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DJ Disrespect – Jamz from the Attic

Written on 4 September 2021 by Andrijan Apostoloski — Bushi

Frankfurt based DJ Disrespect drops a four-track EP entitled Jamz from the Attic for Italian label Scum Collective. One might ask himself what the heck can you actually write about straightforward techno? It isn’t innovative, it’s straightforward and it just bangs, right? Right… Not at all actually. Especially when it comes to DJ Disrespect, things were never so simple to start with.


I’ve been familiar with DJ Disrespect since a friend introduced me to ghetto techno for the first time when he appeared under his Toni Moralez alias that he used to release music until 2019.

There was one thing sonically that always distinguished him from the rest of the bunch: Distorted kicks that were punching the groove like a madman with his precise and simple hi-hats and cymbals that told me: oh, wait… So there’s techno that’s just straightforward, simple, but also sounding so fucking powerful at the same time? My soul was literally thirsty for that kind of techno and meeting the music of DJ Disrespect under his ghetto coat was an experience that I’ll never forget.

While he released music under Toni Moralez he explored vocal sampling very much as it’s natural with ghetto, but under DJ Disrespect things get a tidy bit more serious. Ghetto aside, now he brings something more serious to the table: hypnosis, rawness, straightforwardness and banging 90’s rave energy that enfolds it all. Or in other words: utter magic of what true and raw techno is all about.

What the actual fuck? Am I for real, or have I became the first DJ Disrespect fanboy? Nope, I’m for real. Ever since I’ve heard his transition from trap to techno in “Time 2 Hit Da Dope” that was released in 2015, I knew that I was hooked to his techno for the rest of my life.

It’s within simplicity of the groove that he shines the most, and if it holds throughout without any flares and makeup transitions that are dramatic, and only there with the intention to keep your mind focused at constant changes… well, you know you’ve reached the real deal where you give yourself to the hands of a specially talented no-bullshitter techno madman like DJ Disrespect and trust him with your body and mind that he’ll take good take care of you.

That’s what’s beautiful about him, you can trust him completely as this guy knows completely what he’s doing. In this release he enters with a dub mix of a track titled ‘Transmission’ at steady 150bpm. Starting with four-four kicks and a bassline grooving all throughout the background, you’ll be finding yourself headbanging and already in the middle of the chaos he carefully crafted in no time. And from his point of view it’s all order, and for you this chaos will become just a thought of a break entry into the mind-state where he wanted to bring you in the first place. First, don’t think about when the elements are going to enter. Simply forget all techno producers in existence and let DJ Disrespect treat you sonically.

A highly gentle but high-pitched synthesizer sound appears from the back and slowly hugs the beat that sounds like it’s full power mode so far. The moment these signature distorted hi-hats of his enter is the moment you know that DJ Disrespect doesn’t give a slight fuck about what you think his techno should sound like, you’re now in your mind racing in place with no real destination but with a huge goal ahead: taking yourself to a mission to beat every evil in front of you that has slowly collected over the past with these blend of sounds. And the fact he doesn’t give a fuck gives you leverage in the situation when you close your eyes and simply stopped thinking about him or fighting with conscious elements and over-analyzing things, as only then you’ll allow him to deliver that evil-destroying rave power that’s always invincible when he’s in question, but also magical and therapeutical at the same time. And the beauty with mister Disrespect is that he doesn’t follow those templates that end up making techno sound all the same… if you understand what I mean. He’s always few steps ahead of the techno herd mentality that completely lost its touch with the true meaning of what techno should be, and I love that he unapologetically shows that with a simple four-four rhythm and with a very punchy and straightforward approach whilst many can’t with thousands of layers and gazillion of melodies. But hey, not everything works for everyone, right?

The simplicity of the track holds its power throughout, but when you start analyzing every sound source specifically you already lost and started focusing back on something that he tries to keep you away from. Come on… Let’s get back. When all the sounds are combined together, they automatically turn DJ Disrespect to that guy behind your back that’s ready to give you all his powers of evil and negativity destroying magic that unleashes through the means of dancing with your eyes closed.

This is different, the hypnosis is a result from his steadiness that’s all-present in his sounds that’s so special about him: He doesn’t rush things and the power of precision he has within the confinement of the style he crafted is something that one’s body must give power to, in order to feel the hypnosis in its full glory.

In the second track entitled 3 (DJ Disrespect Edit) he follows the same intro pattern with distorted and thumping kicks; however, things get a bit more interesting when the hi-hats and the snare soon after appear. The track shifts into this double hi-hat acid trip when the synth is born and soon after he once again takes control just like that. A proper zap moment! This is happening right after one-minute passes, and he already managed to bring the whole artillery to full control so fast. Because it’s very easy to spawn, but it’s very difficult to make sense of what you spawn and take control of it in the first place, right? Magic.

On the third track Voodoo Rhythm (Dub Mix) he introduces the groove with the kick and bass straight away. The dub influenced pads enter later on, but the progression to the tipping point is something that you’ll want to give yourself full attention to. As he slowly opens the sonics and introduces the hi-hats, he builds tension right until the second minute mark where the stabs take a war with those dub synths that were prior introduced to us in this universe of his.

That sound-play with elements within this groove gives this track a special setting and he continues to change it and play with it again after some time. As he plays with the voodoo, you must understand that the blend of hard and straightforward techno with such hypnotics is something you can rarely stumble upon these days. Not these days actually, but any days.

The last track entitled Rage (Soft Mix) has these overdriven kicks appearing straight in front. Soon after the bass gradually introduces itself, he does a weird pattern with the hi-hats and boom: there you go, full motion with a single zap of a second. The kicks play alongside the highs and the groove he created so-far is nothing less but perfect for not being able to stop your head and body from grooving with it. Go with it, as these repetitive pads appear and blend with the whole dub sound signature he follows throughout the release.

A sound-play that lasts up until the sixth minute of the track where he unfolds everything in front of us, and once again it’s the same realization that’s been evident throughout all the tracks: You just seem to find yourself hypnotized all out of a sudden and he’s definitely the guy in charge who you entrust to move your body and take utter control of it, as since the moment the first track entered until the end of the last one he managed to show very precise and steady control management with the elements that naturally correspond with the groove of one’s body, and oh boy… will this be insane on a huge soundsystem.

What he unleashed in this EP are four sonic companions for a rave sweating session where your only job is to essentially trust the music-maker and my words that the only thing you need to do is simply close your eyes and start moving with your body. Everything else will follow, as trying to find the magic with words sometimes can do much harm than good in certain cases.

I love how DJ Disrespect took a bit more different and more dub oriented or gentler approach in direct contrast with hard techno rhythms on this release.

You see, DJ Disrespect doesn’t follow any templates and obviously doesn’t give a slight fuck about what you expect. He’s the master of hypnosis in hard and straightforward techno, and if you’re not ready to give him the power to control you over, you truly won’t feel the release, nor his music whatsoever. When, and if you decide to give him full control, know that the mind state of trance you’ll be transferred to will be one guided by a very confident and unforgiving evil-destroying motherfucker that never compromises in his sounds and will never leave you in the middle. A warrior that disrespects anything that’s against us, so tune in with huge disrespect towards anything that bothers you and alongside his music – get ready to remove it from your mind-state with ease.

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