Skyrocketing onto the scene by bringing warehouse techno back into the spotlight, i_o is no stranger to us at this point. Today, he introduces “NRG 444,” the second phase to his three part project 444 that explores the core of who he is. This follows up the first installment, “ACID 444,” released in late November 2019. Grab your techno glasses and buckle up, kids, it’s about to get steamy in here.
Giving us some hindsight on where i_o was started, he included the following statement in a manifesto.
I don’t know what it was specifically, whether the dense smell of sweat and smoke, the relentless dance floor tempo, or the giant smiley face painted on the ceiling, but something about this room brought me back to my core. This is the type of place that first turned me into something more than myself years ago. This is the place i_o was born.
i_o
Every song on the EP embodies the exact feeling he describes above with scary pinpoint accuracy. The first track, “parental advisory,” repeats the line “sex, drugs, techno,” over the pulsating BPM. It then takes you to a shoulder-to-shoulder packed dance floor with “Dancing 2020,” before “This Is Rave” and “Another Level” close out the second installment. Each track weaves together the sounds of modern day acid techno with his OG warehouse roots.
We don’t know when to expect the third and final part of project 444, but for now you can catch him on tour. Tour dates listed below.
