Name:
Planetary Assault Systems

Real name:
Luke Slater

Occupation:
DJ and producer

Luke Slater has been part of the electronic music scene since the late 80s, releasing records on labels including Peacefrog and Novamute. In 1995 Soma released two remixes he did of Slam’s seminal ‘Positive Education’, and not forgetting a killer rerub of Joey Beltram’s ‘Forklift’ in 1996. Cheers for that. What’s he done since then?
He’s kept himself pretty busy. He’s prolific, having released dozens of his own productions as well as countless remixes of other people’s over the best part of 20 years. He has also maintained a busy touring schedule, performing at many of the most prestigious clubs in the world, and was invited to curate the 32nd Fabric compilation in 2007.

Didn’t he release some really toe-curling stuff a few years back?
A little harsh, but probably fair. ‘Stars and Heroes’ and ‘Nothing at All’, weren’t everybody’s cup of tea. They were released in 2002 at electro-clash’s pinnacle. Or at its nadir, depending on your perspective.

So where does Planetary Assault Systems come in?
Planetary Assault Systems is the alias under which Slater has released much of his toughest techno material.

Toughest techno? Is it any good?
Some of it is pretty fierce, but yes, it’s very good. Last year the album Temporary Suspension came out on Berlin’s Ostgut Ton, home to producers such as Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock. Ostgut Ton is closely related to the Berghain club, a genuine techno institution, and both have been pretty reliable indicators of where the genre has been at for some time now.

So all is forgiven then?
Pretty much. Temporary Suspension’s industrial take on the swing beats that have entered the post-dubstep techno vocabulary were very well received. Slater’s Planetary Assault Systems live performances are relatively few and far between, and the Edinburgh show presents a chance to see him at his best.

Planetary Assault Systems guest at Substance, The GRV, Edinburgh, Sat 19 Jun.