Some records don’t chase the future. They reach back into the past and pull it onto the dancefloor.
With Old School Devotion, Italian techno artist Devid Dega returns to Second State Audio with a two-track release built for the darker hours of the night. Drawing from the raw, stripped-back energy of 1990s club culture, the release pairs hypnotic grooves and rugged textures with the precision of modern peak-time techno.
The title track, “Old School Devotion,” immediately establishes the EP’s relentless character. Driven by a tightly wound groove and hypnotic rhythmic momentum, the production locks into its pulse and steadily builds pressure without sacrificing its stripped-back approach. It’s the kind of track designed to keep a dancefloor moving rather than overwhelm it with unnecessary layers.
On “Want You Back,” Dega takes the sound into even darker territory. Rugged percussion, weighty low-end and shadowy textures evoke the golden era of underground club music while retaining the power and clarity expected from a contemporary techno weapon.
Together, the two tracks demonstrate Dega‘s ability to revisit classic dancefloor influences without turning them into nostalgia pieces. Instead, Old School Devotion translates those sounds through his own experience as a DJ and producer, creating music that feels equally at home in a warehouse today.
Devid Dega discovered techno at an early age, drawing inspiration from artists including Marco Bailey, Vitalic, and Luca Morris. After establishing himself as a DJ and club resident in Italy, he expanded into event and club management before turning his attention toward production in 2009.
Since then, Dega has released music through respected techno labels including MB Elektronics, Tronic, Terminal M, DCLTD, Alchemy, Pornographic, and JAM, developing a reputation for hard-hitting productions rooted in the darker side of the genre.
His music has also received support from some of techno’s most influential names, including Adam Beyer, Dubfire, Richie Hawtin, Maceo Plex, Cristian Varela, Uto Karem, Mauro Picotto, and UMEK, taking his sound to dancefloors throughout Italy and across Europe.
The release also marks another appearance on Second State, the techno platform founded by Pan-Pot in 2014. The label has grown beyond simply releasing music, providing a creative home for the duo’s releases while hosting events, fashion projects, and visual concepts for the wider techno community.
With Old School Devotion, Devid Dega pays tribute to the club sounds that helped shape his musical identity while bringing those influences firmly into the present. Dark, hypnotic, and built for peak-time pressure, the two-track release proves that sometimes the best way forward is to look back.
Devid Dega: Instagram | SoundCloud
Second State: Instagram | SoundCloud