John Beltran

Released on Peacefrog in 1996, John Beltran's Ten Days of Blue is an often overlooked gem of melodic Detroit techno. Influenced by the full-spectrum sonics of Derrick May and Carl Craig, the album feels like a work of underwater architecture, with distorted, metallic drums sending their struts through a fluid expanse of analog synths and liquid arpeggios. Beltran's ear for melody and harmony are at their best here, from nimble bell tones to sweeping string passages. Despite its emphatic rhythms, this is dreamy stuff, taking techno's immersive possibilities to their rippling horizon.