Opening the proceedings is a tune I only just barely remember from my youth (mostly because of the mental music video). I forgot about it for a long time, until I was looking at samples for Orbital's Halcyon + On + On and looked it up on YouTube. The tune itself hasn't actually aged that badly, the production on it is still top notch and holds up unlike some of the older 'anthems'.
Opus III - It's A Fine Day [click to download] |HTML5|
And I can't go mentioning that sample without posting the incredible Orbital track. like Autechre's The Egg/Eggshell mixes, one's more dancefloor based, and the other's a bit more sedated. I'm never quite sure of the two versions of Halcyon I like more; the On + On mix is a spectacular example of Ambient Techno, but the original makes brilliant use of some samples that are a lot quieter in the other mix. But I've already Posted On+ On, so this time original version wins!.
Orbital - Halcyon [click to download] |HTML5|
Slowing things down as we draw things to a close we have the legendary Underground Resistance with an incredibly smooth number from their debut Revolution For Change. The sounds laid down in those first 30 seconds or so are golden, they're absolutely incredible for 1992 and the introduction of that bassline not long after is just fantastically done. The Resistance's reputation is well deserved,and this is as good a demonstrator as any.
Underground Resistance - Sometimes I Feel Like [click to download] |HTML5|
lastly, we have a group I discovered one day while discogs hopping. While I'm not a massive fan of their name, they do have some pretty good tunes. The LP I took this from, Colourform is mostly made up of slower paced, ambient-ish stuff with some moodier tech stuff thrown in for good measure. It doesn't have that ethereal quality of the straight up ambient tech, nor is it as fast in terms of percussion, but still manages to create that calm atmosphere in a style that's refreshingly different.
The Higher Intelligence Agency - Speedlearn (Empathy Mix) [click to download] |HTML5|
And that concludes our adventures through the world of early 90's techno, it's a shame there's no real equivalent in sound these days, but there's certainly more than enough of it to go around.
Just For A Short While,
-Claude Van Foxbat