Album Review: 019 by Christian Peak, DJ Gumja & Goncalo M Reix
If you’ve ever wondered what happens when Portugal’s underground techno scene collides with raw, unfiltered energy, 019 is your answer. Released in 2010 on Intuition Recordings, this album feels like a time capsule of sweaty dance floors and neon-lit nights that never seemed to end. Mastered by Marcelo Andres Domancich, it’s got that crisp punchiness that makes every beat feel alive.
Let’s talk tracks. First up, “Tomahawk.” Damn, this one hits hard. It opens with an industrial edge—like someone took a sledgehammer to a steel drum—and then BOOM, the bassline drops. You can’t help but move. There’s something hypnotic about how the layers build; it’s not just music, it’s a vibe. The kind of track that lingers in your head long after the party's over. Imagine yourself lost in a crowd, arms raised, completely surrendering to the rhythm. Yeah, that’s “Tomahawk.”
Then there’s “Techno Bongos.” Don’t let the playful title fool ya—it’s no joke. This track is pure fire. Those bongos? They’re not just percussion; they’re practically screaming at you to get up and groove. It’s minimal yet so damn effective, stripping everything back to let the rhythm do all the talking. Every hit lands perfectly, like a well-timed punchline. Honestly, if I could bottle the feeling this song gives me, I’d sell it for way too much money.
The rest of the album—“Nasty Girl” and “Hollow”—keeps the momentum going. While they don’t stick out as much as the two mentioned above, they still bring their own flavor to the mix. “Nasty Girl” has this sultry, almost mischievous vibe, while “Hollow” leans into darker territory, perfect for those late-night introspective moments when the world feels far away.
What strikes me most about 019 isn’t just its sound—it’s the way it captures a moment. Listening to it feels like stepping into a smoky club somewhere in Lisbon, where everyone’s vibing together but also kinda lost in their own worlds. And maybe that’s why it works so well.
But here’s the kicker: For an album rooted in electronic beats, it’s surprisingly human. Like, you can almost hear the sweat dripping off the producers’ foreheads as they worked on these tracks. So yeah, give 019 a spin. Just don’t blame me if you find yourself dancing alone in your living room at 3 AM.
