FOUNDATIONS: LUKE SLATER / THE 7TH PLAIN
Sublime emanations from a true master of British techno music.
Friends.
It’s Friday, we’re relaying the foundations.
And Stef is back with an in-depth look at the work of Luke Slater.
Strap yourselves in.
Peace and love.
Rubin
To start, we focus on this timeless classic.
THE 7TH PLAIN / THE FOUR CORNERED ROOM
Luke’s numerous aliases aside, this is his third album, following his 1993 LP, X-Tront Volume 2, and his 1994 LP, My Yellow Wise Rug.
There is little more I could add to what has already been said about this seminal release; nevertheless, it is my opinion that this is Luke’s crowning glory.
This album epitomises not only how magical and free-flowing but also how vital the 90s were for electronic music. Every track on this album is incredible. From the beautiful opener, ‘Time Melts‘, the listener is taken on a journey: one that is an experience, how you interpret this is how you connect to it but for me it is intense and provokes immense feeling: that to this day still moves me in profound ways, not only in dance but emotionally and one that I will not shy away from by stating this fact: This is what music written with time, thought, and heart should do.
N.B. There is no single upload of the entire album online, so I have chosen a select few tracks to feature in this post.
Seeing sense
Surface bound
Lost
You can also find the full tracklist embedded into the Discogs page for the release.
Some other noteworthy releases by The 7th Plain:
To be surreal
Astra-Naut-E
Be sure to check out My Yellow Wise Rug here, which is sonically distinct from the 4 cornered room; nevertheless, it’s still worth your time.
PLANETARY ASSAULT SYSTEMS
Luke is best known for his Planetary Assault Systems (PAS) uncompromising techno productions.
Let’s start things off with Dungeon, a beautiful techno track with continuous percussive tapping; whatever this is, it is brilliant on possibly Luke’s most commanding PAS album, one that showcases his creative depth and range in a single release.
Next up is this destroyer, one of Luke’s most devastating and menacing floor-oriented techno tracks is featured on his first PAS album, Electric Funk Machine. Genius.
The Battle
In a simlar vein, I want to bring to your attention to Luke’s first album, X-Tront Volume 2.
His career began in 1989 with the release of Momentary Vision. However, it was this release a few years later that confirmed just how innovative, versatile, and creative Luke is.
Tracks from his X-Tront series are perfect examples of techno heavy hitters that very few have even come close to, and nearly three decades later, he remains dominant in this arena, with his Temporary Suspension and The Messenger LPs on Ostgut Ton.
However, it is through his gorgeous, intimate, atmospheric techno productions that Luke cemented his legendary status as undeniable, and these especially resonate with me. Overall, this work for me reflects both beauty and harshness through the lens of escapism.
A few select cuts from the X-Tront Volume 2 release:
Dreams Of Children
Expectation No. 1
Natural Science
The Secret Garden
Let’s keep going shall we »
Soulful ambient techno at its best, The Return
This beauty, Sleeping Sin Seemless on Peacefrog.
From his Clementine alias, on the Cosmopolitan For The Cosmos LP on Djax Up Beats:
Fast Lane
Cryptic Symphony (First Sight)
In the spirit of being thorough, I will not forget to mention this masterpiece, Free Funk. A diverse range of music styles of precise, of-the-heart compositions.
Until the next one, I’ll leave you with this gorgeous track: Simply Luke at his imperial best.
Peace and love.
Stef