On January 16, Type Records will reissue Biokinetics, the debut album by Porter Ricks.

A classic of dub-techno, and of techno at large, Biokinetics was the first CD released on Chain Reaction, the Basic Channel sub-label that also nurtured the likes of Scion, Vladislav Delay, Monolake and Various Artists (T++). The disc featured five selected tracks taken from Porter Ricks’ three 12″s for the label, plus three exclusives.

Porter Ricks was the German duo of Thomas Köner and Andy Mellwig. They worked in the dub-techno space opened up by Basic Channel, but brought their own expertise in sound art and engineering to the table, not to mention a then unique preoccupation with all things aquatic – in an atypical gesture of light-heartedness, even their name is based on a character from Flipper.

“The nautical view evokes a clear vision, something freeing,” they once declared, more seriously. “The club as a diving platform, and techno as a nautical sound experience, a project that lies between clubs and art.”

Köner had already explored expansive, dub-wise soundscapes in his pioneering solo work, most notably the albums Nunatak Gongamur (1990), Teimo (1992) and Permafrost (1993), which were themselves reissued by Type in 2010. His far-reaching artistic practice would see him go on to collaborate with artists as diverse as Asmus Tietchens, Max Eastley and Experimental Audio Research (aka Pete ‘Sonic Boom’ Kember, formerly of Spacemen 3). Porter Ricks released two more albums before disbanding: a self-titled effort on Mille Plateaux in 1997, and Symbiosis (1999), a link-up with Techno Animal (Kevin ‘The Bug’ Martin and Justin Broadrick).

Type’s 2xLP reissue of Biokinetics features brand new artwork, and also represents the first time that Biokinetics has been available in one complete vinyl edition. Cut at Dubplates + Mastering in Berlin, where Mellwig continues to ply his trade as an engineer of high renown, it’s limited to 700 copies. A CD reissue will follow a little later this year.

Tracklist:
1. Port Gentil
2. Nautical Dub
3. Biokinetics 1
4. Biokinetics 2
5. Port Of Call
6. Port Of Nuba
7. Nautical Nuba
8. Nautical Zone