Audiopile Review: A critical piece of dub techno history makes its vinyl debut, Von Schommer’s impossible-to-source dc15, initially issued as a mail-order CDr in an edition of 50 for the now legendary DeepChord imprint. Von Schommer was the moniker of Mike Schommer, who co-founded DeepChord alongside Rod Modell, their earliest releases becoming the second wave of dub techno in a post-Basic Channel world, bringing the genre back to its roots in Detroit. Schommer slowed the pace considerably, tending to opt for lengthier tracks that slowly unfold, their cold-pulsing innards sputtering with industrial ticks and hissing pops. If Rod Modell’s warmer, more ambient leaning works were self-described as “echoing in deep-orange and shades of red”, Schommer was certainly working in greyscales, isolating the industrial sounds of the once-vibrant Motor City and slowly zooming inwards to its rusting core. Schommer would disappear from the scene from soon after its release, eventually returning to production 15 years later, still churning out impeccably produced EPs and finding new angles within the well-worn sound that he had helped push forward at the turn of the century. After all these years, he’s still at the top of the heap, and right here you can find that initial cold spark.

Mixed at the Crown Motel on Woodward/McNichols in Detroit. Released as a limited edition professionally printed cdr packaged in a white cardboard sleeve. A clear sticker containing the black and white artwork was affixed to the center of the sleeve. The release was made available on the deepchord website on 2-15-2002 strictly as a preorder for a limited time. Limited edition of 50 (the number of preorders). Originals can be verified by looking for a digitally printed number on the clear plastic part of the cd in the center. Two sets of numbers will be found. The first set will read 13391810.