Planetary Assault Systems: Planetary People on Ostgut Ton
· re:union Radio editorial · 3 min read
Planetary Assault Systems: Luke Slater's album Planetary People on Ostgut Ton – twelve tracks between acid, tribal percussion and Berghain-grade weight.
If you are looking for Berlin's dark sound of 2026, you won't find it on an anonymous compilation but with Planetary Assault Systems: Luke Slater, one of Berghain's longest-serving residents, released his album Planetary People on Ostgut Ton on May 15, 2026. It is the first P.A.S. album on the club's in-house label since 2016's Arc Angel.
At a glance
- Album by Planetary Assault Systems (Luke Slater), released May 15, 2026 on Ostgut Ton, catalogue number OSTGUTLP39.
- Twelve tracks plus the digital bonus "Presently My Soul Grew Stronger".
- Written and produced by Slater at his Space Station Ø studio in the UK, mastered by Stefan Betke at Scape Mastering in Berlin.
- "Retina Burn" was released ahead of the album.
Ten years after Arc Angel: sound and background
Since the mid-nineties Slater has been shaping a techno under the Planetary Assault Systems name that the label describes as "bleepy, polyrhythmic, industrial-strength". By his own account, his albums come together in their own time: external signals and signs have to combine until the recipe feels right.
According to Ostgut Ton, Planetary People is shaped as much by live rooms and crowds as by the studio. Slater combines ideas from his live shows with studio work.
"10 years since I released Arc Angel on Ostgut Ton, and it's a fitting pleasure to combine live show ideas and studio work for the new album, served up with raw energy"
— Luke Slater, Ostgut Ton / Berghain
The tracks: from corroded acid to Beton Brut
Opener "Into The Night" builds, in the label's words, a dystopian environment of corroded acid saturated in echo. "Labyrinth" breaks into tribal percussion, while "Quadrant 10" is clean, delay-drenched techno with noise splatters over saturated thuds.
"Retina Burn" rolls on fierce 909 cycles and rave stabs, stutters, strips back to a bare echoing kick and builds itself up again. Ostgut Ton calls "Beton Brut" the darkest and most unrelenting track on the record: percussion stamping through a vast hall reverb. If groove is more your thing, "Ha Jam" delivers danceable, funky techno with a vocal laugh bouncing off clanging metal blocks.
"Generation Slip" closes things out, ominous and churning, with electrical sparks rattling through steel. The digital bonus "Presently My Soul Grew Stronger" drops the kick for warm pads and metallic percussion. If the harder side appeals to you, check out our industrial techno releases from September 2026.
Release details
| Artist | Planetary Assault Systems (Luke Slater) |
|---|---|
| Title | Planetary People |
| Label | Ostgut Ton |
| Catalogue number | OSTGUTLP39 |
| Release date | May 15, 2026 |
| Tracks | 12 plus 1 digital bonus track |
| Lead single | Retina Burn |
| Production | Space Station Ø, UK |
| Mastering | Stefan Betke, Scape Mastering Berlin |
| Artwork | Oil painting by Viron Erol Vert, layout by Yusuf Etiman |
Label and context
The link to Ostgut Ton goes back to 2009, when Temporary Suspension came out on the label. The Messenger, Arc Angel and Plantae followed. Resident Advisor describes Planetary People as Slater's first Ostgut release since 2019's Plantae; the previous year also saw the remix package Reassembled, featuring Chlär, Len Faki and Oscar Mulero.
You'll find more dark records from this orbit in our round-up Dark Techno August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Who is behind Planetary Assault Systems?
Producer Luke Slater, who has run the project since the mid-nineties and is one of Berghain's longest-serving residents.
When was Planetary People released?
On May 15, 2026 on Ostgut Ton, Berghain's label.
How many tracks are on the album?
Twelve tracks; the digital edition adds "Presently My Soul Grew Stronger".
Source: Berghain / Ostgut Ton, Resident Advisor, Electronic Groove
