Dark Matter: A History of Afrofuture, BBC4, Black Assembly, Dopplereffekt and K1, The Quest poster and more

Along with many other artists, Drexciya are included in Dark Matter: A History of the Afrofuture on BBC4 on Sun 23rd May 9pm (details here). The series producer was in touch with a question back in January so I'm glad to see it's ready for broadcast. This is some high profile recognition, which I'm really looking forward to. 

'Told in four acts, Act 1, The Door of no Return, explores the collision of technology and blackness, focusing on the devastating and transformative experience of enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage across the Atlantic. Featuring enigmatic Detroit techno supremos Drexciya, along with visual artists Ellen Gallagher and Hew Locke, we see how each has taken the Atlantic Ocean – a site of violence, pain and loss – and through their work, imbued it with hope, beauty and new possibilities.'

Dopplereffekt and K1 (Keith Tucker) have collaborated on the Star Gazing EP on Puzzlebox Records. You can purchase and sample both tracks here.

You can now listen to all six of the shows Dopplereffekt curated for NTS recently at this handy link.

Drexciya's 'Black Sea' got the breakdown treatment from Attack magazine here.

I only recently found out that back in 2016 LA's Dublab had the mystery girl from Black Replica and a new producer partner (Carlos Hinojosa of Additiv) in for a live session and interview. They were using the name Black Assembly but I don't think they still exist. I did find one studio track, 'Time Stands Still', on their Soundcloud. Their section starts about 47 min and they play about five tracks and then there is a short interview. Cool to hear this and see the new pic too. The mystery only ever deepens with Black Replica!

There are currently 15 tracks up on the daughter Produkt Bandcamp. Keep an eye for new material there.

Mixmaster Morris recently created a new Drexciya themed mix here.

I found this photo of the rare promo poster for The Quest by Drexciya. It features text not included elsewhere, even on the CD booklet. I think it was up in UR's Somewhere In Detroit record store (might even still be there).

'A liquid product of years of toxic waste dumping in Detroit's Rouge River?

An aquatic cousin of the cell from hell?

Or an amoeba of society?

These and many other type of questions that 'You Don't Know' may become apparent in the forthcoming 28 track double CD 'The Quest'.

Also available on double vinyl are 9 tracks of Detroit's most vicious Drexciyan jams.

Both vinyl and CD feature unreleased underwater terror.

This is Drexciya's Final Transmission.’

It sounds like UR's The Unknown Writer coming up with more alternative theories about Drexciya. He would continue these questions of their origins in the CD booklet.

I've seen one of these posters just once before and it was signed by James Stinson. It hung in the offices of Dublin's D1 Recordings. Label boss Eamonn Doyle told me it was given to him while at the UR offices in 1997 and that James Stinson himself had been there and signed ‘Drexciya’ in large silver letters right in front of him. There were also three luminous green paint spots which look like thumbprints pressed into the bottom left hand corner, a kind of mark of a Drexciyan, which had already been placed there.