Data Breaker

There exists a certain strain of techno that is severely hard,
swift, and minimal. It’s undeniably hypermasculine and
rigorous—almost more like militaristic maneuvers than music.
Despite its up-tempo, throbbing, often ecstatic nature, this brand of
techno rarely gets played in mainstream clubs—nor very often at
techno nights where dancing is de rigueur. That’s because, for some
reason, the techno made, say, by producers like Regis and
Function—whom local promoter/DJ Dan Dagen, aka
Spirals, has booked (along with the Bonkers! crew) for a rare
Seattle appearance on April 10, on Turbosound speakers yet—acts
as female repellent.

Banging minimal techno can be construed as the electronic-music
equivalent of black metal, a preserve mainly for males to work out
their angst and flex their machismo among themselves. But minimal
techno’s rougher specimens offer a lot of bang for the buck, no matter
one’s gender.

Tracks by Function (David Sumner, a Brooklynite who
now runs the respected Sandwell District label from Berlin) show
a stunning attention to detail—which is sexy, right,
ladies?—and their hypnotic power is seductive in an
obsessive-compulsive way. Function places every element precisely in
the sound field; every minute textural addition, modulated bleep, and
percussive accent to the core 4/4 rhythm takes on momentous
significance. As a disciple of Jeff Mills and Sleeparchive,
Function flaunts regal techno bloodlines.

British producer Regis (Karl O’Connor, Tresor and
Downwards recording artist and collaborator with Sumner as Portion
Reform, which is kind of like having Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
on the same team) has been on his grind—an apt term for his sort
of techno—for about 15 years. His productions tend to be harder
driving than Function’s, geared more for those peak hours in a DJ’s set
when dance-floor intensity requires maximization (it’s telling that two
of Regis’s albums are titled Penetration and
Gymnastics—both of which I highly recommend, as well as
1998’s Delivered into the Hands of Indifference).

Regis’s approach involves sternum-bruising beats and kinetic
percussion clattering with emergency urgency, often beneath chilling,
postindustrial atmospherics and harrowing string embellishments. Like
Function, Regis masterfully and subtly tweaks his bedrock beats,
creating potently mesmerizing effects while avoiding monotony.

Function’s and Regis’s music offers no sing-along hooks, no obvious
breakdowns and buildups during which you can whoop and throw your hands
in the air, no pretty melodies, and no divas emoting clichéd
sentiments—although you may get some ominous chants looped into
haunting mantras.

That being said, this sound does deliver thrills; they’re just not
the kind to which most clubbers have become accustomed. But they’re
definitely worth the next day’s soreness.

Regis and Function perform Fri April 10, Re-bar, 10 pm, $15, 21+.
With Computer Controlled, Spirals, Team Bonkers!