Alan Fitzpatrick has had an illustrious career thus far. Few artists can claim to have headlined Berghain and had a hit on daytime BBC Radio 1, but there aren’t many artists like Alan Fitzpatrick.
He’s one of the most well-known techno DJs in the world, having shared the stage with Carl Cox and Adam Beyer for the better part of a decade, performing at some of the world’s most prestigious clubs and festivals. Known primarily for his raw hard-edged sound, Alan has developed into one of dance music’s most versatile producers, equally at home putting out techno bangers on Drumcode as he is making disco-infused house anthems, or experimental electronica under his 3STRANGE alias, not to mention his impressive range of collaborations (including CamelPhat, Skream and Jamie Jones).
Alan joins forces with the acclaimed UK label Anjunadeep for his most ambitious release to date, and his first album in ten years, ‘Machine Therapy.’ Alan is a proven global headliner and founder of one of the UK’s most exciting new dance imprints, ‘We Are The Brave.’
Album’s origins and its name.
The name comes from Alan’s time spent in his home studio, surrounded by the hardware he’s amassed over the years, the machines serving as a form of therapy during the pandemic.
The time I had in the studio was like a therapy session. Particularly with the pandemic, not knowing what was happening, what the future might look like, what might happen in the scene; being able to get into the studio with no time constraints and just really pour my heart into making music really helped get me through the last year and definitely help keep my mental health in check – Alan Fitzpatrick
Alan brings his diverse sounds together on this album, combining techno, house, breaks, and ambient into one cohesive project. Drawing on the early days of rave for inspiration, along with the machinery, Alan has fused sci-fi sonics with emotional songs and dystopian samples, which alongside the artwork, transport the listener to his cinematic musical world.
The album begins with a delicately solemn soundscape of crackling vinyl and soaring pads, laying the groundwork for a world of powerful drum programming and evocative synthesizer patterns. ‘Warning Signs,’ an album highlight and the first single released earlier this year, is a twisting house menagerie with dazzling and thought-provoking sound design. It was a collaborative effort between Fitzpatrick and Lawrence Hart, the pair’s debut with the label is a twisting house menagerie with dazzling and thought-provoking sound design. Classically trained UK producer Lawrence has been making moves on the scene since his debut EP earned Pete Tong’s revered ‘Essential New Tune’ and was supported by Annie Mac, Jack Saunders, and Jaguar. He’s a name to keep an eye on, with releases on Hotflush, Double Six, and now Anjuna.
Fitzpatrick welcomes the contribution of hand-picked vocal superstars, highlighting the project’s collaborative efforts.
I feel very honored and fortunate that I was able to collaborate with some industry peers that I have admired and respected for years – Alan
The tracks and artists of the album.
‘W.A.I.S.T.D’ combines thunder-imbued kick drums with the somber vocal tones of featured artist Kele, lead singer of previous U.K. chart-toppers Bloc Party, the jovial introduction of breakbeat rhythm sections and glowing chord progressions is fanatically overshadowed by a dazzling sawtooth bassline, dragging this kaleidoscope arrangement through dark depths and galvanizing highs. Kele has a number of solo albums to his credit, with his vocal contributions appearing on tracks by Sub Focus, Tiesto, and The Chemical Brothers.
‘Bourgeois Imagery‘ is the result of two heavy hitters collaborating on a bass-heavy fusion of breakbeat energy and dystopian atmospherics. High Contrast, a drum & bass legend, combines his sound with Fitzpatrick’s dark, brooding atmospherics. Since the early 2000s, High Contrast has been a legendary figure in the UK drum and bass scene. A figurehead of the renowned Hospital Records imprint, he has remixed everybody from Adele and London Grammar to Flume and Eric Prydz and soundtracked the London 2012 Olympics in collaboration with Underworld.
LOWES’ ‘A Call Out for Love‘ intertwines a delicate arpeggiator tapestry with the Manchester band’s lead vocalist’s cascading singing voice. LOWES has collaborated on several tracks with some of dance music’s biggest names in the past year, including CamelPhat, High Contrast, Franky Wah, and Sub Focus. Many of these songs have landed on Radio 1’s A-List and have amassed millions of online streams. Their music straddles the fine line between electronic and emotional pop music.
The arrangement is carried fervently through the detailed layers of reverb and atmospheric synths by the rippling undertow of this track’s low-end frequency. The sporadic nature of Machine Therapy’s ‘Came Home feat. Catrin Vincent’ is an elegant highlight; the woozy vocal accompaniment is suitably matched with sullen pad tones and warbling bass sound design. The coherence of this album is remarkable as Alan pieces together fragments of techno, breaks, house, and ambient to create a glorious window into the inner workings of one of electronic music’s most exciting, established talents.
Anjunadeep’s ‘Machine Therapy‘ is out now via Anjunadeep.
