MAELSTROM – HEAT WAVE EP

Published on 2020-02-16 00:00:00 by Harry Wootten

The Rise of Mechatronica

There’s no two ways about it—Mechatronica has been steadily blowing up these last few years. The Berlin label has become a cornerstone for electro fanatics, with devotees religiously scooping up its releases. In fact, I’d wager that 99% of newcomers to the genre have been drunkenly (or over-enthusiastically) preached to about the label’s machine-driven wonders. With a roster boasting legends like Dez Williams, Zeta Reticula, Luke Eargoggle, and Umwelt—plus a couple of thriving sublabels—Mechatronica has achieved a status most imprints only dream of. Consistency is key in this game, and label boss Mejle has clearly mastered the art.

Unsurprisingly, MTRON016 continues this streak, featuring a collaboration with an indomitable Irish powerhouse finally getting his due. But the star of the ‘Heat Wave EP’ is Maelstrom, a French producer whose roots run deep in the country’s free-party scene. Over the years, he’s honed his craft through countless aliases and sonic experiments, refining chaos into precision. His releases on labels like Zone, Bromance, and Cititrax paved the way for RAAR, the imprint he co-runs with Louisahhh!!! Since then, he’s dropped a debut album (‘Her Empty Eyes’) and appeared on heavyweight electro labels like CPU, Private Persons, and Cultivated Electronics.

True to form, Maelstrom’s latest is as clinically ruthless as ever—a perfect fit for Mechatronica’s obsession with the symbiosis of man, machine, and electronics. The title track is metallic and aggressive, its bassline slicing through celestial ambience with invasive force. ‘Three Channels’ leans into Maelstrom’s French electro roots, driven by a fidgety faux-trance synth and a doom-tinged kick. Then comes ‘Naoned’, the first of two collabs with DeFeKT—a brash, industrial piledriver built for peak-time havoc. But the standout? ‘Dublin’. Though the slowest of the bunch, its evil syncopation and erratic groove prove that destruction on the dancefloor isn’t just about BPM.

If Maelstrom or DeFeKT land anywhere near you, don’t miss them live. Trust me.
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