Feeling the Beat – Wehbba: 10 forward-thinking​ techno tracks that are inspiring me right now

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We take an insider glimpse into Wehbba’s vital collection of tracks from artists dedicated to the evolution of music—the vanguards of innovation.

With a string of chart-topping hits to his name, and international success around the world, today Wehbba is one of Brazil’s most widely-acclaimed, highly respected global ambassadors for techno.

Over the years he’s dropping standout music on labels including Drumcode, Hotflush, Soma, Second State, 2020Vision, Bedrock, Elevate, Knee Deep In Sound and Systematic and remixed artists including Laurent Garnier, Danny Tenaglia, John Digweed, Stacey Pullen, Joseph Capriati, Stephan Bodzin, Marc Houle and ANNA —some of the most respected artists in the industry.  

Wehbba’s Big Ten

Feted worldwide as one of the standout stars of Drumcode, Wehbba has always sustained a need to push the envelope. Wehbba plays Brooklyn Mirage alongside Pan-Pot on Sunday, August 4th. Catch him at Drumcode Festival on Saturday, August 24th in Amsterdam at NDSM.

Ahead of his debut at the Mirage, the Brazilian star reveals 10 innovative techno tracks he draws inspiration from. Here’s Wehbba’s Big Ten.

PTU – Over 9 [Trip Recordings]

I like the whole album for being so weird and so welcoming at the same time. This one is a proper timeless piece.

Extrawelt – Argonaut [Kompakt]

Ever since I heard the first bar of the promo I was hooked, Extrawelt excels in creating anthems effortlessly through the use of great sounds that work well together.

Boxia – Primal People [Drumcode]

Tune of the year for me, my mate Boxia really delivered on this one. The whole album is great, but this track takes me to the past and to the future all at once. It has a strong timeless quality to it.

Floating Points – Coorabell [Ninja Tune]

Everything this guy touches is pure gold, and he can deliver even on the techno front. This Detroit-tinged banger is a perfect example of that.

ANNA – Spectral [Afterlife]

I just love the main sequence on this track, it sounds so aggressive yet it’s so uplifting and distinctive, it gives the whole track a very special vibe. One of ANNA’s finest tracks to date.

Madben – Enjoy Yourself [Ellum]

It’s deceptively simple, yet every element has been used in such a smart way. I especially love the whole sustained siren on the breakdown, which has been done with such class. It always stands out when I play it.

Luke Slater – Love (Planetary Assault Systems Low Blow Remix) [Mote Evolver]

The man remixing himself, making a classic tune future-friendly. Luke Slater is synonymous with all that’s forward thinking.

Jesse Somfay – Can You See Me I’m Waving (Len Faki Hardspace Mix)

It’s a very simple track that has relentless energy and an amazing melody that keeps things interesting and moving into a trance, in the best sense of the word.

Timmo – Connect [Terminal M]

A club track can also be forward thinking, and this is a great example. Timmo has knocked this one out of the park with a super classy acid line and vocal sample, a perfect tool that never misses inclusion in my sets.

Egbert – Geheimwaffe (GEM)

Egbert rides the super fine line between forward-thinking and crowd-pleasing, and as always he manages to pull it off. This is always a highlight in my sets and his sound design is always an inspiration to me.

In 2015, he made the long-awaited move to Barcelona, further establishing himself in the European techno scene. Following the move, his star only continued to rise, as he balanced studio time with gigs at clubs and festivals in Canada, USA, Croatia, Portugal, Chile, France, the UK, Argentina, Germany, Australia, and of course back home in Brazil.

2017 was another major year for Wehbba as he made his Items & Things debut, remixing label boss Marc Houle on “Loafers.” He soon followed up with a release on Pan-Pot’s label Second State called “Unfold,” the hard-hitting single featured on the SUM compilation and a debut on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode with “Fake,” on the A-Sides Vol. 6 compilation.

That led on to a truly breakout year for Wehbba in 2018. His debut four-track Eclipse EP on Drumcode stormed into the top 10 charts within the first few days of its release in February. He returned to Drumcode again with another chart-dominating EP this July, as his four-track Catarse gained support from names like Ben Klock, Adam Beyer, Carl Cox, Charlotte De Witte, Amelie Lens, Joseph Capriati and Pan-Pot all summer long. Wehbba had a huge year of gigs too, joining Drumcode at OFF Week in Barcelona, with further dates at Resistance in Ibiza, Warehouse Project in Manchester, fabric in London, Motion in Bristol, Rex Club in Paris, Watergate in Berlin to mention a few.

Along with his slew of high-profile dates, Wehbba capped off 2018 with a remix of Gui Boratto’s “Spur” on Kompakt this August. That was followed by another big Drumcode release in September for the label’s A-Sides Vol. 7 compilation with “Just,” a percussive stomper that brings high-impact energy and urgency to any dance floor.  

This year has been Wehbba’s most outstanding yet. A new EP five-track EP on Drumcode titled ‘We Have Bass’ dropped in March, including a storming collaboration with ghetto house icon DJ Deeon. A debut remix on Hotflush came with a rework of SCB & Reset Robot’s ‘Arp,’ followed by an original EP ‘Red Plane,’ a collaboration with Scuba’s SCB project. A stunning remix on Andy C’s RAM Records of Culture Shock’s ‘Bunker’ highlighted the first half of 2019, with more big moments to follow, including a debut at Drumcode Festival in Amsterdam at the end of this month.

Wehbba at Drumcode Festival 2019

Drumcode Festival – August 24-25, 2019 [Amsterdam]

WEHBBA: Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Beatport

DRUMCODE:
Website | SoundCloud | Twitter | Facebook | Drumcode Radio |YouTube

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