Various - Swedish Silver - 10 Years Of Drumcode

Back in the mid nineties in Sweden a small group of producers in their early ascendancy were starting to emerge with a new sound that is still influencing techno to this day. Adam Beyer was one of this group, then 19 and working in the Planet Rhythm record shop in Sweden and making early records for the label of the same name. This sound was influenced by the productions of Luke Slater and Jeff Mills but added a new dynamic and individuality which quickly started to establish a new fan base. In 1996 after his early successes he quickly seized the opportunity to start his own imprint - Drumcode which after many pivotal releases has reached its tenth anniversary. The label output has morphed brilliantly with the times always being at the cutting edge of harder techno with Adam's ruthless, uncomprimising approach to quality always apparent making it one of the most sought after catalogues of the last 10 years. To celebrate this, there have been a number of extremely successful Drumcode parties this year. This momentous year also sees the release of this 10 year anniversary album which has brought key artists that have featured on the label over the years. It's a dynamic mix of tracks with artists from the first generation of Swedish producers like Cari Lekebusch and Adam Beyer himself featuring alongside the newer generation of Swedish talent such as Par Grindvik and Patrick Skoog. What is also very apparent here is the breathtaking depth in the music itself from the heavily charged A1 track from Cari Lekebusch to the sinister anthemic vibe of Samuel L Session on the B1 to the bass driven deep groove of Adam Beyer's track on the C1 to the breathtaking depth and originality of Par Grindvik's offering on the D side with its esoteric quality shining through the shuffled grooves and spacey melodies. This album just reaffirms Drumcode's position as a real market leader - a brand that is totally synonomous with absolute quality and forward thinking.