Vainqueur ‎– Lyot

One of those few gems I will never, and I mean it: never get tired of. Regardless of what side I chose to play, Vainqueur's Lyot is an indelible footprint in techno music's history, and unfortunately, remains a tune like no other they've ever recorded, or even attmpted to make. That may be one of the reasons why it's as acclaimed and adored as it is.
The original mix with time took a back seat when compared to the Maurizio remix, and while it isn't as intense, I find it just as good. A great, prominent lead melody, which eventually became a timeless reference point, the percussion is great, the drum kicks are echoed, giving it this amazing reverberated feel, and a clanging, metallic sound, and the overall result is a very deep, flanged, vintage old school techno gem. As much as it's mesmerizing and orchestral, it provides a great deal of satisfaction and excellent crowd feedback when dropped in a club.
The Maurizio mix takes things even further. With one of those endlessly profound Basic Channel bass lines (seriously, there is no speaker system even today which won't get damaged by this one), the percussion is harder, with hi-hats falling behind a devastating bass drum, creating a proper old school four on the floor or fists high up in the air techno madness for massive warehouse events or basement raves with lowered ceilings. If you listen carefully, or turn the volume up, check out the amazing background sequence and the bleeping hook composed of ringing bells, both of which are pushed well behind the slamming drum kicks and the hypnotic dubbed out lead which are at the forefront during the entire track.
A phenomenal record, one of the first, yet to this day one of the finest releases ever to have made it out of the entire BC/Chain Reaction/Maurizio sound laboratory. I have the standard black copy of this vinyl, and have been on a hunt for the limited edition orange version for over a decade now, but I've never come across one for under a hundred euro on internet auctions. As you can imagine, that is a tad too much. Sigh...

By far one of my fave Techno tunes EVER ! It went somewhere other techno wasn't at the time and, IMHO, set the standard for a lot of gritty techno that came after it. The production does hint here at what was to come from Basic Channel while being a whole lot more frenetic and in your face than B.C ever was. The kick on this sucker (maurizio remix) has to be one of the deepest, phatest, most open ended monsters to ever be put to Techno wax ! It's like the sound of a Tyrannosaurus Rex dancing to some Underground Resistance ! I sometimes do play the original mix for it's more thoughtful, Electro-y feel.
Hah hah...i remember having a session with Dave Clarke after a gig when this had just come out. He was trying everything in the book to prise this record offa me! I was amazed he didn't already have it and much as I like him, this record (orange vinyl techno brilliance that it is) is still very much mine. Listening to Dave's RedII ya can hear the effect this tune had on him IMHO.
I still play this monster, even in my Electro sets !

One of my favourite records! This is an immortal track (i'm referring to the Maurizio Remix, because the original mix isn't at all that good IMO), which you can hear quite often from all the best DJs, even today when minimal is hype.

The bassline is real powerful, the groove hypnotising, with wonderful rhythm and a great break at the middle. Simply a force that takes you away.

Lucky me, the first to comment on this...I bought this at Record Time and it was in the shrink wrap. I couldn't read the label and thought shit, I'm gonna waste 6 bucks or whatever it was (you opened it, you paid for it). But I gave it a shot- dropped the needle and let it play for a minute; nice beginning- OK- skip- a brief drop off with this unforgettably mournful, fierce sequence- and then out of nowhere- that thundering, bottomless Basic Channel bass kick. Many a fist has pounded the air to this one! Great to have two copies so you can mix into the B-side...