CONCRETO Vol. 3: hypnotic techno, textures, and groove for the dancefloor

CONCRETO Vol. 3 brings together nine tracks that explore different ways of understanding contemporary techno, with a very clear direction from the start: dense atmospheres, elaborate sound design, and a constant search to generate movement without relying solely on the classic dancefloor structure.

Music by Andrea Zapata, Mateo Moric, Cia Rebeck, Julieta Kopp, Sinistermind, Milena Adamis, Juan Trujillo, Raptis, and Denivek.
Listen to CONCRETO Vol. 3

Review: Hypnotic techno as a language

Hypnotic techno is probably the language that appears most throughout the compilation. The first tracks rely especially on textures and synths, building atmospheres that progressively envelop the listener. There is a very marked sense of depth and a particular attention to the design of each sound.

Road to the groove

Instead of putting all the weight on the kick and the bassline, a good part of the first half of the release finds its strength in atmospheres, notably in the tracks by Andrea Zapata, Cia Rebeck, and Julieta Kopp. The sounds appear, disappear, and take center stage again, creating a listening experience that maintains a certain tension even in the moments when the energy drops.

As the V.A. progresses, the groove begins to occupy a more prominent place.

Much more present basslines, marked kicks, and percussions appear, driving the release towards a more direct interpretation of the dancefloor. There are some moments close to hardgroove, though with a particularly clean and defined production. The track by Juan Trujillo is probably the clearest example: a very dancefloor-friendly, galloping bassline, and industrial yet clean percussion.

There are also some vocal elements and sounds with an aesthetic closer to trance, expanding the compilation's spectrum a bit without straying too far from its core identity.

Sonic energies

One of the interesting aspects of CONCRETO Vol. 3 is precisely that transition between different energy levels. There are deeply mental and atmospheric tracks, others much more oriented towards the dance, and some that take the sound into rawer and more industrial territories. Not everything follows the same formula, but there is an obvious effort to maintain a certain quality in the sound design.

Textures end up functioning as one of the most recognizable elements of the release. In several of the tracks, they carry an almost equivalent weight to that of the rhythmic structure, providing depth and movement while the synths maintain that hypnotic character that runs through much of the V.A.

Towards the end, one of the rawest moments of the compilation emerges, with a much more saturated and industrial sound that still feels closely related to the behavior of the rest of the compilation. The sensitivity of the first tracks is then recovered once again with the final track.

CONCRETO Vol. 3

Overall, CONCRETO Vol. 3 proposes a selection where hypnotic techno, groove, and texture work coexist with different approaches to the dancefloor. The result maintains a very clear direction: music designed to generate movement, but also to pay attention to everything happening around the kick and the bassline.