DeepChord – DeepChord 01-06

Just to chime in with the comment below, and the critical review from 2007: I view this CD as mere sketches of everything he did from dc07 on. It's almost as if he needed to get those first sketches out of his system before he could commit to them and turn them into the lengthy pieces worthy to be cut on 12" which he did later, and very convincingly as well. One can argue that an artist shouldn't release such sketches, but why not? They're not as sophisticated as everything that came after this CD, but they're just as much part of Rod's universe as anything else.

I want to open a discussion forum:
This is a CD with title DeepChord 01-06 © 97/98/99. I saw that there vinyls of DeepChord with catalog that goes from dc07, dc08, dc09, dc10, dc11, dc12, dc13, dc14, dc15 (release of Von Shommer) and dc16. Are there any catalogs dc01 (1997), dc02 (1997), dc03 (1998), dc04 (1998), dc05 (1999) and dc06 (1999)? And these vinyls were canceled and made this compilation? ignored launch and performed posthumous form on CD DeepChord 01-06 © 97/98/99?

does anyone know which tracks are from what EPs?

I wonder why no one ever discussed the striking similarity between some of these tracks - produced between 1997 and 1999, as the CD imprint says - and the works of Wolfgang Voigt under the pseudonym "Studio 1", published between 1996 and 1997. Compare for example the DeepChord track No. 2 with the track A1 on the purple Studio 1 record: http://www.discogs.sitioby.com/Studio-1-Lila/master/289160

I really don't want to bring the DeepChord fans up against me and don't want to open up a fight on who was first. Please do not read my review that way... But what do you think, is it possible DeepChord are influenced by those Studio 1 records? Studio 1 was quite big and influential in the German underground at its time, so I could really imagine that. Needless to say of course that Voigt wasn't without influences himself! As I said, I don't want to open a fight, I just want to fill in a piece of the puzzle and understand the ways music history can go. What do you think about this?

Love this release. Beautiful and deep, deep. Contains some of my favorite Deepchord tracks. Produced at time when there really was no such genre as dub-techno. There was just Basic Channel, a few miscellaneous releases, then this. Funny, at the time, never thought there would ever be a genre for this. But Basic Channel and Deepchord defined it. Thanks.

I have to say this early work of deepchord is a milestone album filled with organic warmth and hidden depth submerged in it's icy sound. The deep just got deeper with the huble duo known as deepchord which have credited Basic Channel as a huge influence in their production but yet seem to adventure into a sea of deeper thoughts. The melodies are quite simple, subtle but evolve in such a way it keeps the listener intently focused and mezermized by it's subtle finess, something you could leave on for hours and it would feel like only a second went by. I would have to say this is a MUST HAVE for fans of Basic Channel, Maurizio or Chain Reaction, the sonic boundaries have been pushed forward from the hands of these Detroit based artist.

Okay, lets try this again.

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. There should be no reason to piss on someone's music to show that it is better or worse than another artist, for any reason. I don't believe in doing this, and neither should you.

I am very critical of dub techno as a genre, because I feel that it has become a parody of itself. Where Mark Ernestus would take a strong, simple melody and make it that backbone of a 10-minute piece, going nuts at the mixer with filter changes, delay bashing etc. Others now are taking the type of sounds that were used on Basic Channel records, and fashioning similar, but ultimately inferior works with them.

DeepChord 01-06 is the turning point for me. Formally, all the usual ingredients are here. Analog warmth - lots of it, and it's certainly very enticing - dub stabs, delay, delay and more delay, and soft but incessant bass drums plipping their way around deep deep basslines. Rod, you have the production skills sir, there is no doubting that. But, I just don't find the melodic content interesting!

Phylyps Trak I and Enforcement were hard techno monsters, Radiance and Quadrant Dub were ambient dub fiestas. BC explored both ends of the spectrum, and everything in between. DeepChord don't. Every single track is a similar tempo, one-two note dub stabs amongst washy chords. It just is not as interesting! Some are a little more minimal, ambient, others are a tad faster and may have a few more stabs here and there. But there isn't any diversity outside of this!

If you like the sound, production, or you're just addicted to dub techno then just ignore this and try the album - you're bound to love it. But those of us that aren't married to the genre will find that this is where we part ways. Or I would if I didn't still enjoy the sounds, which might explain why I still try this stuff...

If you've heard any Deep Chord, then you know what to expect, and this collection will NOT disappoint. If you haven't heard, then it's the minimal 'deep house' dubby sound. Soft chords (heh, DEEP chords) low bass pulse, not too different from Basic Channel or Porter Ricks stuff, but Deep Chord is a bit more hypnotic & soothing. GREAT CD!