Originally out of Indiana — roughly equidistant from the respective house and techno hotbeds of Chicago and Detroit — Troy Pierce has come a long way from his conservative Midwestern beginnings, establishing himself as a highly recognized, world-class DJ and producer, and as a Denver underground favorite. Pierce got his start via a series of well-received singles for Richie Hawtin's renowned Minus label before moving from New York to Berlin in 2003, where he runs the tech-house/minimal imprint Items & Things with partners Magda and Marc Houle. He released the thumping summer jam "Don't Stop, Continue" on the label in July. Pierce's latest, the funky techno bomb "Majikal," dropped earlier this month on Recovery Tech.