Various – The Labyrinth

I first heard this very drunken at a friend's place in Liverpool, United Kingdom. You know when you hear something and your cerebellum concentrates all your attention on one thing, well my friend played me the Peter Van Hoesen track and I immediately forgot everything around me. I was nothing, my friend was nothing, his flat was nothing, the only thing that mattered or made any sort of sense was this EP. I think philosophers call it transcendence. Anyways transcend, transition, transform and roll out.

For those that are interested, the pressing of this release is really high grade. My copy is absolutely silent. And of course, amazing music too.

Techno and house scenes have had their shares of seminal 'various artists' EPs in the past 20 years : the "Sonar 123 EP" on Peacefrog, the "Classic EP" on Serious Grooves, the "Hip To Be Desillusionned" on Prescription, the "Back To Basics EP" on NY Underground, the "Underground Dance Music Vol.1" on Big Beat and more recent releases on Fred P's Soul People Music among many others.
These collective efforts cement a scene, crystallizing artists who are its creative core, but also often friends living a unique collective experience, at the top of their game.
Well here you have the 'deluxe version' of that : imagine if the aforementioned artists had a very special festival materializing their unique musical visions. Donato Dozzy, Mike Parker and Gerard Hanson aka Convextion, arguably three of the most important techno figures of the past decade, actually do.
Their music, refining day after day a mercurial, purified, amazingly textured version of the original Detroit and european techno visions, finds its perfect echo in the Labyrinth Festival, an electronic music event set under multicolor pyramidal tents in the deep mountains of Japan since 2000, starting with trance and progressively refining its sound aesthetic until it became the recipient for the deepest forms of techno music around.
At this point of vibes and paths crossing perfectly, as the Labyrinth had became a very special yearly ritual, was produced The Labyrinth EP, a beautiful gatefold 4-tracks doublepack, courtesy of TTE label owner and discreet but highly esteemable deep techno soldier Peter van Hoesen.
It can be seen as an apotheosis of this form of suprasensory techno which has brought the art of crafting textures and atmospheres on the dancefloor into the next level of dephth, and a 'clarification' for many a 'minimal' follower.
All four tracks here are amazing odysseys on their own cosmic league, still I want to emphasize on Convextion's "Oil On Metal". He was always on a league of his own, and his previous releases and live sets showcase a unique ability to match lace-like crystalline textures with the most emotional analogue pads, but on this track he focuses on a more dark and sepulchral vibe and comes up with the most intense and resonant moment of techno to be heard under the moon for a long time.
A stunning, cornerstone release.

I was not at the Labyrinth Festival ever, but I've watched a good share of the youtube videos that have been eminating from this annual festival since it began in 2008. Start out with "Labyrinth Dozzy" as your search string if you want to see some of best clips. To understand the music on this release you have to first place yourself into the minds of those attending the festival. Long story short, these people at the festival are off their rockers. Woodstock in Tokyo. Full tilt gonzo peace pipe conciousness exploration.

From what I can tell the festival takes place in a valley surrounded by forest. The DJ booth is a giant backlit tee-pee (see front of gatefold). It looks absolutely incredible, especially during the night time sets. What is a teepee doing in Tokyo? I have no clue but that just makes it all the more interesting to me. A massive stack of speakers on each side of booth is lit with a pinkish purple color. Other smaller teepees form some type of oval shape in the valley. I dont know what goes on in the teepees on the side. I'd love to know. Maybe a fellow discogger who has been there can shed some light? In the middle of this setup is crowd consisting of every type of music fan you could ever imagine. Young, old, all races and backgrounds, all mashed into one giant swinging swaying mass of happy go lucky alternate reality seekers.

These 2 records and the careful consideration that went into the gatefold art make this a must have for fans of deep authentic techno. I cannot even choose a favorite track because they all will take you wherever it is you need to go if you just let them do their thing. Patience young grasshopper and you shall be rewarded. Mike Parker and especially Dozzy's music and career seems to be launching to the next level. Its about time too these guys have been lurking in the background for almost a decade now quietly releasing non stop 5 star techno. People need to realize what these guy's music is capable of. I hope they never change their sound. Its perfect just the way it is. Knocks you right on your ass!