Micron prepares for a busy November with two new releases coming up. First comes a carefully curated various artists compilation, and at the end of the month at last a reissue of two highly in-demand DJ Stingray 313 titles, that previously saw the light of day on WeMe.
DJ Stingray 313's Aqua Team series returns to Micron Audio. Originally released as a two-part series on the ever-innovative WeMe, the records quickly became collector's items. 15 years later, Aqua Team is now back in full force, reimagined as a triple vinyl album of underwater sonic explorations, fully remastered to meet modern cyborg standards. "Serotonin" starts the series off in true DJ Stingray style - pounding drums and 808 bass kicks, airy yet striking arpeggios and haunting vocal loops throughout. "Straight Up Cyborg" is a dystopian journey through cybernetic blips, bleeps and static and progressive build that truly bring the track to life. An aquatic alien bassline, sonar-like leads and hovering snare move swiftly in "Star Chart"; "Silicon Romance" and "Counter Surveillance" are modish tracks instantly recognizable as DJ Stingray 313's unique Detroit sound. "You have a destiny, and now is your time to fulfill it" says the mantra-like sample in "Potential", an entrancing synth loop sure to send listeners and dancefloors deep diving into euphoria. Pounding drums, floor-shaking low-end, running percussion and atonal, ominous samples theme the nefarious tracks "Binary Coven", "NWO", "LR001" and "Mindless", footnoting much darker undertakings in DJ Stingray 313's Aqua Team excursion. Closing out the Aqua Team saga is the strongly-titled "It's All Connected". Thick drums, glistening arpeggios and ethereal strings shine brightly across a wide stereo plane, creating a thundering wall of sound. Aqua Team truly showcases the diverse facets of DJ Stingray 313's signature production, as vast and evolving as the seafloor itself. - Jay Remy