Steve Loria Academy; Dance Music Surge in 2026
SATURDAY’S Compression + Razor Focus | August 16-22, 2026 - Today’s updates prioritizes underground and hard techno in support of Compression and Razor shows on today (check Schedule for times!) Station note: Saeed Younan lands at Pachi-Pachi on September 12 as a Robtronik.FM event - full details in Looking Ahead.
// CULTURE & CONTEXT
Dance and electronic grew faster than any other genre in the U.S. this year.
Billboard put hard numbers behind something a lot of us already felt. Dance and electronic grew faster than any other genre in the U.S. this year. Streams up 18.9 percent. Album units up over 30 percent. John Summit, Illenium, Slayyyter, Madonna’s Confessions II — real volume. The more interesting part is the source. Not just radio. Ground-up scenes in Miami, Denver, Los Angeles, and specific SoundCloud pockets still feeding the crossover. For those of us who live deeper in the spectrum, the numbers still matter. More attention usually means more rooms staying open later.
Detroit’s Infolines Preps The Leland Compilation
Infolines out of Detroit announced The Leland, due September 8. Echoføn, ADMN, Dev-Lish, Rex Sepulveda. The label has stayed consistent with no-nonsense, floor-focused techno tied to actual Motor City spaces and history. If you’re tracking the Detroit-Berlin-warehouse line, this one belongs on the calendar.
Groove Armada Return with Body Action EP
Groove Armada dropped Body Action on Shall Not Fade on August 21. Three jacking, stripped-back house tracks. Title cut is a heads-down 808 workout. Gangster Girl leans into minimal percussion and rude bass. U Found Love brings classic organ chords with a vocal that still works. No-frills house that hits properly in a warehouse. Fits the station even on a techno day.
https://shallnotfade.bandcamp.com (search Body Action) or Beatport
// Releases Worth Noting
Pitros & Belami - Want It More (Dirtybird) - out mid-August. Straight Dirtybird house from the Brazil writing camp. Check Dirtybird or Beatport.
Rhythmic Friction EP (Digital Delight Records) - released August 20. Four-track deeptech / acid house package built for late-night warehouse systems. Bandcamp: digitaldelight.bandcamp.com
// COMPRESSION + RAZOR ESSENTIALS
COMPRESSION - Heavy techno, underground house, Detroit & minimal-inspired sounds, raw warehouse energy. Saturdays 8a to 10a and 8p to 10p (PST). RAZOR - Hard-edged techno, industrial, hard groove, dark subterranean and machine music. Every night, Midnight to 2a PST. Schedule!
News
LA underground veteran Steve Loria launched Steve Loria Music Academy and is posting about DJ classes. His roots go back to Bang the Drum and Unlock the House with Doc Martin in the 90s. Worth checking if you’re looking for real education from someone who’s been in it.
Soma Records released SOMA 35.2 on August 14: four new remixes of Surgeon’s 1996 Muggerscum Out EP. Slam, Lewis Fautzi, Justyn Nell, Nørbak. Some deep and hypnotic, some darker and more industrial. Pure Razor material. Uncompromising UK techno DNA that still works on current systems.
https://www.somarecords.com/news/ (SOMA 35.2) or search Soma Bandcamp / Beatport.
Ghost Dubs announced the album Oblique on The Bug’s PRESSURE label. Lead single “Low Times” is out now with a Bug remix. Full album lands September 25. Deep, low-end, hypnotic dub techno. Sits cleanly on the more atmospheric side of Compression.
// Worth Your Time
Music and Football 1:1 with Saeed Younan. Conversation with the Younan Music label boss heading to Pachi-Pachi in September. Background on his approach on all things dance music, culture, and DJing.
Paul Kalkbrenner - Full Live Performance - Main Square 2026: Long, hypnotic festival set. No big-room tricks. Just the patient arcs he’s always done well. Useful for extended techno programming.
HNTR - Live at Day Trip Los Angeles. Tight modern techno set. Clean pacing and selection. Solid reference for peak-time outdoor work.
Joseph Capriati B2B Seth Troxler @ Buenavida Beach, Cartagena, Colombia 2026. Two heavyweights trading off. Capriati’s harder edge against Troxler’s deeper musical approach. Worth studying for contrast and flow.
Carl Craig In The House | Detroit Techno Mix | Defected Records. Focused Detroit techno mix that stays true to the city while still working in a contemporary set. Essential for Compression.
Xone Sessions x Acid Nation - MRIYA. Hardware session leaning into acid and modular textures. Good listening if you’re into the machine side of the music.
Deetron | Vinyl Techno DJ Set | SECTION. | July 2026. Pure vinyl techno. Clean selection and mixing. Model for deeper, longer hours.
Ricardo Villalobos - Live from Circoloco DC-10 Ibiza (20.07.26 Garden). Recent Circoloco recording. Still operating in that long-form, detail-oriented style. High value for the patient end of techno.
// DJ FOCUS
Tiësto on what it takes to be one of the world’s biggest DJs | Resident Advisor
Practical conversation from RA. Longevity, preparation, reading rooms, the real work of staying relevant at scale. Worth hearing if you take the craft seriously — underground rooms or bigger stages.
CDJs vs XDJ-AZ: The Truth About DJ Gear In 2026 | Crossfader
Straight side-by-side on current Pioneer CDJs versus the newer XDJ-AZ. Workflow differences, feel, reliability, and what actually makes sense for the gigs you’re playing. Useful if you’re thinking about gear or just mapping the current club landscape.
// LOOKING AHEAD
Saeed Younan at Pachi-Pachi - Saturday, September 12, 2026. Techno, tech house, minimal at the downtown Las Vegas listening lounge. Edgar Reyes, Pat SL, and Robtronik on support. 9 PM till late. 211 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Portal 120, corner of 6th and Carson. Tickets on Eventbrite. This is a Robtronik.FM event. Expect the room to lean into the deeper, more physical side of the spectrum.
https://ilovepachipachi.com / Eventbrite search “Saeed Younan Pachi”
Ghost Dubs - Oblique full album arrives September 25 on PRESSURE.
Infolines - The Leland compilation lands September 8.
TWISTED LINES, Atlanta’s new warehouse techno weekender with Kobosil, BAUGRUPPE90, Onlynumbers and more, runs September 4-5.
\\\
Thanks for reading. Keep it locked to Robtronik.FM.
