As his moniker implies, Swiss DJ/producer
Deetron is heavily inspired by the Detroit techno scene. Active since the 1990s, his productions have evolved from tough, heavily percussive tracks to warmer, more soulful compositions, rich with melodies and sunny chords. As a DJ, he has perfected a highly technical yet fluid style, rapidly blending tracks on three turntables à la
Jeff Mills, and he's released several acclaimed mix CDs (as part of popular mix series such as Balance, Fabric, and
DJ-Kicks) in addition to perpetually touring around the world. He has also remixed hundreds of tracks, from underground techno favorites such as
Legowelt and
Aril Brikha to non-dance artists like
Ennio Morricone.
Deetron has issued three full-lengths, including 2021's Rotational Gravity, and dozens of EPs, from several minimal techno records in the late '90s to the trance-tinged 2022 EP Mind Eclipse.
Deetron (born
Samuel Geiser) grew up listening to hip-hop and house music during the early '90s. Influenced by Swiss DJ
Djaimin and Detroit legend
Jeff Mills, he began to mix, and quickly mastered the art. He began releasing techno 12"s as
Deetron during the late '90s, in addition to other monikers such as
Karakter, Soulmate, and
Procreation (reserved for jazzier, broken beat-influenced productions). His first mix CD, the inventive 37-track In the Mix, was released by Music Man Records in 2002. The label also issued
Deetron's 2006 debut full-length,
Twisted, which featured guest vocals by Detroiters
DJ Bone and
Paris the Black Fu.
His second mix CD, Fuse Presents Deetron, appeared in 2008, followed by Balance 020 in 2011. The vocal-heavy full-length Music Over Matter was released in 2013, with guests including
Cooly G,
Hercules & Love Affair,
Seth Troxler,
Fritz Kalkbrenner, and others. In 2014,
Deetron released his fourth mix CD, Fabric 76, in addition to launching his Character imprint. The 2017 collection Re-Creation compiled
Deetron's remixes for the likes of
Jamiroquai,
Tiga,
Todd Terje, and many others. His installment of !K7's long-running
DJ-Kicks series appeared in 2018. Running Back issued his EPs
Body Electric (2019) and
Ego Rave (2020). A split EP with
Jovonn appeared on the reactivated Nu Groove Records in early 2021.
Deetron's third full-length, Rotational Gravity, was digitally issued by
Jeff Mills' Axis label that year. Glass was released by Hot Creations in 2022, and a third Running Back EP, the trance-influenced Mind Eclipse, soon followed. ~ Paul Simpson