Take Ten: Daniel Avery picks 10 cutting-edge techno records keeping him inspired

Shape-shifting DJ/producer Daniel Avery has a longstanding relationship with Erol Alkan’s Phantasy Sound; it’s home to many of his EPs, including 2012’s ‘Need Electric’ and his debut album ‘Drone Logic’, which explored all corners of his dark, acid-laced dancefloor-centric productions in 2013. Last year’s follow-up LP ‘Song For Alpha’ took on a slightly different trajectory, accentuating melodic structures with downtempo, melancholy moments like ‘Slow Fade’. It’s this album that’s provided the basis for ‘B-Sides & Remixes’ — released this month — a collection of previously unheard tracks (there were reportedly 100 out-takes) from the album production, which also gathers an impressive selection of artists to remix Avery’s originals, including Luke Slater, Surgeon and Jon Hopkins, amongst others. As well as embarking on a recent tour of Australia, he will be playing alongside Objekt, DJ Stingray, Volvox, Umfang and more at Junction 2 on Friday 7th June. We asked Avery to pick out ten of his most influential records right now, which include works from contemporaries featuring on his new remix album, such as Bristol duo Giant Swan and frequent DJing partner HAAi...

01. Giant Swan ‘Pax Britannica’

“These lads make music to rip down the walls of your mind and cleanse your soul at the same time. Their records are awesome but to understand the full picture you need to be in their presence at a live gig, the smoke machine filling your lungs and the kick-drum rattling your skull.”

02. HAAi ‘It’s Something We Can All Learn From’

“HAAi is the coolest new character on the scene with a truly magnetic presence about her, dancing hard to the beat of her own drum. She takes her love of psychedelic music from around the world and throws it into her own unique universe, turning heads at every corner. From newcomer to Essential Mix Of The Year in under two years, she’s a new superstar in full flight.”

03. Clay Wilson ‘E4 (Patrick Russell Remix)’

“I’ve always been a fan of Patrick’s style but seeing him play at a No Way Back party in Detroit last year was one of the most special clubbing experiences I’ve had in all my years. Each track he picked seemed to melt the collective brain of the room further and further until everyone inside was little more than a small part of a throbbing mass. The bar had been closed for hours but no fucker was leaving, even if they wanted to. His remix of my track ‘Diminuendo’ is a good indicator of his skills."

04. Manni Dee ‘Drips’

“Brutalist techno with a social conscience and a raging fire in its stomach, Manni is on unstoppable form at the moment. Go and check out his album ‘The Residue’ on Tresor, then his stuff on Perc Trax. Then go and watch him play live or witness him DJ and tell me your life hasn’t been made better in some way.”

05. Mor Elian ‘Move Like Atoms’

“Mor is the new queen of the broken drum-beat in my eyes. Everything she makes sounds like it’s been discovered on an alien planet but there is still a distinctly human pulse underpinning it all — her stuff reminds me of early Warp records fed through a modern techno filter. She’s also an incredible DJ and one of the coolest people you’ll meet.”

06. PSSU ‘307309’

“I wasn’t going to pick one of my own but fuck it, I’m incredibly proud of this collaboration with friend and studio neighbour Richard Fearless — released on his own label, Drone. I was always drawn more to the electronic sides of Death In Vegas, given what an amazing club DJ Fearless is, so it’s exciting to see him push this side of himself further in recent years. He’s an inspiring character who has never stayed still and never stopped creating.”

07. Planetary Assault Systems ‘Strange Attractor’

“No one needs me to tell them how incredibly important Luke Slater is to the world of techno. I picked this track out of a hat as one of about twenty records of his I play on a regular basis. To have a remix by Luke on my new collection is such a rush for me — particularly one that sounds like the sky is falling in.”

08. Inga Mauer & Hellboii ‘Space Trac Two’

“Inga is easily one of my favourite artists around. Her style is raw and uncompromising, completely unaffected by outside trends and forces. There’s a darkness that bleeds to the edges of her sound but she’s also a funny little shit who couldn’t care less what people think of her, as long as they are listening.”

09. SHDW & Obscure Shape ‘Verlorene Seelen’

“This pair make basement rave music that translates onto huge stages without ever being overblown or self-indulgent — an almost impossible task. Their tracks lift an entire crowd and I play something by them in practically every set. Simplicity is one of the hardest things to do well in club music but these guys consistently offer a masterclass.”

10. Anastasia Kristensen ‘Ascetic’

“Anastasia is one of the most exciting new DJ names around, destroying every club she enters, but it’s in her productions where I feel her light will shine the strongest. There’s a certain poise to everything she makes; the drums in her tracks glide across a room even when they are aggressive. A room lights up to her music.”