DJ Stingray 313 – “INDUSTRY 4.0 EP” (Tresor) [September 20, 2024]

To some, Techno has an aesthetic that is all too easy to nail down: black-clad ravers, dark dingy warehouses, rumbling four-on-the-floor kick drums. Although the genre has underground origins from the gloomy urban decay of Detroit, over time Techno has grown into a flashy industry with exclusive clubs and expensive plugins. As trends change, the rate of technological development continues to accelerate, augmenting the way we socialize, interact, and interpret information.

On INDUSTRY 4.0, DJ Stingray explores themes like artificial intelligence, the internet, robotics, and the uncertain future of humanity’s evolution through utilizing these tools. His cyborg-style productions forgo Techno’s four-on-the-floor cliches in favor of broken beats, scrambled synth lines, and controlled cacophony, reflecting the chaotic emotions brought on by future shock. By overloading the data used in the ordinary Techno formula, DJ Stingray produces some of the densest and heaviest beats in the scene.

The opening track, LARGE LANGUAGE MODEL, sets a steady snare backbeat against sub-crushing kick drums, time stretched synth samples, and a female humanoid voice repeating “MACHINE LEARNING.” MULTIFUNCTIONAL ROBOTICS is another heavy endeavor into the raw power of rhythm—with high powered bursts of metallic tones and a booming 808 bass that should require a heavy equipment certification to drop in a set. 

The closing track “SENSOR DATA” is undoubtedly the sounds pulled from a killer robot’s memory chip used to analyze heat signatures, recognize human features, process information rapidly, and enhance the machine’s capabilities in tracking and hunting.

While these three tracks might not fit a standard understanding of what Techno sounds like, at its core the genre celebrates innovation while at the same time critiques humanity’s over-reliance on technology. 

To that end, the tracks on INDUSTRY 4.0 collectively offer a compelling reflection on our rapidly changing world through a form of music well suited for exploring these themes—Techno. DJ Stingray reminds us that the future is not set and there is no fate but the one we make for ourselves.

You can’t stop the future, it’s already here.

-Alex

Check out Dirty Epic music recommendations here.
Listen to our podcasts here.
Find out more about our Events here.
Listen to our review picks here.

Subscribe
Stay up to date on the latest music from around the globe