DJ Chart: Steve O'Sullivan

After a long-awaited return to the techno fold, the Mosaic boss assembles eight slabs that define his craft

Feature by Daniel Jones | 04 Sep 2014

Steve O’Sullivan has been a busy bee this year. Not content with fostering three instalments of his Mosaic Split Series – Part Four, featuring solid efforts from Nail and Annie Errez, landed last month – the progenitor of dubbed-out techno on British soil is also set to revive his kinship with Ben Sims for the opening gambit of a new, tougher-sounding ‘Red Label’ series. Both drops signal a statement of intent from O’Sullivan, to take Mosaic to another level following a near ten-year hiatus.

There are also whispers of a forthcoming string of EPs for Sushitech, so it seems that there's plenty more in the pipeline to appease any Bluespirit enthusiasts out there. In the meantime, why not viddy these hard-hitting selections plucked straight from the horse’s mouth – giddy up.

Floorplan – Never Grow Old (Re-Plant) [M-Plant]
Robert Hood revamps two great cuts from last year's fantastic Floorplan LP as only he can. This guy is the master of true minimal techno and has maintained a level of quality control and relevance over the last 20-plus years that most producers could only dream of. Fair to say, I’m a big fan! 

Joey Anderson – Sorcery [Dekmantel]
The album – After Hours – has been out for a while now, but it's still well worth a mention. A lot of music these days can seem to lack a bit of soul and individuality but this one really works. It reminds me in places of the classic Luke Slater and Carl Craig LPs of the 90s with its use of well-worn Detroit techno techniques and sounds. That's not to say that this is just a retro fix; it’s quality from start to finish, and one that I can see myself still listening to in years to come. Great stuff.

Delta Funktionen – Silhouette (Marcel Dettmann remix) [Delsin]
A superb remix from Marcel on one of the most consistent labels around – Delsin. As someone who is known for his dub techno, I guess I shouldn't really say that most of it sends me to sleep... but I guess I just have! Not much in this genre really inspires as it's incredibly derivative, but there are, thankfully, a few standout guys who are pushing the sound forward. I really love what Marcel has done here, I could easily have it on repeat all day.

Steve Bicknell – Track 3 [Cosmic]
One of the great underground heroes of UK techno returns with a four-track EP in typically dark and trippy style. Another master of the hypnotic minimal sound, and this is a great example.

Annie Errez – Auguste [Mosaic]
You can't do a chart without some shameless self-promotion, so here we go… this tune is on the most recent Mosaic release, and is an absolute belter. Having stopped the label for almost ten years, I decided I wanted to do things differently second time around and showcase new producers alongside the more established. This track is one of Annie's two contributions to the fourth instalment in the series. It has everything that I love about music that crosses the techno and house divide – heavy raw drums, solid bass and a simplicity that avoids all the clichés that most music in the genre relies upon. 

Bobby O’Donnell – Red [Strobewax]
Leeds-based imprint Strobewax are definitely a label to watch. Their three releases to date have been great examples of how to build upon the sound of the past, and I would’ve happily taken them all for Mosaic, which I guess says how much I love their stuff. Bobby O'Donnell's track Red is the bomb on this EP for me – techno-infused house with a real UK edge… it doesn't do much, but sometimes the best tracks don't have to.

Nitzer Ebb – Shame [Mute] 
Taken from a bit of an oldie that I hadn't listened to for a couple of years until recently. Touches of techno, EBM and industrial are thrown into the mix and it's one of my all-time favourites. Some of the singles work better in their longer remixed form but, as a package this is classic and, dare I say it, timeless stuff. 

Prince Far-I – Coming In from the Rock [Trojan]
This is what I put on when the wife is out and it's time to turn up the sub… it takes me back to when I was young and discovering dub for the first time. I think the first track of his I heard was Bedward the Flying Preacher, which kinda blew me away when I first heard it. For the newcomer to his sound this one may not be the most instant of albums, but there's something about it that always makes me come back even after all these years.

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