakers and emerging artists for several years, with releases throughout 2021 so far being some of their strongest ones to date. "Voodoo Signs" EP however, is a shift from their usual productions, incorporating a breakbeat sound throughout the record, a step away from the duo’s familiar straight ahead techno weapons.

Hugely atmospheric and packed with conflicting elements, “Voodoo” is the punchier cut of the two tracks on the record. A palpitating muffled kick launches and is quickly joined by rapid percussion and dancing hi-hats that weave throughout the heaviness. As things develop, these turbulent elements are smoothly subdued to let doomy wails echo and build to a crescendo. The main vocal sample meshes with several other voices that ominously quaver over the original. A stabbing melody is then introduced, skittering over the foundations with broken beat drum hooks moving in unison. The rolling bass is gradually rounded off to conclude, with obscure elements that jangle and fade into the distance.

On the flip side is “Signs”, a peak time fast paced club track with a driving beat. A stifled kickdrum and a singular bleating tone start things off, before the full weight of the drum is unleashed. A dark looming bass builds on top of cracking percussion and claps until it’s replaced by a distorted male vocal sample crying out “searching, searching”. In the second half, the bleating tone is pushed into the minor key and the bass looms, menacingly. The kick drum returns while the vocal sample becomes increasingly distorted until it fades out. A breakbeat cuts through the noise, switching up the energy and reinstating the hectic, club atmosphere. Things close out as they began, with a singular kick drum and solo tone ringing out repeatedly while the vocal sample remains, “searching searching”. More

As the pandemic continues to put a halt on clubbing as we knew it, techno dons Pan-Pot have adapted their sound to suit these uncertain times. The dancefloor focus remains, but on their latest EP, there’s a restraint and delicacy to the tracks that reveals yet another facet of the duo’s creativity, and innate understanding of what their fans want to hear right now.
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Young Italian duo Reform return to Second State with their latest release, four tracks of innovative, hard-hitting and unusually sophisticated techno.

The throbbing kick and trippy synths of “Close Encounters” opens the EP, with a foreign, clipped vocal and breaksy jungle elements adding further interest and mystique. “Stance”, meanwhile, is a straight-up stomper packed with ricocheting percussion, rubbery synth blasts and disorienting pads, all crying to be heard in a club. “Mind Control” demands to rain down on a crowd at a festival, too. A lean, nimble build steadily escalates into an irresistible, shuffling beat boosted by shifting, bouncy synth patterns and an unrelenting forward momentum. The pair’s unusual knack for blending disparate elements into something atypical but completely danceable is perhaps best demonstrated on “Horse Riding”. The drums are tribal, the stabs are acid-like, there’s a gauzy filter laid over the top, and tickling hi-hats, but also an undeniable thump commanding bodies to move. More

“Der Sturm Kommt” is German for "the storm is coming“, and the name of Michael Klein’s new EP could apply as equally to the artist as to his music. In the past two years especially, Klein’s career trajectory has skyrocketed thanks to the ever-increasing quality of his output. His tracks have been hand-picked for compilations by Amelie Lens and Cocoon honcho Sven Väth while his productions are supported by bighitters including Laurent Garnier, Dubfire and of course Pan-Pot, the owners of his home-label Second State. More

Techno DJ and producer Michael Klein has been consistently putting out solid work for years, a habit that has made other DJs – among them Richie Hawtin, Chris Liebing and Laurent Garnier – look to Klein’s releases as reliable fodder fit for a variety of moods at any given party.

Born in Frankfurt and trained in classical piano as a child, Klein cut his clubbing teeth at the likes of Robert Johnson and Cocoon. He then moved to Berlin where he cultivated his dark and groovy sound, assisted by his studies in sound engineering, and earned a residency at the beloved, now-closed Stattbad. Klein is prolific but versatile, and these qualities come to the fore on his latest release, the Hoisin EP for Second State.

The title track, ‘Hoisin’, is a shapeshifter, switching gears from mesmeric, winding bass and rhythmic bleeps to minor, eerie builds, cheeky drum rolls, and more energizing chords. ‘Bite’ is more urgent, kicked along by impatient percussion and an acidic bass burble. ‘The Signal’ is the EP’s biggest moment, destined to be a highlight of not just Klein’s sets, but others’, too. It has the atmosphere of a ‘90s Bristolian rave, with a whomping stomp, beguiling bass and the odd vocal yelp adding era-specific authenticity. ‘Hollow Night’ demonstrates how deftly he can change moods. Here Klein retreats into something darker and more insular. A kick joined by circular chords creates a claustrophobic but compelling inner world.

Klein is a highly valued member of the Second State family and recently contributed an excellent exclusive track for Amelie Lens’ fabric presents mix. He’s been something of a secret weapon in the techno community for years, but while his music prefers to live in the dark, Klein’s profile is, deservedly, coming into the light.
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When you listen to an Industrialyzer track, it doesn’t take long to figure out where his name comes from. These are soundscapes that instantly transport you someplace else, built for cavernous warehouses where regular rules don’t apply. The Portugal-born, Amsterdam-based producer born Ricardo Rodrigues maintains his consistent form on the Moonstone EP with four slamming tracks made for these very conditions.
The title track Moonstone beats you into oblivion with a relentless kick, distorted vocals relaying an urgent directive – “let’s get high” – and scuzzy, whipping synths. On Kontrol peals of synth cut through a thick mist of white noise and the ever-present kick, while one word, stuck on repeat, suggests the best kind of loss of “control”. Daily Nova is a more vibrant track, with housey chords laid over a pulsing beat to create a feeling of delicious unease. And on Psychic Overlays, Rodrigues wades back into darker waters in a pummelling peak time cut and assault on the senses. These are four pumping tracks perfect for sweaty techno bunkers More

Rocko Garoni might be new to Second State, but he’s already made an indelible impression. If 2018’s Detection EP marked the respected Berlin DJ as a producer to watch, his sophomore Second State release confirms him as an electrifying new talent. Having made his mark on important clubs and festival stages across Germany and as far as the Netherlands, Israel and Brazil, Garoni has a well-trained ear for what works on the dancefloor. He deploys it to devastating effect on the Phobia EP.
Kicking off the release, the title track is as atmospheric and menacing as its name suggests. A detached female vocal utters the titular word on repeat over a pulsing kick, while later, ravey bleeps shift the track into overdrive. ‘Unify’ is a rallying call that meshes a political voiceover with a hammering kick and pounding synths. At 132BPM it’s fast, furious and impossible to resist. ‘MBF’ is straight eyes-down techno, with another nefarious, monosyllabic vocal and a slowly building cacophony of elements designed to get lost in. On Marco Bailey’s remix, the Belgian veteran adds lashings of acid and wonky keys for a destabilizing alternative. Overall, Phobia is a four-weapon package destined to do some serious dancefloor damage. Make no mistake, Garoni has arrived. More

After Micheal Klein’s stunning debut album ‘Snapshot’, it's only logical we celebrate the long player once again with four stellar remixes from a handful of Techno’s best.
Kicking things off is the one and only Dubfire who delivers a rework of ‘Dismantled Structure' unlike anything we’ve heard from him before as he channels the aesthetics of quintessential Dub stylings reminiscent of Deepchord and Echospace fused with a cutting edge, modern approach resulting in an absolute burner that will stand any test of time. Markus Suckut follows with his unique approach on ‘Dirty Daddy’ where heaviness reigns supreme as hefty percussion, hypnotic rhythms and swirling atmospherics culminate into a far flung journey into the vast expanse.
Taking a slightly different approach yet never losing the energy, Developer dives further into ethereal spaces with his re-imagining of ‘Flashes In Your Eyes’ where he weaves psychedelic harmonies and mesmerizing grooves into a trance inducing roller perfect for intensely deeper moments. Finalizing the remix package we turn to +Plattform, one of Norway’s best Techno artists, who delivers an absolutely gorgeous rendition of ‘So Far To Go’ where abrasive drums and washes of reverb lay the groundwork for a cut where emotion takes center stage creating a beautifully crafted tune that will in equal measure melt hearts and forge unforgettable memories.
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DEAS comes back to Second State with his brand new ‘Red Source’ EP following the extremely well received ‘Velocity’ EP earlier this year. In true DEAS fashion he delivers four dance floor burners of high pace, abrasive yet euphoric Techno that will turn any rave into a moment of full fledge mayhem. Diving in head first, ‘Red Source’ has the “pedal to the metal” where brisk percussion lays the ground work for sonic bleeps and eery vocals reminiscent of an excursion into deep space travel. ‘Face To Face’ follows suit with the same approach and concept yet relies more heavily on the drums to do the heavy lifting. Maintaining the pace and sticking to his signature tools, DEAS takes his sound palette and switches out the programming of expected sounds creating a surprisingly cool cut with ‘Second Signal’. Welcome back, DEAS! More

Coming in hot off the release of their recent Weltlinie EP, Pan-Pot return with four of their cohorts who have taken all five tracks from the original EP and reworked them into a bundle of stellar reworks of the originals on the Weltlinie Remix EP.
Kicking things off is Frankfurt legend Gregor Tresher who twists ‘Weltlinie' into a relentless, yet delirious venture with his signature brand of infectious grooves and floating atmospherics resulting in a timeless future classic. Up next we see Glasgow’s own Gary Beck reshape not one but two tracks into fierce, heavy hitting Techno bombs. Beck’s first take is ‘Startphase’ where he wastes no time in getting straight to the point as relentless, hi-pace percussion sets the tone for untamed aural animations sure to set the speakers on fire. Shlomi Aber steps to the plate next and serves up a stripped down, yet tough adaptation of ‘Exzentrisch’ where percussion is king, emanating in a rowdy dance floor detonation. Following is Poland’s rising star DEAS who takes ‘Zeit’ into sinister territories perfect for dark spaces and peak time encounters that will surely set the floor on fire. Wrapping up the EP is Beck’s second attack with his rework of ‘Freigeist’, and here we see him take a somewhat different approach where harmony and emotion take center stage as lush harmonics float over Beck’s trademark high energy programming.
No matter what your style of Techno happens to be, we are sure you will find something here to satisfy aural obligations.

A1. Weltlinie
A2. Startphase
A3. Exzentrisch
B1. Zeit
B2. Freigeist
C1. Weltlinie (Gregor Tresher Remix)
C2. Startphase (Gary Beck Remix)
D1. Exzentrisch (Shlomi Aber Remix)
D2. Zeit (DEAS Remix)
D3. Freigeist (Gary Beck Remix) More

It’s time again for us to welcome another first timer to the Second State roster: Rocko Garoni. Having been label manager of Sisyphon, in-house imprint of the acclaimed Sisyphos Club in Berlin, Garoni is no stranger to curating high quality records, and this time he gets to be curator of his own stunning ‘Detection’ EP. Jumping in head first, ‘Detection’, mischievous number that is equal parts vicious and cunning as it is sensual and inviting. Provocative female whispers float over a beat sure to slay any crowd, any time. Switching gears, Garoni heads into houser territories on ‘Phaseful’, where glimmers of classic House artifacts are scattered like flickering shimmers over an energetic drum illustration. Coming up next is ‘Tragedy’. It’s low slung drums, vast spanning bass and sinister vocal declarations make it an ideal ambassador for the dark mysterious nights. Wrapping up the EP is a huge rework of ‘Detection’ by Regal, who churns out a burner by cranking up the tempo and tension with crisp drums and an undeniable classic rave leads sure to make the forefathers of Techno proud. If it keeps up like this, we expect much more big things in the future from Rocko Garoni! More

As days go by and the wait for the new full length Pan-Pot album 'The Other' grows shorter and shorter, it's time to temper the restlessness again with two more meticulously selected tracks from the forth coming long player. The cleverly titled 'Fist Bump From Destiny' is a story of patience with huge payoffs. At nearly 10 minutes, it's a long ride that builds slowly as persistent and hypnotizing tones circle and stalk, continually growing into the semblance of a cosmic clock. As the concept of time seems to disappear, the reward reveals itself: a fist bump from destiny. 'Operator' parallels the story of a tenacious vessel navigating a course through an impenetrable fog during the darkest shade of night. Low menacing rumbles and short sonic blasts serve as bold displays of position while a perpetually rising synth provides the momentum it employs to advance into the dark.


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With Pan-Pot’s eagerly anticipated album, 'The Other’ on the horizon, it's only fitting that we begin early with a glimpse of what’s to come. 'The Other One' is the first of two EPs from the duo's upcoming long player and with the two carefully selected tracks; 'Pina' and '808 Nirvana', it's exactly what you come to expect from the duo. 'Pina,' aptly titled after the newborn addition to the family, is a bundle of energy. It constantly grows larger and more complex before finally unleashing a fierce, sonic blast that wouldn’t seem out of place on the soundtrack to a Hitchcock film. In perfect Pan-Pot fashion, '808 Nirvana' is a white knuckle ride laced with fast paced stabs, shakers and snares while meteoric rises carry you into deep space. 'The Other One' is the perfect teaser ahead of the full album release, with both tracks the epitome of the Pan-Pot sound. Big room, serious, dramatic techno.


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