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12"
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TEC 113EP
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Dance music during lockdown? Wh?t's the point? Don't lose faith... We will be back dancing together and when we do, you will want to hear this EP blasted out on a massive sound system, in good company. Berlin-based Aaron and Felix, aka Fjaak, have found themselves on a rapid uphill trajectory this last few years, tearing up the techno scene with their broken rhythms and massive floor fillers. With WH?T EP Fjaak take things back underground, keeping in check with a darkside-sonic familiar to Tectonic. Lead track "WH?T" is a brutal dancefloor track, weighted by a thundering distorted bass and skittering broken breakbeats and meticulous drum programming. Title based sample "Whaaaaaaaaaaaat" chimes in now and then to remind you what you're listening to. Label boss Pinch is first up on remix duties, taking the "WH?T" original and deeply upsetting it. Hard bang with some 4/4 bits and loads of distortion. Flip then for a rare collaboration between Fjaak and Felix's brother J. Manuel (originally a founding member of Fjaak and brother of Felix), taking things into scribbly-acid territory, while keeping the mood low-slung and rolling. Dangerous beat manipulator Eric Baldwin aka Cocktail Party Effect finishes up the plate with a synapse-sizzling version backed by heavy drum programming and ankle hugging subs.
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2LP
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MONKEY 071LP
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Double LP version. Fjaak's path led them from the periphery to the center, and from there, further through the world. Their self-titled debut album for Monkeytown is as much a summary of what had happened in the previous three years as it is an artistic statement. Fjaak combines the energetic peak-time sound of the Berlin-based trio's acclaimed techno singles, like Oben/Unten (2015), with sophisticated breakbeat arrangements and atmospherically dense ambient textures. These eleven tracks are the provisional highlight in a unique success story which started aside club culture's conventions and to this day refuses to compromise. Felix Wagner, Aaron Röbig and Kevin Kozicki were still teenagers when they developed a distinct sound which positioned itself outside beaten paths, both geographically and musically speaking. The trio cut their teeth in Berlin-Spandau's open-air scene and celebrated their first success in the city's center shortly thereafter before taking the techno world by storm with their elaborate analog sound. Having released a few records, they found a permanent home on Modeselektor's Monkeytown in 2014, while incessantly traveling the world. Fjaak draws its overwhelming power from their signature hands-on mentality and the explosive charm of their live sets. Earlier this year, Fjaak let FACT into their Berlin studio for an "Against The Clock" feature, the result of which - an anthemic techno jam - showcases the trio's spontaneous working process. "Against The Clock" sounds rough and unpolished, just like it's supposed to be: Fjaak capture the energy of their jam sessions on Fjaak. Apart from the previously released tracks to be found on the single Wolves/Pray For Berlin (MONKEY 070EP, 2016), the album also features a reworked version of the Fjaak classic "Gewerbe 15". However, Fjaak is far more than a document of Fjaak's studio virtuosity. On it, Kozicki, Röbig und Wagner channel the diverse influences that have informed their unique sound from the very beginning. On "Sixteen Levels", you can hear their love for UK bass sound while "Snow" and the vivid collaborations with Rødhåd or Modeselektor highlight a more placid side of Fjaak. Whether it's peak-time techno or the cowbell-heavy breakbeats of "Fast Food", Fjaak seamlessly blends the musical tensions between subtle textures, raw kicks and smart arrangements. Here and there, there are references to a specific '90s sound. However, Fjaak is first and foremost dedicated to a new musical future.
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CD
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MONKEY 071CD
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Fjaak's path led them from the periphery to the center, and from there, further through the world. Their self-titled debut album for Monkeytown is as much a summary of what had happened in the previous three years as it is an artistic statement. Fjaak combines the energetic peak-time sound of the Berlin-based trio's acclaimed techno singles, like Oben/Unten (2015), with sophisticated breakbeat arrangements and atmospherically dense ambient textures. These eleven tracks are the provisional highlight in a unique success story which started aside club culture's conventions and to this day refuses to compromise. Felix Wagner, Aaron Röbig and Kevin Kozicki were still teenagers when they developed a distinct sound which positioned itself outside beaten paths, both geographically and musically speaking. The trio cut their teeth in Berlin-Spandau's open-air scene and celebrated their first success in the city's center shortly thereafter before taking the techno world by storm with their elaborate analog sound. Having released a few records, they found a permanent home on Modeselektor's Monkeytown in 2014, while incessantly traveling the world. Fjaak draws its overwhelming power from their signature hands-on mentality and the explosive charm of their live sets. Earlier this year, Fjaak let FACT into their Berlin studio for an "Against The Clock" feature, the result of which - an anthemic techno jam - showcases the trio's spontaneous working process. "Against The Clock" sounds rough and unpolished, just like it's supposed to be: Fjaak capture the energy of their jam sessions on Fjaak. Apart from the previously released tracks to be found on the single Wolves/Pray For Berlin (MONKEY 070EP, 2016), the album also features a reworked version of the Fjaak classic "Gewerbe 15". However, Fjaak is far more than a document of Fjaak's studio virtuosity. On it, Kozicki, Röbig und Wagner channel the diverse influences that have informed their unique sound from the very beginning. On "Sixteen Levels", you can hear their love for UK bass sound while "Snow" and the vivid collaborations with Rødhåd or Modeselektor highlight a more placid side of Fjaak. Whether it's peak-time techno or the cowbell-heavy breakbeats of "Fast Food", Fjaak seamlessly blends the musical tensions between subtle textures, raw kicks and smart arrangements. Here and there, there are references to a specific '90s sound. However, Fjaak is first and foremost dedicated to a new musical future.
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12"
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MONKEY 070EP
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Fjaak tease their long-awaited debut album with a both varied and coherent single. The "Wolves" unleashed by Fjaak aim straight for the throat. Over a gritty and hypnotic groove, psychotic organ sounds cut through the mix like suppressed memories. There's a break, but no time to breathe, really: the warm bassline emerging from the intense near-silence only comes with more appetite for destruction. The sonic center of "Pray For Berlin" is occupied by a sophisticated breakbeat, flanked by dreamy synth lines, which lends an irresistible drive to the track, despite its mid-tempo pace.
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12"
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50WXTR 005EP
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German trio FJAAK's "Gewerbe 15" is a primetime sure shot, opening with a broken kick drum that eventually makes way for a pummeling 4/4 beat bound to shake the walls of any club. The title refers to the German word for "commercial space"; the trio lived in a 15-square-meter combination-living-space-and-studio during the creation of their first two EPs for 50WEAPONS (Attack/The Wind (2014) and Don't Leave Me/Plan A (50WXTR 002EP, 2014)). "Rush" plays with a much more house-oriented approach to a peak-time track. A rock-hard, distorted kick drum; piercing hi-hats; and a soaring ride are paired with almost Jersey-esque, shuffling chords.
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12"
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50WXTR 004EP
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Oben/Unten paints a picture of a club in which the more pleasing sounds are played on the upper floor ("Oben") while there's a freakshow in the basement ("Unten"). The heavy stomper "Oben" features a cut-up of the notorious "Amen break." Its delayed stabs, impulsive drums and washed-out vocals almost drive you into a trance-like state of mind. "Unten" goes face first into the doghouse. Sweat is dripping from the ceiling, half-naked bodies are jacking to the resonant sounds of the kickdrum. A hi-hat and some claps -- you don't need much more.
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12"
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50 039EP
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FJAAK have already had a killer start with their previous 50 Weapons EP release Don't Leave Me/Plan A (50WXTR 002EP). Their rough techno tracks are driven by a fast and furious energy that pulses with love for its genre. The A-side is ruled by the well-carved noises of the kick drum's reverb, brilliantly-timed breaks, and a windy flute pad that pairs perfectly with the distorted snare drum. "The Wind" uses distorted snare drum with delayed synths and noise-as-percussion, heading into deeper territories, while "Curious" sets a darker vibe with growling bass drones that sting like metallic insects, infecting you with dancemania.
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12"
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50WXTR 002EP
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50 Weapons proudly presents a new artist signing -- FJAAK. FJAAK is a Berlin born and raised young trio with a futuristic mind and nostalgic feelings. They are both into analog machines and equipment as well as all kinds of digital toys. Though still very young, their hardware-only live sets are already legendary in their hometown of Berlin as well as in selected stops throughout Europe.
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