Plasmatique maps the scene with the 'Shine' chart
Plasmatique, a project rooted in Berlin-based label Luft & Liebe, delivers Shine Chart, a thirteen-track selection that precisely captures the current state of Melodic House & Techno and its neighbouring territories. Far from a routine DJ rundown, the chart reads as a manifesto: the producer understands the ecosystem and knows exactly where to place each piece.
The release opens with Plasmatique's own Shine (Extended Mix), a 4:50-minute trip in Ab Minor at 128 BPM that sets an introspective tone for the entire collection. That mood is immediately reinforced by Something In The Water, the collaboration between Massano and Darla Jade on Tomorrowland Music — one of the standout melodic tracks of the year, driven by Jade's emotional vocal over Massano's hypnotic architecture.
Depth and breadth as editorial pillars
The chart's backbone is held up by Miss Monique with Blue Moon Factory in A Major (MAHOOL), reaffirming her position as a key voice in the oriental-melodic sound, and Goom Gum with Demeter, the longest cut at 6:35 minutes and 126 BPM, a patient, atmospheric builder that refuses to rush its own evolution.
- TH;EN & DAMEN – XTC (1001 Recordings): luminous energy in Bb Major, one of the most evocative moments in the selection.
- Giuseppe Ottaviani, ARTBAT & Conor Ross – Break The Loop (UPPERGROUND): a high-voltage collaboration merging Ottaviani's progressive trance sensibility with ARTBAT's darker, weightier sound.
- Mind Against & Tharat – Cloud (Drumcode): a bridge toward Peak Time Techno, delivered by one of Adam Beyer's label's most consistent acts.
- Bart Skils & Weska – For the Music (Drumcode): a powerful 130 BPM closer in Gb Minor that raises the final temperature of the set.
The chart also features a deliberate Tech House detour with Mau P – neck (Black Book Records) at 129 BPM, a strategic nod that broadens the DJ's range without breaking the journey's coherence. Shine Chart is a rigorous roadmap for understanding melodic techno in 2024, curated by a producer who clearly listens with ears wide open.
