TuneLab
Adam Beyer x Layton Giordani
Awakenings x Drumcode ADE 2023
Adam Beyer back-to-back with Layton Giordani at Awakenings ADE—this is the sound of the Drumcode engine room at full throttle, a no-nonsense, industrial-strength techno workout for when subtlety is a foreign concept and the only requirement is forward momentum. The vibe is dark, intense, and laser-focused, a cavern of strobes and smoke where the kick drum is king. Technically, it's a high-octane ride averaging 136.9 BPM but frequently pushing into the 160s, with a harmonic framework largely built on the powerful, driving 12A and 6A keys.
The energy is split, with a strong low-end at 0.61 providing the relentless drive, mids at 0.29 adding gritty texture and synth hooks, and a significant 0.11 high-end ensuring the hi-hats and claps cut through the mix with machine-like precision. Their mixing is aggressive and functional, focused on maintaining energy and tension through rapid-fire cuts and layered loops. The tracklist is a barrage of weapons: Profetnyc's 'Intro' sets a dystopian scene, while Dave Leyrock's 'Introspection' offers a moment of atmospheric respite.
The clear peak is Layton Giordani's own 'New Generation', given a brutal, peak-time overhaul by Space 92. HUJUS's 'Right Back' is a relentless loop-driven tool, and DEADWALKMAN's 'Rhythm 11' typifies the raw, percussive undercurrent. From the ominous 'Intro', the set accelerates into the brutalist peak of 'New Generation (Space 92 Remix)', and finally decelerates into the moody, vocal-led closing of Nicole Moudaber's 'Reasons to Love You'.