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Motortechno

Motortechno

Written by: Rod Fry & Ricky Ambury
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 **Motortechno: Machine Soul, Deep Friendship, and the Underground Spirit** Born in 2005 at the intersection of friendship and obsession with machine soul, Motortechno began life as an internet radio show broadcast from a ground-floor flat in Chorlton, Manchester. What started with Rod Fry mixing live every Sunday evening on York house institution Freakin soon expanded when fellow York University techno devotee Ricky Ambury joined the rotation. Not long after, Ricky brought in his childhood friend Tom Long, and together the trio built a platform that mirrored the underground sounds they championed: raw, unfiltered, and bursting with energy. The show migrated to Future Music—a station featuring heavy hitters like Mark Archer of rave pioneers Altern-8—where it found a broader audience and added editorial muscle through interviews with icons like Ben Sims and guest mixes from legends including DJ Bone. When Ricky and Tom both landed in Manchester, Motortechno evolved from broadcast into a series of unforgettable club nights at venues like Joshua Brooks and Paradise Factory, celebrating Northern talent like Head Front Panel and Adam Rayner alongside heavyweights Sou Tai and O/V/R. Across five years, Motortechno carved out a niche as a gathering point for lovers of techno, house, and electro—a space where the music and the community were everything. After the broadcasts ceased, the crew stayed active. Tom became a fixture at Manchester’s biggest techno events, including legendary nights at Sankeys, later co-founding the popular Hold It Down parties. Rod launched his 7 Segment project in London, playing standout sets at Option One boat parties on the Thames. Ricky… well, Ricky occasionally recorded the odd mix. Tragically, in 2016, Tom was diagnosed with a brain tumour. He passed away in 2019 at just 33 years old, leaving an enormous hole in the lives of those who loved him. But Tom’s spirit remains inextricably tied to the music and friendships he helped forge. In 2022, Tom’s close friend and Hold It Down co-founder Andy Ollerhead organised Here for Long—a memorial party delayed by the pandemic. Rod and Ricky returned to the booth together as Motortechno, paying tribute to their fallen brother in the only way that felt right. The emotional reunion was repeated in 2024, as playing together became a means of remembrance, reconnection, and celebration. Now, Motortechno enters its next phase. Rod and Ricky are reviving the name as a monthly podcast, continuing to honour Tom’s memory and the spirit of the underground. Each episode features two to three hours of mixes—by them and occasional guests from across the UK’s electronic music underground—keeping alive the culture that shaped their friendship and defined their sound. If the music moves you, please consider supporting via Patreon. All proceeds go directly to Tom Long’s Brain Tumour Research fundraising page. Peace x **The Motortechno Crew**Copyright 2026 Rod Fry & Ricky Ambury Music
Episodes
  • Motortechno 07 - Darkmode

    Motortechno 07 - Darkmode
    Apr 23 2026

    After last month’s belter with UK rave legend Mark Archer, we’re back with another heavy guest mix — big up Darkmode.

    A mainstay of the harder-edged techno scene as well as a talented electro producer, Darkmode’s been putting in work for decades.

    His early releases on Testin Out caught the ears of heads like Weatherall, Radioactive Man and Regis, and he’s not looked back since.

    From DJ Mag and IDJ to sets across the UK & Ireland alongside legends like Dave Clarke, DJ 3000 and Scan 7, he’s built a reputation for no-nonsense, high-pressure techno. His Biotech Recordings label keeps that energy moving.

    Before Darkmode steps up, Rod sets the pace with an hour of driving rhythms to get things locked in.

    Enjoy. See you next month.

    Love

    Motortechno x

    Part One - Rod

    01 Juan Sanchez - Fokus

    02 Shoal - Gerakan

    03 Kuss & Sicion - Dissolve to Evolve

    04 Kuba Sojka - Main Value

    05 Ackermann - Turn my voice up

    06 Szmer - Raw Thoughts

    07 Head Front Panel - Disc

    08 S-file - Sirens

    09 Orion - Broken Horn

    10 Cirkle - Haunt

    11 l'ombre - Addiction

    12 Simone Zino - Signals

    13 ANNĒ - Peacock Feathers

    14 Don Rimini, Jackin Trax - Red Alert

    15 Bruce Zalcer - Straight Up! (Uncertain Remix)

    16 The Scan (aka Mathys Lenne) - Unfolding

    17 Misstress Barbara - Unlearn

    18 KUSS - Outbreak

    Part Two - Darkmode

    01 Ak Letat - Sin Aliento

    02 CDTRAX - Black Doves

    03 RSD-86 - Poniendose Deforme

    04 Angel Alanis, Maria Goetz - Do The Right Thing (Original Mix)

    05 Annie Hill - Alignment

    06 CDTRAX - Wild Uproar

    07 Degrand - Freak (face A)

    08 Frankie Vega - The Sector (MarAxe Remix)

    09 Jon Perx - BadMan

    10 Jon Perx - Parma Violent

    11 Kaoos - Untitled One

    12 H-R-Z - Hypnagogic

    13 Mauri Mastra - Monolith

    14 Lara Martins - Internal Side

    15 Leopold BaÌr - TF02 (RSD-86 Remix)

    16 Degrand - Nectar

    17 Slododan - Hugg Han I Nacken (Wetworks Remix)

    18 Marcelo K2 - Kontrol (Darkmode Remix)

    https://linktr.ee/motortechno
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    2 hrs and 4 mins
  • Motortechno 06 - Mark Archer

    Motortechno 06 - Mark Archer
    Mar 28 2026

    Excited doesn’t even come close to describing how we feel about our first guest mix for the Motortechno redux. Please be upstanding for Mr Mark Archer.

    As far as rave legends go, you won’t find many higher up the list than Mark Archer. Founding member of Bizarre Inc, one half of Nexus 21 and Altern 8, and also recorded solo under a plethora of monikers such as DJ Nex, Trackman, and Slo Moshun… Mark is quite simply one of the most important and influential dance music producers of the last two decades. Still writing and DJing out across the globe, everything from jacking acid, classic techno, funk, hardcore, hip-hop, and of course his most notorious speciality genre: Old Skool Rave – Mark Archer is a resident at Bangface Weekender, and also a regular guest at top music events such as Glastonbury, Shindig Festival, Boomtown and many more…

    Mark has shared an exclusive mix with us made-up entirely of his own productions. It is class. Enjoy.

    Before getting stuck into that, Ricky serves up some Detroit sounds that segue into rave-tinged techno in honour of our esteemed guest.

    We’ll be back next month with another guest mix from one of our favourite underground techno producers, Darkmode.

    Enjoy x

    Motortechno

    https://linktr.ee/motortechno

    Tracklist

    Part One - Ricky

    01 Kyle Hall - Big Momma Tech

    02 Austin Ato ft David Giles II - Work (Extended Mix)

    03 BLACK GIRL / WHITE GIRL - Ascension

    04 Rino Cerrone - Rilis 02 - Untitled

    05 Paperclip People - The Climax

    06 Girls of the Internet ft. Princess Precious - Your Love

    07 Private Press - TH3000

    08 Kingpin Cartel - Ghetto

    09 Jorge Zamacona - Doom Dub

    10 Frank De Wulf - Magic Orchestra (PAS Live Jack Edit)

    11 Fjaak - Don’t Leave Me

    12 Ignition Technician - Throw Your Hands

    13 Ben Sims - Genesis

    14 Justin Robertson - Acid Rave Music (Phil Kieran Remix)

    Part Two - Mark Archer

    01 Mark Archer - Heifer Nation

    02 Mark Archer - Tuned For The D

    03 Mark Archer - Triangle

    04 Mark Archer - Riser

    05 Mark Archer - The Future

    06 Mark Archer - Chuch

    07 Mark Archer - I Said Funky

    08 Mark Archer - Cogzy

    09 Mark Archer - 21:41

    10 Trackman - Smoothin

    11 Mark Archer - Dream Plant

    12 Mark Archer - In The Pressence Of Beauty

    13 Mark Archer - The Way

    14 Mark Archer - Pattern 27
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 48 mins
  • Motortechno 05

    Motortechno 05
    Feb 13 2026

    The Motortechno Valentine’s special is here. Sent with love from Rod and Ricky to you, dear listener.

    In a feat of incredible commitment, which involved searching his Rekordbox for anything loosely related to Valentine’s, Ricky opens with an hour of love-fuelled house, techno, ghetto-tech and OG Chicago house.

    Of course, being a master romantic, Dr Love, aka Rod, takes a more subtle approach to proceedings but still ends up administering a pounding (sorry). It’s all foreplay at the start with funky, Detroit sounds, before fingers and thumbs electro, ending on an emotional climax (again, sorry).

    Next month, the lame innuendos are no more. Not least because we are welcoming our first guest. More details to be revealed soon but suffice to say they are a bonafida legend of UK electronic music.

    Enjoy x

    Motortechno

    Tracklist

    Part One - Ricky

    01 Client_03 - Ur_Luv

    02 Ben Sims - Love And hurt (Gary Beck Remix)

    03 Head High - Its A Love Thing (Piano Invasion)

    04 Donna Summer - I Feel Love (DJ Sneak Remix)

    05 For Those I Love - I Have A Love (Overmono Remix)

    06 Move D - I Gave My Love (Shan and Gerd Janson Edit)

    07 Confidential Recipe - Work It For Luv

    08 Kevin Yost - It’s Getting Bigger

    09 1morning - Push

    10 Ackermann - Heartbreak

    11 Len Faki - Sexuality (My Reality) (Hardspace Mix)

    12 DJ Deoon - Suck It

    13 DJ Funk - Work Da Body

    14 DJ Funk - Pop Da Pussy

    15 DJ Rush - Sex Me All Night Long

    16 Mr De - Sex On My Mind

    17 Parris Mitchell Project - Fuckin With Da Drums

    18 Mr Fingers - Finger Fuck

    Part Two - Rod

    01 HLX-1 - Come to Me (Mark Flash DTFA Rework)

    02 Frankie Bones - Walking

    03 Louisahhh - Love Is a Punk (Spencer Parker Remix)

    04 Third Culture - U Move

    05 Voltaire - Wave Function

    06 OCB - Algorhythmic Control

    07 DJ Bone - Celestial Circuits

    08 Ken Ishii - Sunset Flight

    09 Uncertain - Conga

    10 Don Rimini & Jackin Trax - Supadelicious

    11 Jay Denham - Detroit

    12 Ben Sims - Solicitude

    13 Don Rimini & Jackin Trax - Sick & Freak

    14 Anika Kunst - Detox

    15 Dubfire - Dark Matter (Drumcell Remix)

    16 Eats Everything - Best (Confidential Recipe Raw Remix)

    17 Trunkline - More Perc (Arnaud Le Texier Remix)

    18 Laurent Garnier - Sake Stars Fever

    https://linktr.ee/motortechno
    Show More Show Less
    2 hrs and 13 mins
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