Twisted

Swiss-born Deetron aka Sam Geiser unveils his debut full-length album Twisted on Belgium's esteemed Music Man imprint. As proven by his constantly expanding catalog of productions, Deetron is capable of creating tracks that sit happily within the context of a DJ set, while avoiding landing in the often throwaway category of "DJ tools." As with many of the more dynamic turntablist-styled techno and house DJs, Deetron took his early cues from hip-hop, before being won-over by the early sounds of Chicago and Detroit. His DJing -- then still in its infancy -- followed this influence, steering his career in a more 4/4 direction. Early work for labels such as Phont and Intec through the late '90s and 2000, saw Deetron finding his audience (including a string of International club jocks) and developing his own sound. Born in Bern, Switzerland, Sam's father's activities as a jazz musician ensured that he was surrounded by music from a very early age, sewing the seeds of his own musical interests. But it was hip-hop that inspired him the most: Sam soaked up the music of Gangstarr, A Tribe Called Quest and Prince Paul like a sponge and was quick to realize the role of the turntable within this context, taking up DJing in 1992. Early hip-house producers, such as Todd Terry, also captured his attention and Sam began to make the transition to more 4/4 orientated sounds -- picking up on the now-classic output of Chicago and Detroit-based electronic musicians and introducing this into the sets he was, by now, playing around his home town, and in Switzerland. His first single as Soulmate was released on the Phont label in 1997 before releasing a string of 12"s on Music Man as well as a superb mix CD that acts as ample testament to Sam's skills behind the turntables. Combining Sam's love of house, classic techno, electro, Latin and jazz influences, Twisted is a beautiful journey through an electronic landscape littered with orchestral sweeps, delicate pads, sublime Robert Owens-esque vocals, dancefloor beats and heart tugging strings. Featuring guest appearances from Subject Detroit's DJ Bone, L. A.-based singer Ovasoul7, vocalist and guitarist Justin Chapman, who is also one-half of the Atlanta-based DJ/production duo KemeticJust, and the one and only Paris The Black Fu from the Detroit Grand Pubahs. Twisted is a dancefloor journey from beginning to end. From the opening bass rumble of "Twisted Memories" to the old-school Chicago vox stylings of "Life Soundtrack" and the Drexciyan wiggle of "Isotope" to the demented refrains of "The Afterlife," Deetron shows us that techno can still conjure moments of beauty while still keeping us on the dancefloor.