Current hottest German techno music

I was hoping someone could help me!!! My 21 yr. old brother loooooooooves techno music, especially anything really new and hot - the latest stuff underground DJ kind of thing. I am totally clueless about techno music! He would love some really hot German techno, and it would be great if I could bring it home to him for Christmas. I was hoping someone might be able to help me out - if you know any great DJ CDs and where I could buy them or download them with the hottest German techno music on it, please help me! It has to be German or some other international sort, just not American as he can get that at home. Living in New York he already has access to some of the best, so he knows his stuff!

Thank you again so much for your help, I feel like such an old fuddy duddy even having to ask...

it's very dependent on how Techno he likes his techno music. I DJ the more leftfield end of house and techno, so here are a couple of bits he might like...

Any thing by Henrik Schwarz - his new "Henrik Schwarz Live" CD is great
Christian Prommer's Drum Lesson (this is not club music but re takes on classic house/Techno tunes)
Roland Appel - his new 12" with "Dark Soldier" and "Changes" is superb

Being a brit I have to recommend some UK stuff...
The latest Underworld CD - "Oblivion with Bells" is great
Anything by Switch - see if you can find "Just Bounce 2 This"
Inverse Cinematics - seven by seven (Dave de Gatos bad ass remix)
Ski Oakenfull - new Orleans under attack
The Elektrons album is great, particularly the tune "Joy"

For what you can't find in the shops try beatport.com or junodownload.co.uk

There are many different styles of German techno. I like these:

Tresor never sleeps (2003)

Monika Kruse: On the road 3 (2004)

Terence Fixmer: Silence Control (2006) (although his music sounds more like EBM these days)

Well, nearly all "mix cds" are available in new york. Mix Cds are usually put out on major distribution, so chances are you wont find anything unavailable to him. The only exception would be if you found djs out there in germany who are making "bedroom" mix cds. Stuff that isnt commercially available.

If you really want to get him some joints that are rare in the new york city doldrums, then what you want to do is bring him back some 12 inch singles. Most new york record shops only have a small crossection of vinyl, so thats where you could impress. And if he doesnt have a turntable, well then inspire him to get one! (The amazing tunes usually are only released in vinyl format anyway) There is such a wide array of material, and the term "techno" is quite broad. In new york the hard electro shit is the jam right now, as well as quirky minimal stuff. If you live in cologne, then go to the "Kompakt" headquarters. Germany is running the show right now.

Ahhh - hadn't thought of vinyl - excellent input - thanks everyone! He does in fact have turntables and vinyl would be a great idea. Anyone know where I can go in Munich for this?

my favourite shop in Munich for vinyl is "Echt Optimal" on Koloseumstr (half way between Sendlinger Tor and Frauenhoferstr U-Bahns).

a Brazilian dude Gui Boratto on the German Label Kompakt with probably the best techno album of the year ...Chromophobia

'Techno' and 'Music' ...these words are mutually exclusive

its a tricky question because these days the term "techno" covers a pretty wide spectrum from the classical, more musical stylings of Apparat and the amazing Trentemoller album all the way up to banging minimal stuff played by Jeff Mills, Ritchie Hawtin and Sven Vath. If its the more banging stuff, then the latest "cocoon" cd would always be a pretty safe bet covering all shades of german techno at the mo.

I am thinking he is more dance techno - think of a bunch of 18-21 yr. old Italians in a club in New York...does that help what kind of techno music he might like?

oh yeah - and no, not italian itlaians, new york italians - which are totally different than italians from italy. think kids with gel in their hair, muscle shirts, fast cars, etc...sorry if i am making it more confusing than it needs to be. Just thought some of you djs out there might no what i am talking about.

Mr. Stuart - listened to the stuff you suggested - happy I now have it on my iPod!

Spoke with my brother - figured I would just get the specific kind from him as I didn't know there was so much variation out there. I guess thats what you get when you grow up in the hip hop era of the 90's.

His preference is House and Trance...any suggestions for some great German or International stuff that is hot right now?

House Recommendations ...hmmmmm... here's a couple

Makossa+Megablast - Kunuaka
Released this year... but how it used to sound before it all went overground

Dennis Ferrer - The World As I See It
THE soulful house record of the year imho

Trancey-into-Housey accessible stuff ...check out the Oakenfold Greatest Hits and Remixes

also, check out this year's mixes on the Fabric club label ...all sorts of electronica wizadry going down...

got it ... a bit technoey, a bit housey, a bit trancey, german, up to date -

Micheal Meyer - Immer 2

on Kompakt records
-nice mix

or as mentioned above, fabric cd's like ellen alien, teifschwartz or ricardo villalobos

any good breakbeat clubs or DJs in Berlin?

My tip. If he loves Trance/Techno, the usual stuff that they play in the nightclubs i highly recommend:
Dj Networxx latest (i believe the latest is #34).
My favourite compilation is always Future Trance (latest is #42 out Nov 30). I'm sure that's the most popular compilation in that genre.
If he likes it a bit "harder" - Hardstyle vol 13 is out on the 30th Nov.

Sorry, Dj Networx with one x. also got mixed with the dates, i forgot it is already december. So they were out a couple of days ago.

http://www.iconberlin.de/

You all had some great recommendations - thank you so much! The mixed CDs are made courtesy of iTunes, and the others I purchased on-line and am having them shipped to me, all will make excellent Christmas presents! You guys sure know your stuff!

Now if anyone has any questions on pop music just let me know and I am your girl...ha, ha

Thanks again!

Hard Edged parties might as well be worth a look: http://www.myspace.com/hardedged

I could not agree more.

Get the album "pop" by the artist, "gas"

Its one of the finest albums ever created. Its an old release of Wolfgang Voigt (who runs kompakt) and its on the "mille plateaux" label.

find it if you can... its long discontinued.

and yes, as far as current mix cds, the "fabric" mixes are really good.

But remember, cds always get busted. and vinly lasts a lifetime, Plus they have a finer asthetic.

That was pointless and offensive. Go listen to "Nickleback" or whatever.

Moving on..

A lot of the suggestions aren't even "techno" or things he would neccesarily like. It would be easier obviously if you knew something he liked or a couple examples. If you're looking for something distinctly German, there's a lot of labels based in Germany. There are also a lot of people over here who aren't German but setting up / touring / etc over here because of the strong market for it. (IE Plus8 and Minus who were from Canada originally and lots of others).

A good way to see what's popular and whatever, just to get some ideas, is to go to www.beatport.com and browse by genre. If you have an idea of what genre of music he likes, you can see what the best sellers and things are, hear little clips and write down some names, etc. Might be an easy way to get a very broad idea at least.

If it's trance you're after, you might want to check releases by the following DJ's: Sander Van Doorn, Marco V, Marcus Schulz. Either find some of their releases or Google their names to find tracklists of recent sets to find the records they are playing at the moment. www.trackitdown.net is another useful site.

Ellen Alien is awesome. http://www.ellenallien.de/ Very much recommended.
On a somewhat related note, does anyone know of any good electro clubs? On my last trip I visited the newly-reopened Tresor and had a blast! Looking forward to living in Berlin so I can see more (;

We went to Roter Salon on I think a Wednesday for some really amazing breakcore. Their website is here: http://www.roter-salon.de/ The kid who was spinning (who couldn't have been more than 17?) was just amazing!