Max HeyraudJames Bennett lands this week’s Mix of the Week with a blistering contribution to California’s Groovers Ball series, firing through a top-drawer selection of late-90s and early-00s loop-driven techno.
James Bennett has been one of Dublin’s standout techno DJs to emerge from the city’s post-pandemic circuit, a staunch digger whose devotion lies with the raw, no-frills, funk-laced techno of the late ’90s and early ’00s. It’s that golden era of post-Purpose Maker techno that Bennett has fully immersed himself in, carving out a niche that feels very much his own. While much of the scene leans toward the conveyor belt of always-new, and often overly polished techno, Bennett repeatedly turns back to the grit. For him, it’s the roughness, the imperfections, the crooked grooves that keep pulling him back in, and that rabbit hole runs deep.
His latest mix stays firmly on track with that vintage techno aesthetic, featuring cuts from John Thomas, User, Mistress Barbara, UK Gold, Trevor Rockcliffe, and Gaetek, to name a few. If you’re a shuffled-up tribal techno lover, you already know the score: James isn’t playing around. It’s gem after gem, with some bona fide classics threaded throughout, including appearances from Ben Sims and Ignition Technician, no less.
Bennett’s tenacity lends itself perfectly to this style of DJing: quick, brazen, pacey, and often playful. Records are teased in, cuts come fast, and the faders get whipped around like an extra EQ. It’s a style that never really tires, and Bennett pays tribute to it with real conviction. While this approach can invite the occasional honest imperfection, the nature of such rapid-fire mixing, Bennett keeps things strong: tight beatmatching, sharp instincts, and well-judged pairings throughout.
Even with that off-the-cuff, funky flair, it’s clear Bennett knows his records, and knows them well. He makes those heavily compressed, distorted drums sing from one close-to-melting piece of wax to the next. The result is a blistering affair from a truly quality DJ. Bravo.