I’m guessing the market for new live albums is going to be starved for awhile. Too bad as Saytek seems to have a nearly limitless reservoir of live sets ready at a moment’s notice and the capacity, if no longer the stage thanks to coronavirus, to make many more. As we wrote in a 5 Mag feature last year, the word “live” was appended to more flyers than ever in 2019 and labels like Awesome Soundwave have shifted focus to showcasing a roster made up entirely of live techno artists. Saytek though also releases (mostly) live recordings, which is one way to carve out a niche in a crowded world.

The tracks for Live On Tour Volume 1 encompass five recordings from three cities (Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague) and showcases Saytek’s expansive sound. Though it gets described as “tech house,” “electronica” and “techno” in the racks, none of the labels really work for the overall whole. “Regulate” is a digital tantrum that does fit, but Saytek peppers these PAs with vocal samples and grooves that feel more deep and soulful, more organic than machine-made — more Octave One than Plastikman. “Amsterdam Finish” has a big fucking boom, a stomp that shakes and blows the dust out of the speakers. These were exclusive to Traxsource starting May 1, though if I were managing it I would place these on cold storage on Bandcamp and wait for them to be found. I can already see the feature coming, introducing the world to something they should have known about all along.

Saytek: Live On Tour Volume 1 (Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague) / Cubism (May 2020 / Digital)
1. Saytek: Where My Sound Lives (Live)
2. Saytek: Amsterdam Finish (Live)
3. Saytek: A Thousand Miles Above The Earth (Live)
4. Saytek: Regulate (Live)
5. Saytek: Delayed Reaction (Live)

 


 

Originally published in 5 Mag issue 181: A Tribute to Mike Huckaby. Support 5 Mag by becoming a member for just $1 per issue.

 

 

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