Clone announce first Drexciya reissue

Those subscribed to the Clone mailouts will no doubt have been thrilled by the news that the Rotterdam based record label and shop were undertaking an extensive reissue program of the Drexciya back catalogue via the Clone Classics offshoot. The first release has now been announced, in the shape of Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller Part 1.

It’s hard to underestimate the enduring impact the Detroit duo, aka Gerald Donald and the late James Stinson, have had on contemporary electronic music: their faceless and anti-mainstream approach has been mimicked countless times but seldom with the same level of complexity or intrigue. Their music – an uncompromising, raw and thoroughly singular take on techno and electro – earned them a cult following that lasts to this day.

They were a vital part of the Underground Resistance family and went on to release material on seminal German techno imprint Tresor, while Clone issued the last ever Drexciya long player (2002’s Grava 4). Clone’s series comes 20 years after the release of the first Drexciya LP, Deep Sea Dweller, with the first reissue (entitled Journey Of The Deep Sea Dweller 1) a comprehensive collection of the duo’s early material, all of which has been remastered from the original tapes.

The decision to release the first reissue as a comprehensive “best of” Drexciya’s early works as a CD, instead of reissuing each release with original tracklists, is explained on the Clone website:

“Since the original releases have such a strong character, appeal and stand on their own, a re-issue can never re-create the magic of those originals. So instead we stirred up the catalogue, taking the tracks out of their original context, giving the ‘in the know’ listener a fresh experience and the new listener a document that is the best possible introduction to the aquatic world of Drexciya.”

The CD is set to arrive on December 5; keep an eye on Juno Plus for more information as it emerges.

CD tracklisting:

1. Welcome To Drexciya
2. Wavejumper
3. Lardossen Funk
4. Bubble Metropolis
5. Hydro Theory
6. Beyond The Abyss
7. Unknown Journey
8. Aquarazorda
9. Rubick’s Cube
10. Sea Quake
11. Take Your Mind
12. Darthouven Fish Men
13. Dehydration