HARDGROOVE - Hard Techno Radar #1

Hard Techno Radar #01: Odakle dolazi groove (HR)

Ovu kolumnu ne pišem kao promatrač, nego iz pozicije nekoga tko aktivno živi taj zvuk, kroz produkciju, selekciju i rad na flooru. Upravo zato prvi fokus ide na nešto što nije samo relevantno, nego i temelj za razumijevanje smjera u kojem se techno trenutno kreće.

Techno je zadnjih godina ubrzao, postao tvrđi i direktniji, ali često na račun funkcije. Sve više traka djeluje kao trenutni efekt, a sve rjeđe kao alat koji može nositi set kroz vrijeme. Upravo u tom prostoru počinju se izdvajati labelovi koji vraćaju fokus na groove, repetitivnost i kontroliranu tenziju.

STØK Recordings, projekt iza kojeg stoji MarAxe, jedan je od takvih primjera. Tijekom 2025., label je počeo sve jasnije dolaziti do izražaja kroz konzistentan katalog koji spaja hard techno energiju s groove-driven i hipnotičnim pristupom.

Ono što definira STØK nije samo intenzitet, nego način na koji je oblikovan. U središtu zvuka nalaze se duboko postavljen low-end, puna i zasićena bas linija te perkusije koje ne služe kao dodatak, nego kao nosivi mehanizam trake. Fokus je na strukturi, dinamici i osjećaju za prostor unutar seta, bez viška elemenata i bez potrebe za naglim efektima.

Aktualni smjer labela jasno se čuje kroz novija izdanja poput ''Unknown Transmission'' EP-a Fina Cormacka, ''Meat Space'' izdanja koje potpisuje 909 RIOT, ''Mythology'' EP-a CODE-13, kao i ''The Answer'', kolaboraciju koju sam realizirao s MarAxeom i BELOFF-om. Sva ta izdanja funkcioniraju kao alat, ali i kao dio šireg identiteta koji se gradi kroz katalog.

U tom kontekstu, nadolazeći ''K10T3'' EP dodatno potvrđuje kontinuitet tog zvuka. Bez potrebe za kompleksnošću, fokus ostaje na onome što techno u svojoj osnovi jest, groove koji drži, ponavljanje koje gradi i energija koja traje. Ako postoji zajednički nazivnik za sve to, onda je to jednostavna činjenica da track ne mora biti glasan da bi bio jak. Dovoljno je da zna što radi...

Hard Techno Radar #01: Where the Groove Comes From (ENG)

This column is not written from the perspective of an observer, but from someone actively involved in the sound, through production, selection and time spent on the floor. That is why the first focus goes to something that is not only relevant, but foundational in understanding where techno is currently heading.

Over the past few years, techno has become faster, harder and more direct, often at the expense of function. More and more tracks feel like short-term impact, and less like tools that can actually carry a set over time. Within that space, labels built around groove, repetition and controlled tension are starting to stand out again.

STØK Recordings, led by MarAxe, is one of those examples. Throughout 2025, the label has been gaining more visibility through a consistent catalogue that bridges hard techno energy with a groove-driven and hypnotic approach.

What defines STØK is not just intensity, but how that intensity is structured. At the core of its sound is a deeply anchored low-end, a full and saturated bass line, and percussive elements that act as the driving force rather than decoration. The focus is on structure, dynamics and spatial awareness within a set, without unnecessary elements or forced transitions.

The current direction of the label is clearly reflected in recent releases such as Fin Cormack’s ''Unknown Transmission EP'', Riot 909’s ''Meat Space'', CODE-13’s ''Mythology EP'', as well as ''The Answer'' - my collaboration with MarAxe and BELOFF. Each of these releases functions as a tool, but also as part of a wider identity built across the catalogue.

Within that context, the upcoming ''K10T3 EP'' reinforces that trajectory. Without relying on complexity, the focus remains on what has always defined techno at its core, groove that sustains movement, repetition that builds tension, and energy that evolves over time.

If there is a common thread behind all of this, it is a simple idea. A track does not need to be loud to be powerful. It just needs to know what it is doing...