Theorem

Dale Lawrence has explored the flipside of Motor City techno, constructing photographic negatives of the percussion-heavy dramatics of producers like Derrick May and Juan Atkins. Similar to his labelmate Richie Hawtin (aka Plastikman), Lawrence's productions as Theorem explore techno's relationship to ambient and dub with copious amounts of delay and echo, and a melodic sense as hypnotic as it is discreet. Born and raised in the Detroit area, Lawrence was surrounded by classic electronic music from an early age. He began recording his own productions in 1986, and moved to a downtown loft by 1992 to pursue a serious recording career with a collective of DJs and musicians. After contacting Hawtin to release some of their material however, the collective disbanded. Lawrence persevered and began recording for Hawtin's Plus-8 Records with a 1996 full-length, Nano. The album reflected the continuing global influence of Basic Channel, a combination label/artist concern centered in Berlin. The city had long fostered a close kinship Detroit, with the focus on echo-chamber dub and polar electronics also becoming evident in Hawtin's work as Plastikman. The development of a Plus-8 subsidiary named Minus (or M_nus) appeared well-suited for Theorem work. During 1998, Lawrence released a four EPs in the TH series. Much of the work was compiled on CD the following year when Theorem's second full-length, Ion, appeared in May 1999. ~ John Bush