On December 7, Inner Surface Music—the label headed up by AnD and Tom Dicicco—will mark its tenth release with a double-pack compilation titled Replicants.

Spread across eight tracks and featuring cuts from Perc, Sleeparchive, Gaja, Ontal, Sturqen Honzo (D. Carbone), and O/H (Richard Oddie of Orphx and Eschaton + David Foster a.k.a. Huren of Teste), Replicants flawlessly presents the wide-ranging sound of Inner Surface Music—from stark, drum-machine techno, to experimental beats, atmospheric IDM, and beyond.

Ahead of the release, and to dig a little deeper, XLR8R spoke with Inner Surface Music and Japanese producer Takaaki Itoh, who’s rolling, acid-drenched cut “Present” is streaming in full below.

How were the tracks and artists on Replicants compiled? Is there a thematic explanation behind the “Blade Runner”-referencing title? And if so, were the tracks conceived with the artists being aware of the title?
Inner Surface Music: When we first had the idea of releasing the compilation, we had a clear vision of the artists we wanted to be involved with Replicants. As we started to receive music from the artists, it was starting to sound cohesive even though the styles were very varied within the techno genre. The idea of Replicants came around as we were compiling the music for the compilation, it started to have a feel of a space age adventure with each of the artists becoming their own special agent in the story. We wanted the compilation to tell a story and the concept felt right with the music. Sleeparchive, O/H, Perc, Honzo, Gaja, Ontal, Itoh, and Sturqen really did a great job!

Takaaki, tell us about “Present.” How and when was it produced? Was it always intended for Inner Surface Music?
I made it especially for Inner Surface Music last June. I used hardware and software together and it took 2 weeks to finish.

What does “Blade Runner” mean to you all and your respective creative outlets?
Takaaki: Old is new. Past is future.
Inner Surface Music: “Blade Runner” is a very powerful film not only because of the story but the cinematography and the soundtrack are all inspirational in their own right. The futuristic feel of the film has inspired a lot of musicians and artists, and you could say “Blade Runner” as a movie is techno.

Why vinyl only?
Inner Surface Music: It seemed a very natural decision for all of us to only do vinyl. It’s about quality control and respect for the artists we work with. When we started the label we really wanted to show people that we cared and that we do not run a label just to make money. When you are an artist, a piece of vinyl means a million times more to you than the mp3 master. The fact that you have a physical thing that you can touch, listen, and look at.
Also, as a label, if you are digital only you do not exist in the real world. It is always nice to walk into a record shop and be able to see the releases on the shelf or in the racks.