Kerrie – Echoes of the Live Wire (Tresor 385)

Echoes of the Live Wire is Kerrie’s definitive manifesto on the legendary Tresor imprint. This is a body of work that achieves an impeccable balance between raw club functionality and profound artistic maturity. Scoring highly in the obvious dance floor metrics (Utility and Energy), it truly shines in its refusal to be simply functional, pushing a sophisticated complexity that belies its raw power. This is not just another techno album; it’s sonic architecture built for the club with soul.

The album unfolds with a focused intent. Its opening statement sets the stage with overwhelming punch. It’s a devastatingly effective tool, a hypnotic loop sustained by an industrial pulse that can initiate a sonic assault or inject pure adrenaline mid-set.

But it is in the subsequent tracks where Kerrie reveals the true depth of the LP. These are not just simple loops; they are sonic labyrinths. The drive persists, yet it now ventures into a complex landscape of ideas, offering the DJ multiple narratives for those crucial first minutes of a set. This relentless energy transforms again in a piece that shifts toward the album’s more melodic and futuristic side. The ever-present bassline is now veiled beneath innovative rhythmic changes, creating a danceable foundation that never ceases to invite movement.

The journey deviates beautifully toward the album’s most innovative horizon, where the devastating kick drum temporarily gives way to an ascending, almost vocal, melody infused with electro textures, providing an unexpected dimension. This is the perfect counterpoint to the Detroit homage heard elsewhere, where melodic notes modify the trajectory of a growing, pulsating loop.

The record understands its strategic flow. The journey culminates in a definitive peak-time closer, designed with brutal clarity: to destroy the floor, but to do so with landscape, wrapping potent techno in synth progressions that grant soul to the path.

The Verdict

Echoes of the Live Wire is a masterclass in how functional dance music can (and must) reject simplicity. Kerrie has delivered a collection of club weapons that possess soul, merging the high energetic utility demanded by the Tresor name with a forward-thinking, innovative vision.

The Groove Radar Scores

• Club Utility: 9
• Energy: 9
• Depth: 7
• Innovation: 6