DETOUR005 by Doc Sleep

Doc Sleep hails from the Midwest, most notably Minneapolis, a small city that takes techno seriously (just ask its most famous ambassador: DVS1), but cut her teeth in San Francisco, where she spent nearly a decade building her skills as a DJ. Last year she relocated to Berlin, where she became a resident of ://about blank's female-, queer-, POC-centered Room 4 Resistance party while putting in serious work in the studio.

DETOUR005 is the result — Doc Sleep's first solo release. On this record, she brings all her influences to bear: "I purposely tried to keep things a bit rough around the edges without losing sight of my Midwestern pragmatism — keeping things real on the dancefloor," she explains.

From minute one, it's clear that she succeeded. Its first offering, "Yr. Esq." insufflates the ghost of piano house into the body of dub techno. ("I wanted to showcase diversity: I often mix genres when DJing and wanted this release to reflect that," she says.) "Geospatial" leans minimal, focused on a barely-there synth lead that worms its way throughout. The B-side opens with "Hydroplane," the record's moodiest joint, featuring a simple, delicate synthesizer riff that's impossible to forget. It closes with "Considered Equation," a warm, posi-vibe jam that recalls shades of Orbital.

Speaking about her present moment in Berlin, Doc Sleep says: "I find it very rewarding to work to elevate and create community, whether it's through our party [Room 4 Resistance], the label [Jacktone Records], or my own productions. This is where I am at this point in my career and life and what I want to do moving forward." DETOUR005 is a sonic encapsulation of Doc Sleep's ethos, and an essential techno record.

Residing at the intersection of house and techno, DETOUR is a Pittsburgh collective that creates visually and sonically immersive experiences. DETOUR seeks to act as a junction where both seasoned and newly-interested enthusiasts of house and techno can come together for an experience of both sight and sound.