BTM0011 - B_X_R_N_X_R_D - hell0

Artist: B_X_R_N_X_R_D
Release: hell0
Date: March 31, 2023
Tracks: 9

Tracklisting
01 hell0
02 SAFEWORD
03 g0ng
04 up.d0wn
05 F_X_M_X_L_Y-ed1t2
06 0ur L0v3
07 t1me
08 s0ul
09 Liber8

In case you were wondering, “the safe word is DECOLONIZE”. These are the catchy lyrics to “SAFEWORD”, a techno anthem that makes decolonization sound sexier than ever. It’s one of the standout tracks on hell0, the debut album from B_X_R_N_X_R_D, the latest musical incarnation of Bernard Farley who is also the founder of Black Techno Matters.  The album clocks in at over an hour and consists of exuberantly expressive and intricate live recordings spontaneously created on his signature Roland tr-8s drum machine rig. Highlights include the fun shrieking of "g0ng", the eerie and hypnotic "up.down", and the slow burning acid trip of "t1me". The relentless experimentalism does let up with tracks like "0ur L0v3", a joyful techno track celebrating love, and "s0ul" which is just begging for a bright colorful laser show. The album ends with “Liber8”, an unhinged tribal techno track in which B_X_R_N_X_R_D chants "liberate your mind!”. The relentless percussion intensifies over 12 dizzying minutes until he calmly utters the word "DECOLONIZE" and, as promised, the sonic experience gently ends. hell0 will be available on all streaming platforms, Bandcamp, Apple Music, & Amazon Music.

BLACK TECHNO MATTERS

Black Techno Matters is a collective whose mission is to reclaim techno as a manifestation of Black expression in a society that has oppressed it by creating spaces, both virtual and IRL, that celebrate the black roots of techno. An assertion and a reminder that Techno IS Black. It was started in October 2019 when its founder, Bernard Farley, did a google search for “Black techno artists” and was disappointed with the lack resources highlighting black techno artists, especially considering that techno is a genre invented by three black teenagers in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan (The Belleville Three). Since then Black Techno Matters has highlighted hundreds of black electronic music artists through its robust Instagram Take Over series (where black artists highlight other black artists on a daily basis), spotify playlists, radio mix series, livestreams, outdoor events such as the Techno in the Park series, and most recently Liber8 US, a historic Juneteenth event spanning 7 cities and involving over 40 artists from across the country.

Marshall StukesB_X_R_N_X_R_D