TuneLab
Alarico
Upclose 2025
The description 'Upclose 2025' suggests intimacy, but with Alarico, it’s more like being pressed against a malfunctioning industrial machine in the best possible way. We’re here for the gnarly, unrelenting pulse of hard techno, and this set delivers exactly that—a no-frills, heads-down assault. Imagine a bunker with strobe lights and concrete floors; the atmosphere is dense, smoky, and utterly devoid of melody. Technically, this is a masterclass in tension and release within the hard techno framework, averaging a punishing 140-141 BPM with Camelot key 5A providing a dissonant, driving foundation.
The energy is overwhelmingly low-end focused, with rumbling basslines and distorted kicks that dominate the soundscape, while mid-range elements like screeching synths add texture without relief. Alarico’s mixing is aggressive and functional, using quick cuts and long blends to maintain a relentless pace, with BPM swings from 94 to 143 showing a willingness to warp tempo for dramatic effect. Standout tracks from this Alarico tracklist include the eerie ambient build of 'Harmonic Alchemy - Ambient Music Step2,' which serves as a brief respite before the storm. Maccari’s 'Process 1 (KaioBarssalos Remix)' is a percussive, rolling weapon, while VD’s 'HARDGROOVE VD f2f Hertz' lives up to its name with brutal, loop-driven intensity.
Alignment’s 'Dance for Me' is a peak-time anthem for the warehouse faithful, and U.R.Trax’s 'i can’t believe (you’re real)' offers a fleeting moment of hypnotic groove. The journey kicks off with an unknown opener, plunges into the abyss with tracks like 'XPO99 - Pulchritude,' and concludes with Alarico’s own 'Iruka,' a fittingly industrial crescendo.