My account

Various (Mama told ya) - Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent

Name: Various (Mama told ya) - Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent
Item: Various (Mama told ya) - Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent
Author: Reid BG

Published
Nov 8, 2023
Words
Reid BG
Label
Mama told ya
MTY-AIR
Released
October 2023
Genres
Trance · Techno

Anetha curates a globe-trotting compilation of the finest in contemporary techno.
Share
Once a year, Anetha—a stalwart of France's modern techno scene—rounds up a gang of producers for a compilation on her label Mama told ya. This time, with Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent, which features 22 artists over 20 tracks, the concept is air (following last year's earth and 2021's water). While the label emphasizes the thematic concept of the compilation through matching perfume releases of the same name (and admittedly verbose release notes), the music stands tall on its own. If nothing more than a collection of tracks, MTY-AIR is an impressive barrage of peak-time, heat-seeking, high-BPM tunes from Anetha's highly-coveted archive. Mama told ya, established only four years ago, has proven itself a formidable incubator for young talent from all around the world, not just a clique of close-knit, like-minded artists in France. It was founded as a forward-thinking techno platform to get producers "out of their comfort zone," from Macedonia to Melbourne and Buenos Aires to Berlin. Anetha has amassed a roster of producers who thrive in the playful, creative realms of the genre while still pushing intensity levels to their listenable limits. Take the pseudo-euphoric "Ghetto Girl" (a flip of Aqua's "Barbie Girl") from DJ Bazootka and Ryacet, for instance—a track that might elicit both a giggle and a nose-scrunch with its strung-out vocals and rigid groove. These types of vocal-driven tracks that took over dance floors in 2023 are the standouts of the release, with Gaston Fiore's "Watch Me" playing around with a hefty bassline and lyrics that could come from a chopped-up ‘00s strip club anthem. Just as Anetha moves back and forth in her sets between high-spirited edits and powerful, sound system-testing rollers, she carves out ample room on Mille attaques, les vents contrèrent for different shades of what you might call proper techno. She has a particularly impressive palette of time-warping psytrance, which ranges from full-on hallucinatory goodness on A Strange Wedding's "Temples Of Quantum" to the sharp, shimmering kicks and buzzing synths of Tangerine's "Luminescence." The euphoric, mesmerizing gallop of Shaven's "Forever" can pivot ravers from heads-down-eyes-closed to arms-up-and-misty-eyed while Lacchesi's "Jeopardizer" reaches its tendrils into the deepest grooves of the human brain, zapping neurons with its tightly-coiled stabs. One shouldn't get too caught up in the thematics with these compilations. While MTY-EAU had tracks with some water-themed titles and serene deep-sea moments (ISAbella's "Impresia"), MTY-TERRE literally has a track titled "Air is my element." Regardless, these annual releases from Mama told ya, especially MTY-AIR, are techno in its most exhilarating current form. Like a well-balanced mix—similar to Anetha's RA Podcast from earlier this year, which featured six of the tracks on this release—it has enough range to keep you locked in as it bounces around tastefully in between different styles. It goes as dark as dance music veteran Boys Noize's "Higherpvsh" and as off-kilter as Cerrot's "The Light," whose lumbering polyrhythm could induce some wobbly knees on the dancefloor. Her production chops aside—MTY-AIR is the first release on Mama told ya that doesn't feature her on a track or collaboration—Anetha is steadily becoming one of the most trusted artists in contemporary techno. Her consistent curation ability as a DJ and label head is crucial, yes, but she also advocates for industry ethics through her agency, Mama loves ya. Her blistering releases, flawless sets and honourable duties define her as a triple threat who is ever deserving of her revered reputation as Mama.
Tracklist

Home

Events̸

London̸

Music̸

Reviews̸

Films̸