TR One looks back and selects essential cuts from D1 Recordings catalogue
It’s been 31 years since Dublin’s infamous D1 Recordings first emerged, thanks to the forward thinking direction and moves made by its now legendary founder Eamonn Doyle. Putting excellently made music out to the world, all drawn from a wealth of local talent and recorded in D1’s very own basement studio.
Although the label has pretty much been on hiatus since its 25th anniversary, mostly down to Doyle’s skyrocketing career as a photographer. There’s no doubting his role as a pivotal figure in Irish electronic music, the breadth and quality of the D1 imprint, or the equally impressive design aesthetic conjured up by Nial Sweeney that’s long accompanied the releases.
Given the growing interest in the label’s back catalogue as we move into the 3rd decade of its existence amongst collectors, connoisseurs and diggers alike. We felt it was long overdue to shine a bit more light onto some of the great releases, all with a helping hand (and ear) from D1 collaborator and Intrinsic Rhythm boss: TR One.
Before we move onto the music
Here’s some more on the D1 Backstory…
which you can listen to in full on this fantastic podcast: We Are The Makers: Episode One – Eamonn Doyle.
A student of Art & Design from Dunleary College who graduated in 1991, after Doyle was presented with the opportunity to renovate and live in a family owned 5 floor building at 147 Parnell Street in Dublin. The site became a locus for the making of art, media and music as friends and collaborators moved in and the building took shape.
When an initial idea to make a film evolved into raising funds to record a soundtrack for it, Doyle and his then project partner Alan Lambert ended up with nearly £10000 in their hands! All thanks to their own version of early crowdfunding.
Not wanting to just give the money away, they decided to buy a recording studio’s worth of equipment from a local producer, and then set up shop in the Parnell Street basement. Even though they had no idea of how to use any of the kit at the time. Given the prominence of the local Indie scene and the dominance of major labels, Doyle was spurred on to initially found the Dead Elvis imprint, to give a leg up to local bands who were being overlooked.
However, the epiphany for Doyle really happened in 1994 as he found himself mesmerised by the sounds of this all new emerging beat that was being played at the Temple of Sound nightclub on Ormond Quay. Even though he didn’t know any techno artists, he decided to start a techno label. As Rob Rowland sauntered in from suburbia into Eamonn’s city centre life. His Glocomm EP kicked off proceedings in 1995, along with Donnacha Costello’s involvement that really helped cement their movement.
Over the next two years, eight releases from Rob and Donnacha provided a consistency that no other Irish label had yet achieved. Gaining D1 international attention and giving Dublin a sense of its own electronic potential. Before long, direct links with Submerge – Underground Resistance headquarters in Detroit – were formed along with Glasgow’s Rubadub crew.
A mission to the Motorcity saw Doyle cross paths with the likes of Mad Mike, Kevin Saunderson, Moodymann and James Stinson. All of which enabled him to open a record shop at Parnell Street HQ stocked with the latest imports, alongside making a host of friends in the Detroit community. Many of whom would come over to perform at his D1 club nights, and at the Dublin Electronic Arts Festival which ran from 2002-09.
Between 1995 and 2012, a steady flow of releases from D1 Recordings continued from Irish and international artists such as Mark Broom, DJ Bone and Keith Tucker. Which is where we’ll now let TR One do all the talking from here on in.
TR One selects from the D1 catalogue
Jayrod – Space Travel (DONE 009)
https://www.discogs.com/release/93169-Jayrod-Space-Travel
From 1997, this EP by Donnacha Costello under his Jayrod guise was one the first records I picked up on D1, and a testament to the label that it still sounds fresh and distinctive to this day.
The Maas (Ewan Pearson) mix still finds its way into my sets to this day. That perfect inbetween of US and European deep techno with a perfect tint of melody.
Jayrod – Space Travel (Maas Mix)
Rob Rowland – Lettin’ On (DONE 005)
https://www.discogs.com/release/323837-Rob-Rowland-Lettin-On
Rob Rowlands pioneering work on D1 and his own Freestate label has been hugely influential to me. Even when I don’t listen to his records in my collection for a while, I always thoroughly enjoy listening to them again, kind of like an embrace from an old friend.
This is a particularly strong outing here and an artist very much coming into his own. The Mark Broom mix on this is an immense piece of hypnotic deep techno and a personal label favourite: one that helped foster the D1 sound. For the record, it was also mislabelled on the record – in the trend of some other great techno releases.
Point Monster (Mark Broom Remix)
Rob Rowland – Long Distance / Zero Tolerance (DONE 008)
https://www.discogs.com/release/372937-Rob-Rowland-Long-Distance-Zero-Tolerance
1997 proved to be a fruitful year for D1 and Rob Rowland. The two tracks from this EP are rich with deep sonics, driven by a precise undercurrent. Long Distance has one of my favourite ever chord structures in a Techno track and even at 10 minutes long, the feeling is one that you do not want it to stop.
There are still not many tracks better than it, to this day. One that I’ve found myself playing in recent techno sets, as it gives such a sense of light when set in or against tougher rhythms.
Long Distance
Visitor – Out Of The Red (Done010)
https://www.discogs.com/release/34033-Visitor-Out-Of-The-Red
This is such a quality varied EP of shuffling Techno from Broom and Hill, a prolific partnership in their own right who are very much a big part of the D1 legacy with their Visitor material.
Jerry’s Weekend and Cottage Pie are two pivotal slices with spatial undertones of D1, while Up All Nite and Out Of The Red up the funk stakes. The D1 design and art direction was always so fantastic, and this record looks so great.
Cottage Pie
Visitor – Basement Life (DONE012)
https://www.discogs.com/release/21586-Visitor-Basement-Life
Model Two is one of the D1 bona-fide classics! One of those tracks that everyone seems to know, some are not sure where from. For me, it reminds me of a fondness during a certain period of my life. With its perfectly structured delayed chord pattern and Marimba-like undercurrent, let’s not forget the flipside with the glacial stepper: The Last Time.
I have to give a special mention for the great remixes released of this track, my personal favourite being Decal’s remix tucked away on DONE029.
Model Two
Americhord – Enter EP (DONE027)
https://www.discogs.com/master/103744-Americhord-Enter-EP
A pretty legendary EP amongst collectors and DJs in Ireland. Beyond it being Maura O’Boyles debut on D1, this one of those rare releases where every track on the record is immense. Maura is highly regarded and a true trailblazer in this country, especially in those earlier times amongst a male dominated landscape.
Sunray is my usual go to track on this release but Phoenix is the one that has my heart. A string laden Dublin/Detroit beauty with perfect synchronisation of light and dark.
Phoenix
Decoy – This City Has Lost Its Way (DONE018)
https://www.discogs.com/release/7284-Decoy-This-City-Has-Lost-Its-Way
Probably my favourite ever electro record to come out of Ireland.
This EP by Decoy/Decal changed the way I looked at the possibilities in shaping sounds, making electronic music and in turn – how I approach production. A technically exceptional EP with some of the best mixed low end I’ve heard on a record. Incredibly beautiful string work alongside aquatic melodies, all giving a nod to Detroit. The EP cemented Alan O’Boyle alongside previous member Dennis McNulty on the pantheon of great Irish electro producers.
To work with and release Alan’s music on my label and strike up a friendship has been a recent and real high point in my life!
This City
Donnacha Costello – Diversions #2 (DONE014)
https://www.discogs.com/release/21588-Donnacha-Costello-Diversions-2
It’s very hard to pick a D1 Costello favourite from the all time Irish great, but this mix of deep minimal house, dub techno and electro is up there for me with his finest work (on D1 at least). “Noelle’s” melody and almost stuttering groove is an aural feast. “Backache” is a warm beautiful piece of deep dub techno. This is the record from 2001 that led into his prolific colours series on Minimise.
Noelle
Fatima Yamaha – Between Worlds (DONE031)
https://www.discogs.com/release/360094-Fatima-Yamaha-A-Girl-Between-Two-Worlds-EP
As everyone now knows, B2 track “What’s A Girl To Do” on this dazzling EP by Fatima Yamaha came from this original EP on D1. It was very much one of those secret weapons for a certain period of time around the late 00s in our small but community driven scene in Ireland. And something we felt was ours, from playing it in the now demolished (and reborn) Bernard Shaw, to the always brilliant Sunday Times party in Cork. I believe it didn’t sell too well on its initial release but as the infamy grew with crews in Glasgow and beyond, a re-release beckoned some 10 years later and it became a global hit.
My personal favourite on this record was the hi-tech funk of Between Worlds, hence my pick here.
Between Worlds
David Donohoe – First Course In Hygiene (DONE020)
https://www.discogs.com/release/180685-David-Donohoe-First-Course-In-Hygiene
A quaint, thorough and precisely beautiful album by David Donohoe and one of my first purchases on D1 Recordings, where initially as a teenager in Waterfords Rotate records, I was struck by the gorgeous design and gatefold package where each track title contains a hygiene theme.
“Your Breath Fresh/Slowing So” is one of the most brilliant Deep techno cuts to come from Ireland, where David’s musical skill and programming ability shines through where incredibly the majority of the album was made on a Yamaha QY700.
I should also give a special mention to “Care Of The Teeth/Tiny Cuts” which is another one of the definitive D1 tracks that stands out on ASU’s ground breaking “8 years of D1 mix”, released as a free CD on an Irish dance music magazine in 2002.
Your Breath Fresh / Slowing So
