Berlin is often touted as the techno capital of the world, but the city’s music scene goes deeper than the steadily thudding kick drums emanating from clubs like Berghain and Tresor. The German capital has always been a musically diverse place, particularly for those interested in leftfield and experimental sounds, and in recent years, a variety of styles have taken root across the city’s many dancefloors.
Until last month, several of those dancefloors could be found at Griessmuehle, a former grain mill-turned-nightclub that was a beloved hub for a myriad of non-techno styles: house, disco, electro, UK bass, and more. The club closed in early February after the property’s owner chose not to renew the venue’s lease, but while the place was still open, its roster of regular parties included Mother’s Finest, with German artist Franklin De Costa at the helm. During the series’ seven-year run—for now, its events are part of the “Griessmuehle im Exil” series at Alte Münze, with a new permanent home coming later in the year—De Costa has established himself as one of Berlin’s most trusted nightlife curators, especially for those who gravitate toward heavy bass and the more adventurous varieties of house and techno.
He now applies those curatorial skills to a new record label, which kicks off with the simply titled Mother’s Finest Compilation. A 15-track collection put together by De Costa and Bristol artist Hodge—a Mother’s Finest resident since 2016—it’s an impressive assemblage of talent that places established artists like Batu, Laurel Halo, and Mosca alongside hotly tipped up-and-comers like Anunaku (aka TSVI), Otik, and Karima F. Although Berlin and the UK are heavily represented, the record does reach beyond the usual electronic music hotspots, gathering tracks from Portugal’s Violet, Mexico’s Nico, and Italy’s Katatonic Silentio.
Stylistically, the compilation resides mostly in the hard-to-categorize nether region between bass music and techno, making additional forays into ambient, breakbeat, electro, and jungle. Similar to the output of labels like Timedance, Livity Sound, and Hessle Audio, the music marries the potent basslines and adventurous drum programming of the UK hardcore continuum to a more focused techno framework, resulting in a hybrid sound that’s remarkably potent.
Mother’s Finest Compilation is loaded with formidable club tracks. Hodge’s “Silo” is a particularly animated drum workout, while Nico’s “Common Drum” blends percussive acrobatics with delicate melodies and a more introspective mood. The North African palette and rambunctious spirit of Anunaku’s “Nascent” make it one of liveliest offerings, although it’s rivaled by the breakbeat-infused ghetto house of Nasty King Kurl’s “Complicated” and the booming basslines of Violet’s “Infinite Source,” which brilliantly captures the raucous, rave-ready vibe of ’90s jungle. Dynamo Dreesen’s hypnotic “From This Era” pursues a more linear path; wonky, off-kilter rhythms fuel the seasick glitch of Mosca’s “Swann Morton,” the serpentine groove of Batu’s “High Press,” and the alien stomp of Franklin De Costa’s “Rage.”
If there’s one drawback, it’s a lack of narrative. Mother’s Finest Compilation may be stuffed with top-shelf tunes, but its larger purpose is unclear. Most of the artists featured have played at Mother’s Finest before (some several times), so perhaps it works as a sort of overview of the party’s history, but only Hodge and De Costa are actually residents, and most of the producers don’t even live in Berlin. Without knowing the label’s future plans, it’s possible to see this compilation as a sort of public branding exercise—a practice that’s become common in the electronic music realm. Especially for a new label, it’s a lot easier to market and sell a record with 15 different artists, all of who have their own fan bases and social media channels, than it is to find an audience for an EP or album from a single act, particularly one that’s relatively unknown.
Fortunately, while many artists aren’t naturally inclined to offer up their best stuff for a random compilation, Mother’s Finest Compilation hardly feels inconsequential. It’s clear that De Costa and Hodge made sure to accept only high-quality material, and as first releases go, Mother’s Finest Compilation makes an impressive statement. Its storyline may not extend much beyond, “Here’s a bunch of tunes from artists we like,” but when the music is this good, perhaps that doesn’t matter.
