Techno pioneer Dan Curtin returns with new tracks 15 years after album… as he reveals his favourite tunes
PLAY IT Techno pioneer Dan Curtin returns with new tracks 15 years after album… as he reveals his favourite tunes
AFTER 15 years away from the album format, US born, Berlin based techno pioneer Dan Curtin returns with The 4 Lights on Belgian imprint De:tuned.
The long player is a cosmic, groove-laden collection of tracks that bridge the past and future of electronic music.
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Dan Curtin has revealed The 4 Lights on Belgian imprint De:tuned
Credit: Supplied
The playlist Dan has put together for us digs deep into 10 pivotal tracks that influenced his creative process, each carrying a piece of the musical DNA that pulses through The 4 Lights.
From the mechanical funk of Kraftwerk and the raw Motor City soul of Model 500 to the ethereal textures of The Cure and the beat science of J Dilla and The Alchemist, these selections reflect Curtin's wide-ranging sonic world. A world where electro, house, techno, and hip hop collide with emotion and forward-thinking production.
These aren't just tracks he likes.
They're moments that marked turning points, altered life paths, and etched themselves into the core of his artistic identity.
Each selection is accompanied by Dan's personal reflections, giving you direct insight into how these records helped shape his new album.
Kraftwerk – Numbers
When I first heard this, I honestly thought it was a NYC electro crew because it was such a big hit with hip hop DJs and breakers at the time.
I was shocked to learn they were German—but the funk, the futurism, the innovation blew me away. Kraftwerk remains, to this day, my all-time favorite band.
https://youtu.be/4YPiCeLwh5o?si=QShZC9nBx-fhnRkp
Model 500 – Nightdrive (Through Babylon)
This record set the stage for me in so many ways. Somehow it was even more futuristic than Kraftwerk—it took the best of Kraftwerk's futurism and mixed it with Motor City soul to bring about a paradigm shift in music. All forces converged to start a musical revolution.
https://youtu.be/Hs5uqACOY1E?si=5Hc7b7uMVjEahL7z
BFC – Chicken Noodle Soup
This record became a part of my soul. Probably every record I've ever done has some of this in it—if not in sound, then in spirit and soul. The ethereal chords and rough, sampled beats—nothing can top this masterpiece from Carl Craig.
https://youtu.be/GKVJmcDbH2A?si=DVKh5j-UwQEkOMKs
Rhythm Is Rhythm – It Is What It Is
I'll never forget it. After a gig with my goth band, I was driving through the Cleveland city skyline on the Shoreway around 3 a.m., listening to this in the car with the windows down—Lake Erie to the left, downtown to the right—and at that moment, I quit my band and knew that techno was going to be it forever. That feeling is most definitely present in my new album.
https://youtu.be/UBW-7uI5ABw?si=0cjNFk05lyrPIUzK
Mr. Fingers – Can You Feel It
I had never heard anything like this before—those lush chords, that melody, that bassline. Music from heaven. My number one house track of all time. It didn't just influence my music; it changed my life. You can tell when the divine touches our souls.
https://youtu.be/1N9Wnqz8Rh8?si=Vk-O_vLwipnxV54-
69 – Ladies and Gentlemen
Carl Craig again, absolutely delivering a groundbreaking shift in techno before anyone even knew what was happening. His sample-based approach to Detroit techno resonated deeply with me—it was like the sound I'd always been waiting for. If you hear the tracks on my new album, many are sample-based. I love this way of making techno.
https://youtu.be/XthPNPDu0rM?si=C-M_Ca4LLqEvvXQj
Slum Village – Climax
Is it this track more than any other Dilla track? Maybe. This is one of my absolute favorites from him, but Dilla's music is etched on my soul—it's impossible for it not to come out every time I step into the studio.
https://youtu.be/cKELqz8EFz8?si=GUZxmZmMQyyPxTeP
The Cure – Faith
I'd be remiss not to include The Cure—especially their early albums. They had a huge impact on me. It's not always a one-to-one influence, like 'this track influenced that track"—it's more that the music becomes a part of me, and then I can hear it later when I create something. And in my 4 Lights album, it's definitely there.
https://youtu.be/q0l-2SnGoo4?si=8xiSp4pkBNKlXVsd
Armando – Confusion's Revenge
This had a big impact on me—it was shockingly new and otherworldly, like no music I'd ever heard. Yet it had groove and funk—so futuristic, but tied to humanity through that groove. To me, it's the ultimate expression of hope, stating that we will make it. This is one of the main themes in my album and all my music: hope for a bright future for humanity. To me, the future always looks bright.
https://youtu.be/TgNxhaRplcY?si=Y1iSjDewuTSkBb0Z
Mike, Wiki & The Alchemist – Mayor's a Cop
The Alchemist is my current top hip hop producer. He's the artist I listen to the most these days—daily—and he's heavily influenced my newer productions. He's like J Dilla in that everything he touches turns to gold. And he doesn't just work with any rappers, but always the right rappers. His music so often has that touch of beauty, longing, hope, and truth—going deep into the soul every time.
https://youtu.be/1Fb2PETOKRg?si=Sctrgm9MDWnjdJ_r
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