Planetary Assault Systems

Planetary Assault Systems is Luke Slater’s most influential pseudonym leaving its definite mark on more than 15 years of Techno history.

Even while productions under his own name have explored electro and listening techno, Luke Slater’s Planetary Assault Systems guise remained the home for his productions closest to the percussive, banging techno he produced during the early ’90s. The alias began quite early too, with a series of Planetary Funk EPs recorded for Peacefrog beginning in 1993. Several tracks from the earliest volumes of the series appeared on 1995’s Archives. His first full-length under the guise, Electric Funk Machine, appeared in 1997 and was followed one year later by The Drone Sector. He continued the Planetary Funk series until 1999, then initiated the Coad Warrior trilogy in 2000. Third LP Atomic Funkster arrived in 2001. Archives Two followed in 2002, after which Slater took a short break from the alias before returning to it in 2006 with the EP Deep Heet, Vol. 1, the first release on his Mote-Evolver label. He continued releasing tracks on Mote-Evolver and Ostgut Ton, which issued full-lengths Temporary Suspension (2009) and The Messenger (2011). Singles and remix 12″s steadily continued on both labels, and the full-length Arc Angel appeared on Ostgut Ton in 2016. The high-energy live document Live at Cocoon Ibiza arrived three years later on Sven Väth’s label.