Modularz 40: Developer, Rhomb, Heretic (Voidloss), Astronomical Telegram

[Lost to the Void]

10 anniversary of Modularz, vinyl edition.
There`s a track on there by me under the name Heretic, which is a name I have a bunch of stuff coming out under this year.
It`s a name I give to stuff where I work in a very specific way with a limited set of tools.



Available worldwide in all your usual vinyl stores.

[dubdub]

Your track kinda reminds me of that Untold track that was a huge hit some years ago:

youtu.be/45vd72jSB00

Very solid EP overall! And no 909 drum workouts or sinewave bleeps

[Lost to the Void]

Ooh that's a nice track.

This release was a weird one. Developer just got in touch randomly via my SoundCloud as this track was originally released with another label (along with some other Heretic tracks) who wholeheartedly fucked up the release in every way possible (long story but they just were clueless). And he asked if he could relicense the track. So I cancelled the other release and got the licensing back and gave it to him, but also sent other stuff.
And of all the Heretic stuff I sent when he asked he chose the one I consider the most commercial and accessible of the Heretic stuff. But I guess that's the point, and also shows how hard it is to be objective about your own music.

Sounds like I'm dissing my own track, I'm not. I meant it to be melancholy and simple under my Heretic paradigm, but compared to the rest of the stuff I've done as Heretic, it's super simple and accessible.

I'm not sure what point I'm making, haha. It's always nice to have stuff on vinyl, and especially when it's so random and out of the blue like this.

I didn't even know what Modularz was or who Developer was when I was initially approached and said yes, I'm not a DJ so I don't really keep up.
It's only when I was speaking to a mate about it that he told me it's a bit of a hip/hot label.

I'm not sure if me being that out of it is good or not.

[dubdub]

I've been into Developer / Modularz pretty much since the label started. His stuff is very much DJ music, it's all quite stripped down and repetitive and he releases a ton of it. I don't like everything but I really dig some of his tunes, he has a very characteristic sound. I find his tunes really interesting harmonically because he often has really bizarre way of tuning things and the way he works with vocal samples is quite cool.

[0dd]

He's one of the rare acts of US that I like. Gotta check this out

[RWise]

Developers stuff and modularz are great.

They have a bunch of killer releases that really work on the dance floor.

Its clear this 10th anniversary release was taking things a bit more 'experimental' and emotional than the usual modularz stuff.

But thats a solid place to get featured on, so congrats.

[SCUMM]

Big fan of Developer and Modularz. Can't say i like everything that he releases but there is quite a lot. Great label to have a track featured on imo. I'd be well chuffed so well done, cool track by the way, has a really nice feeling to it. Noticed Developer had a clip of your track on Instagram before i heard it here. That Rhomb one is ace too!

[Shift_24]

Nice track Steve! I really liked Modularz stuff as it was part of my introduction to techno. However, I find latest releases a bit lack of inspiration But this EP sounds really well.

[over9000]

nice track, long time since i heard one of these bass pad driven tunes, seems to be out of fashion but i always liked them.
i bought some modularz tracks too, but they are very toolish.
i mean theres almost no other label that pushes out tunes that are SO toolish like modularz.
sometimes i think they are abusing there "scene fame" to just pump out lazy analog jam recordings with almost no modulation at all
that said i have to say that developer has his unique style that i somehow also like alot
So this ep was a nice variety to listen to.

[Prophän]

Developer has this track I absolutely adore and never managed to play in a set altho it sounds quite easy to mix that melody just doesn't fit anywhere.

youtu.be/b0pHNyVuXzk

Congratulations for the release

[Lost to the Void]

Full audio for those interested.

youtu.be/uuGRSNCz2VM

[chava]

Developer got himself into a twitter fight recently with the 'call-out' dj types over some comment about not sharing tracklists and whatnot. He got called a 'gatekeeper' which apparantly is just the worst. He handled himself really well and honestly we could do with a lot more gatekeepers now and then, so props to him.

[RWise]

Developer got himself into a twitter fight recently with the 'call-out' dj types over some comment about not sharing tracklists and whatnot. He got called a 'gatekeeper' which apparantly is just the worst. He handled himself really well and honestly we could do with a lot more gatekeepers now and then, so props to him.

I actually dont think he handled himself that well. He came off as pretty immature and arrogant in some respects. With some of the petty responses to people giving reasonable criticism to his tweet.

[Lost to the Void]

Yeah, I agree he didn't handle that too well, and came off a little arrogant.
I don't agree entirely on his standpoint either, but overall there is a little more pomp and arrogance from the US side of things in this area. LA especially, that city is so wrong.

Whilst I have nothing against the guy, dealing with him over this release has been a little odd.
I'm used to being very open and developing a dialogue with people I work with, but this has been a very stiff communication.

[willemb]

Fantastic track Steve, really like it a lot.

[chava]

Developer got himself into a twitter fight recently with the 'call-out' dj types over some comment about not sharing tracklists and whatnot. He got called a 'gatekeeper' which apparantly is just the worst. He handled himself really well and honestly we could do with a lot more gatekeepers now and then, so props to him.

I actually dont think he handled himself that well. He came off as pretty immature and arrogant in some respects. With some of the petty responses to people giving reasonable criticism to his tweet.

Perhaps you're right. I am just so fed up with the whole herd mentality on social media that I'll anyone who is a victim of that no matter what they say (I didn't even agree with him, but his position is as fair as anyone else').

[Lost to the Void]

Oh the social media explosion that happened over his comments, unlike pacou who fucking deserved to walk the plank, was over the top.
I don't think purposely hiding the music you are playing, like you fucking own it, is a particularly nice thing to do.
I said to him very simply, "what do you think the artists who made the music would want mate?"

Very simple argument, hard to take a stand against it and it be considered a "fair" opinion. It was a straight up selfish stance. But the more self centered selfish me me me thing is more US and definitely more LA so I get it. Those guys have a little too much "I'm gonna get mine" in their blood.

But yeah he probably didn't deserve the internet army going ballistic.

[chava]

Oh the social media explosion that happened over his comments, unlike pacou who fucking deserved to walk the plank, was over the top.
I don't think purposely hiding the music you are playing, like you fucking own it, is a particularly nice thing to do.
I said to him very simply, "what do you think the artists who made the music would want mate?"

Very simple argument, hard to take a stand against it and it be considered a "fair" opinion. It was a straight up selfish stance. But the more self centered selfish me me me thing is more US and definitely more LA so I get it. Those guys have a little too much "I'm gonna get mine" in their blood.

But yeah he probably didn't deserve the internet army going ballistic.

I wouldn't hide music either, but this is nothing new. Been standard dj M.O. forever.

[dubdub]

Oh the social media explosion that happened over his comments, unlike pacou who fucking deserved to walk the plank, was over the top.
I don't think purposely hiding the music you are playing, like you fucking own it, is a particularly nice thing to do.
I said to him very simply, "what do you think the artists who made the music would want mate?"

Very simple argument, hard to take a stand against it and it be considered a "fair" opinion. It was a straight up selfish stance. But the more self centered selfish me me me thing is more US and definitely more LA so I get it. Those guys have a little too much "I'm gonna get mine" in their blood.

But yeah he probably didn't deserve the internet army going ballistic.

Well the common counterargument seems to be "dubplate culture".

I'm not sure if it's a great argument though, given that dub plate culture arose in a time when records still sold - there was a symbiotic relationship between the DJ and producer. Producers would give dubs to DJs, who would in turn eventually make a producers reputation over time, which would sell records so the producers could make a living. It was a symbiotic relationship. I'm not seeing that symbiotic relationship in Techno in 2019, records don't sell anymore and being playlisted has very little effect on your career. The relationship seems to be largely slated towards the DJ, with little in it for the producer except a bit of ego affirmation.