New York is finally getting good at techno (or maybe I’m getting better at finding it): Wolf + Lamb, Adultnapper, and now Clink. The Brooklyn label went to work at last night’s Minimoo party in some far-flung warehouse. The Clink sound plays in the backyard of minimal techno, where shadowy tracks are stitched together from little more than a drum kit, shivering bass, and a few strategically placed percolating beeps and whirls. This is the sort of music where the introduction of a hi-hat adds sudden drama. Really, it’s all about how that giant bass swings around and laps against the snare – and there’s excellent bass here, the sort of menacing tone that rattles your sinuses.

These are exciting records, delivering a welcome update of Richie Hawtin’s 1996 Concept series, but dirtier and tilted towards the dancefloor. The sets from Camea, Ambivalent, Afternoon Coffee Boys (aka Tim Xavier and Tony Rohr), Insideout, and Elon were tight and heavy, perhaps a bit too restrained, although there were a few of those terrific moments when the speakers start drilling everybody and all types of people are losing their minds in a frantic lockstep, grinning like mad and everything’s happy, dark, super loud, and suddenly it’s dawn.

Tony Rohr – Kreuzberg Krunk (Insideout Remix) (Clink, 2006)
Tim Xavier – Deception de Real (Camea & Insideout Remix) (Clink, 2007)