cult [kuhlt]
–noun .
2. an instance of great veneration of a person, ideal, or thing, esp. as manifested by a body of admirers.
Today i'm here to expose you to two things that are considered cult in the world of electronic music:
1) Drexciya - The artist
2) Underground Resistance - The label
Conceived in 1989 but not having a release on vinyl until 1992, Drexciya are revered as one of Detroit techno and electro's shining lights. I was going to say were but changed my mind. Unfortunately due to the death of former member James Stinson in 2002 and Gerald Donald's decision to concentrate on his other pseudonyms Drexciya are defunct. Nonetheless Drexciya's legacy continues on and people still avidly search out their music meaning prices are high for the majority of their releases.
Their first release Deep Sea Dweller appeared on Detroit label Shockwave Records in 1992 and immediately the concept of a personal mythology behind their music began to take shape. The story was that "Drexciya" were a race of underwater dwellers descended from pregnant slave women thrown overboard during trans-Atlantic deportation and the track titles and E.P's names all followed this aquatic based theme. James and Gerald perpetuated this belief by not stepping out into the media for the majority of the groups existence giving Drexciya maximum appeal to the already cult like followers of their main label Underground Resistance. More about UR in a later entry as they have much more to offer with releases from Suburban Knight, Galaxy To Galaxy and DJ Rolando.
The release i want you to hear today is Drexciya's debut on UR - Drexciya 2 - Bubble Metropolis. Released in 1993 this is probably my favourite of their releases containing a varied selection of electro at different tempos. I've plumped for the A1 track which is a mid paced melancholic journey through the ocean depths. I picked it up for a pound a few years back from a collection i have been buying from an guy who worked in a local record shop but it has been out of print for many years and now you'll struggle to get a good condition copy for less than about £25.00. This is the same with the limited edition coloured represses that were released after James Stinson's death which immediately sold out.
