Bleep

Drexciya was built from maritime afrofuturist myth. An alternate history of Atlantis populated by the unborn children of enslaved African women developed the ability to breathe underwater in utero, ultimately coming together to build a civilisation of their own away from the rest of the world and its oppression. Drexciya the band drew their strength both from the awesome might of the Roland TR-808 drum machine and from the rebellious power of this imagined world. They released three LPs on Underground Resistance, aligning their vision with the grassroots revolutionary modus operandi of the revered Detroit imprint before their run was cut short by James Stinson’s untimely death. That nautical connection was there from the jump in subtitling a series of eponymous EPs with seafaring allusions and also naming their 1999 debut LP Neptune’s Lair while filling it with tracks like ‘Andreaen Sand Dunes’ and ‘Bottom Feeders’.

Although Stinson’s passing sadly ended the Drexciya story prematurely, labels like Berlin’s legendary Tresor have helped release the rest of the mercurial’s groups gifts with reissues and archival digs. Tresor is now back again with another reissue of Hydro Doorways, a companion piece to Neptune's Lair that continues the precious myth. Tracks like the hyperactive ‘Polymono Plexusgel’ are reactive like their Detroit electro peers, but also submerged in an aquatic haze that rewards close listeners with its deep textures. Whereas ‘Species Of The Pod’ revs its analogue chug in ways that modern big room techno could only hope to replicate. Hydro Doorways is a near perfect addition to a deeply loved narrative, and a must own for electro heads around the world.