William Welt & Jack! Who? Dead Cert. Black 001 DJ Spider Remix

DEAD CERT. Records is a label devoted to techno in various forms. Having made its first release in July 2013 it’s been an incredible first year. With releases featuring Audio Injection (Truncate) and Hans Bouffmyhre amongst an impressive roster of artists, it’s clear to see why the label has been seen in set lists and charts from people including Cari Lekebusch, Dave Clarke and Rebekah.

Set up by duo William Welt and Jack! Who?, the label is linked to the now infamous Death Techno mix series, that has guests including Joachim Spieth, Mike Wall and Miss Sunshine amongst many others.

William and Iain met through the North East of England’s club scene where they regularly found themselves DJ'ing at the same parties. William who plays both House and Techno already ran 22 Digit Records which focuses on house and deep techno. Iain mentioned he was looking to launch a label linked to his mix show, William saw this as the perfect opportunity to explore his darker side and DEAD CERT. was born.

After over a year of releasing music in a digital format it seemed the logical step for the label to start pressing vinyl, this being the first in a series of four track, vinyl only releases. This new branch of the label to be entitled “DEAD CERT. Black” will be pressing limited runs of 300 units.

The first release sees William Welt and Jack! Who? step out from the shadows and take the spot light with three of their own productions. Two of which are collaborations and the third is a solo production from William Welt that gets the remix treatment from DJ Spider.

The first track on the EP titled “Stalker” is the sole production from William and as the title suggests it’s a twisted monster hungry for prey. Thick hi hats and a heavy clap rhythm hold the groove whilst pulsating filters breathe life into the menacing bass line. The track’s dark vibe is broken only for a split second when warm pads cut through the mix like a short lived break in the clouds on an otherwise dark and stormy day.

Based in New York (USA) Rob Hampton aka DJ Spider is known for his love of vinyl and all things analogue. Having releases on trend setting labels like Killekill he also heads up Plan B Recordings along with Sublevel Sounds and Beneath The Underground Music. Keeping the original tracks dark vibe DJ Spider puts his own twisted spin on Stalker and stripped back the sound to create space for his own robotic ambience. Filled with machine like percussion and cracks of reverb he uses sparse FX to create a soundscape with just enough bite to keep the dancefloor moving.

“Creeper” is the first of the two collaborations and Jack! Who?’s presence is instantly felt. With a groove that’s firmly focused at the dancefloor the track is both tense and spacious. Metallic hi hats combine with murky percussion that flutters like the beating wings of an oversized insect. Although percussion led, the track is layered with growling bass swells and monstrous FX which keeps it both captivating and intense.

The second of the two collaborations entitled “Lurker” is the fourth and final track on the release. Clean and full, the track is the deepest on the EP and provides perfect contrast to complete the package. Focusing on metallic pad sounds, it has a strong dub influence and a flowing groove. Very much a game of two halves it’s the perfect tool to make the transition between warm up and peak time, as Introduced in the main break is a lead pad that takes it up a gear...