6LP Box Set, Deluxe Edition, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue
Skint (2024) UK
In 1992 Dave Clarke launched his own music label, "Magnetic North", releasing recordings under the moniker "Fly By Wire". He then produced a series of EPs under the name "Red", one of which was listed by the DJ Mag publication in its "All Time Techno Top 100" list. The Red recordings led to a significant level of attention for Clarke, who subsequently produced remixes for prominent artists such as Kevin Saundersons Inner City, The Chemical Brothers, New Order and Underworld.
Signed to the de-Construction label, Clarke then released his debut album, Archive One in 1996, which contained elements of the breakbeat and electronica genres. Clarke is one of the few DJs who performed live on Peel's radio show and segments of the performance were released as The John Peel Session EP on the Strange Fruit label in 1997, with Peel coining him as ‘The Techno Baron’. Peel then identified Archive 1 as number 14 in a list of his top 20 albums in the same year.
Fast forward to 2023, 30 years after the inception of this body of work, and after both the album and series being unavailable at retail for over twenty years on vinyl (copies have been exchanging on Discogs in the meantime for up to £250), remastered original versions and bonus remixes are being released in a limited edition, one time pressing, exclusive 6 vinyl set slipcase box with signed photo and 16 page booklet written by Dave Clarke himself.
Both Archive One and The Red Series are hailed as THE defining techno albums and 12 inches of the genre. They paved the way for all that followed and are used as a blueprint for quality level, style and music production level, and are just as relevant now as they were when originally released.