The English translation of Der Klang Der Familie, an oral history of Berlin's influential techno scene following the "fall of the wall," has just been released to mark the 25th anniversary of that occasion, and it's surely near the top of many a gearhead's hypothetical holiday wish list—you can check out an excerpt on Pitchfork. Particularly of note is the origin story of Tresor, a legendary underground club that showcased and incubated a mind-boggling amount of electronic talent since its inception in the early 1990s.

Microglobe's "High on Hope," from the seminal 1992 compilation put out by Tresor's home imprint, isn't necessarily representative of the Berlin scene as a whole: It's a bit more flowery and house-influenced than the monolithic, steroidal machine music favored by many at the time. The track's an unwieldy thing too, taking its sweet time on two minutes of stop-start piano vamps and untethered acid before recalibrating itself into a carefree, nimbus-light techno tune. But the early ’90s rave vibe of unbound, MDMA-assisted discovery is present in every note, and the squelchy bass line/four on the floor beat duo are vintage Tresor. Those who stick it out are treated to one of the most euphoric breakdowns of all time, a masterful moment of tension and release that hangs with the best out there. "The sound of the family," indeed.