Let me also say that I absolutely love good techno, and by good techno I mean minimal, melodic, emotional music. Moving in every sense of the word; I once called it “A motion with emotion.” Dewey immortalized the thought in the notes to Ultramarine’s legendary Every Man and Woman is a Star:

There is music for the body and there is music for the mind. Music for the body picks you off the floor and hurls you into physical activity. Music for the mind floats you gently downstream, through pleasurable twists and turns, ups and downs, rapids and calm waters… And sometimes there is music for the body and for the mind.

Years ago, I rationalized what I then thought might be a sustainable model for purchasing music: I always buy digital first, disc if I can’t find digital, and vinyl if it’s limited edition or otherwise unavailable any other way. Beyond that, I also decided that I wouldn’t buy any more “pure” techno, since there’s no earthly way I can keep up with everything that’s released and continue to feed and clothe my family.

Just like hip-hop, I let life (and the intertrons) bring me techno. Richie Hawtin did the 100th mix for Resident Advisor’s podcast, and to hear it I had to register, and since I loved it I grabbed the feed in iTunes, and now each Monday I’m treated to a new mix. To be frank, I delete most after a minute of listening, but this one definitely shone through.

While effortlessly smooth throughout, it feels melancholy at first, yet reveals itself to be deceptively upbeat upon repeated listens. It’s deep, dark, and only made more mysterious due to the fact that he didn’t provide a tracklist (not to worry, the forum had it figured out within a day or two). Because of them, I was able to track down two of my favorites from the mix:

Klute’s “Only Memory is a Good One”

Stephan Hinz’s “Rhodes Under My Pillow”

Give them a listen. If you like them I highly recommend you grab the mix on RA before it disappears next week. You do not want to miss it.