RA.1024 African-American Sound Recordings

At Houghton 2025, Nicolas Lutz served up three hours of booming techno and big synths for the Pavilion dance floor. @houghton-festival @nicolaslutz

At Houghton 2025, Melina Serser eased the crowd deeper into the afternoon with a slew of tripped-out, chuggy tunes at Outburst. @houghton-festival @melinaserser

Sunrise at Houghton is some serious festival magic—the perfect setting for three hours of Jane Fitz at her best. @houghton-festival @janefitz

An hour of E/Tape and Baby Vulture concocting mesmerising digital soundscapes, recorded live at last year's Houghton Festival. @houghton-festival @etape

The Texan prodigy transmits the sound of sci-fi techno in 2026. What does the future feel like in 2026? In an era dominated by nostalgia and electronic revivalism, even techno—a genre once defined by futurism—has begun to feel stagnant. Enter Gautham Garg, aka Decoder. Raised in Dallas, the 21-year-old offers a refreshed vision of techno for the present moment. While comparisons to techno stargazers like Mills and Richie Hawtin are inevitable, RA.1023 reveals a broader palette. Microtonal flourishes recall Aleksi Perälä’s Colundi era, while the patient structures lean closer to Perlon-style minimalism than early-2000s severity, with nods to Ricardo Villalobos and Margaret Dygas. Built largely from unreleased material, RA.1023 captures Garg’s vision of techno for this decade. There’s weight, but it’s more body than bite: elastic, finely tuned drums and a buoyant hypnotism that persists even in rougher moments. Though often labeled sci-fi, Garg’s sound adds layers to cold futurism—instead, optimism shines through. In his hands, techno’s future still feels bright. Find the Q&A and tracklist at ra.co/podcast/1042 @iamdecoder