TuneLab
The Anjunadeep Edition 263 with Martin Roth (Live
at Explorations, June 2019)
Martin Roth live at Anjunadeep Explorations 2019—a set that has likely been the background score to a thousand 'deep work' playlists, and deservedly so. This is progressive house with a strong melodic techno spine. The vibe is that of a golden-hour festival moment, where the crowd is fully absorbed, moving as one pulsing entity under a fading sky. Roth is a master of dynamic control, working within a tight 120-122 BPM range but creating immense movement through energy shifts, with a dominant key of 11A providing a melancholic, introspective foundation.
The energy profile is fascinating, with the mid-range taking a commanding 70% share, meaning driving, resonant basslines and arpeggiated melodies are the stars of the show. His mixing is assertive and musical, often using bold cuts and layered loops to build tension, with the low-end providing a relentless, propulsive thrum that never overwhelms the intricate details above. The track selection is impeccable. His own 'Hypno Seq' is a perfect, sequencer-led opener.
Matthew Dekay's 'The Four Agreements' in his Beats Edit becomes a rolling, philosophical tool. The inclusion of &ME's 'Fairchild' is a deep, hypnotic masterstroke, while the Adam Port remix of Cubicolor's 'No Dancers' adds a touch of left-field, percussive weirdness. Spirit108's 'Glass Eyes' offers a moment of aerial beauty amidst the drive. The journey launches with the mechanistic pulse of 'Hypno Seq', ascends to a peak of melodic intensity with tracks like 'Fairchild', and closes on a classic, hands-in-the-air note with Roth's own summer-tinged remix of DJ Tatana's 'Spring Breeze', a full-circle moment of pure joy.