Long-time Smartbar resident and American techno stalwart Jeff Derringer returns with his first release in four years. Jeff's Oktave Records is re-born with ‘Automatic,’ an EP with its sights set for the heart of the dance floor.
Since 2010, Jeff has released his unique brand of techno on such high-powered labels as Electric Deluxe, Soma and Perc Trax, while touring the world behind his sound. His Oktave events have been a staple of Chicago’s Smartbar for the last dozen years, and have helped build a resurgence in the Windy City’s techno scene.
In 2018, Jeff went on medical hiatus, and soon found himself in the swamp of the Covid pandemic. After passing through the gauntlet of the last four years undaunted, Jeff has returned with an exciting new direction. The three tracks on 'Automatic' are no-nonsense shots across the bow, built for club devastation; fast-paced, analog-steeped beats made, as Jeff describes it, with as little equipment as possible. ‘Automatic,’ ‘Systemic,’ and ‘Enigmatic’ show Jeff at the peak of his powers, ready to take on the new decade.
Oktave Records started in 2017 as an offshoot of Jeff Derringer's long-running event series at Chicago's Smartbar nightclub. The label was built to showcase Jeff's original compositions and those of like-minded producers. Artists on the label to date include Japan's Iori and Tbilisi's Sophia Saze. Jeff's 'Automatic' EP is the fifth release on the label.
credits
released July 15, 2022
Written, recorded, produced and mixed by Jeff Derringer, Winter 2022, Chicago. Mastered by Tim Xavier at Manmade Mastering, June 2022, Berlin. Artwork by Jan Willem Van De Baan, June 2022, Rotterdam.
German dub techno producers Kadent and Schönfeld lead an upbeat romp through castles, oceans, jungles, and by LP's end, the distant future. Bandcamp New & Notable Oct 5, 2022
This compilation celebrating six years of the Brazilian label Sweetuf centers pulse-pounding beats and bright, joyous keys. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 25, 2021
Berlin-based duo CYRK take a minimalist approach to EBM, stripping “Obsession” back to thudding beats and prickly synths. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 12, 2020
Floating melodica over tropical percussion and persuasive bass lines, this Japanese producer crafts spacey sci-fi dub. Bandcamp New & Notable May 7, 2013