Etui Podcast: Recent Episodes
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Coline has been a passionate DJ since 2000. She is a vinyl collector and former resident dj & booker at TBA Club in Dresden (RIP). With Pressure Vibes Festival and club events she focuses on presenting woman and flinta artists in the electronic music scene. For Etui podcast 43 she mixed some of her favorite dub and deep techno records.
Hi Coline! Great to have you on the podcast. How are things going?Hey, thanks a lot for the invitation. As the year is approaching to its end, I take some time to calm down a bit and review the intense experiences of 2022. At the moment I am participating at an online congress, where indigenious people from around the globe exchange about the future of our planet and how to keep earth. Very interesting and inspiring.
You have still been collecting vinyl for more than 20 years. What makes a vinyl record so special for you?It’s the sound, the dynamic, the haptic, the direct connection to the medium. A vinyl record is an instrument, it is art and it is a craft. It’s human history written on vinyl, collected for the next generations. It’s my bridge to space to make my transitions. And I love the covers. They make a record extra special. My brain uses them as a reminder to remember the music on the vinyl when you can’t see the fine print in the dark of a club.
At the moment I am in exchange with a green vinyl manufacturer to check out how the music sounds on PVC-free materials with 60% less energy costs. Let’s see what the future brings.
What’s your all time favorite vinyl record you would like to drop on a festival during sunset?Too many. Laugh. The energy of the moment will lead me to the best vinyl in my case. But it will definitely be heart opening.
Do you remember a very special moment during your long dj-career?There were so many great experiences I am grateful for. And so many crazy party nights and encounters with people from around the world. But one moment was definitely special. When I understood what I really do as a DJ and how we use music, energy, frequencies to develop as humans and free ourselves in various ways.
With Pressure Vibes Festival and club event you are focusing on presenting women and flinta artists in the electronic music scene. What is it all about?Pressure Vibes is a Festival and club event I founded in 2017 at our beloved TBA club with a 3 day festival. A second festival took place one year later and now I continue it as a club event.
The intention is to come together with artists from around the world, to connect, to exchange art and diversity of cultural backgrounds, to learn from each other, grow and bloom. To dance together, to celebrate life, love and to stand for humanity. There are workshops, exhibitions and social engagement to raise consciousness for bringing back the balance to our society with feminine energy.
Inspired by female:pressure, the international network and by Marry Klein, a Festival at Harry Klein Club in Munich where I played some years ago.
Another important issue of Pressure Vibes is to open the gates for the next generation and support young talents and bring them into the club scene.
How female artists can join your Pressure Vibes network?Simply contact me via social media. I always search for ambitious talents and artists. And I am open for out-of-the-box-stuff. Let me know. www.instagram.com/coline_music
What is the idea behind your mix?With this mix I would like to bring together the energy of old and new generations. That’s what we celebrate at the moment in the Techno scene. History and present that create the future. My set is a journey into the timeless dimension of dub techno. A selection of vinyl made by pioneers, my fav dub techno producers and todays hottest record labels. Enjoy the joyride to space!
Any plans for 2023?Yes. Laugh a lot and travel. And to have no plans and go with the flow. I am looking forward to some great events. Especially the next big party of Pressure Vibes at Sektor Evolution in Dresden on June the 10th. Who would love to participate in any way, let’s get in touch. To this I work on more workshop offers and music.
Tracklist
01 Refracted – Universe EP – J.S.Zeiter – Lempuyang
02 Stereoscope (Hausdorf Rmx) – Enno Colaci – Dreiklang
03 Anyway 0.3 – Unison Research – Modernism
04 Counterpoint – Not my best behavior EP– Patch Park – Wolfskuil Rec
05 Early years – D.Diggler – raum…musik
06 Stream Electric (Rmx) – Pascal Feos – PV
07 Sphere – Bastinov – eturia
08 Access Extortion – Tymotika – Stützpunkt
09 Extrasolar – Leni San – Dub EP – Planet Rhythm
10 Quantum state (Rmx) – Nadja Lind – Klimaks Rec
12 Benales – Vault – Ohm Series
12 Drug store – D.Diggler – raum…musik
COLINEwww.soundcloud.com/coline
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www.facebook.com/djcoline
www.instagram.com/coline_music
www.youtube.com/fazeattack
PRESSURE VIBES Festivalwww.tumblr.com/pressurevibes
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More Etui Podcastsinterviews and mixes
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In episode #42 we met with Thomas Carmody, an adherent of well-coordinated compilations and the main astronaut in the black-and-white spclnch system. Let's talk about the aspects of development, plans for the future and approach to business.
Hello, Thomas! Thanks for checking out the podcast. What is the idea of your mix?
Perhaps it depends on my personal preferences and emotions in a certain period. I think there is no specific pattern here. I like to carefully select tracks for my compilations and arrange them in such a way as to ensure the smoothest mixing and transition from mood to mood.
It is important for each of us to be filled with energy before implementing our plans and searching for fresh ideas. What helps you get inspired?
Although music is a significant part of my life, design, travelling, outdoor activities, podcasts and cinema also play an important role. I like to combine the consumption of useful information with leisure activities. I am inspired by concerts and parties of my favourite artists, who often make an indelible impression. In particular, I can single out the recently reunited and not needing introduction Blink 182, Tom DeLonge and his Angels & Airwaves, as well as the stunning vibe of Son Mieux. In electronic genres, I would like to mention Sebastian Mullaert with his extraordinary lives, the cold melancholy of Yagya, the pedantically built sound of Frivolous and the exemplary ambient dub of Fingers In The Noise.
I know you have a pretty successful dub techno label. Its concept is really impressive in its elaboration and stands out noticeably among the rest. Who and what is behind all of this?
People are interested in getting information at different levels, whether it's video, photo, music or text. Spacelunch not only combines these formats but also connects them in a single plot, linking it to something meaningful and at the same time familiar. Good music traditions together with illustrations and fascinating stories – that's what really excites the mind! The label is backed by a team whose members diligently embody joint ideas and constantly assist each other. My task is to work closely with the musicians, select the material and promptly coordinate the activities of the project participants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxhi8hxOMQ&list=PL-avZEKaOJ96Wy07LBNjEJixTJwyDxxDI
What can we expect from you and the label in the future?
Probably, there is no simple recipe for the introduction of new solutions. Behind growth and change, there is often a combination of passion for the craft, dedication and consistency. The promotion and debugging of the project are continuously carried out in all possible ways to release the best music on vinyl and digitally. At the moment, the first illustrated anthology of the Spacelunch is being created. Follow the news!
What do you think is important in life? What message would you like to broadcast for all like-minded people and those who are paving a difficult path in the music industry? In exploration of the communication system and internal processes, what should you pay attention to?
The main thing is to act: work hard and don’t be afraid to make mistakes in search of the right direction. If you feel that what you are doing is beginning to resonate and take clear outlines, then you are on the right track. In fact, a lot of it refers to the already existing knowledge. I think that a great way to find and develop your style is to use references which, as a constructor, build our own universe. Even while studying someone else's approach or copying a third party’s work, something unique might turn out. Love what you do and do what you love!
Tracklist:
01 Pasiphae Group – Laomedeia02 Pablo Bolivar & Sensual Physics – Wellen03 Subset – Falling To Iguazu04 Van Bonn & Upwellings – Bilateral Kite (Mike Schommer Remix)05 Jorge Caiado – Nashas Groove (Steve O’Sullivan Remix)06 Yagya – Krákur07 Masupilami – Memory Collec...
Quadrant Soundscape are Tommy Harrison aka Asphalt Layer and Wilson Logan from Manchester UK. Together, they are the minds behind Dub Explorations, which is a podcast and also a club night. The podcast itself is approaching 100 shows, most 3 hours in length which is an insight into the dedication they have for hunting great ambient, deep and dubby music to showcase and push forward. We sat down with Tommy and had a chat about the podcast and their parties.
How did you meet each other?
I met Wilson in Manchester while he was running his Playground Techno Night, where he booked the likes of Detroit Techno Militia and Radioactiveman. At the time, I was running the very successful Sunday Podcast 'Dusk Dubs', which was an eclectic music mixtape series.
As we began talking we discovered a mutual love for Dub Techno and decided to get together for a mix, which was a success, and Dub Explorations was born, and it has grown ever since.
You also throw regular Dub Explorations parties at Eastern Bloc Records in Manchester. How are these parties going?
The music policy is the faster paced Dub Techno, and it is strictly vinyl, we invite our local friends to showcase their skills, and sometimes we invite friends from further afield like El Choop.
In Manchester, the Dub Techno scene is growing, in a town that only really cares from the more harder commercial techno nights. At our most recent Eastern Bloc Party, the venue was full and also full of great people who thanked us for providing the music they love. It was very heartwarming.
What stands Quadrant Soundscape for?
As Quadrant Soundscape, we not only love Dub Techno, but also Detroit Techno, where the idea for The Detroit Experiments came about. We wanted to be able to show our Detroit side, the techno and electro that we love.
We have also shown our love for soul and house music, particularly the Detroit vibes like Moodymann. We held down a monthly radio show in Manchester on MCR LIVE, where we played Detroit House and more Deeper House sounds. Unfortunately, the station closed due to lack of money, we are hoping to find a new home soon for our house vibes.
As Quadrant Soundscape, we have many ideas on what we would like to do, but we feel things work best when they happen naturally. And one of our main thoughts is 'Quality over Quantity'.
And you also produce music ...
Outside of Quadrant Soundscape, I produce music and play live sets as Asphalt Layer. The music has a Dub Techno ethos, but it ranges into ambient and experimental also. I just returned from Above Below Festival where I performed a live set which was both very enjoyable for myself, and well received by all.
https://youtu.be/QyffyfVO1MI
How does an Asphalt Layer track come to life? What gear do you use for producing?
I find that I get to 80% of a track very quickly. I often have a melody or idea in my mind and I get it down right away. Sometimes it can sit there for a while as I work on something else. I like to have a big bank of ‘mini - jams’ as I call them that I can call on when the mood takes. I think when it comes to my music, I try not to be too rigid in the production.
I like lots of movement on the track, small changes that are hardly noticeable but gives the listener a feel of it coming from a person and not a machine. My set up is pretty simple. I use a Korg Monologue to create thick basslines and little strange synth sounds. And I use a Elektron Digitakt for percussion. I have a few other pieces of hardware such as a Volca Sample and a Volca Bass that I feed through different delays, choruses and reverbs. But I’m actually a big fan of using Ableton’s built in synths to create my sounds. The Analog Synth on there is great!
I also have been playing with the Behringer TD-3 which is a superb synth on a budget, although my 8 year old daughter uses it more than me, the future maybe!
From what do you draw your inspirations?
In April 2022 we released Tim Kossmann’s Lockdown Loops on 12” colored vinyl and digital audio. With this EP he presents three very personal loop based tracks full of noise and melancholy. So we talked with him about how the tracks came together.
He loves to explore the deep side of techno, with the aim of creating deep, lush chords and soundscapes filled with echo and spaced out delays, where deeply banging bass and moving whitenoise are combined with sophisticated harmonics in order to push the boundaries of the genre.
Nice to have you on the podcast. How are things going at the moment? What have you done during the pandemic?
Thank you for having me! I am currently in a very productive phase so there is a lot of output at the moment, which is great. You cannot control the amount of creative energy you get, falling and rising tides are kinda normal especially when it comes to music production.
So I am thankful for each fruitful period. During lockdown, I really struggled with the whole situation, which affected me on many levels like probably all of us. I went from being a business traveler and meeting a lot of people everyday, to zero travel and no real-world meetings. Seeing the whole situation unfold worldwide was truly unsettling. It felt surreal.
Recently we released your Lockdown Loops EP. What was your inspiration for the record?
During lockdown, I felt isolated and uncertain about the future. To transcend these feelings, I spent even more time in the studio, the outcome is - among other tracks - my Lockdown Loops EP, which I am very proud to release on Etui.
https://youtu.be/w6Msw96JzpY
What's your favorite piece of gear - hard or software?
Ableton Live really is the Alpha and the Omega of my setup.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
My inspiration is coming from all over the place. It can be a travel experience, being alone in natural environments like forests, beaches or near lakes or mountains, nice moments shared with friends or family, or even a movie or documentary I watched. Sometimes a difficult situation can also trigger me to just sit down and start playing and recording. I am of course also influenced by all kinds of music I listen to, not necessarily techno, giving me creative ideas when I start putting sounds together in my head before sitting down in the studio.
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno?
The key moment that got me into house and techno was listening for the first time to a radio show called “The Steve Mason Experience” back in the 90ies on BFBS. After hearing it for the first time, I followed that show until its end. It caused me to start going to local techno clubs, and I began using my parents computer to try and create techno on my own. Before, I had been more into hip hop, punk rock, wave and metal. The local techno scene in my hometown Münster was thriving at the time, and I dived into it, spending countless nights in clubs like Fusion, Dockland and of course the legendary Cosmic Club.
Please name 3 artists that inspire you and why?
1 - Fluxion
When I listened for the first time to his Vibrant Forms I and II releases 20 years ago, I was fascinated, because I had never heard something like this before. I instantly knew that I would go and dive as deep as possible into that type of sound, what we nowadays call dub techno. It really changed my perception of what I thought techno was - or even could be - at the time.
https://youtu.be/0Cct2w9XpNU
2 - Moritz von Oswald/Marc Ernestus
What can I say - their work and impact on techno even to this day cannot be described adequately by me in a few sentences. Everyone who really has dived deeply into dub, and techno, of course knows what I mean. Legends.
3 - Chris Liebing
If I had to rank my personal all-time level of ecstasy and almost spiritual experience on a club night by Dj name, Chris would be Nr 1 for me still even after all these years.
Giacomo Pellegrino is an Italian DJ and producer. He also is the founder of Detroit Side, a record label releasing music by artists like Delano Smith, Bassa Clan, Dixia Siron, Franck Roger, Enrico Mantini, Ocu or S.A.M. His own music he released on labels like Grayscale or spclnch, just to name a few from his long back catalouge.
For Etui Winter Camp 6 compilation he delivers some spicy chords in his deep dub techno track “No Sleep”. We chatted with him about his inspirations, his label and ofcourse his studio setup.
Nice to have you on the podcast. How things are going at the moment? What do you do during the pandemic?
The pleasure is all mine, even in a difficult time for the whole world I managed to come up with something good. I had a lot of time to devote to my music.
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno?
I explored many genres of music in the years of disco to funk. At the age of 14 I started DJing, but I have always been attracted by the house and techno sounds. I believe mine was a call to what I do today, something that comes from your heart that you can not control.
Please tell us about your label Detroit Side. What is the idea behind the label?
Detroit Side is the fruit of love for music. Since I was a child I was fascinated by the Detroit Techno scene and therefore I wanted to create something that represented those sounds. I only produce what excites me and only exclusively on vinyl. Apart from a compilation that I am preparing in cd format, with many artists that I love.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuW8wuxZrLs
From what do you draw your inspirations?
From nature and from everyday life. I like to turn my emotions into music.
I can only make music in particular moments that can be sad or happy. No Sleep was recorded on one of those days that you would like to talk about, but I do not find the right words to describe that moment.
You are producing with hardware only. Can you please take us through the production process of a track?
Yes! I like to produce music with drum machines and synth. I have found my perfect setup. Always I start from something I recorded in my walks at rivers and lakes. From there it all evolves. For drums I use my favorite drum for rhythm Jomox Alphabase. It's 100% sound analog. I do the bass with my Roland Sh101 and the chords with Analog Four and Korg Minilogue and then I record on Ableton Live.
What’s your favourite peace of gear?
I love drum machines, I have three: Korg Electribe emx and sx, but my favorite is the Jomox Alpha Base.
Please name 3 artists that inspire you and why?
Delano Smith has always been my inspiration. He represents a part of Detroit.
Deepchord because he represents dub techno and has always been a source of inspiration.
Steve O'Sullivan because you immediately recognize a record of him, he has a trademark sound.
What’s the idea behind your mix?
The mix is a journey, it takes you to unknown places, something that makes you daydream.
What is the idea behind the mix?
I have been very focused on Dub Techno and Ambient in the last few years. I found the sound that gives me incredible emotions, and the mix for Etui is what it represents me today. And so there a lot of releases in the pipeline. Like my track "No Sleep" on upcoming Etui Winter Camp 6 for example.
tracklist:
STL Dub Techno Explorations – (Heavenchord Eternal Reshape) [spclnch]Otzim Lee – Mira [Space Of Variants] [SV-43]Van_Bonn – Convert [Telrae]Paolo Lucchi – Gemini 5am Mix [Cold Tear Records]Dr 1 – Cake Dub 2 [Worx Ltd]Martin Bausch – Nouw [DimbiDeep Music]Pablo Bolivar – Reflect (Francisco Aguado Remix) [Seven Villas]Rico Sante feat. Prince Morella - Jah People [Promo]Freund Der Familie -Blaugrau (Alessandro Crimi Remix)Reto Erni – Micropics [Framed Realities.]Neurotron – Up Mission 2012 [Promo]Roger Gerressen – Carlos [IRENIC 003]
more information:
V.A.
Nice to have you back on the podcast series. How are things going?
Thank you! All good here, making some music again after a break of a few months.I started a new job in the beginning of the year which i wanted to focus on.
Recently we released your Wandering EP. What was your inspiration for the record?
When I make music, I almost never have a plan. I like just playing around for myself, not with the intention of making a track. Then sometimes something nice happens and I can create kind of a flow and finish something. But most of the time i just experiment around. I rarely finish music projects. I like to just enjoy those special moments.
https://youtu.be/Qu3H8HUxOas
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno / electronic music?
I have listened to electronic music (and many other genres) my whole life (thanks to my parents). So there was not a key moment. The first artists and bands I listened to were Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk and Pink Floyd.
Please name 3 artists that inspire you and why?
Jan Jelinek, Andrew Pekler, Deepchord.
They are just absolut masters in what they do. The quality is just insane and it’s always very innovative. I'm getting bored very fast with music that can get copied easily or that sounds like thousands of other artists.Those 3 definitly play in their own league.
Do you have any tips for visiting Switzerland? Hidden spots to eat, go for a walk or just watch the sunset?
I just moved to Baden 2 I just moved to Baden 2 years ago. I recommend everything here. It has a lot of beautiful spots. It’s well known for its thermal spas. A perfect place to come down and relax.
What’s the idea behind your mix?
It’s pretty similar to my production process. I don´t have much of a plan. Usually i just play what I'm in the mood for. But for this one i tried to focus on Dub Techno as this makes kind of sense imo when making a Podcast for Etui :)
What can we expect next from you?
There will be some Releases for sure. For example there will be a track on the next Various Artist EP on Roger Gerressen’s Irenic Label. And I also release an ambient track on upcoming Etui Winter Camp 6 compilation in 2022.
tracklist:
01 Sraunus - ZAK - Not On Label (Self-released)02 Alessandro Crimi - Wandering - Etui Records03 Federsen - Illusion Fusion - spclnch04 Jeremy - Restless Days - Driftwood05 Baaz - Hi Lu - Office Recordings06 Jeremy Semi-Structured Life - Driftwood07 Remote_ - Untitled - Meanwhile08 Francisco Aguado - Bedtime Story - Plus Plus09 Mathimidori - Vibra - Echocord10 Pablo Bolivar - Reflect (Francisco Aguado Remix) - Seven Villas11 Sraunus - Oct - Greyscale12 Madera - The Melt - Melted Recordings13 Sraunus - Slunce Radar - Kunst Musik14 Federsen - SEQ 7 - Waehlscheibe15 BOTN - Tranquility (Altitude Remix) - Greyscale16 Vertical Cat - Eyes Shut - Not On Label (Self-released)17 G.R.I.T - Neon Aura - Entropy Records18 G.R.I.T - Hope (Dub Edit) - Entropy Records19 Round Four - Found a Way - Main Street Records
more information:
Alessandro Crimi - Wandering (ETUILTD017)buy Alessandro Crimi - Wandering on bandcampAlessandro Crimi on spotify
For Etui Podcast #37 we inviteted Monomood again. In March 2021 we are about to re-release Various Artists - Decade Dubs on black vinyl. On the original release from 2016 Monomood contributed his track The Smoker. The work impresses with it’s dubby jazz chords and a beloved saxophone. As his first contribution to our podcast series dates back to 2012, it’s time to do an update about his work.
https://youtu.be/iQSZz8Awb3w
Nice to have you back on the podcast series. How things are going?
You mean besides this FUCKING PANDEMIC? Well, yes everything’s fine. I miss the cultural and culinary aspects of everyday life but I’m glad that my beloved and I are up and well.
What are your strategies during the lockdown?
Actually we went out a lot for hiking at abandoned places to avoid any unnecessary contact and I became deeply immersed into the world of DIY studio gear. I finished my 303, a Stereo Pultec, an SSL clone, some API modules and I am about to finalize my NAVA+ pretty soon.
Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your production process?
I always try to keep my setup as minimal as possible. Therefore a lot of gear passed through my hands during the last years until I found what I consider the best compromise. I’m now working with a mixture of analog and digital synths being combined with VSTs and processing in Ableton. I always try new starting points to discover fresh ideas and I am deeply obsessed with harmonics and melodies.
Recently you got into modular synths. What are your intentions with it?
I always had difficulties with building cool sequencer loops. You know, clicking notes in a piano roll is not that much inspiring. The world of modular gives me this hands on approach to melodies and grooves that I was always missing. Besides that a modular system can act as some kind of hardware DAW with the ability to manually set automation curves and to dive into never heard moving sounds. I like that a lot.
What was your approach to your track “The Smoker”?
Well in most cases I do not know how a track should sound in the end so it’s nearly always try and error. During the production of The Smoker I deviated from the procedure as I had a certain atmosphere in mind. I experimented a lot with samples from 20’s jazz music but never got satisfied with it so I played and recorded the sax notes myself.
If you look at my tracks it’s always about harmonic layers. Sometimes tracks get a little overcrowded but for me The Smoker and it’s successor Part 2 on Winter Camp 5 both have the perfect balance of dubby chords and that special atmosphere that separates them from common dub techno tunes. Some may like it some not. :)
https://youtu.be/JHSaOYGSkrE
From what do you draw your inspirations?
Mostly from fiddling around with gear and from visiting hidden spots in nature far away from civilisation.
Please name 3 artists that inspire you and why?
Fresh Moods / Peter Haubfleisch - the king of chilled harmonics and excellent clean, sharp productions
Noisia - at the forefront of innovative D&B they coined the term “R.I.P. Genre” and I always try to follow this narrative by slightly breaking genre rules. Sadly they will discontinue the Noisia project.
Modeselektor - I love their humorous yet professional approach again with little genre borders. And one of the best life acts in electronic music.
Do you have any tips to visit in Berlin? Hidden spots to eat, go for a walk or just watch the sunset?
Rent a small motor boat (the one with no license requirements) and ship through some of the inner city channels. It’s not that crowded and you get an amazing new view of the city.
https://youtu.be/2DjYu6B3iQc
What’s the idea behind your mix?
When you look at electronic music genres nowadays there is very little progression. Dubtechno from 2021 nearly sounds the same like tracks that are 10 or even 20 years old. This is more or less the same for DJ sets I heard - espe...
Andrea Cichecki is an artist inspired by sound and specialised in the field of electronic music. Based in Germany but with Dutch roots, Andrea has been honing her skills intensely during the last few years in order to flourish her creativity and to perfect her craftsmanship.
We invited Andrea to hold a workshop about mixing and mastering at DAVE Festival in Dresden. But due to the Corona Pandemic the workshop had to be canceled. So we talked online with her about her work as a producer, mixing and mastering engineer, her creative process and living in the countryside.
It´s not uncommon creative people leave small cities for a metropolitan city. Why did you move from Berlin to the countryside near Dresden some years ago?
Berlin was really attractive to me and I loved the craziness of the city, the people, the vibe and the club scene. I've seen it, lived it and absorbed it all. As a DJ being in Berlin is great but for me it was hard to evolve as a producer, which was actually my biggest wish. After saving up money, I went to study at the Abbey Roads Institute and discovered a whole new world of music and sound.
One day in 2017, I visited Castle Studios near Dresden, to attend a workshop with iconic producer Sylvia Massy who worked with e.g. Prince, Tool and Johnny Cash. There, I also met her engineer Peter Junge, the artist community and the studio owner Arno Jordan. About a year later, Peter and I met again, fell in love and so he moved from London to Berlin and we started living together.
Not long after, we got an opportunity to live in the artist community and work at the studio. So we decided to give it a go, packed our things and have been enjoying the countryside since.
You are working as a mixing and mastering engineer at the Castle Studios. Can you tell us a bit about your work there?
I work as a freelance music producer, mixing & mastering engineer with my own clients. I'm specialised in electronic music and, being an artist myself, work on my own productions but also compose for other artists (such as singer-songwriters), for example, when they need additional electronic sounds, layers or soundscapes in their songs. For that I bring my clients into the studio as well.
Beside that, I work part-time as an assistant engineer doing band recordings where I help setting up sessions, run smaller ones and do all the little things around the recordings too.
This can be swapping mics, getting different instruments and also bringing coffee to the artists. Recording days can be intense and long but I don't mind it at all, because there is so much variety in music, the musicians and the work I do, it never gets boring.
Is there any difference between mixing and mastering an indie band or mixing electronic music?
The main difference is that a band has several members, is recorded live and rarely computer precise. So you have way more things you need to do, like drum editing and vocal treatment, cleaning and comping the project files, before you can even start mixing. It also depends whether you have recorded it yourself or somebody else did that for you.
If you record yourself you can already tweak and do a lot whilst tracking the artist. If not, this can easily lead to a lot of preparation work in order to get the sounds and instruments mix and mastering ready, be it cleaning the session, organising it or re-recording sounds to get a better starting point.
With electronic music everything is usually tight, often programmed. Most of the time you are working with well selected instruments and often composed by a single producer who works it all towards a final sound. That makes it usually a lot easier to work with.
https://youtu.be/AW3T2NlYeYA
Do you have any advice to make a good sounding mix in electronic music?
Before anything, mixing really comes down to doing it a lot and training your ears intensely. Actively listening to many musical genres can help to improve your hearing.
For episode #35 we sat down with Madera from Leipzig to talk about variFocus, the inspirations for his tracks on Melted Recordings and his own strategies in these strange times. He also delivers a 60 minutes ambient mix to help you to calm down.
How are things going in Leipzig at the moment? What do you do during the lockdown?
10 years ago I moved to Leipzig and I stopped producing music shortly after. At the moment there is a kind of silence like never before. But in fact, like everywhere else, people try to keep things going and team up to start crowdfunding or offer streaming sessions. It's important to go public about the bad situation of the culture and music scene.
For me personally, nothing changed that much. I try to keep my mind free and use my time to do something important. I eat healthy, read a lot of books and listen to more music than ever before. And I wear my mask wherever it’s needed. But to be honest I really miss a great night out with old school house music and longdrinks.
How is the techno scene in Leipzig on a normal day?
The scene in Leipzig is very active and diverse. There are many good clubs, musicians and labels. I guess it’s similar to Dresden. But I´m not so much involved anymore.
What I like about Leipzig compared to Berlin is the manageable amount of clubs. After my years of cultural abundance in Berlin I got really hungry here in Leipzig. I'm always looking forward to a musical highlight that take place once in a while.
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno?
There was no key moment for me. It was rather a process with several moments and influences.
When I was a child I listened to my dad’s radio. Later I watched the movie Beat Street. I was blown away by the beats and electronic sounds. So I came to Kraftwerk. And then there was MTV Partyzone with Simone and the Chillout-Zone. It's such a cliche? Well, that’s the truth.
For what stands the name variFocus?
VariFocus was founded in the early 2000s as a open minded and non-commercial music label. It was more of a DIY thing with friends: Electronica, Mini-CDs etc.
Nowadays I use the logo for visual gimmicks only and I’m hosting variFocast podcast series.
The name came from a free plugin for Adobe Photoshop. I didn't use it at all but it had some nice features with sharpness and blur effects. I thought this reflects the idea of the label very well. There was no specific genre. Every artist on the label had it’s freedom to tell a story about her or his feelings. So we try to set a new focus with every release or podcast.
https://youtu.be/aQADaSS4jNg
From what do you draw your inspirations?
Moods, emotions, influences and experiences
Your last tracks under your artist namen Madera have been released on Melted Recordings in 2012. This is a long time ago.
"Reduc_" and "The Melt" have been produced right after moving from Berlin to Leipzig. I lived with 6 other people in a shared appartment. I only had my laptop, my bicycle and my headphones. After living in Berlin for 8 years I exactly wanted to make this kind of music.
Please name 3 artists that inspire Madera and tell us why?
Ángela Burón
Great photo artist, who through her play with her own femininity, sexuality and surreality wonderfully disturbs, challenges and amuses me at the same time.
Jim Carrey
through his incredible skills and his work on stage and in front of the camera
Uwe Schmidt
I just love the creativity in his music
But I also would name 3 other artists tomorrow. There are so many out there.
Do you have any tips to visit in Leipzig? Hidden spots to eat, listen to great music or just watch the sunset?
La Mia
Best pizza in town!
Gießer 16
cool culture centre with amazing music!
All the lakes in the south of Leipzig
best places for sunset
And try to catch a paddle boat and go to the rivers and canels.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNWT6MbK254
DJ and producer Ohm is one of the leading figures in the Icelandic contemporary techno scene. Widely associated with iconic labels such as Thule Records, Force Inc, Rawax, Luck of access, Taped artifact, Nilla and Kontakt.
Ohm stays true to his roots by consistently innovating his interpretation of techno music, integrating soul and innovation with the scene.
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno?
I was around 14 years old when i started listening to the Detroit Dj´s and getting to know the dub techno scene that was building up around the world.
The Uk techno scene was also a big influence on me back then. That stuff blew my mind and I was hooked for life.
Recently you released music in collaboration with Octal Industries on Vade Mecum and with Kvadrant on Kontakt Records. What are the ideas behind these collaborations and how the tracks came together?
Me and Octal industries have been working together for many years now. We have released over 10 Ep´s together. He lives in Tallinn Estonia and i'm living in Copenhagen. Most of our tracks are made over the internet, constantly working on loops and sending ideas back and forth. For the Vade mecum Ep we actually made one of the tracks in my studio in Copenhagen together last year. But the other tracks on that EP are mixed work over the years as we have been in contact with the label for over a year already. With the newest track done here, we finally had a record that we were very happy about and ready to release it. It was actually a long process that one :)
https://youtu.be/mZ0RkVOSk4U
I have known Johnny aka Kvadrant for over 5 years now. We became friends after he invited me to play in his radio show called Tweak fm here in Copenhagen. He started the label Kontakt with our first record together called Elevation Ep. Later we did an Ep for AE recordings, an Icelandic sublabel originated from Thule records.
Our third Ep came out on Kontakt again with a great Remix from a Dutch producer we both like called Ben Buitendijk. After that one we had the idea of pressing 2 tracks from our first Ep that sold out very quickly. We remastered them and asked some of our favorite producers to make remixes. We are very happy, seeing the 2 tracks have a new life and getting awesome remixes from Steve o`sullivan and Mike Schommer.
https://youtu.be/6QuMWSqKQOk
Can you take us through your production process and tell us about your studio setup?
My studio setup is pretty humble and use ableton and Vst´s mostly, push for live tweaking and my trusty Virus Synth that I use for almost all of my tracks.
I have a machine for drum sounds as they are awesome and i also have a TB 3 for some acid and bass lines if i think it fits the track and mood. Small Genelec speakers with a sub as well and all are set up in a room in my apartment.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
All music inspires me.
I listen to very different music throughout the day and just hear a track or a feeling I get when I listen to it. That inspires me to sit down and start a loop, that hopefully becomes a good idea :) it's an ongoing battle that I love.
Please name 3 artist that inspires you and why?
There are too many great artists out there to only name 3. I would like to name 3 genres instead.
Techno and Dub techno.
Deep different sounding house music, it has to have a twist or just sound beautiful and soulful.
Idm music has always inspired me to never stop fiddling and editing my tracks until i'm happy.
You were born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland and later you moved to Copenhagen. Do you have any tips to visit in both cities? Hidden spots to eat, listen to great music or just watch the sunset?
I have been living in Copenhagen for close to 20 years now, so my tips for Copenhagen would be to explore the beautiful architecture, visit and eat at the restaurants as there are so many good ones.
Nikos Tryfonopoulos, also known as 3voice, is a Greek dj and producer currently based in Athens. His music ranges from dub techno riddims to deep dubstep tunes and is also influenced by Ambient and experimental sounds.
He has a degree on Audio Engineering and Music Production from the SAE Institute of Athens. Together with Cynic_al aka HMISU he runs the Craton net label and is an active member of Urban Danja Crew and Deep Beats. During the currently lockdown due the Coronavirus situation we sat down to have a chat.
Hey Nikos, how is it going in Athens at the moment? What do you do during the lockdown?
At the moment Athens is like in a movie, as in many European cities based on the information we have. Empty roads are a bit creepy for everyone I think. However, I believe that people who like arts such as music, painting, graphic design, etc., they pass their time at home in a more creative way. Concerning my isolation the same holds for me too. I spend my time creatively. Nevertheless, in any circumstances, mandatory isolation certainly is not a good thing.
How is the techno scene in Athens on a normal day?
The truth is that the Techno scene in Athens has been booming in recent years, but in some specific genres and harder techno styles, dub-techno is not that much in taste of the party organizing teams.
A few years ago, about 5-6 I think, we started with a good friend and partner (Insom aka Wosui) a series of events and podcasts dealing with the "deep-dub" part of electronic music from deep / dub techno to deep dubstep, drum n bass and more. we called it "Deep Beats" even though it has not been active for the last 2-3 years, maybe it can start again.
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno?
When I listened to Prodigy for the first time, this was the key moment to get into the rhythm of electronic music, and secondly when I listened music from the Detroit Techno scene.
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Together with Cynic_al you produced the track “Lost Path” for our Etui Winter Camp 5 compilation. What is the idea behind the track? Can you take us through the production process?
The whole idea started a few years ago. During that time Panagiotis (Cynic_al) was dealing with modular systems, and we decided to start some projects together.
At the moment Panagiotis lives in the Netherlands, so he sends me the key sounds from the modular synths and I build and work on them. "Lost path" was produced in that way, and when I finished the track, I wanted to play it live, and that's what I did.
Your describe your music as “dub techno riddims to deep dubstep tunes”. Tell us about your studio setup and your DIY stuff.
The description is about the influences on my productions not only from the techno scene, I often write and release songs at 140bpm and above, hybrid music, no limitation, as long as it sounds deep.
My equipment is cheap and old I would say, I would like to refresh it. I have a Diy echo unit made by Sunjaman, a friend from the reggae / dub scene in Athens, an old diy springverb and a siren made by Cynic_al and an old Alesis QuadraVerbGT. I also work a lot with midi controllers in a decade old DAW of course, and sometimes I even use little korg synths.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
From reality, nature, good and bad things, the people around me, from other artists famous or not, it's many things.
Please name 3 artist that inspires you and why?
"Aphex Twin" because "Ambient Works 85-92" is one of my favorite albums which I've listen more and more in my life and "On" is my favorite song in general.
"Rhythm & Sound" definitely for mixing techniques, I still have that sound in my mind,
With his track “Oceanium” San Francisco based sound artist Federsen is giving his debut on Etui Records. His music can also be found on labels such as Telrae, Tiefenrausch, Waehlscheibe or his own vinyl imprint Fifth Interval Recordings. Time for us to have a chat about his analog synthesizers and tape machines.
Do you remember the key moment that got you into house and techno?
I was a teenager in 1989 as acid house and detroit techno hit the shores of the UK which is where I am from. It was a massive cultural musical movement and being right at the centre of it was hugely inspiring. A good friend of mine who was a DJ at the time and very connected to the scene gave me a tape to listen to. It was a demo tape by someone called Derrick May and it took me to another dimension! That combined with the same friend having a great studio with synths and drum machines was my introduction into electronic music.
What is the idea behind you track “Oceanium”? Can you take us through the production process?
I originally wrote this for my live performance with Fluxion in Public Works in San Francisco last year. I wanted to be able to play out a few new tracks live so wrote it for the live performance. I brought it back to the studio and decided to tighten it up for a release. It is based around a simple evolving chord structure and the name reflects the changes in the ebbing and flowing of the chord like an ocean swell as it shifts sonically over time.
I have a a lot of synths and other drum machines that are synced to a super tight midi clock ‘Acme SND’ the heart of my studio. Everything is written and performed with multiple machines working at the same time. I love to use LFO’s on various sounds to allow them to evolve and grow in random directions. Then everything is fed through my SSL desk and into a couple of outboard compressors and I record live dubbing with tape delay, phasing and other FX. I only use the computer at the very end to tighten the arrangement and apply LFO’s and some subtle EQ, FX and compression. I have always found it difficult to sit in front of a computer and write music.
I love being able to walk around my studio as all the machines are running and manipulate and nudge and push each one with live mixing FX on the desk.
Your describe your music as “deep hazy dub influenced techno with vintage tape delays and analog synthesizers”. Tell us about your studio setup.
My studio evolves subtly each year however the centre of the studio is the ACME SND and SSL X desk. The SSL lets me track and sum in and out of my Universal Audio Apollo DA/AD convertors and then into Ableton to record every single machine that is running.
The majority of my music is a combination of samples I make myself from various sound sources. I also spend time with subtractive synth programming and sequencing drum machines and running a lot of Elektron gear all running at the same time but running at slightly different timings to humanize the rhythm. I recently got hold of an old Prophet 5 which has become the main chord synth, It is a truly amazing synth with deep powerful resonance and cutoff frequency for chords. FX are crucial to the process as everything is fed through a chain of FX from old Roland and Korg tape delays to phasers, delay pedals and reverbs etc. I recently got some unique delays from OTO and Polymoon.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
I draw inspiration from living here in the Bay Area, from its beauty and nature to living near the pacific ocean. The drives walks and hikes here are incredible. And then there is the rich diverse culture of SF itself with music art and food.
Musically speaking I'm inspired by an extremely wide range of musical genres. I do occasionally listen to what is happening in electronic music but really spend much more time appreciating other forms of music from classical to jazz and beyond. Wider listening is a form of musical osmosis for me.
Moritz Schlieb is not only a beloved dj in Dresden's house and techno scene but also a keen photographer, a traveler and of course a dancer.
Last time we met each other was at this year’s Nachtdigital festival. We sat down on the lake and listened to the opening set on Saturday afternoon. During our conversation the idea evolved to make a podcast with Moritz, showing his great music selection and mixing skills … and talking about his passions.
What was the key moment that got you into house and techno?
Of course there has been several moments that brought me to electronic clubmusic but one special moment was when a friend of mine gave me a CD I should listen to. It was in the year 2000. Only two words has been written on this CD: DJ Rush. I didn’t know what it is or what to expect and so I turned it on. BOOOM! That was the moment. From this day on I visited Strasse E, Kilowatt, Spinnerei and Triebwerk. So, as you already said, everything starts on the dancefloor and I’m a dancer.
What makes a perfect dj-set for your?
Oh, it really depends on the situation the DJ-set is played for. Regarding to a club night, a set must be focused to the never-ending groove, and drive. This is the most important for me. Another important point for me is the flow. It is a good DJ-set when you’re not able to recognize every single song. The whole DJ-set must be only one song at all. That’s the complete opposite of what happens very often nowadays – dropping hit after hit.. The set you’re going to create must be the hit, not the single song.
Sadly, Nachtdigital Festival was held for the last time this year. Do you have any key performance in mind that you remember during the last 22 years?
Yeah, there are three to five performances I still remember very well:
1: Steffen Bennemann mainstage closing on Saturday 2010
2: Noze in the tent, must be 2010 or ‘11
3: Steffen Bennemann and Polo this years main stage opening because it was exactly what I described one question before – marvelous!
4: Dixon in the tent 2011
5: Move D, Theo Parrish, Prosumer and Atom TM were also so mindblowing.
You are also a passionated traveler and photographer. What does make a perfect photo shot for you? From what do you draw your inspiration?
Puuuh, that’s a difficult question. I am not a real photographer who creates art with his cam. I capture emotions, moments and happenings. Sometimes perfect moments happens within less than one second. If you can manage to capture this tiny little second and on top of that the focus is sharp and precise and sits in the right corner, yes than you can say it’s a perfect picture. With this picture you can keep that moment alive. All the professionals out there who’re doing real art have lots of perfect pictures.
You can have a look to some of my photo shots in my website: https://www.moritzschlieb.de/
What is your favourite place you have been to?
Well, in Tibet it was especially Samye which is the oldest and first buddhist monastery in Tibet. We were lucky enough to join a typical buddhist ceremony of monks. The whole country is - as we know - very spiritual but in Samye spirituality was on another level.
Then of course the sundown at the Tibetan Mt. Everest Base Camp.
And not to forget the famous Galapagos Islands, because you can almost feel how fragile our planet and nature is. Galapagos is a good example of how people and animals live in coexistence and respect each other.
What music you are listening to while traveling?
Mostly local music. The local music is part of the culture of the countries I visit. In southeast asia all the many minorities have their own music, rituals and dance moves. The hypnotic sounds of buddhist ceremonies in Tibet are immense and spectacular! The Dungchen - tibetan horn - is sooooo powerfull!
During long bus or train rides I listen to my own music collection - mostly not electronic music.
If you would go fishing to the wide and deep lake next to mount dub, you can expect to find Van Bonn sitting there – right in the moment to catch huge delays and frequency modulations to create the next dubby excursion, which he is known for.
Recently he did a remix for Insect O.'s "Forest Of The Monkeys". It has been released alongside edits of the label head's "Atacama" full length by El Choop, Idealist and Patrick Zigon.
We had a chat about his inspirations for his remix, his studio stetup and some of his favourite places in his new home Denmark.
What was the key moment that hooked you up making musix?
I am not sure if there is a single moment that hooked me up with music. Sure, there are several early childhood memories that are connected to music. The music during these events also reflects several adjectives that I still find in the music I create and enjoy today: deepness, abstract sound design, electro acoustic instruments, dominant rhythms and heavy (ab)use of fx, silence and the like.
You played drums in the metal/hardcore band Muad’dib and createdambience and fx in the instrumental rock outfit Long Distance Calling. What got you finally into electronic music?
As mentioned above is electronic music present in my life ever since. But as my musical taste covers a lot of genre I also have had other musical influences in the more ‘handcrafted’ music such as death metal or epic guitar music interpreted by bands like Neurosis, ISIS along a lot others. So music is a steady companion in my live. The record that pulled me to dub techno is Fluxion’s Vibrant Forms II. I got to know his music by chance but I was entirely hooked from the first second.
https://soundcloud.com/vanbonn
After releasing music on labels like Traum Schallplatten or Telrae you started your own imprint Van Bonn Records. What is the idea behind it?
Simply put, the idea was to create a frame (the label) that releases myown vision of sound.
For Insect O.’s “Atacama Remixes” you did a remix of “Forest Of TheMonkeys”. What was the inspiration for your remix?
Usually the direction and inspiration for remixes happen while remixing. It is certain aspects that happen through manipulation of the original sounds or the combination of the sounds I add.
In this case the tune has a contrast between the quiet steady groove and the deep chord/pads. Just after the first session to listen to the original sounds, I played a round of Fifa. Accidently, I kicked a cup of coffee that was standing on the floor. After cleaning the floor the sole of my shoes made a sort of smacking sound that had a certain crispy character right away. I recorded it and put it on top of the groove. It is the sound that sounds a bit like a clock.
From what do you draw your inspiration in generell?
Life. I do not believe in theories about writer’s block or exercises tobe creative just after. It is a continuous approach and way of exercising. I believe that a life full of various interests and events result into the ability to be inspired quiet continuously. Every experience adds up to it and will enable one to be inspired.
Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow?
I produce entirely in the box. Live is the DAW that I use in connectionwith Push and some other midi controller. I love my Adam monitors but also enjoy producing and mixing with headphones. I often find that plug ins are not considered as much as equipment as hardware when thinking of other interviews. Which I think is missing the target. That being said plug ins I use besides the ones in Live are from Arturia, UAD, UH-E, Valhalla, D16 and Fabfilter, just to name a few.
Recently you moved to Denmark. Do you have any tips to visit?
Denmark is a beautiful country and I am happy to live there as I always felt attracted by the north. There are actually quiet some places that I recommend visiting. The island Als or the area Thy for example.
For many years Steven Cock is known as DJ and producer in the house and techno scene around Dresden. Recently he started producing under his new moniker Linearis. Time to have a chat with him about his music and favourite places in Dresden to grab a beer and enjoy the sunset.
Since nearly 20 years you are into electronic music. What was the key moment that hooked you up?
At the age of 15, I was at my first real techno underground party. I did not dance. I watched the DJ and watched the people reacting to the music. Total key moment! I wanted to do that too!
https://soundcloud.com/made-of-concrete/sets/linearis-confused-ep-mocd004
Recently you started your new project Linearis. How do es it differs from you main alias?
It is mostly not fixed on me as a person. That's why it's a pseudonym and not a real name. I just had the feeling to separate the music styles to maybe reach other people.
Many do not know that Steven Cock is also Linearis.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
Mainly everything from life. family, travel, After good partys and concerts I go to the Studio.
You're in flow and new music and influences inspire me.
Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow?
I use different synthesizers, Doepfer Drehbank, Nocturn Controller, MFB Synth2 and drum machines in collaboration with good VST plugins. I love my synthesizer and modular VST bundle with all the devices of the last 30 Years but having all the devices in the original is too expensive. I spend most of my money on vinyl ;)
I like to experiment with sounds from nature or industry or sounds from life and use a field recorder. When you work this with effects great things come out.
At the moment I am waiting for the delivery of a Behringer CRAVE
What would you recommend to visit in Dresden? Do you have any hidden gem for listening to great music or eating the best food in town?
Dresden is located in a valley, take a bottle of wine or a few beers then you drive up the mountains and look at the city at Night. GREAT!
I like to eat in the Neustadt district. Small shops and you can also eat a good burger on the street.
There are also many Locations for different types of good Music. Inform yourself when you are in town on www.rauze.de.
What can we expect next from you?
A new EP is ready and will be released by the guys of “made of CONCRETE”
They support me from the beginning with the still young project.
I would like to continue to perform with the Linearis project in clubs.
What is the idea behind the mix?
Primarily Linearis Sound. Deep, linear, atmospheric techno. Not too hard this time and just played by feeling.
Get it on iTunes.
Tracklist
- Sounds & Sequences – Undercover = intro2. Gradient – Landscape3. Steve O´Sullivan & Mike Schommer – Submerged4. Anton Kubikov – Cloud5. Isolée – Ginster6. Rowlanz – Jogger7. Spike Galarraga – Minus Celsius8. minimood extra 0109. Michael James – Apologies for the Delay10. G-Man – Labyrynth11. Insect O. - Atacama (El Choop Remix)12. Redscale – EV313. Stefan Weise – Spiral Arm Calling14. PERST 00215. Skyland Mountain – Uy Scuti16. Van Bonn – Modulated Perception17. Orbit & Belogurov – Encore un Soire18. Food for Thought – Triped19. Sounds & Sequences – Undercover = outro
More information:
Linearis on facebookSteven Cock on facebookLinearis on soundcloud
In July 2019 Dresden based Anachronism released his first track "Minor" alongside works by El Choop, Olan! and Rebar on made of CONCRETE. After his amazing dj-set at objekt klein a we sat down with him to have a chat about bass, breaks and the best food in town.
How did you come in contact with house and techno?
I’ve been interested in music since my early days. When I moved to Dresden in 2013, I lived in a flat together with two friends of mine who already had collected records and that’s how I got into close contact with house and techno music. There I also started dj-ing and later producing.
In July 2019 you released your first track “Minor” on made of CONCRETE. Congratulations for that! How do you feel about your first ever official release?
Thanks a lot!I am pretty happy about that release and thankful for the opportunity the made of CONCRETE guys have given to me. I feel in really good musical company on this compilation. Furthermore, the remix Rebar did of my track is pretty well done and interesting because they really made a totally different one out of it using a sound element, which in the original is just a background noise.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbNHadaQxNLvfhZIJyoL6TPdo54OVXboo
What is the story behind the track?
Actually, the track was produced in early 2018. I was quite happy with it but hesitated sending it to a label. After working on it a little bit more, I ran into the made of CONCRETE guys at the DAVE label market last October. There they told me about the batch plant series and asked for a contribution. I sent “Minor” and then it was finally released in July 2019.
Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow?
I use Ableton and some hardware, e.g. the Waldorf Rocket synthesizer launched by a midi keyboard from Alesis, as well as the Yamaha DX21. For drums I use the Roland TR8.
I normally try to work in the evening or at night because I need the silence outside to not get distracted and somehow I feel more relaxed when days come to an end.
Usually, I start with the drum patterns in order to create the basic style of a track. Afterwards, everything is possible. Sometimes, I have a certain idea in mind and sometimes it’s just the try and error principle that leads me to a certain point from where I then finish the track by composing a bass line etc.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
I guess, it’s similar to many musicians: I listen to a lot of music, at home and during parties and look closely on what the artist is doing. That’s how I learned dj-ing and producing from a lot of locals. Of course, there are certain people whose music mainly inspires me. I regularly buy their records and/or listen to the musical output.
Personally, I tend to think a lot about things of the daily life that often are not important; but stress me anyway. Fortunately, I can transform this stressy feelings into relaxation by making music which leads to high productivity in the end.
Recently you played a great bass heavy dj-set full of break beats at objekt klein a. That sounded very oldschoolish but also refreshing at the same time. What is a typically Anachronism dj-set?
I’m glad you liked it.As you could hear, I’m really into breaky music and that’s the sound I play the most. Depending on the slot and the party, I always try to play records that create a fitting vibe for certain situations. Sometimes, this also means playing much slower than I did at objekt klein a recently. I try to give my sets sense by carefully selecting the records and their order but also have some in my bag that I spontaneously can play if the party goes in another direction than expected.
What would you recommend to visit in Dresden? Do you have any hidden gem for listening to great music or eating the best food in town?
Of course, Fat Fenders recordstore is always worth a visit in order to listen to some good records.
Etui Podcast 27 is the first dj mix by the label founder he contributes to the podcast series. Last year Insect O. released his album Atacama. We talked with him about the production process and new projects.
You worked on your album Atacama for four years. You call it music for travelling, ranging from ambient to dub to techno. What's the idea?
I guess the mp3 player is the travelers best friend. You always connect music with moments. When I was visiting the Atacama Desert in 2014 the idea came in my mind to work on an album. Back in my studio I started recording a few sketches. The first idea was to make a dub techno album. But after a while it turned out the sketches sounded very similar. I felt that there was more that I want to discover soundwise. So the production itself was kind of a journey.
Do you remember a special moment?
On a sunday I was just messing around with the Elektron Analog Rytm. I came up with this polyrhythmic stab sound and the sharp hihats. It sounds like after a techno night in the dark club. The bassdrum is gone but you still have the stroboscope in your mind. I called it "Afterrave". It was kind of surreal. This sunday was in the middle of the summer, 30 degrees outside and the sun was burning. But somehow it was perfect.
Can you take us a bit deeper through the production process of the album?
Most of the tracks I recorded at my old studio at KOE25. Often I just watched sunset from the 5th floor. The first track I recorded was “Ghosts In Space”. It was just a live jam. Sadly I recorded only the main out of the Elektron Octatrack. So I had to recreate the arrangement based on the live jam.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfS39-wyhWk
Around 2016 I started building my modular rack. The possibilities got me really inspired. I was totally into the Braids module by Mutable Instruments. Its WTX4 wavetable chord mode is maybe is one of the biggest sound influences on the album.
Working with the right gear can also be very inspiring. For the main melody in “Resonance” I used a hi hat sample through a filter with high resonance, played chromatically.
In “New Dawn” you hear the birds singing outside your studio window. So you also used field recordings?
Of Course! I recorded the birds when I was working on a movie for Dresden short film festival Dogs, Bones & Catering. For “Wanderlust” and “Forest of the Monkeys” I used recordings I made with my video camera on my trips.
Beside your music do you have another passion?
I always take my video camera on my trips to shot video clips. From the very first beginning of the album production I had the idea of making a video collection for it too. I want to take the listeners to a journey with me.
https://youtu.be/qP1ftnrZIQQ?list=PLQ78-x6zYAY-7dPNeH66CnhlXF_l_yCrT
The photos of the artwork you made at the Atacama Desert. Where did you took the picture of the gatefold cover inside?
This photo is probably one of my all time favourite. It’s shot in El Alto. You have this amazing view over La Paz. The dark place you can see on the photo is the cemetery of La Paz. In the distance you can see mountain Illimani (6.439 m).
What can we expect next from you?
Currently I'm working on a remix for Martin Bausch’s album “Tomorrow's Yesterday”. We also have my “Bird Over Hong Kong” with Marko Fürstenberg remix on repress. It should be out in May. I also asked some of my favourite producers for a remix of Atacama. This still needs a bit of work. I can't wait to share more on this with you.
I´m looking forward to play my next live set at Sektor Evolution in Dresden on May 11th 2019. Also synth legend Legowelt is on the bill alongside Jacob Korn live, Isa Wolff, Pwndtiac and many more great artists.
What is the idea behind your mix?
My mix is hugely inspired by the new Mike Shommer record “City Sleeps” on Primary [Colours]. I like this lush vibe of the music and so I wanted to sound the mix.
Markus Masuhr is home to the deep and raw side of techno. Beside his own music, the Leipzig based modular artist is head of the 2 labels “Pragmat” and netlabel “Insectorama”. For DAVE pres. 20 Years Etui Records at Club Paula he played an 1 hour Ambient Dub live set with his modular only setup. So we sat down for a chat to talk about LE techno scene and modular synthesizers.
How did you come in contact with house and techno?
My first contact was in 1992. A good friend of mine brought me a mixtape by resident dj of club Basis DJ Jens. I was totally blown away. It was 27 years ago. How time flies.
How would you describe your music?
Raw and dub analog techno with pure deepness and hypnotic tribe.
You are working mostly with modular synthesizers. Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow?
I´m using two 2 x 104hp cases of modular stuff. One case is filled with drum modules and the other is based on oscillators and effects. The Korg Volca Bass I´m using for its amazing raw dub chords. For additional effects I´m using Eventide Space and Timefactor. I run all channels into my Focusrite Saffire soundcard. Everything is recorded and mixed in Ableton Live. On the master channel Waves Kramer Tape is doing it´s beauty.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2F4CcOZAKA
Leipzig’s Distillery club hosts your modular live sets several times a year. Sometimes you play up to 3 hours live. How do you prepare these live sessions? Or it is mostly improvisation?
For the beginning I have some basic stuff already patched. But most of the patching and performing I do live on the fly. For me this is what live performing is all about. It's really surprising and amazing what sounds you can come up with.
What is your favourite module / gear?
The x0x heart modul a clone from the 303 and the modcan fmvdo in combination with the batumi lfo and the eventide space.
Was it different to play an Ambient Dub live set at 20 Years Etui Records?
Normally I play a tempo between 120 and 127 bpm. The ambient set was at 40 bpm. It gave a totally different charakter to the sounds. For me it was kind of a hypnotic slow motion sound. I used tons of delay and reverb and the sounds started floating timeless.
Can you tell us a bit about the techno scene in Leipzig?
Leipzig has a big techno scene with many good clubs. A lot of famous artists playing in Leipzig every weekend. Also a lot of new crews with young people enhancing the scene.
What is your favourite place to eat in Leipzig?
One of my favourite restaurants is called Orange. It’s just around the corner on the “Karli”. Since more than 10 years I'm going there and the food and taste is amazing! And I know what I’m talking about. In my day job I’m a cook so I’m always very critical about food.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
Most inspirations I draw from my mood. I don't try to get inspired by other people's music anymore because it's to easy to just try to copy the sounds.
What can we expect next from you?
At the moment I’m working on a EP for Etui Records and on my new album for my label Pragmat.
Get it on iTunes.
More Information
https://www.facebook.com/markus.masuhr/https://soundcloud.com/markus-masuhrhttp://www.dave-festival.de
Photo credit cover artwork:Reinhard Spunkner / DAVE Festival
In the physical world, “Rebar” is an object, often used to reinforce concrete. In the world of music, though, Rebar is the joint venture of Andreas Pionty & fumée grise, the label-heads of “made of CONCRETE”. Their techno track “Morining Routine” on our Etui Winter Camp 4 compilation proves the best thing you can do in a cold winter night is to dance your shoes of in the strobe light of a techno club. How did you come in contact with house and techno and met each other? Originally, we both come from small villages in the east of Germany but nowadays we live in Berlin (fumée grise) and Dresden (Andreas Pionty). We met each other around 2010 at a gig we were both booked for in Dresden (Germany). We had to play a spontaneous “back 2 back“ set even though we didn’t know eachother. One of the turntables was broken so one of us played with CDJ and the other one with Vinyl. It was working quite well even though Jens (fumée grise) was playing mainly house at that point, while Andreas was spinning techno. After that exprience we stayed in touch and now we also share a moniker.
fumée grise: I’ve been listening to electronic music from my youth years, although surely it was more commercial at that time. Friends took me deeper into the scene and around the time I turned 18 and got my first car, I finally the chance to visit clubs and subsequently fell in love with the harder side of Techno.
Andreas Pionty: For me everything started with my bigger brother, he would always go to the Love Parade and to the early parties in my home area. We would always listen to his tapes and minidiscs. From that point on, I was sure that I also have to be involved in this ;) Shortly after, I was already getting the chance to train using on my own equipment. How would you describe your music? That’s a good question. Maybe we could describe it as „Story-driven dance music“ or „everyday-bullshit translated into music"?
We work on music in general with a conceptual idea behind often inspired by samples we recorded in our daily lives, at gigs or at holidays. For us this is the central theme in or work and not a specific genre. If you listen for example to our Rebar #1 (Lost In Tokyo) release you find 3 different tracks on one release but connected via one theme. From what do you draw your inspirations? We would say everything around us is an inspiration as all the things in your surrounding have an effect on you, wether consciously or unconsciously. We definitely have different passions, but the biggest one we would say is the music and the cities we live in and their architecture. This is rather easy to see if you keep an eye on our label „made of CONCRETE“. Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow? Our studio is everywhere and nowhere. We don't have a real studio, we would call it a „made of CONCRETE“ studio lab. :)
As we both live in different cities and we’re also good friends with our label act Alek S (who also lives in different town), we try to meet all together in Berlin, Dresden or in Cottbus (Alek S’ hometown) for a studio weekend. We lock the door for 2-3 days and all we do is make music, listen to music, talk bullshit and go out for dinner. To us, this always feels like a class trip and it's the best option to see each other, have fun and also produce some nice tracks at the end.
The studio setup we use for these sessions is a basic one. In general we work with Ableton, a microKORG synthesizer, NI Maschine and of course a Field-Recorder Your “Morning Routine” has been on this years Etui Winter Camp compilation. Can you tell as about how you recorded and produced the track? For this track we had already a clear vision before we even started with the production. In the beginning we searched for some tracks we like to get inspired and to find the general flow of our track. And as we always work with field recordings in our tracks we checked our database to see which sound could fit to this concept.
Infinitedub is the mysterious producer from Malta. Inspired by abstract art, tape machines and natural surroundings. He joined our Etui Camp with his track “Pulse Storm” on our latest Etui Winter Camp compilation. On June 30th 2018 he presents the first Etui showcase in Malta. So it's a good time to have a chat with him about his synthesizers and the techno scene in Malta. How did you come in contact with house and techno? I started following electronic music passionately when I was around 16 years old, along with collecting records since then. My passion for dub influenced techno and house followed a few years later after discovering Rhythm & Sound, Basic Channel, Bluetrain, Echospace and the likes. How would you describe your music? Club oriented dub techno. From what do you draw your inspirations? I am obsessed with discovering new records and processing sounds into different mediums. Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow? I have recently moved into my new studio and getting used to the new setup with the UAD Apollo as the main audio interface. I run the Oberheim OB-8 and Prophet 6 into preamps and some effects like the Eventide Space & Roland RE-301. Drum machines, samples and synths are recorded and arranged on Ableton. Sometimes taken out and processed on outboard gear or UAD plugins. The Ob-8 and Prophet 6 are famous for its characteristic sounds. What makes this sound for you? They are timeless with a huge sound. I can play a chord, process it with some effects and almost instantly - it sounds fantastic. The OB-8 is old and has a very simple layout but with a lot of modulation possibilities. Some of the keys don’t work anymore but luckily it has an old midi retrofit (it’s impossible to trust a ‘qualified’ technician to work on the synth on this tiny island - or to ship such a huge beast). The 4/2 pole filters are amazing and it sounds extremely warm, sometimes hard to tame in the mix.
On the other hand the Prophet 6 is very advanced and can do absolutely everything while still sounding lush. I have the desktop version so it’s very handy for performing live. You are using original Roland Chorus Echo RE-301, which somebody says it´s the better space echo. What’s the reason that you are using the old gear instead of plug in emulations? I like to use both in my tracks. It’s nice to tweak/modulate the sound through the real space echo on the spot and when just passing through the preamp & chorus. Also the type/age of tape can also affect the sound in very different ways which is interesting. Sometimes I like to cut my own tape loops for some weird effects. Still, I like to use the plugin for clean, subtle effects - I feel the plugin is very predictable though compared to the actual unit. Your track “Pulse Storm” has been released on latest Etui Winter Camp compilation. Can you tell as about how you recorded and produced the track? It was done before I moved into my new studio so almost completely on my laptop. I ran a chord from the Prophet 6, used a granular sampler and effects from the RE-301. The rest was using Operator on Ableton. The idea for the track was to create a storm of constant chords and keeping it simple on the drums. What about the techno scene in Malta? We have a very strong techno scene here with both popular and obscure international artists brought down every week by different promoters. The venues are limited - due to this it is quite hard to organise certain events since they are usually booked a year in advance. The main club is ‘Liquid Club’, having good sound system & layout. Festivals like ‘Glitch’ are also putting the country on the map, hosting lineups of high standard acts. You also running your own regular parties. What have you planned next? On the 30th of June 2018 I am hosting the first ETUI Label Night in Malta with Insect O., Spork, Trapdoor and myself at Liquid Club. Normally we don’t have much dub techno events but people here are always ...
Alek S is a vinyl lover from Cottbus in Germany. In case you never heard about Cottbus, it´s a small town near to Berlin. A good place to grow up into melancholic melodies and stripped-down dub sounds. It's the sound Alek S released on labels like Stardub, made of CONCRETE and finally on our Etui Winter Camp 4. How did you come in contact with house and techno? First i have to tell you that i’ve hated electronic music in my early years but the reason was simple. I just don't get in touch with the good stuff. :) when that happened, pretty much everything changed. How would you describe your music? My main focus is definitely on dub techno but i also have a weakness for melancholic melodies both combined can probably describe it exactly. Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow? To be honest, almost everything happens in the box in addition I use the microKorg and the volca bass. And i love to sample old records. That’s it! What about the techno scene in Cottbus? Hm tough question there were already better times i would say but there are a few talented girls and boys coming up. From what do you draw your inspirations? Life! How did you met the guys from made of CONCRETE? I know Andreas for a long time now we met as dj’s doing our thing in the outskirts of dresden, berlin and cottbus. Even though I played less gigs afterwards, we stayed in contact so one day he told me that he and his good friend Jens from berlin will start a label. I have doubted but I have sent them my tracks and fortunately they liked, and released them. In February you released “Neverending EP” on made of CONCRETE. What is the story about/behind the record? It´s all about the “Neverending” track. In the beginning it was just a little snippet that I made just for fun. I took a little video from Ableton and everytime I showed it to someone, I´ve got really good feedback. Finally I send it over to Jens of made of CONCRETE. He asked me to make a full track out of it that is ready to release. So I recorded the track in one live session and didn´t edit anything. For me it sounds magically. It´s called “Neverending” because I always think that this will be the last track I release … and then, somehow, there is always a new track that will find the light of the world. I guess making music is a never ending story. You also released “Cream” on latest Etui Winter Camp 4 compilation. It sounds like dancing ice crystals. How did you produced these noises? I met a producer in Dresden and visited him in his studio. We got friends and he showed me how to programm dub techno chords on the Korg Volca Bass. I used this trick to produced the crystals in “Cream”. The guys is Insect O. and I´m happy that the track has now being released on his Etui Records label. What can we expect next from you? I don't even know if I can talk about it but i’m working on an album for made of concrete. What is the idea behind your mix? I did the mix saturday morning, the time when i’m most creative. I translated that into the mix, so to speak. It’s like getting awake and slowly start into the day.
Get it on iTunes.
Tracklist: 1. Andre Kronert - Triton Deadbeat Remix (Berg Audio) 2. Tomas Rubeck - Cadence (Echocord) 3. Roger Gerressen - A (Irenic) 4. Alek S - Daybreak (Stardub) 5. Steve o’Sullivan / Mike Schommer - Submerged (Mosaic) 6. Studio Works - Two (7685REC) 7. Unknown - Dub Chronicles 6B (Dub Chronicles) 8. Unknown - T3A1 (800) 9. Waage - W2 (Thule Records) 10. Alek S - Penny Drop (Made of Concrete) 10. Alek S - Cream (Etui Records) More Information: V.A. - Etui Winter Camp 4 Alek S on facebook Alek S on Soundcloud Alek S on Resident Advisor
Submoon is a passionate listener, collector and DJ of Taranto, in southern Italy. Since 2007 his love of Techno sounds from Dub and Detroit has allowed him to experience and express his passion as a self-taught producer. He also has a big passion for producing ambient and electronica sounds. His heartwarming track “Unknown Places For Thoughts Of Hope” is the 2nd track on Etui Winter Camp 4 compilation. How did you come in contact with house and techno? My first contact in the techno world took place about 13 years ago. I started listening to trance music. During the musical growth, I started listening to artists like Marko Fuerstenberg, Vladislav Delay, Basic Channel, Convextion and all producers who have always used several delays and reverberations along with plumb, chords and pads with solid basslines. How would you describe your music? With my music, I would like to evoke the classic dub techno style by adapting it to our times with something more futuristic. Can you tell us a bit about your studio setup and your workflow? I really like working on Logic pro, through the use of different vst. It is also true that one day, when the work will allow me to do so, I would like to be able to integrate synth and machines of various kinds. I believe that the power of music lies in the creativity and imagination that we possess regardless of what we use to make it. What about the techno scene in Taranto? In my town and surroundings, I had the good fortune to meet very special people, with whom I grew up in my musical path.
In my city, since 2013 there has been a club called "Sound Department", which welcomes artists from all over the world. All this is very stimulating, especially to understand how music evolves day by day.There, he had the opportunity to know and warm up artists such as: Marco Zenker, Fluxion, Moritz Von Oswald, Don Williams, Peter Van Hoesen, Paula Temple, Shxcxchcxsh, Aril Brikha, Domenico Crisci, Stephanie Sykes, Headless Horseman, & More … From what do you draw your inspirations? I like to draw inspiration from every moment of my day, from the people around me, from the life experience I am living. What can we expect next from you? At the moment nothing planned, with so many ideas even beyond the submoon project. What is the idea behind your mix? In this mix I selected very hybrid wax, trying to explore everything that contaminates my sound.
Get it on iTunes. Tracklist : 01. Fluxion - En Route - Echocord 076 02. Hydergine -Japanese Dreams - Phorma012 03. Silent Servant - Violence (Function Mix) - Sandwell District 011 04. Monomood - Fall - Etui Winter Camp 4 05. Substance - Sensualize - Chain Reaction - 18 06. Dennis Bog & Kenneth Christiansen - Pattern Repeat 04 07. Heiko Laux - Shared Wave (Steve Nachmahd Remix II) - Kanzleramt 133 08. Roberto Bosco - Deep Thought Pt.1 - Seventh Sign Recordings 014 09. Modernism - Refined 0.3 - Modernism 04 10. Ohrwet - Blavus (Grad_U Remix) - Greyscale 03 11. Micronism - Constructing Space - Delsin- X8 12. Alpha Delta Division - Outer Rim - Alpha Delta Division 001 13. Parallel 9 - Gnosis - Prime 039
El Choop opens our latest Various Artists - Decade Dubs with his downstripped and minimalistic dub techno track Unknown Landscape. Born in a small town in mid-Wales and now living in Bristol, he is part of a new generation of producers on the dusky edges of the scene: breaking boundaries, firing loops, and, as you might expect, making feet tap and heads spin.
How did you come in contact with house and techno? My first serious tango with house music was at local free parties. After being so inspired by the music I’d heard I wanted to try mixing myself. As luck would have it an old friend was selling a pair of Kam DDX5000 turntables. Shortly after, I came across a box of about 50 acid & chicago house records at a local car boot sale (big up Harry Tuffins Sunday market). From there it was a cocktail of trial, error, youtube tutorials and terror until I had a firm grasp of spinning vinyl. As for techno, my family business goes to Freerotation every year to do the outside catering. I’d clock off work and hit the party to see DJs like Ben UFO, DJ Spider, Blawan, Surgeon, and Steevio. That was my first introduction to proper techno.
Tell us something about the parties in the woods. Using a viral text message as a crude GPS we would hop in a convoy of about 2-3 cars and spin up into a nearby forest with one ear out the window to guide us. Nothing but a marquee, solid sound system and good music all night. Trying to find the party was always half the enjoyment. It’s always exciting to see
‘turn left into the woods and….FOLLOW THE BALLOONS IN THE TREES’
at the bottom of a text message.
What lead you finally from Drum & Bass to the softer sounds of dub techno? I was always into the more crispy, crackly and lower tempo drum and bass like Krust and Photek. I can see similarities between their music and Maurizio’s now I think about it. The music I listen to seems to have just been getting more and more reduced over time in terms of sonic components. I adore it when an artist can make something so complex and evocative from only a few elements. Deepchord, Gradient and Maurizio are excellent examples of this.
How would you describe your music? I’m really into this reduced, pumping style of dub techno at the moment. Cold filtered chords and with a strong, consistent bottom end. Could work on the dancefloor but equally as suiting for bedroom listening.
You are living in Bristol, where Bands like Portishead and Massive Attack come from. Are you influenced by the trip hop sound at all? There’s no doubt that trip hop and dub techno share similarities. Plenty of desirable distortion and noise. Always a fan of both these acts as a kid so they definitely helped mold my taste in music and in turn inspire me. I’d definitely like to integrate some more vocal material into my tracks...These guys do it so well.
What about the techno scene in Bristol? A night called Room 237 has booked acts such as Roman Lindau, Objekt, Helena Hauff and Mike Dehnert. I’m always out when DJs like this come to town but there isn’t much dub techno in Bristol...Definitely a niche that needs to be filled nudge nudge
From what do you draw your inspirations? Visual art is always a source of inspiration for me, particularly science fiction. Dan Kitchener’s murals are insane, there’s a few in Bristol that I’m in love with. Asimov’s old book covers are beautiful. A current source of musical inspiration is anything from Heavenchord, his new album Interminable Module is full proof and his remix of A Jaded City is my all time favourite.
What gear do you use for producing? Many tools, digital, analogue, virtual and physical. My favourites include the Roland JX-03, Volca Beats, Roland RE-20 Space Echo, U-He Diva and Satin and Ableton Live as sequencer. Tape is so much fun to drive stuff through and hear it crunch.
What can we expect next from you? A collaboration between me and Heavenchord on Czech label Bukko Tapes that will be releas...
Andrey Pushkarev continues to move floors with a combination of profound musical knowledge, unique professionalism and a meticulously gathered vinyl collection. Currently living in Moscow, where he has gained popularity as radio DJ, he found his way into the international electronic music scene releasing on respected labels such as Circus Company and Endless Records.
We discovered Andrey years ago through Deep Mix Radio and found out he has been playing Etui records in many of his sets. We took the chance to sit down with him and chat about his music while listening to his DJ mix contribution to our podcast series.
How did you come in contact with house and techno?
It was in 1996 when a friend came back from London and brought Drum & Bass CDs and cassettes. Since then I started to get closer to the electronic music scene inspired by artists like Jeff Mills, Underworld, Chemical Brothers, Dave Angel, Dave Clarke and Ken Ishi.
In 2006 you started working at Deep Mix Moscow Radio, streaming your sets to listeners worldwide. What was the key to success of the online radio station?
This project was born to connect like-minded people with the same passion for music. We were recording sets, uploading them on the website and people were listening to and downloading them. Within 5 years, the radio had broadcasted noncommercial Techno music to 6000 monthly listeners from 53 countries, all for free and without advertising and I think that was the unique character of the radio.
Your first performance in France back in 2007 led you to a tour to most European countries as well as South America. What about the Russian techno scene compared to the scene in France or Chile?
I would say that the dance clubs that started flourishing in the Russian capitals in the 1990s are now as good as their Paris, London and Berlin counterparts. The club scene keeps going at the steady beat of underground house and techno with internationally respected clubs like Arma 17, Rodnya and Propaganda. There is no traditionally established music industry or strict rules but there is a collectively felt necessity to create something new. France has a longer history in the electronic music scene and the fact that there has been always a legal status for artists made its international recognition and expansion possible. Chile has an amazing and brilliant creative scene but professionally I can imagine that for an artist it might be hard to be able to live for your art.
You are currently working with several FM and Internet radio stations. What is the key role of the Internet for distributing music nowadays?
The same as always in my opinion: promotion and entertainment. A way to get your music accessible and heard to a larger audience than playing in a club and eventually connect with the people who support your music.
How do you select the music for a radio show and is it different to touch listener's hearts when playing in a club?
When I play in a club I let the people and the atmosphere inspiring my record selection. It is a mutual exchange of energy with the crowd and the surrounding environment. I try to be in tune with the people’s rhythm and select the records accordingly. Radio shows and podcasts are something different. I do create a story behind a mix and for me the narrative of the execution is the core. For some mixes it took me even a year to complete the “story” in the way I wanted to tell it.
In 2013 you first own EP “Gingo Bilobla” has been released on Circus Company. What was the final step that led you into music production?
I met Mathias Duchemin, the owner of Circus Company, in 2007 when our mutual friend, Fabrice Bousteau, introduced us to each other. I respected the label and Mathias liked my music. A year later my first ever EP came out on Circus Company:
https://soundcloud.com/circus-3/gingo-biloba?in=andrey-pushkarev/sets/releases
How did you find out about Etui Records and what is your favo...
Ravensburg is a small village 17km north of Lake Constance. For Frank Hellmond is this the right place to create his deep and dubby techhouse sound.
Frank Hellmond joined our Etui camp in 2012. His track “Sunday” has been released on our first Etui Winter Camp compilation. Since then he released several tracks on vinyl and our winter camp compilation series. His tracks True Lies, Lost and Sh2000 are still in our label top 10 on beatport.
He started making music with Dieter Krause in 2001. Their first project was called laplaceausoleil. Since 2008 he also forces his solo career under his given name. He has released several records on labels such as Eintakt, Tiefenrausch, Paperjet Rec., Turmfalke, or Sinergy Networks.
How did you come in contact with house and techno?
I started listening to house music in 1989, but with main focus on acid jazz, soul and funk. From mid 90s I drifted more and more into reduced electronic music like deep house, dub techno or idm and also started djing.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
That's a tough question. Maybe from the many tracks I´ve heard in my life. I guess the most ideas come in my mind after a good night sleep and a proper breakfast.
In 2006 you co-founded the netlaben Dreiton. What is the idea behind the label?
I founded dreiton.net with some friends in 2006. From the beginning on it was a community thing to release great music from new artists. We want to give them a reference. We started as a netlabel. Since cat# 031 our releases are also available at the download stores. We just want to focus on the music and the artist itself.
Which gear do you use for producing?
I´m using hard and software. I agree with many artists that it doesn’t really matter what you are using. The only thing that matters is your creativity.
But I really like to tweak the knobs of my synthesizers and I really love my old machines. You can just hit play and listen to what the machines are doing. It's just for the moment. I try to record these moments. It's such a different workflow than just moving boxes in your DAW. Like 25 years ago. Nothing is perfect.
What can we expect next from you?
Within the next weeks there will come out 2 remixes on Paperjet Records and Dushe. To release some new own material I still will need some time.
What is the idea behind your mix?
My mix was recorded at Riva Bar in Ravensburg. I play there regulary since several years. The owners support the cool electronic music far away from the mainstream house. So I can play tracks just for listening pleasure that I normally wouldn’t play in a club. So my mix transports the nice atmosphere of my beloved Riva Bar. Nothing was planed.
Get it on iTunes.
More on Frank Hellmond: Frank Hellmond - SH2000 on V.A. - Etui Winter Camp 3 Frank Hellmond - True Lies on ETUILTD005 V.A. - Translucent Tracks Frank Hellmond on beatport
Planetary Secrets has given his debut on our Etui Winter Camp 3 compilation with his fantastic tracks They Have Been Here and Courtyard. The Dresden newcomer started his journey into sound in 2013. For our Etui Podcast series he shares the dj set he played as this year’s DAVE presents Musikfreunde event in May.
How did you come in contact with house and techno?
I first came in contact with it in the mid/late 90’s through my sister and cousins who were listening to it. I started to collect CD’s from the local library and recorded them and some radio shows on tape. I also shared and exchanged those tapes with friends. To sum it up, I started at a very young age. Then, somewhere in the early 2000’s I dropped electronic music completely and listened to guitar-based music like punk rock. Eventually, in the late 2000’s, I came in contact with drum’n’bass and when I moved to Dresden in 2009, with techno again as well.
How would you describe your music?
I don’t know if I really have a consistent style. Right now I skip between nearly every subgenre of electronic music. But there are probably some recognizable elements which I use in most every track, like the chord stabs, pad sounds and sampled field recordings/noise/crackle/voices. Also, reverb, delay and distortion are important elements and my sound is fairly dubby and spacey, I would say. You will probably not hear happy music from me either, but I’m trying out new things with each new track.
In They Have Been Here you are using some vocal samples from a movie. From what do you draw your inspirations?
Very different sources, mostly combined. Darkness and the night is a big factor in my music. The atmosphere, ambiance and music of “The X-Files” and “Twin Peaks” really got me. I watched X-Files as a child and the dark, 90’s style of the early episodes and Mark Snow’s Synclavier music inspired me very much. I’m still watching an episode now and then. I’m also interested in astronomy. 90’s video games from my childhood and their music/atmospheres are an inspiration as well as urban stuff, big cities, experiences in nature and with other people - love, sadness, the usual stuff. Of course, other people’s music too, like early dub-techno (Basic Channel, Chain Reaction), different breakbeat stuff (Alix Perez - especially the 1984 album, dark minimal d’n’b, early d’n’b, Burial …) and current trends. Not to forget my punk rock days, which taught me to keep things raw and uncommon.
What have dub techno and drum & bass in common for you?
D’n’b is a wide genre, I would say both focused on bass and a dark atmosphere in their early stages. Some D’n’B subgenres have the same focus on hypnotic atmospheres and are also not dancefloor focused, but this isn’t true for every dub techno track either.
Which gear do you use for producing?
I have some outboard gear which I use nearly every time. My lovely little Yamaha FB01 is a pain to program but in my opinion it sounds more exciting than most software FM-synths. The Waldorf Rocket is more for the solid stuff like basses and the Waldorf 2-pole is for filtering and “warming” my software synths. I have a bunch of different software plugins, some I use nearly every time like U-he Satin or Klanghelm SDRR and others for one track and never again. I also sample a lot of stuff. If I want to go lo-fi, I send the sound through my guitar amp or record it on an old cassette deck and put it back into Ableton Live. Honestly I think it’s about how you use your tools and not the tool itself. I don’t buy stuff only because of attributes like “analog”, if it sounds good and I can use it practically, it’s good. I want fun while producing but also a finished track in the end, in which I can find myself.
What can we expect next from you?
I have 3 upcoming d’n’b-releases, the biggest one is probably the one on Ingredients Records in the beginning of 2016, a label where many great producers (like Skeptical,
Daniel Madlung is half part of Dandytracks. On our Etui Winter Camp 2 and 3 compilations Dandytracks have combined elements of dub and techno with field recording sounds in their Dubstories About Us. Together with his wife Mandy Jordan, Daniel is also running the minimal house label Vekton. Beside is music works he does also the artwork for Etui.
How did you came in contact with house and techno?
It was 1995 when I went to a small club called Feuerwache . I liked the DJ's a lot and wanted to know who does make this brilliant dark music on the records and especially how.
How would you describe your music as Dandytracks?
Dandytracks is actually a project of my wife Mandy Jordan and me, Daniel + Mandy = Dandy. Since 2011 we have published tracks as Dandytracks . First digitally and later on vinyl only. Mandy is doing a break and has retreated a bit from Djing. Dandytracks music is a symbiosis of taste from my wife and me. This can only describe the podcast. You can hear the full spectrum of the music we love. At the end there is always something organic and dark in it. We do not like "Happy Techno".
How is it compared to your solo project Daniel Madung?
I think that the sound of the solo project is more percussive and monotonous. To be Honest, I do not know it exactly.
What is the idea behind your label Vekton?
The label releases music by artists who inspire us like Mariano Mateljan, Archie Hamilton, Topper, Ferro, Pelle and a lot more. Around 2006 Vekton started as a net-label and later it became a digital label. Since 3 years we are releasing vinyls only. We started a sub-label called Vekton Black in 2012. On Vekton we release only the full artist EP's and on Vekton black we do special various artist ep's. The music of both labels is something between House and Techno, I don't know.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
The nature as well as the random situations in the studio inspire me. The random situations can come from my modular synth, reaktor sequencers or recorded audio tracks and fields. There are many ways to start new tracks.
Kamenz with its club Feuerwache and our own parties will always be the place where it began in the late 90's, now it has become more quiet there. I think the real electronic music scene in Dresden is also small – but I like that. I am living here for 1 year now with my family and it feels like there are only two handful of people doing partys and good music. With the move to Dresden your a bit closer to other artists and musicians, that's cool. Of course you can implement your projects and ideas faster than in a village. Everywhere your confronted with all kinds of art, that inspires me. You have festivals for Jazz and Classical music here and maybe with the start of DAVE there where more people activated to create innovated projects in sound, software, visuals and hardware. Looking forward ;-)
Which gear do you use for producing?
At the moment I use in my setup a desktop modular synth by Curetronic, Elektron Analog Rytm, Doepfer Dark Energy, Red Sound Dark Star, Doepfer Dark Time, Waldorf 4 Pole Filter, Jomox T-Resonator and 2 Genelec 8040B + Sub. Sometimes I sell everything and try new gear and build a new setup... My DAW is Ableton 9 + MFL and Komplete 9.
What can we expect next from you?
New tracks on Vekton, Karton and Vekton Black. Maybe also dubby music on Etui ;-) I will also play at Musikfreunde event at Sektor Evolution in May.
What is the idea behind your mix?
I like starting with textures only. I´m a fan of switch between the moods sometimes without the classic 4/4 mix and finally leading into Minimalhouse. You can play with this deep sounds in a podcast a bit longer than on a techno party. An idea does not exist, only the music.
Get it on iTunes. tracklist: 1. Christian Vogel - Underwater Living - Novamute 2. Alka Rex - International Refraction - Thema 3. Rod Modell - Beach - Echocord 4.
Hydergine’s musical roots and influences are going back to the classic sound of the 90s dub techno pioneers. His pseudonym is taken from the name of a smart drug used to improve the metabolism of brain cells and cognitive abilities.
After releases on his own Ranges imprint, Separate Skills Recordings or Tiefenrausch we finally welcome the italian producer with his Static Frames EP on Etui Records.
What is the special thing about dubtechno for you?
What I like the most about dub techno is that it enables a full mental involvement, which is mainly what I expect and seek in electronic music. It sounds serious, it’s detailed in the modeling and it features some mysticism and essence that I miss in other genres. It’s also versatile since you can happen to find chilled and slow tracks which are suitable for home listening and warm up, or more stripped down tracks, that work well in the peak time phase in clubs. Did I say it’s timeless? Dub techno forever!
What is the idea behind your artist name?
The pseudonym is a smart drug used to improve the metabolism of brain cells and cognitive abilities such as intelligence, learning, memory. I thought it was a nice idea to show my addiction for mentally stimulating sounds and the intention to do research in such direction.
From what do you draw your inspirations?
There are several things… of course what I live in first person, the music I listen, the places I visit. Besides that, I can say there are regularities in the concepts I face… between them I can clearly recognize and mention: thinking and awareness, alteration of mind, isolationism, nature, scientific models, cosmic synergism.
Which gear do you use for producing?
I try and use whatever I find interesting. I don’t care if vsts of hardware, as long as I can make them sound as I like… I want my sonic realm to be the more wide possible, I think it’s a pity to limit one’s possibilities to a specific piece of gear. I try to make the best I can with what I have at hand…I must buy gear step by step, relying to the possibilities of my daily job, and since I also love to buy vinyls I need to mediate the efforts… Currently I use Ableton with several vsts, a waldorf microwave XT, an alpha juno 2, an octatrack, and my beloved revox A77.
What can we expect next from you?
From the release perspective, there is an upcoming tape release on CLFT, then, early next year there will be a follow up EP on Ranges with my friend Ixm, and an EP on Modelisme with a remix by Patrice Scott. Besides that, I’ll keep experiment with sound as I’m used to, and hopefully pick something new for the studio.
What is the idea behind your mix?
I selected some vinyls I really love, some of them new, some others older, and mixed them. That’s it! I hope you like the outcome :)
Get it on iTunes. Tracklist: 01. Onmutu Mechanics - On Silent Wings - Echocord Colour 02. JS - Reduction 2 - Phorma 03. Unknown - Knowone 015 (A1) - Knowone 04. Basic Channel - Q-Loop (Full Length) - Basic Channel 05. Eduardo De La Calle - Epilogue XXX (B1) - Analogue Solutions Records 06. Marko Fuerstenberg - 070120 - Artless 07. Digital PrinceZZ – Press The Button 1 - LL Records 08. Question - Question 01 - Question 09. Substance & Vainqueur - Emerge 0 - Scion Versions 10. Sanasol - Glow Sanarama - Thule Records 11. Pattern Repeat - PR007B - Pattern Repeat 12. Bandulu - Running Part 7 - Foundation Sound Works
Learn more about Hydergine: Hydergine on facebook
Trinity has established herself as one of the Australia’s pre-eminent proponents of house and techno since entering the club fray over a decade ago. As a DJ and Live act, Trinity has forged a reputation as a perfectionist, playing all across Australia, in addition to sets in Europe at Harry Klein in Munich, and Tresor and Studio R in Berlin, where she currently resides.
Her music has been released on labels such as Moodmusic Records, Lucidflow and Manual / Cinematique. In March 2014 she finally released the first album 1000 Points of Light under her moniker Trinity & Beyond. This year will also see Trinity's first solo releases with OOC Records and Night Time Drama.
We visited Trinity in Berlin and had a chat about Australian techno scene, her music and why the grass is always greener on the other side.
How did you come in contact with house and techno?
My first experience with house and techno was through my older brother. He loaned me his favorite DJ mix, and it opened up a whole new world to me. He also introduced me to a community radio station where they used to play hard techno every Wednesday night and talk about all the illegal rave parties that were happening that weekend in Sydney. I used to record the show and listen to it all week, I loved the music so much and was so intrigued by this underground music community.
I started Djing about 12 years ago, and have played many genres over the years, ranging from deep house to dub house and Detroit techno through to harder style techno.
What is the special thing for you about the techno scene in Sydney?
At the moment, it's the abundance of techno parties that are happening in Sydney, with some incredible acts coming through, both live and DJ. I love that the live acts are playing more with hardware and that Djs are going back to vinyl, showing some true talent through their performances. There are some great techno parties happening in Sydney at the moment, notable mentions are Trench, Anomaly, Hunter Gatherer, Silencer and Strange Signals.
One of the big dreams for most of the artist is to play Australia. How did you feel playing for the first time in Europe / Berlin?
I played in Europe for the first time last year. My first gig was at Tresor basically 5 hours after a 32 hour flight from Sydney. It was pretty crazy. I dont think I had time to think that it was my first gig in Europe. I have played quite a few overseas and interstate gigs, I don't really think about where i'm playing, it's more about feeling what the crowd is after and trying your best to perform well for them.
How would you describe Berlin compared to Sydney?
Well for starters, the Berlin scene is a lot bigger than the Sydney scene. It's also an electronic music mecca, where artists all around the world come to play and also to dance. I have only been here for 4 summers, but I think from what I have experienced, I would say that feeling part of a music community here is a little bit more of a challenge than in Sydney, mainly because of its sheer size. In Sydney, there might be one or two good underground nights on one weekend, and you tend to see the same people at the events, so you get to know people quite easily. In saying that, one of my first parties I attended last year in Berlin was a Parallel night, I instantly felt part of a community, and that was a nice feeling. I kept going to their nights, having the best time and hearing the most amazing music and meeting more of their crew.
In August you released a special live set for SPIEL:FELD podcast. Is there a difference for you playing live or playing a dj set?
It's a huge difference for me. I feel sometimes that they are so different from each other, I can never source new tracks for DJIng and write music for my live set on the same day, I need to either have my head at one or the other. Live sets are usually loops that I write and play on the fly and Djing is playing other peoples tracks.
Insect O. played some live shows during the summer. For our Podcast series he shares the recording of his set at Electronic Valley 2014. Monomood had a chat with him about his latest works, his setup and his travelings.
You played some live shows at MoxxoM festival or Electronic Valley this year but no dj sets. Is there any reason for?
I´m focusing more and more on my own music. In a live show everything depends on your own creativity. I´m able to dig deeper into the sound and to the base of the music. To be honest, I´m getting older and I´m happy being in bed at 5.
You started playing live with an Amiga 500 and some old Roland drum machines back in the mid 90ies. How your setup has changed over the years?
I started with some classic Roland machines and an Amiga 500 running Octamed. It was a very restricted setup because the Octamed runs only four 8bit audio channels and four midi channels. I always had to take this heavy monochrome computer monitor with me. Every set was like going to the gym. But it was quite funny. When I played live right before Jeff Mills in 1999, his manager came to me and asked what monitor this is .. it looked so oldschoolish.
Around 2000 I sold all the drum machines and bought an Akai MPC2000 XL. I really loved the tight timing and the sound of the MPC. The MPC gave me new opportunities using samples and preparing midi tracks. But you always had to deal with 3,5 inch discs. It was a mess. I also added the Access Virus A to my setup. I love tweaking the synths!
Nowadays you use a computer again. How do you came to Ableton?
In the studio I´m working with Logic since ages. When Ableton came up I didn´t want to learn another DAW. Around 2010 there were some workshops in Dresden called “create! don´t hesitate!”. That was my first contact with Ableton Live. In 2011 we founded Uncanny Six (together with Jacob Korn, Cuthead, Sandrow M, Steve.e! and Echology) and played at the Gratwanderung Open Air. After that I changed my setup to Ableton Live.
It was great to have all the sounds and effects in one machine. But I got bored after 2 years. I mean you can prepare everything on the computer. Now the Elektron Machinedrum has become an important part of my live setup. The Machinedrum is controlling Native Instruments Battery and all knobs are routed to decay, filter, tune, lfos and effect sends of each drum sound. I program the beats live and tweak it. This is so much fun! Depending on how I feel and how the crowd feel, I can play smooth and deep or straight.
For some of your tracks you made videos from your trips to China or Australia for example. What are the ideas behind it?
Good question! Since I was a child I like to shoot videos. Mostly when I´m taking video shots on my trips I have no idea about a music video. I just want to capture great moments and places for myself. When I´m back home I start to combine the video takes with my music and then I think about a story for the video.
Does affect your travels your musical work or you as a person?
I met some people in my life that inspired me to travel the world, see awesome places or learn to surf. While traveling you can have such great moments. You see beautiful sunrises at the ocean or penguins or whales in natural wildlife. Strangers become friends within a day. When I traveled Australia back in 2012 I had the opportunity to play in Melbourne and Sydney. For me it was one of the greatest moments in my life to play with the Aussie mates the music we love at the other end of the world. Music connects people. 3 Months later Mark and Lance aka Echo Inspectors released their Pleading Ground on Etui Records. Over the last year I played with Dave Stuart here in Dresden and at the MoxxoM festival. Traveling the world is always also a trip to yourself. There is so much more to discover beside a 9/5 job or making music all the time. Maybe my videos inspire others to discover the world.
What are your current projects?
Munich based producer Matthias Springer has delivered his dark acidish techno track „Dark Orbit“ to our Etui Winter Camp 2 compilation. He has been producing music since the early 2000s. His compositions can be found on labels such as Eintakt, TicTacToe or Parquet.
Techno, Dub, Acid, Detroit, experimental and industrial sounds are the main inspirations that appear in most of his music, but also downtempo and lounge tracks are around occasionally that let finally finding yourself in an old and smoky jazzbar.
What was your first contact with techno?
The first contact definitely was the Tunderdome-Series in the early 90’s, just to bother my parents. But my passion for electronic sound emerged steadily from this time on, just because this kind of music can tell stories without any vocals or words.
How would you describe the techno scene in Munich?
Desolate might be a little to strong, but nearly hits the point in my personal point of view. The really good clubs in Munich have all closed during the last years and what is now around is not my current taste of sound. There are really missing darken and foggy clubs with banging and dry techno sound. If you want to party hard Munich won’t be the right place, but there is a very fine producing scene and a lot of great people around.
How would you discribe your music?
Very different I guess, some people told me they can here a unique touch in my tracks if they listen to, but I don’t. The name “Springer” (in english from “to jump”) developed the first time I try to define my music, I always jump around between different genres and try to combine them. I’m bored really fast if I would do music only in one way, therefor electronic music has just too much possibilities.
Form what do you draw your inspiration?
Thats very different, there are a lot of influences around, the last release “La Mia Vita” for example was just a result of a new love that came into my life, which also brought some nice impressions out of the EBM scene. But in general the music is always a great option for me making a cut from reality for a few hours and taking place in a parallel world.
Dub Techno has been evolved in the early 1990s. What you have always been fascinated by this sound?
I wasn’t into dubtechno at all in the 90’s, to slow, to chill, that just happens during the last years when I started to go slow and chill, building complex structures in my sound, thinking about what to tell with my music independent from the usability in a club. In the end it is an listening-experience, it needs time to listen, discovering new tiny sounds and effects in a track, everytime you listen to it again.
Your music sounds always warm, crunchy and well balanced. What equipment do you use for producing?
Ok shocking-time, I’m a digital only producer, all I need is my PC and a controller for some live-tweaks. I love the digital possibilities with really great synths around and still having a clean workspace in my studio. I’m also not into that discussion between analog and digital producing, everyone should do it the way he likes, the way it brings the highest ammount of creativity. And if I sometimes compare digital and analog produced tracks I recognize only minor differences, that shows how great the software already sounds.
You are running a lot of labels such as Diametral or DimbiDeep Music. What are the ideas behind these labels?
The basic idea was to create something own, built and design things as I like, no one who tells me what to do, without making any compromises. I wanted to support newcomers around, give them a chance to publish their sound, and of course there are a lot of great musicians out there that are not signed yet. The mass of different labels was just the result of my general passion for electronic music, I like the large spectrum in this kind of music and just wanted to have all of it!
For your label you singed international artists such as DJ Anya from Un...
Feldkirch (Austria) born Alessandro Crimi is an electronic music producer, DJ and record collector. He is living in Switzerland now. Music always has been his big passion. It all started very early when he found some real gems in his parents’ record collection from the likes of Kraftwerk, Pink Floyd, Pet Shop Boys or Depeche Mode which he really loved. 20 years later his own music has been released on various labels like Sthlmaudio, Italic, Broque and his own Waehlscheibe imprint. With “Stellar Remnants” and “Quantum Realm” he delivered 2 wonderful dub techno tracks to our Etui Winter Camp 2 compilation.
You are known for your deep and Dub influenced DJ sets, and many people say that you are a true specialist for playing warm ups. What is the special thing about playing warm ups?
To play the first set of a night is always a new challenge. Not only because you have to start with a fairly empty room – the music should also sync with the Dj who will go on next. It’s important to think about who you are opening for to avoid overpowering their sound. The job of an opening Dj is also to peel people away from the bar and keep building upon that small nucleus of early dancers that will eventually become a packed dancefloor, but without going overboard too early. The next Dj should just be able to continue.
To make this possible you need an extremly large record collection and the feeling for the right record in the right moment and of course the optimal tempo. Over the years I have often opted for the warm-up slot. I find it a wonderful challenge which if played properly can result in maximum musical fulfillment.
How would you describe the techno and house scene in Switzerland?
For my personal taste of music it is hard to find a venue with good (in my opinion) acts/music. Especially in the eastern part of Switzerland where I live. Because of this i don’t go out too often. That was different some years ago when for example the “Dachkantine” in Zurich still existed. The music there was always special. It was like a second home for me.
Now in most of the clubs the music is going more and more into a mainstream-direction. But I think this is not only in Switzerland, it’s in general. Luckily there are still some places where you can listen to very special artists for those who know. For example at the clubs “Zukunft” and “Frieda’s Büxe”, both located in Zurich, just to name a few.
When it comes to the inspiration for your own music, you name a lot of different artists such as Matthew Herbert, Pépé Bradock or Basic Channel. How would you describe your own sound?
I listen to many different music styles and I guess this can be heard in my own music because I get inspired automatically by the music I listen to. I also produce different styles of music depending on my personal mood. Sometimes it’s more dubby and sometimes more housey. But for sure there’s always a huge portion of deepness in it.
Switzerland is famous for its nature and the mountains. Do you draw some inspiration from the surroundings?
Definitly. The nature is a big inspiration for my music. I like to walk trough a forest or walk along a sea.
In 2012 you started the label Waehlscheibe together with your friends. What is the idea behind the label?
To run an own label was always something we wanted to do. So it was only a matter of time to realize this project. The idea is to build our own platform, to support artist friends, to release the music we all like, also from more unknown artists and of course to release our own stuff. Because we wanted to have something special and because our favorite format is vinyl we decided to release only vinyl. We think that also for an artist it is the most valuable thing to release his own music on vinyl.
What can we expect next from you?
New tracks and remixes on several labels. Can’t give anymore informations yet as this is still secret. Just check regularly my sites on facebook or soundcloud to be up to date.
We are continuing our journey across Australia’s Techno scene with a podcast by the Echo Inspectors. The Melbourne based duo released their first track on our “Etui Winter Camp” compilation last year and since then they have founded their own Primary [Colours] imprint. Since late 2012 they have released 2 coloured vinyls. So the time is right to sit down and have a chat with Mark Baumann and Lance Harrison about their music and their label.
Dub techno is connecting people all over the world with many artists, record labels and even the odd net labels. How did you find your way to the dubby side of techno?
Mark: In 2001 I was listening to a lot of D& B in London which has its roots firmly planted in Dub so I guess form the beginning this style always resonated with me. But it wasn't until I picked up a mix and heard Rhythm & Sound's "Mango Drive" plus Monolake's "Bicom" track for the first time – these tracks changed everything.
Lance: In 2001 I was running a record store called DMC Records in Melbourne and came across Richie Hawtin's "DE:9 Closer to the edit" on CD. I had never heard anything like it before and all honesty I still haven’t found a mix better. The main back bone to the mix was Bluetrain’s Special Edition Dub of Dean DeCosta’s "Diminishing Returns". That groove got me hooked in to the dubby side of techno, from there I discovered more and more great artists and labels around the world.
When did you found the Echo Inspectors duo and Primary colours projects and what´s the idea behind the names?
Mark: Primary [colours] for us was a meaning of fundamental elements and those elements that make up a much larger picture of the world. Primary releases will be just that - colour vinyls blue, red and yellow. But remember there are secondary and tertiary colours.
Lance: Echo Inspectors describes the deep and dark world we love to explore. We love to discover all things mysterious, dark, deep and a little but scary. The name is also derived from the words “Echoes and Spectres” Sounds and visions from the afterlife.
You both are living in Melbourne. Is there a special vibe in the city from where you draw inspriation?
Lance: Melbourne is such a melting pot for all types of music, design and art. You can draw inspiration from the city itself. We tended to get our inspiration in the past from the music we discovered in the smaller, intimate parties that featured the more unknown DJ or live acts. We also draw a lot of inspiration from art and design. We use to get a lot of inspiration from the vibe in Melbourne but we are both getting old now and have 2 kids each, so it is difficult to pull that same inspiration we use to get from going our to clubs in Melbourne and listening to our favourite DJ’s and friends in the scene.
Mark: We now find our inspiration from the records we collect from around the world and from our family and friends giving us full support.
In December 2012 the first release “Lunar Shadows” with a great remix by Luke Hess has been released on your own Primary [Colours] label. What was the idea to start your own label?
Mark: Both of us, with great friends Daniel and Renae, have been running another label, Pinksilver, since 2006. We learned a lot about the industry, selling records and putting out releases over the years. Lance and I felt like we had learned enough and with the sound we were developing over many years we wanted a new creative outlet to release our music. Primary [colours] was then conceived in a pub in Sydney after a few beers.
Many (Techno) producers swear to the skills of special mastering and cuting engeneers such as CGB from Dubplates & Mastering or Pole to name a few. Who is your favourite and why?
Lance: We approached Axel and Manny from the duo Salz to do the remix on the first Red release, these guys have been a massive influence on us over the years. We were over the moon when they agreed to do the remix.
If you think of Sydney, the Sydney Opera or Bondi Beach come in mind. But the capital of New South Wales has also a growing scene of electronic dance music. A lot of regular club events and festivals in and around Sydney were held the last few years and brought many djs from overseas such as Luke Hess, Kollektiv Turmstraße, Peter Van Hoesen, Efdemin, Aril Brikka or even Insect O. to the city.
Sydney´s Dave Stuart not only played with a most of them, furthermore as part of shrug events and booker for the One22 club he invited them to play in down under for the first time. In his Etui Podcast he shows his love for deep house & techno and gives a view into australian`s techno and house music.
How you would describe Australian`s techno and house music scene in general?
Over the years the scene ebbs & flows, much like the tides of the oceans I guess. At present there are some very talented artist's coming through the ranks. The more commercial music is always very popular in Australia due to the high % of young people who just listen to whatever is played on the radio. The summer music festivals tend to dominate the scene, there are about 6 to 8 festivals of over 50,000 people that happen in Sydney each year which pull all the big name acts. This unfortunately prices most of the underground acts that you'd commonly see play in Germany to be unaffordable to do club shows.
So all the work i´ve put in over the years to book international artist is very very tough, and i´ve never made much money from it...its all just for the love of music. And you have to do it as there are usually 5 parties on every Saturday night and at least 2 will have a bit international act that you have to compete against.
One of the good things though is we have a very strong local scene and many of our local dj's can perform just as well as the big names.
Is there something special about the scene in Sydney?
If I was to pick one thing it would be how close everyone is, in our underground scene in Sydney we are like one big family. Nearly everyone gets along really well and we all try to help each other out, most of the promoters dont look at each other as competitors, but as friends. I think we'd all rather see each other busy than see anyone suffer, especially with the high costs of running parties there.
We've got a few really great little parties around Sydney that always have a fun & friendly vibe happening. Plus there's something for everyone if you know where to go, lots of different music to choose from, and young to older crowds.
Probably the one thing that sets Sydney apart from anywhere else in the world is the boat parties that we have. Sydney has one of the most beautiful harbour in the world and all the way from Spring to Autumn there are loads of boat parties. Anything from small yachts for 50 of your closest friends, to a big 3 level boat that holds around 800 people.....
Also there are some really cool young acts coming through, the Hunter Gather label is a prime highlight of this, they are all in their early 20's really lovely people and make some fantastic techno!
With pinksilver music you have a kind of network with producers and djs from other cities such as Echo Inspectors from Melbourne. How important is networking?
In this day & age networking is essential in some capacity, and not only in the hope to achieve something / get somewhere. I think it is just as important to share knowledge and information to as many people you may be interested about artists that I truly believe in.
The Pinksilver label represents this well, whilst I´m not officially a part of the label my wife, Trinity, looks after the A&R for Sydney. So I guess im part of the “family” so to speak. Whenever I come across artists that fit the label I always put them forward, the music the label releases (net, digital and some vinyl) is all deeper styles of techno & house, so very much what I love.
One of the artists i´ve met over the last couple of years...
Patrick Zigon is an artist in the truest sense of the word. Hailing from the beautiful German Lake Constance region, the DJ and producer is more inspired by landscapes, the impact of nature and his whole environment than by any fast moving musical hypes. That’s probably why he’s paying extra attention to sound design and atmospheres in his club tracks and that they have something to express rather than just working on the dancefloor.
Patrick has made himself a name with countless trademark releases on labels such as Highgrade, Puzzle Traxx, Tanzbar and Galaktika to name just a few and heavy remixing for the likes of Steve Lawler, Guy Gerber & Shlomi Aber’s “Sea of Sand”, Gregor Tresher, Reboot, Gui Boratto, Extrawelt on labels such as Cocoon, Traum, Great Stuff, Be As One or Trapez. As his music is characterized by a certain deepness and trippyness, he’s what many people call the electronic hypno maestro from South Germany.
You are living in a small village at Lake Constanze in south Germany. What is the special appeal of the region?
Well, Konstanz is a small village with 100 000 people at a beautiful lake. In the summer it‘s a beloved Tourist-region, where a lot people spend their holidays, so you got a nice vibe during this time. In Winter it‘s the completely opposite - it‘s cold, dark and foggy and the people are mostly in a bad and depressive condition - i like both sides, both moods are an important inspiration for me and my music.
And this is where you get your inspiration?
I think most inspiring for me are the people surrounding me and the artists i work with. But sure, the landscapes are beautiful, we got a big lake with all it‘s amazing atmospheres - this is the major-inspiration for my Dub-Techno-Love for sure ;-)
Did you ever think about moving to a bigger city with a big club scene?
Yeah, from time to time i think about it. At the moment i think about to move to Berlin to build a new studio up there, cause a good friend of mine builds a big studio-area in the heart of Berlin. A lot of amazing Producers will have their studios there, so it‘s quite interesting for me. But I will not move permanently there. I love the silence during the week in Konstanz. I can totally focus on studio and myself - i‘m sure i couldn‘t do that if i‘d live in a big city the whole time.
Beside your own productions you did a lot of remixes for example Guy Gerber & Shlomi Abers “Sea of Sand” and Extrawelts “Doch Doch”. What is the intention of a Patrick Zigon remix?
3-4 years ago i did a lot remixes, i guess 10-15 each year. I love to do my own versions of big tracks, and fortunately i had the honour to remix the works of amazing producers. My reworks are mostly deep and hypnotic, i try to rebuild the track completely and to provide my very own version. I think Guy & Shlomi‘s „Sea of Sand“ on Cocoon Recordings is a good example, as i had no possibility to use any of the original-parts. The guys had a harddrive-crash and lost all the remix-files. So i had to start from zero, which was the best thing could happen ;-) At the moment i don‘t do many remixes, as i‘m focusing on my productions and my label.
In 2012 you started your Label “Biotop” releasing not only dancefloor orientated music. What is the idea of the label and why all releases are free of charge?
Well, i started Biotop to get complete freedom concerning producing and releasing my music. Till now I don‘t work with a distribution or a promo-agency. I had the wish to release experimental music whenever i like, and it was also important for me that people decide on their own if they like the music or not. We don‘t force anybody to listen to our music, you don‘t have to pay for it, so it‘s only about the music...not chartings, hypes or whatever. It‘s an experiment to find out what‘s important for me and my artists. From Biotop you get real music from true artists. After one year this experimental period of our label is over,
The29nov Films have made thousends of videos for techno tracks they like and have given a face to this tracks. Sebastian Kökow is a half of the duo. He started djing 15 years ago. After doing some great videos for our latest releases it´s time for us to speak with him about his passion for techno, his musical backround and of course the29nov Films project. You can catch him playing vinyls and doing live visuals with his partner Kevin on our next Etui Session at Sabotage Dresden on 20th October 2012.
Sebastian, you’re quite well known as one half of the 29nov Films project, which gets high attention through it’s countless and partly weird videos of more or less known tracks from the electronic music universe. What’s about the name and which idea is hidden behind it? We chose the name of our project because this was the date of our first musical jam. We played together on the 29th of November for the first time. Later on, my partner Kevin made his first filmlet and then we started making videos for our favourite tracks, because we figured out that there were not a lot of music videos in the techno scene. So we just wanted to give a face to the tracks that we like. A lot of people liked it and so it has grown.
When you look at your facebook group, you can find more than 1.600 members, watching your videos. With this popularity behind you, do you get a lot of requests by famous labels and artists? Yes, quite a lot of labels and artists ask us to make videos for them. But we only make videos for the tracks that we really like.
By now you can find yourself quite often doing visualisations on events and parties. But what’s your focus: video or deejaying? I do deejaying now for 15 years and my focus is definitely on that. Nevertheless the videos and visuals are an important part of my work. To do the visuals at partys with Kevin makes a lot of fun and making the videos anyway.
In your mix there are a lot of styles to be found such as Acid, Dubtechno and even 80’s industrial sounds. Is there a certain idea behind this mix? Which music got you mostly influenced when you grow up? Since i was a teenager I have been interested in techno and I was listening to a lot of different kinds of electronic music. I grew up with techno, punkrock and also a lot of those 80’s industrial things. For me the idea behind not only this mix but for every mix I do is just about enjoying good, various and new music.
You are originally not from Berlin, why did you move here and what’s the special appeal for you? There was nothing going on anymore in our hometown and with our growing popularity it was just logical to move to berlin. Kevin moved to Berlin about one year before I did, because here we just have more opportunities and we are a part of the techno scene. I’m feeling very comfortable here and I like the fact that there is this great number of clubs, musicians and creative people in general.
In the last two years Techno enjoys a little renaissance and the sound is becoming more raw and dubby. What is your recent definition of techno and how could it develop for you? Yeah, that’s great! I always loved this raw sound. And I always bought this style of techno, like Regis, Surgeon, Basic Channel, Jeff Mills and so on. And if you want to know my definition of techno and how it could develop for me – just listen to my mix!
If you are forced to name one certain track, that did the highest musical influence on you what would it be and why? I’d say… very classic… Vainqueur - Lyot (Maurizio Mix). This is a track that I always keep in my record case. If you ever listened to it on a dance floor (e.g. Berghain) then you will understand why.
Do you have time and ambitions beside your deejaying and video work to produce your own tracks? If so, what kind of music can we expect? I have the ambitions to produce my own tracks, but i don’t have the time for it. I rather do deejaying and videos. Fortunately there are enough good producers.
Sebastian,
Head of Dresden based Melted Recordings ka.pe delivers Etui Podcast #07. It's recorded live at Musikfreunde Party at Sektor E in June2012.
Melted Recordings stands for true Dub- and Detroit Techno straight out of Dresden. ka.pe founded the label in 1998. The first release "Parafin" by Echtzeit is must have for all Dubtechno lovers.
Tracklisting: 1. ka.pe - White Echo 2. ka.pe - Point Longue 3. ka.pe - Georged 4. ka.pe - Dacarpo 5. ka.pe - Re-Built Wua 6. ka.pe - Brighter Nonance 7. ka.pe - ecologic - Musikfreunde 8. ka.pe - two “green-q cut” – Melted Recordings 9. ka.pe - four “blue-q revision” – Melted Recordings 10. ka.pe - Reso the Original 11. ka.pe - redub of g...e’s somebody that i used to know
more information: Melted Recordings on Resident Advisor Melted Recordings on Soundcloud ka.pe on Soundcloud
Etui Podcast #06 by Insect O. was recorded live at Sabotage Dresden on April 14th 2012. His new EP “Birds Over Hong Kong” incl. a remix by Marko Fürstenberg will be released as green/black marbled vinyl on Etui Records in May 2012. With this ep he shows also a wider range of his artistic pursuit. The tracks “Echoes Of Antarctica” and “Rusty” range from broken beats to electronica sounds to rough techno.
His Music is melodic, dreamy and also kinda frisky but always with a touch of deepness. Each of his track got an own story to tell but all of them come around with a special arrangement combined with contemporary sounds in a mixture between Dubtechno and Techhouse. The latest remixes for Konrad Küchenmeisters “Moonlight”, Echzeit’s “CL 4″ on Melted Recordings and Helly Larson’s “Dubcreators” reflect his love for the deep techno sound.
Insect O. is an old hand in Dresden’s electronic music scene. Enthusiastic about the radio show “electronics” on East German radiostation DT64 in the early nineties he started buying records and making music at the age of 14.
Get it on iTunes.
Tracklist: 1. Insect O. - Intro 2. Helly Larson - Dubcreators (Insect O.'s Striesen Redub) - Etoka Shapes 3. Insect O. - work in progress 4. Insect O. - Four (Striesen Redub) - Melted Recordings 5. Insect O. - Birds Over Hong Kong - Etui Records 6. Insect O. - work in progress 7. Insect O. - Sleepless In Striesen - Etui Records 8. Insect O. - work in progress 9. Insect O. - Rusty (Live Version) - Etui Records 10. Insect O. - Bangkok - Etui Records 11. Insect O. - She - Etui Records 12. Alec Troniq - Passengers (Insect O.'s Galerie Daylight Dub) - Etui Records 13. Insect O. - work in progress 14. Insect O. - Echoes Of Antarctica - Etui Records
more information: Insect O. artist page ETUILTD002 Insect O. - Birds Over Hong Kong Etui Podcast directory
With our new Etui Podcast we set the focus on Hong Kong, one of the most colorful and impulsive metropolises in Asia. Since her debut in 2008, Ocean Lam has positioned herself as one of the leaders in Hong Kong’s electronic music scene. As one of the main resident DJs at Yumla, the city’s only club devoted to forward-thinking techno, she’s the go-to choice to open for international names like Namito, Technasia and Marko Furstenberg.
Amidst that club’s closure in 2011, she started a group called Humdrum Hong Kong with partners Casey Anderson and Miko Van Chong, with an aim to introduce deeper house sounds to the scene, as well as introducing more Hongkongers to electronic music in general. Their free monthly party, Loco at Bassment Bar, quickly became one of the most popular ongoing house and techno nights thanks to its more underground vibes in the face of Hong Kong’s commercialism, and especially thanks to Ocean’s top-notch DJing. Her performances abroad in places like Berlin, Sweden, Malaysia and Thailand, and her recent releases on Yumla Records have given the world a reason to keep an ear towards Hong Kong’s blossoming electronic underground.
Ocean twists her listeners through deep techno tantrums to warm house tracks, as dub techno chords, pumping basslines and delicate vocals drift together with equal parts of melody and dissonance. Ocean’s music is simple but moody, favoring human feelings over machine-like clicks and pops.
Since 2010 she’s released two singles on Yumla Records, “Weirdos” and “Is All She Wants”, collaborations with Basil Tam and label head Dan F. Despite her quickly rising profile, her goals for the future remain straight forward: “Make more music. Make more people move!”
Many people in China love karaoke. Have you ever tried it? Not for a long time. Cantonese karaoke is the opposite to music I like – too many predictable melodies and stupid lyrics.
How did you come in contact with electronic music? I used to listen mainly to trip hop. My friend Wendy Wenn, who’s also a DJ, brought me to my first rave, but it was cheesy trance. Afterwards I found a website from Hamburg called betalounge.com. Through their radio show I heard lots more deep, dubby, dark sounds. After finding some artists like Efdemin, Pantha du Prince, Wighnomy Brothers, I immediately knew this was my music and that I needed to share it with my friends. Most of them didn’t get it though, so I was lucky to find Yumla, where there was already a crowd waiting for it every weekend.
Hong Kong is one of the biggest metropolises in Asia. What about the electronic music scene in Hong Kong? The number of supporters is low compared to Europe, but since most are really dedicated and all of the clubs here are small we can have good parties with a full house every weekend. More fans have become DJs and promoters in the last couple years, so there’s more variety now. Recently the crowds at our Loco parties have been mostly new faces, and everyone’s just excited to prove it can be done in Hong Kong. This is a stressful city, so we love to see people relaxing and having fun to our favorite music.
It seems to be only a small scene but a lot of international artists such as M.A.N.D.Y., Damian Lazarus or Marko Furstenberg played during the last years. I think all of the promoters are still friends and don’t really see each other as competition, so when one brings an international DJ everyone else gets behind them. Nobody is trying to get rich, the promoters just want to see the DJs they like and share the experience. And you can tell these huge names love to play in our tiny clubs like Bassment!
And can you compare it to the scene structures of Shanghai or Beijing? I haven’t played in Shanghai or Beijing… yet!
In 2010 you played in Berlin for the first time. How did you feel and how did you experience the German music scene? Berlin totally changed my direction. At the time I was playing lots of tech house,
Marcel Bastisch and Markus Schneider are Zero In Something. Both were born 1983 in Neugersdorf (Germany). Mainly raised in the 90ties both guys have been influenced by different kinds of music but especially by Techno, House and the 90s Rave Anthems.
Since 2002 they work on own tracks seriously and developed an own deep sound inbetween House & Techno that is always influenced by their collected experiences.
In their DJ sets they are going more and more back to technoid stuff but you will find smooth, dubby and deep tracks as well – it alwyas depends on thier mood and the places they are deejaying at. In 2009 they also founded their own “Etoka Shapes” imprint as a sublabel of Liverpool based Etoka Records.
Your sound changed over the last years to some more kind of raw techno attitude. Is there a reason for this development? Actually we started DJing in 2000 using more hard and rough Techno in our D.J. sets. Our sound has constantly changed ever since and we´ve always been searching for new sounds and styles keeping the whole thing rolling for us. During the last year we “discovered” Techno again and (finally!) we recognized lots of marvelous new productions. Those tracks that we missed before when Techno became a bit run-of-the-mill for us. Back to the roots – if you will.
What about your label plans? Is there something coming up in the near future, especially concerning your own productions? At the moment our families are the most important thing in our live but we´re still working on own productions and remixes. Two remixes are currently in progress and to be released on ETOKA Records and Deeper Meaning. Referring to our own label “etoka:shapes” we´d like to say that a new EP by Helly Larson was just released 2 weeks ago. The Dubcreators EP including some awesome remixes by Insect. O., Greenster, Monomood, Nadja Lind, Tojami Sessions and Riccicomoto.
What is the idea of this podcast? Is there a certain message behind it and how does it correspond to your deejay sets at a party? There´s no special message behind it but it shows our present view on Techno or how we think contemporary Techno music should sound like. And for sure it´s as well an example how a ZIS D.J. set at a party might sound like.
Get it on iTunes.
Tracklist: 1. Deadbeat - Second Quarter [BLKRTZ] 2. Martin Schulte - Liquid (P. Laos Bottom Shaking RMX) [Fountaine Music] 3. Monomood - Monoskop [ETUI Records] 4. Random One - Random 01 (Beat Pharmacy Dub) [Syndikaat Records] 5. Truncate - Truncate Dub [Truncate] 6. Pattern Repeat - Ofetriade (Ben Block RMX) [Echocord] 7. Pattern Repeat - A [Pattern Repeat] 8. Skudge – Void [Echocord Colour] 9. KW – Undergrowth [Boe Recordings] 10. Truncate - 21 (V2 Dub) [Truncate] 11. Antigone - The Colonists [Construct Reform] 12. Peter van Hoesen - Last One At 1080 [Ann Aimee] 13. Antigone - The Mechanists [Construct Reform]
Monomood was born in a small village near to Dresden in the mid 80thies. Since more than 10 years he lives in Berlin. As an artist he is difficult to categorize. What is it? Techno? House? Drum and Bass? Or maybe Dubstep? What about a quantum Funk or Ambient?
Well, actually, it’s always a bit of everything – but it’s always new and fresh. It is hard to find the leitmotif, and yet there is one: quality. After dwelling on the Drum and Bass station for a while, it is most accurate to say Monomood has taken off into the future: the wide cosmos of dubby Techno sounds. His vinyl debut "Oktrosis" on Etui Records, carries us into the complex world of echoed chords and spacy Delays.
He tried to take the listener on a journey starting at relaxed Dubtechno sounds with that old detroit feeling, than traveling along modern rhythms with punchy chords and stop by at cold and crunshy techno sounds. The travel ends with two of Monomoods own tracks wich carry a liquid atmosphere and melancholic vibes.
Get it on iTunes.
Tracklist: 01. MLZ - New Analog Century (Pacou RMX) [Cache Records] 02. Salz - Get A Splash (Salz Dub-O-Lution Remix) [Telrae] 03. CV 313 - Sailingstars [Echospace] 04. Vivace - 2 Need U (Brendon Moeller's Beat Pharmacy Dub) [Vivace] 05. Vril - V5 [Giegling] 06. Monomood - Chordlab Part 2 [Unreleased] 07. Mick Rubin - Nachts [Musik Gewinnt Freunde] 08. Xpansul & Imek - La Salud (Marko Furstemberg's Remix) [Apnea] 09. Tom Dicicco - Material Things [Baud] 10. Lee Van Dowski - L'Hotel Cherif (Ilario Alicante Floor Mix) [Memento Records] 11. Carlos Nilmms - Cavern [Ornaments] 12. youANDme - Close To Me [Ornaments] 13. Sistema - John Clanders (Marko Furstenberg Remix) [Overflow Records] 14. Literon - Permutation [Frantic Flowers] 15. Delta Funktionen - Silhouette (Marcel Dettmann Remix) [Delsin] 16. Mark Broom & James Ruskin - Pigeon (Norman Nodge Remix) [Beardman] 17. Frozen Border - Frozen Border #7 A 18. Frank Rumpelt - MoirÈ [Dipol Records] 19. Monomood - Enhanced Variables [Etui Records] 20. Monomood - Rubico [Unreleased]
If you like the music, please respect the work of the artists and labels and buy the orginal tracks.
more information: ETUILTD001 Monomood - Oktrosis Monomood artist page
Etui Podcast directory
We start into 2011 with our podcast #02 by Alec Troniq.
After his summer anthem "Cataract Four" on Etui014 he released is first artist album "windspiel" on the wellknown netlabel Broque and remixed Applescals´s "Your English Song" for Traum Schallplatten.
For his podcast he mixed some beautiful delicate music for the snowy wintertime and afterwards. Enjoy it!
Get it on iTunes.
Tracklist: 1. Schlepp Geist - Stupid Guy (Schlepp's Klapp Mix) 2. Electrorites - The One 3. Haito Goepfrich - Non Plus Ultra (Alec Troniq Remix) 4. Cascandy - Four Flip 5. Marc De Bell - Edelknarz 6. Fritz Kalkbrenner - Kings In Exile 7. Sound Bros - Artivision 8. Cascandy - Two Flip 9. Arsen1Computerklub - Swampy 10. Alec Troniq - Dimmerfoehn 11. Applescal - Your English Song (Alec Troniq Quarantine Remix)
If you like the music, please respect the work of the artists and labels and buy the orginal tracks.
We start our podcast with a very special DJ Mix of our early releases by DJ Stachy aka stacy_G.
Stachy, born in Gdansk, ex-drummer of Fischmob and well known for his music adventures e.g. with Hofuku Sochi is without a doubt a versatile wunderkind. He heads out to far away places in the electronic universe as a DJ, as producer, or from his Studio 'Maschinenraum', making his fans happy with his DJ log books, live performances, and a lot more of his magic releases. In 2007 Stachy and Gunjah opened up the End Of Tape. They celebrate the end of an era with an amazing firework and bring the dancing masses together, where magnetic tape meets coloured film. A new electronic age named End Of Tape begins. Play it again, again, and again.
Tracklist: 1. Insect O. - Seven Minutes (ETUI) 2. Insect O. - Levante (ETUI Galaxi) 3. 2hot - Sambia (Alec Troniq Esqape) (ETUI Galaxi) 4. Insect & Matschiste - Sommer & Sprosse (ETU) 5. Raumakkustik - Mousemusic (ETUI Galaxi) 6. End Of Tape - Data Store (ETUI) 7. Insect & Matschiste - Dschoaenna (ETUI) 8. Insect & Matschiste - Da ist noch Sand (ETUI) 9. Alex Carbo - Aquarius (ETUI) 10. Soeren Matschiste - Levitation (ETUI Galaxi) .. and some snippsets from radio interviews ; )