Quiero Rave Mix III: A Chaotic Love Letter to Techno
Let’s get one thing straight—this ain’t your grandma’s playlist. Quiero Rave Mix III by Various Artists is a wild techno ride that barrels through 2010 like it’s late for a rave in some abandoned Russian warehouse. With Igor Altman pulling double (or triple?) duty as the producer, compiler, DJ mixer, and probably snack provider, this album feels like one guy’s fever dream of what electronic music should sound like: relentless, unapologetic, and occasionally unhinged.
The genre? Techno. The vibe? Imagine if caffeine had a soundwave. It’s raw, gritty, and dripping with that early-2010s underground energy. And while there are enough tracks here to fill an all-nighter (24 to be exact), I’m gonna zoom in on two that stuck with me because they’re either genius or just plain weird—and honestly, isn’t that the point?
First up: “James Brown Is Dead.” Now, before you start yelling about sacrilege, hear me out. This track doesn’t just kill James Brown—it obliterates him. The beat hits harder than a Red Bull-fueled bouncer, and the samples ping-pong between eerie and absurd. You’ve got chopped-up vocals looping over a bassline so thick it could double as concrete. By the time it ends, you’ll forget who James Brown even was. Was he Elvis? No wait, there's another track called “Who Is Elvis,” so maybe neither of them mattered after all. Either way, this song screams chaotic banger and will have you questioning everything—including why you didn’t bring earplugs.
Then there’s “Fuck You.” Oh yeah, we’re going there. If subtlety were a room, this track would be locked outside screaming obscenities. It’s short, sharp, and leaves no room for misinterpretation. Think of it as the musical equivalent of flipping the bird but set to a thumping kick drum. Oddly enough, it works. Maybe it’s the aggression or the fact that someone finally said what we’re all thinking at 3 AM when the DJ won’t stop playing slow jams. Whatever it is, it slaps. Hard.
Now, let’s talk packaging because Artwork & Design by Altman deserves a shoutout. The cover looks like something spray-painted on a wall during a blackout—a perfect match for the chaotic brilliance inside. Kudos to Unknown Russian Source Records for letting this madness see the light of day.
But here’s the kicker: listening to Quiero Rave Mix III feels less like enjoying an album and more like surviving one. It’s messy, loud, and utterly unforgettable—in the best possible way. Like finding a stray sock weeks later and realizing it smells oddly nostalgic.
Final thought: If aliens ever invade Earth, I’d blast this album into space as proof we knew how to party. Because seriously, who needs words when you’ve got beats that punch harder than most conversations?
