MIKE PARKER

Twenty-three years on from its original release, the debut album of American arIst Mike Parker stands proud as a blueprint for deep, hypnoIc techno in the new millennium. Originally published as a CD-only ediIon on Parker’s own Geophone label, Field Records are now giving Dispatches the full vinyl release it so richly deserves - spread across six sides and reproducing Parker’s disIncIve artwork at scale. CharIng the course of Parker’s career reads like the evoluIon of deep techno itself - moving from early collaboraIons with Donato Dozzy to appearances on seminal labels such as Prologue, SemanIca and Spazio Disponibile. hfps://kompakt.fm/b2b/releases/dispatches The essence of his approach was forged early on, honing techno’s propulsion into a raw essence without losing any of the weight. It’s an exercise in minimalism, but the sound is sIll monolithic and engulfing, crystal clear in its intenIon and devoted to the power of subtle pressure. When the decay on a reverb opens up a fracIon, Parker’s music leaves enough space for you to noIce. Incremental shiis become monumental in his hands and his commitment to subliminal layering reveals hidden depths the further you submit to his hypnoIc sound. This definiIve ediIon of Dispatches looks at the vinyl singles which accompanied the album’s original release and creates a more complete picture of the area that Parker was exploring at the Ime. It’s the first Ime that the alternate take of icy depth charge ‘Copper VariaIons: CV1’ appears on wax, as goes for the pneumaIc tension of ‘ReducIon’ and evocaIve miniature sound sculpture ‘Blue Equals Black’. Expanding the album beyond its original CD form, epic rarity ‘DissoluIon 99’ presides over the final side, while the standout Voiceprint release is now represented in full with the inclusion of heavyweight stepped techno workout ‘Voiceprint: Voice Two’. Able to sustain his own creaIve vision without cowing to the trends or expectaIons of any scene or clique, Parker’s music has progressed on its own terms. What this reissue demonstrates is how fully formed his vision was - even at a relaIvely early stage. In an era where the deep techno scene is thriving, Dispatches feels all the more relevant, undiluted by Ime and sIll unmatched in its immersive perfecIon.