fabric presents Rødhåd by Various Artists

Berlin’s Mike Bierbach, aka Rødhåd (a name derived from his red hair, i.e. 'red head'), knows a thing or two about Techno. Dark, hypnotic Techno. Since forming his Dystopian club night in 2009 (and later a label with the same name, releasing tracks from artists like Recondite, Don Williams, Vril, Drumcell etc.) his reputation as a DJ and selector has flourished internationally. It's taken a while but he's finally produced a fabric mix.

Known for his long, slower sets, the 28 tracks included here whizz along steadily at 138 BPM. And while a controlled tension is maintained from his own opening track Inception Report, it's far from a linear 73 minutes. In fact, it's a dynamic selection, with subtle drops, vocal snatches and variations of rhythm and texture that carry a hypnotic sense of undulation. In the mix there's tracks from established artists like DVS1, Ignez, Vril and himself alongside fresh and underground talent like Highlimiter, Beste Hira, Delano Legito, Nastia Reigel and UFO095.

The melody on Vril's Pump Out Kids makes it a standout but also signals that the end is nigh as Bierbach closes as he started, with one of his own tracks: Science Faction (a collaboration with Ulli Hammann as Out Of Place Artefacts).