Crisis of Man has quietly gathered pace these past few years reaching a critical mass as the go to for everyone from Truncate to Perc via I Hate Models. Heading the imprint, Selective Response has taken pains to set trends rather than follow them, building a loyal fan base around his uncompromising industrial sound.
Early support from Cleric, Dax J and Perc, encouraged the launch of his own label Crisis Of Man, a platform which since has mainly been the home for his own creations, it now kicks off 2022 with a stellar 10 track VA, to mark their 10th release.

‘Core Values Vol 1’ is the first in no doubt a series of stacked compilations to come on the label, featuring talented undiscovered names including EAS, PLEASURES, Emptyshell, Rave Syndicate and Innestemme, to those with some recognition including US female artists Annika Wolfe and Lindsey Herbert, Scotland’s Frazi.er and Germany’s Zeltak.
Opening with the energetic ‘Electro-q-shon’ from Annika Wolfe, analogue lines ricochet at breakneck speed are married with a snappy four-to-the-floor percussive framework for powerful peak-time plays. The mysterious Norwegian producer Innestemme steps up next with a stark melodic powerhouse track, ‘Heartbeat’ that instantly transports you back to the glory days of Eye-Q and Harthouse when German creativity ruled clubland. Next, Zeltak adds his own Tuetonic charm with squelchy overdriven drums, bouncy off-beat bass and snarling synths in his track ‘Failed’.

Label boss Selective Response drops his latest creation, ‘Lick The Knife’ next. Rolling beats and muted synths open up as the track progresses, mutating into a spiky onslaught with menacing power. Rave Syndicate claims ‘I Will ‘Lead You Astray’ and that they very much do. Serious dark atmospheres, solid warehouse-sized drums, and absolutely no punches pulled.
Scotland’s techno export Frazi.er has seen success after a release with EXHALE and played Amelie’s massive Printworks show at the end of 2021. He delivers again with ‘No Regards For Humanity’, an energetic and soulful cut that marries light and dark in the best way. Spiky synth lines add tension while the airy pads of the main break create an oasis of calm. Not her first time to Crisis Of Man, with a release last year that made her debut. Emptyshell’s ‘Chemical Urgency’ is tough with its kicks and filtered percussion. Acidy FX and sparse percussion keep this one dark and devastating.

Fellow Los Angeles-based DJ EAS adds his sizable studio skills to the mix with ‘Beautiful Thing’. Industrial beats, hypnotic leads, and catchy vocals, this is a thing of beauty! Look out for him making another appearance later this year on the imprint, after his recent remix for Perc, he has a lot of support in all the right places. Newcomer, PLEASURES, makes his mark with his second ever track, ‘Nervous’. Tough beats, classic repeating melodic, and terrifying pace: this is a perfect secret weapon for the harder DJs out there. And last but very not least is the talented SF producer Lindsey Herbert. After releasing on Rave Code, Northern Parallels, and Nastia’s NECHTO Record, she drops the tempo for the trippy ‘Cosmic Interference’, a meandering chugger for those early mornings lost in Berghain.