Planetary Assault Systems
Temporary Suspension
By Dimitri Nasrallah

Temporary Suspension is Luke Slater's major foray back into the hard techno sounds of his Planetary Assault Systems alias, the moniker that first catapulted him to the forefront of the '90s UK techno circuit. He's been relatively quiet in the last four to five years after a run on Novamute/Mute saw him flirting with variations of hard electro and, well, hard electro pop that met with mixed reactions. But Temporary Suspensions finds Slater in revitalized form on techno imprint du jour Ostgut Ton. Those familiar with Ostgut's recent releases, especially the Marcel Dettmann and Len Faki Berghain mixes, will be happy to learn that the latest instalment of PAS fits in with the deep wobbles and dark atmospherics that filter in and out of these ten tracks. Slater is at his best when he pushes the disorientation factor, as on opener "Open Up," or when he experiments with percussive layers and pushes tracks away from the dance floor and into the headphones, as on "Om the Deck." But even when he lays out harrowing variations on the floor-bangers, they serve as a fitting reminder of just how much of the recent Ostgut curated hard techno revival owes to the back catalogue of Luke Slater.

Why the decision to bring back PAS?
In 2006, I decided to start releasing PAS records again on Mote-Evolver. There had been quite a break and that break was intentional after the massive output of Planetary in the '90s. I decided to focus on DJing primarily in that time and kept on the road mostly.

When and how did the connection with Berlin's Ostgut Ton label begin for you?
I've been playing regularly at the Berghain club for a long time and did a live show at the old Ostgut many years ago. It's always been one of my favourite worlds for many reasons. Michael asked me whether I wanted to write some music for a special production between the Staatsballett Berlin and Berghain. It was an art-meets-ballet-meets-electronic music from "our" side, so to speak — a mixing of worlds. I happened to be working on some new 7th Plain material at the time, so I created a special symphony just for that.
(Ostgut Ton)
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