Underground Resistance “Sweat Electric”

Can’t remember exactly how I became hipped to this series, but in short, Underground Resistance (the label) started the idea in the mid-Nineties that they would make a line of records (called Somewhere in Detroit) that were only available in their Somewhere in Detroit physical retail space. Pre-internet easy access this idea seems obliteratingly brilliant. Especially because that store itself is STILL difficult to find twenty years later. As I still consider myself pretty new to Detroit techno music it’s taken me a minute to get this far…but I’m loving it. I have a hard time contextualizing or even judging techno music (the difference between a “good” and “bad” techno song seems completely arbitrary and subjective) but I do know when something compels me.

Anyway, I’ve maybe been aware of these releases for a year or two. About a month ago a handful appeared on Discogs at quite an affordable price. From a new overseas seller with zero feedback. OH THE CONUNDRUM. Generally having faith in humanity and knowing that if I paid via PayPal I should be protected, I bit and bought a handful of the S.I.D. titles. There was a little bit too much back and forth from the seller…they hadn’t mailed records before, needed to find a mailer, weren’t sure what the shipping charge was going to be so they had to go to the post office, get everything weighed and THEN get back to me with the price. And I was cool with that. When the seller asked me to pay them before their weekend trip to Barcelona that’s when I felt uneasy. I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN BARCELONA! IT’S NOT GOOD! They write back saying if you can pay NOW I can get them out before the trip. The time zone difference makes “now” an abstract idea, so I think I paid too late and am just mentally preparing to file the PayPal complaint.

So yesterday shipping department Karl comes up with a 12” package from the UK and I’ll be damned if it’s not all four of the S.I.D. records I’d bought on Discogs. Just as described. HO-LEE SHIT. I put on “Sweat Electric” and Karl says “Alright, I’ve had enough techno for 2017” but I’m looking forward to tracking down the rest of the titles in the series and crawling even deeper down the rabbit hole.