Two books in one.
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all releases on all PCP sub-labels listed, rated, and short-reviewed
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The Unofficial PCP Book
Freitag, 28. März 2025
Introduction and Index
The unofficial Planet Core Productions guidebook
all releases on all PCP sub-labels listed, rated, and short-reviewed
The unofficial Planet Core Productions guidebook.
After it was "almost forgotten" towards the end of the 90s, the interest in this very special label of Techno history is growing at a fast pace again.
This guidebook is mostly aimed at "newcomers" to the PCP-sound; to give them a little overview, information and direction; in order to possibly help them in their decision on which record to pursue & purchase.
And, the guidebook exists, so that this piece of techno history does not get forgotten (hopefully).
Because: "You and me... we are simply passing through history. But this... this *is* history."
Note: i tried to retain some of the typical '90s hardcore techno magazine' tone and spirit in some reviews, with its cold-served wit and attitude.
"Underrated but great" records usually get longer reviews.
This is a beta version and some releases are not listed yet.
But now, dear visitor, enjoy your reading experience.
And remember, in the end - "we're all slaves to the rave'.
Here are the links to the labels:
About the rating system:
For the purpose of rating, I decided on a percentage format. (aka "x out of a hundred points").
But these ratings are "PCP-stretched": I love all these records and, normally, would all give them a 111 out of 100.
So the rating means "compared to other PCP releases".
Thus, if a record has "only" 49 or 31 percent here, this does not mean it's bad; compared with other Hardcore or Techno EPs they would be 88 or 94 or higher; the percentage just "seems lower" for the sake of rating these PCP records in a way that seems sensible, and to have a bit of comparison with the other releases.
So please do not misunderstood the ratings - all records are even better then they seem.
And in the end it's very subjective anyway.
About the author:
Hello,
I'm Sönke aka Low Entropy.
I was a teenage PCP addict. and by that i mean the music, not the drug (thank god!).
I bought my first PCP CD at the tender age of fifteen, and a lifelong love for everything related to the label followed.
Seeing Marc, Miro, Dr Macabre, and all the other rascals perform live and to feel their bassdrums blasting through the dancefloor were some of the happiest moments in my life.
I spent the next decades trying to find ways to listen to *every* PCP release; and in the end I decided to write a little review for each of them.
So here it is.
I'm also an author of other Hardcore Techno related books such as:
The Hardcore Condition - Experimental Hardcore of the 90s
A Hardcore Retrospective - Hardcore Techno In The 90s
The Hardcore Primer - An Extensive Guide To 90s Underground Hardcore Techno Labels And Artists
PCP - Legends In Their Life - The Unofficial PCP Book
or if you want to read more about me, head over to:
https://lowentropyproducer.blogspot.com/
Note: This guidebook is not officially affiliated with any existing or former members of Planet Core Productions
Version 0.999
Note: This guidebook is not officially affiliated with any existing or former members of Planet Core Productions
Version 0.999
Miscellaneous
Various – See Ya In 2017
A quite enigmatic release, as only a few test pressings of it exist.
It seems to be an early "draft" of Frankfurt Trax 3, as the tracklisting is very similar.
But it is not 100% the same. There are tracks on it that did not make the cut with FFMT3, and some are in a different version.
Well, now you'd probably expect me to give a description of these "unknown gems"?
But this time, I won't do it. Sometimes it's more interesting when things stay mysterious, right?
Let me just say that some of them are amongst the best tracks out of all PCP releases, and all official "Frankfurt Trax".
Rating: 93 / 100
M.F.P.A. - M.F.P.A.
Add this one to the number of "mysterious" PCP releases!
M.F.P.A. already had a number on Frankfurt Trax; it's included on here as well as 3 other tracks. Even though these tracks pose as mixes and edits of the main track, they feel very distinct.
In fact, they're very interesting, spiffy, and excellent breakbeat / jungle tracks in the PCP style!
Rating: 88 / 100
No Sukkaz – 1-2-3-4 All The Ladies On The Floor
Isn't this the most libidinal PCP release ever?
Has a very explicit and very catchy phrase repeated throughout all of the track
It "feels" a bit like later Marshall Masters / MC combinations, but it's more of a dancefloor house track.
Comes with additional remixes
Rating: 69 / 100
Masters Of Rave – Pump It (Like A Master)
Indeed one of the master-pieces by pcp... too bad it's hidden so deep and so far away in the catalogue!
Even though one would assume it's a remix / edit of it, it's quite unlike the better known "She likes to pump it" (which is included as a b-side).
I don't know if it's the exact origin, but the track is one of the first to have the "on the first day..." style segments, which were later used in a number of tracks by other artists, too.
In a long build-up, each new sound gets introduced by an epic speech, until the rave beats finally hit full force.
The sounds from the intro come in again, frantic rapping joins the craze... and then angelic choirs appear on top of the beats, and we lift off into the heaven of ecstasy!
If there is one track that is the pure incarnation of rave music, the movement, the parties, the madness, heaven and hell... it's this one!
100/100 (a perfect track!)
Rave-Busterz - We Come From Bochum City
If I recall correctly, the story behind this release is that the Rave Busterz dropped Marc a demo, and then he called them up to get them on his label. PCP tried to set them up as a new Techno-Dance act during the days of the Rave Mania, with the destination of Radio, TV, and charts, but they did not arrive there, for whatever reason.
It's an interesting release nonetheless. Very "lo-fi" Hardcore and Rave, close the the sound of the commodore amiga.
"We come from..." has a catchy sing-along phrase, and "1-2-3-4" is more on a trance-y tip.
Rating: 69 / 100
Budleckers - Let The Beat Control Your Body
One-off release by the Budleckers. Style is close to early Ace The Space / Nasty Django Hardcore. The eponymous vocal phrase is repeated throughout the track.
Rating: 71 / 100
Bellini Bros. - Samba De Janeiro
Another one-off one-sided 12" release.
The track samples a very popular dance track of its time, and the production itself is huge soccer stadium atmosphere style Gabber with a capital "G". Something to put your jersey on to, get drunk on beer and bellinis, then jump up when your own team scores a goal.
Rating: 58 / 100
Adrenacrome
Pcp's sub-label for Techno; not "Techno" in the style of LA or 2 Unlimited, but closer to the Sounds of Rome, the Hague, or Detroit.
And, indeed, Lory D makes an appearance here (after being an audible inspiration for various pcp releases), Miro offers one 12", and Marc does two.
A very interesting concept; too bad that the label shut down so early again.
As all 4 eps run along a common thread in sound and vision, I won't do detailed descriptions for each; but be assured, they are cool as hell!
And, indeed, Lory D makes an appearance here (after being an audible inspiration for various pcp releases), Miro offers one 12", and Marc does two.
A very interesting concept; too bad that the label shut down so early again.
As all 4 eps run along a common thread in sound and vision, I won't do detailed descriptions for each; but be assured, they are cool as hell!
Frankfurt Trax
Note: for the most part, I will only focus on the CD-exclusive tracks; as all the other stuff has been reviewed elsewhere in this book already.
Frankfurt Trax Volume 1
PCP had many releases of a strange and experimental nature. But even amongst its most unusual ones, this one stands out.
Frankfurt Trax Volume 1
PCP had many releases of a strange and experimental nature. But even amongst its most unusual ones, this one stands out.
In fact, this compilation (and its tracks) rarely gets mentioned in "best-of" lists, DJ charts, mix-sets.
People know it exists. But they seldom talk about it.
And indeed, it is "at the edge of the board" in many ways. It almost sounds as if it was done by a different label, a different Planet Core Productions.Few of the aliases appear again in later releases - a rarity for this label's catalogue.
There are not much "Hardcore" sounds, yes. But PCP never produced 'purely Hardcore', and you could not expect much Hardcore in 1990 anyway.But there neither is that typical, detroit-infused, somewhat minimalist, catacomb, and claustrophobic techno mania - which later became the trademark style of PCP.
Instead, the sounds are varied, massive, expansive.There are links to hip hop, ebm, dance...And even though the instrumentation itself feels minimalist, the sound itself feels huge.
To put it this way: if PCP had continued that way, I could imagine them filling rock and pop arenas with a kind of PCP sound that lies in the middle of mass appeal madness and emissions from the deepest underground.Headlining the newspapers and owning the charts.
But PCP went another way; they took no quarters, they went as rough and secretive and underground as possible.So underground that only now, decades later, a wide audience slowly unpeels these layers.
So that's what we got here. A huge "what-if?" artifact out of the earliest days of PCP.
And indeed, it is "at the edge of the board" in many ways. It almost sounds as if it was done by a different label, a different Planet Core Productions.Few of the aliases appear again in later releases - a rarity for this label's catalogue.
There are not much "Hardcore" sounds, yes. But PCP never produced 'purely Hardcore', and you could not expect much Hardcore in 1990 anyway.But there neither is that typical, detroit-infused, somewhat minimalist, catacomb, and claustrophobic techno mania - which later became the trademark style of PCP.
Instead, the sounds are varied, massive, expansive.There are links to hip hop, ebm, dance...And even though the instrumentation itself feels minimalist, the sound itself feels huge.
To put it this way: if PCP had continued that way, I could imagine them filling rock and pop arenas with a kind of PCP sound that lies in the middle of mass appeal madness and emissions from the deepest underground.Headlining the newspapers and owning the charts.
But PCP went another way; they took no quarters, they went as rough and secretive and underground as possible.So underground that only now, decades later, a wide audience slowly unpeels these layers.
So that's what we got here. A huge "what-if?" artifact out of the earliest days of PCP.
Rating: 89 out of 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 2 - The House Of Techno
This compilation actually hosts a lot of exclusive tracks that were not released elsewhere.
The "FFM Theme" picks up where the "Futureworld EP" left; but without breakneck MC-ing this time.
Vaeth 1 is mesmerizing techno by Sven.
"+3" could be a missing link to the acid of Countdown FFM (which ended with catalogue number "+2").
The "next skool remix" is an almost chilled version of "1991".
"No Compromise" is one of my favorite "Frankfurt Trax" exclusives; an epic, almost "trance-y" hard run.
"House Music's Not Dead" is a very lively bassline driven smasher.
"Phase 2" is a new chapter of suns and moons.
"Whales Alive" is another favorite pick; almost cinematic, slow, underground (or underwater) breakbeat music.
And "Persian Lover" is a thematic nod to their 80s Egyptian counterpart - and a very good one.
Rating: 91 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 3 - The House Of Phuture
Here the compilation-only tracks are:
"Murder One", a peculiar: 92-style breakbeat hardcore track; and hey, isn't the melody "art of stalking" again?
Vaeth 2 is an exciting electro-experimental by Sven.
Mescalinum United's track is the 2nd coming of destruction.
A Lighter Shade and bittersweet meandering doom-pop - I start 2 fly!
The Terrorists' Outside World samples Akira a few years before Sunbeam's hard trance mega hit of the same name.
"Legalize It" is THC-infused chilled-out dub.
The Stalker walks on Thunderground.
DetoNation is an explosive moment in acid history.
And Alien Christ adds another Phase to the Suns and Moons.
Rating: 94 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 4 - The Hall Of Fame
The exclusive tracks:
M.F.P.A. - Came To Party
Oh, what's that! 20 Fingers / Salt'n'Peppa style dance-rapping with breakbeats and "happy sounds".
Unexpected for pcp - but not bad at all!
303 Nation - Double Speed Mayhem
Double speed? More like quadruple hyper-speed! Swirling acidcore at several hundred bpm. Wooosh!
Tony G - Loveless
I cannot communicate how much I adore the very few incursions by PCP into the (dark) world of pop (or at least more traditional) music - and this is one of them.
"Live at Hellraiser" might be the World's Famous edit of Program 1's track, as it was included on another edition of Thunderdome (the one with the dog!)
Rating: 96 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 5 - Defenders Of The Faith
As far as I can see, there are zero exclusive tracks on this one.
Rating: 97 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 6 - Return To Zero
This time, a large amount of tracks were released on Dance Ecstasy 2001 in several vinyl volumes.
Now let's look at the 2 CD exclusives:
"Let It Roarrr!" has a lengthy breakbeat intro, before it breaks down into rough guy gabber.
Headshop sends us a Phantom track that almost feels as if the Universe was re-created by a deranged string orchestra (nice!).
Rating: 99 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 2 - The House Of Techno
This compilation actually hosts a lot of exclusive tracks that were not released elsewhere.
The "FFM Theme" picks up where the "Futureworld EP" left; but without breakneck MC-ing this time.
Vaeth 1 is mesmerizing techno by Sven.
"+3" could be a missing link to the acid of Countdown FFM (which ended with catalogue number "+2").
The "next skool remix" is an almost chilled version of "1991".
"No Compromise" is one of my favorite "Frankfurt Trax" exclusives; an epic, almost "trance-y" hard run.
"House Music's Not Dead" is a very lively bassline driven smasher.
"Phase 2" is a new chapter of suns and moons.
"Whales Alive" is another favorite pick; almost cinematic, slow, underground (or underwater) breakbeat music.
And "Persian Lover" is a thematic nod to their 80s Egyptian counterpart - and a very good one.
Rating: 91 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 3 - The House Of Phuture
Here the compilation-only tracks are:
"Murder One", a peculiar: 92-style breakbeat hardcore track; and hey, isn't the melody "art of stalking" again?
Vaeth 2 is an exciting electro-experimental by Sven.
Mescalinum United's track is the 2nd coming of destruction.
A Lighter Shade and bittersweet meandering doom-pop - I start 2 fly!
The Terrorists' Outside World samples Akira a few years before Sunbeam's hard trance mega hit of the same name.
"Legalize It" is THC-infused chilled-out dub.
The Stalker walks on Thunderground.
DetoNation is an explosive moment in acid history.
And Alien Christ adds another Phase to the Suns and Moons.
Rating: 94 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 4 - The Hall Of Fame
The exclusive tracks:
M.F.P.A. - Came To Party
Oh, what's that! 20 Fingers / Salt'n'Peppa style dance-rapping with breakbeats and "happy sounds".
Unexpected for pcp - but not bad at all!
303 Nation - Double Speed Mayhem
Double speed? More like quadruple hyper-speed! Swirling acidcore at several hundred bpm. Wooosh!
Tony G - Loveless
I cannot communicate how much I adore the very few incursions by PCP into the (dark) world of pop (or at least more traditional) music - and this is one of them.
"Live at Hellraiser" might be the World's Famous edit of Program 1's track, as it was included on another edition of Thunderdome (the one with the dog!)
Rating: 96 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 5 - Defenders Of The Faith
As far as I can see, there are zero exclusive tracks on this one.
Rating: 97 / 100
Frankfurt Trax Volume 6 - Return To Zero
This time, a large amount of tracks were released on Dance Ecstasy 2001 in several vinyl volumes.
Now let's look at the 2 CD exclusives:
"Let It Roarrr!" has a lengthy breakbeat intro, before it breaks down into rough guy gabber.
Headshop sends us a Phantom track that almost feels as if the Universe was re-created by a deranged string orchestra (nice!).
Rating: 99 / 100
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