The music of Lucy (a.k.a. Luca Mortellaro) is perhaps most closely related to techno, but attempting to neatly file the Italian-born, Berlin-based producer’s work into any particular genre is essentially a fruitless endeavor. His 2011 debut LP, Wordplay for Working Bees, hinted at IDM while experimenting with foreboding sheets of atmospheric noise and abstract beat patterns, and garnered Lucy plenty of admirers in the process. The output of his Stroboscopic Artefacts label has been more straightforward, albeit no less impressive, as the imprint has become a reliable home for dark, driving techno sounds. In the midst of all this activity, Lucy has somehow also found the time to link up with other artists in the studio, turning out collaborative work with the likes of Speedy J (as Zeitgeber) and Silent Servant, amongst others. Later this month, however, he’ll be heading back into the solo spotlight with the release of his sophomore full-length, Churches Schools and Guns, an occasion we’ve elected to celebrate by inviting Lucy to put together the latest installment of the XLR8R podcast series.

The mix finds Lucy veering away from his more experimental tendencies, and instead keeping his focus squarely on the dancefloor. The podcast does have its introspective moments, but there’s a lot of crunchy, foreboding techno on offer over the course of its 65 minutes. More importantly though, the way it has been expertly pieced together clearly demonstrates that Lucy is someone with a clear understanding of the dynamics of late-night, Berlin-style nightlife. The beats boom, the transitions are long and almost impossibly precise, and the whole podcast contains a subtly entrancing narrative that only draws the listener in deeper with each passing minute. It’s not exactly a primer for the thrillingly unclassifiable collection of sounds that Lucy has put together on the forthcoming Churches Schools and Guns, but it’s a highly compelling ride that we’re more than happy to take.

01 Lucy “The Horror” (Stroboscopic Artefacts)
02 Donato Dozzy “Untitled” (Further)
03 Recondite “Dim” (Dystopian)
04 Cassegrain & Tin Man “High and Low” (Killekill)
05 Exercise One “Wandering (Peter Van Hoesen Remix)” (Exone)
06 Dustin Zahn “Lost in Rapture” (Enemy)
07 Surgeon “As You Breath Here Now” (Semantica)
08 Echologist “77” (Prologue)
09 Ventress “Typhon (Abdulla Rashim Remix)” (Edit-Select)
10 Minor Science “Hapless” (Trilogy Tapes)
11 Conforce “Embrace” (Delsin)
12 Rrose “The Stare” (Stroboscopic Artefacts)
13 Sigha “My Blood Is My Gold” (Our Circula Sound)
14 Positive Center “Swell of Graviton” (Our Circula Sound)
15 Lucy “Krishnamurti Acappella Extended” (Stroboscopic Artefacts)
16 Shifted “Wash Over Me” (Bed of Nails)
17 Dadub and Grün “Ergot Kernel” (Stroboscopic Artefacts)

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