We Fear Silence pres the 12 Hour Blueprint Records Special @ Cable (5th Apr 13)

The second We Fear Silence presents Blueprint Records of 2013 has a very special feel to it. Well they all do but this time they've moved the goalposts slightly. Since it's incarnation in 2010, the parties, which have witnessed such techno giants as Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, Sandwell District, Speedy J, Marcel Dettmann and Surgeon to name a few, has traditionally always been a Saturday night affair, but for April's party they've brought it forward a day, to Friday. This has allowed them to utilise the possibility of extended opening hours and bring us 12 hours of glorious techno.

As ever the man behind Blueprint, James Ruskin, leads the way and he's joined by a couple of returning faces and a brand new one. Firstly Berghain resident and Klockworks mastermind, Ben Klock makes his first solo appearance (we have hugely fond memories of his epic b2b set with Dettmann at Blueprint in October 2011). The man from Minneapolis, who's also a Berghain regular and Klockworks artist, DVS1 will once again deliver his high octane, fist pumping, raw brand of techno to Cable. Finally, making his first Blueprint appearance is one the UK techno's most exciting new prospects, Blawan. His uncompromising strand of industrial tinged bass onslaughts have made him one of the hottest properties this country has seen for a while and makes for perfect inclusion to one of London's most consistent parties.

Room 2 mainstays, Colony, take up their usual position as the supporting role and undoubtedly will take full advantage of their extra available hours. Rob Hall heads up the balcony room and is ably assisted by Colony residents Tengui and MB & CB.

Tickets are available from the We Fear Silence Website if you want the full 12 hours of underground techno artistry, or if you plan to be there after 5am, the on the door price is only £10.

We Fear Silence pres Blueprint Records @ Cable (16th Feb 13)

The first Blueprint Records of the year at Cable and the big names don't stop as Dutch Techno pioneer and Electric Deluxe boss, Speedy J, comes to town, joining Blueprint main man, James Ruskin, Regis and Daniel Miller. Room 2, as ever, is taken care off by Colony with Blueprint's latest acquisition, Lakker.

I could bang on about how great all the artists are, but instead I'll let you find out for yourself with some audio and visual treats. Firstly we have Speedy J's four hour recording from Berghain...



Then we continue with Regis live in the Boiler Room

And finally we conclude with and exclusive mix that Daniel Miller has done for We Fear Silence


Tickets for the event are still available through the We Fear Silence Website. More information on Blueprint Records can be found on their Facebook Fan Page or follow them on Twitter for more updates.

We Fear Silence pres Blueprint Records @ Cable (17th Nov 12)

It's always an exciting time when We Fear Silence invite Blueprint Records back under the arches at Cable. Consistently setting the bar for the highest quality techno with every installment, we last saw them in the middle of an August Bank Holiday marathon as Jeff Mills delighted our senses with 4 hours of pure techno legendary.

Sticking with the Detroit heavyweight / Underground Resistance theme, Blueprint turn to another pioneer, Robert Hood. The flyer says he'll be performing live but, you'll be pleased to know, the M-Plant Records boss will also be performing a DJ set on top.

Mr Hood will be ably supported by the combination of James Ruskin and Mark Broom, both individually, and as their production duo alias, The Fear Ratio. Room 2 will be perfectly marshaled, as ever, by Colony. Residents MB & CB and Tengui and joined by the man behind the label Broken20, TVO (check out the top 10 tracks he picked out for WFS silence on their website).

Advanced tickets are available on Resident Advisor, or you can pay on the door, but I wouldn't get there too late if that's your preferred option because we expect it's going to be a busy one!

August Bank Holiday: Ostgut Ton, Blueprint Records with Jeff Mills & Chris Liebing @ WetYourSelf!

Over the years the August bank holiday has steadily become one of the most eagerly awaiting weekend of the entire year. With the whole of London being taken over by festivals, daytime parties and line ups full with the cream of the worlds best DJ talent, the people travel from far and wide to be part of this summer celebration and with it being the last bank holiday Monday till Christmas, everyone seems to party twice as hard to make the most of the extended break.

The summer is not normally over flowing with quality techno events, but as the word of the underground is spreading, more and more techno parties are popping up on the London calender, and the Bank Holiday weekend has never seen an ensemble of techno talent like is on offer in a few weeks time.

The Friday night sees Broken & Uneven join forces with Ostgut Ton for their second label showcase of 2012. Room 1 is all about Berghain, with residents Marcel Dettmann and Marcel Fengler joined by special guest Surgeon. Room 2 goes to the guys from Panorama Bar in the shape of Prosumer and Nick Höppner.

Look out for some special live art going on during the night too as street artist Pure Evil will be working on a mural during the course of the night.

The venue so far is being kept a closely guarded secret, but knowing Broken & Uneven, we expect to turn out pretty special. Full event info and tickets are available on Resident Advisor.

Saturday we head South of the river to our favourite London Bridge club, Cable, for one of London's very best parties, We Fear Silence pres Blueprint Records. After already featuring some of the worlds best techno artists, including Marcel Dettmann b2b Ben Klock, Sandwell District, Luke Slater, Peter Van Hoesen and DVS1, to name a few. We was left wondering what he could possibly do to top the previous parties and raise the bar even higher.

The answer turned out to be quite a simple one. Jeff Mills. The Detroit Techno pioneer, part of the infamous Underground Resistance collective, owner of Axis Records and self confessed sci-fi fanatic has influenced every techno artist or DJ operating today in someway or another. We expect to leave very inspired.

Tickets available on Resident Advisor

So Bank Holiday Sunday would be complete without a Room 2 Techno session with WetYourself! at fabric. Headlined by a live set from returning guest, Chris Liebing with support from Sian and Candela Rising label boss, Billy Allen.

Outside of Room 2 you'll find our first ever headliner, Marc Houle, performing live in Room 1 with Chloe and the WYS! residents and Lost Souls up in Room 3.

Tickets available through the fabric website

We Fear Silence pres. Blueprint Records @ Cable (26th May 12)

It seems everytime James Ruskin brings Blueprint Records to London's Cable club, it turns out to be even better than the last, and Saturday's event in conjunction with We Fear Silence looks to be continuing that trend.


Ruskin is joined by three S's in the form of Surgeon, Silent Servant and Sigha. Expect something very special as Surgeon is celebrating 20 years at the very frontline of cutting edge music, Silent Servant will be making what we believe is his first London appearance ever and after a few slots in the backroom, Sigha, makes the move into the main room for the first time.


Room 2 is hosted, as ever, by one of favourite London party throwers, Colony. The residents Tengui and MB & CB are joined by Russell Haswell and they provide the perfect accompaniment to the main room action.


Tickets are available through Resident Advisor. Head to the event page for all the event info. More info on everyone involved can be found on Facebook....
We Fear Silence
Blueprint Records
Surgeon
Silent Servant
Sigha

Video: Regis (Live) @ We Fear Silence pres. Blueprint Records (3rd Mar 12)

After seeing him perform at previous Blueprint Records nights as part of Sandwell District and O/V/R, a Regis solo set has been long overdue. Last Saturday the time eventually came. A packed out Cable, already warmed up nicely by Mark Broom and James Ruskin, waited in anticipation. As the final moments of Plaid's 'Morning Blues' remix pulsated around the club, you got the feeling something special was about to happen.

What followed was an hour of Regis at his very best. A mixture of new material and vintage Downwards classics that have sculpted modern day techno and influenced so many of the artists we know and love today. For those of you who didn't make it down, we caught a small video of the proceedings. Check it out below.

It doesn't quite make up for missing the night but what can I say? Just make sure you're there for the next one in May. We've heard the line up for this and all we'll say is, it's very special. But then every line up that Blueprint Records and We Fear Silence put together seems to be of the highest quality. Which is why we're so happy to have it as part of our London scene.

More info on We Fear Silence can be found on their Website and as for Blueprint, head over to their Facebook Fan Page

We Fear Silence Pres. Blueprint Records @ Cable, London (3rd March 12)

After a 5 month winter break Blueprint Records return to Cable for their first party of the year. Combined with We Fear Silence and with plenty of help from Colony, Blueprint was probably our favourite promotion of 2011. Even though they only put on 3 events, those events included Marcel Dettmann b2b with Ben Klock for a mighty 5 hours, live sets from Peter Van Hoesen (one of the best live sets we've ever heard) and O/V/R, as well as DJ sets from Surgeon, DVS1, Luke Slater, Sigha & Shifted and Mark Broom all alongside Blueprint boss James Ruskin.

There's no slacking off for 2012 either. Luke Slater is back,this time under his Planetary Assault Systems guise. After the huge success of his album on Ostgut Ton 'The Messenger', PAS is a name carrying some serious weight right now.

Regis is back too. After performing with Function, as Sandwell District, in 2010 and with Ruskin as O/V/R in 2011, it's time for Regis to put on a solo show. He's been in some form over the last year or so. Releases on Blackest Ever Black (both his own EP and remixes) plus remastered version of old Downwards classics, we're extremely excited to see what Regis produces. Saturday seems so far away.

Closing out the main room line up is Mark Broom and obviously James Ruskin. The 'Fear Ratio' pair will be doing what they do best, which generally means playing some ferocious techno over huge soundsystems. Expect very much more of the same on Saturday.

Room 2 will be occupied by Colony. Residents Tengui and MB & CB are joined by Blackest Ever Black duo, Raime. Like Regis, the end of 2011 saw a flurry of activity from the British pair. Releases, remixes and represses made for an inspiring build up to Christmas. Abstract sounds, almost to the point of it being post techno, has been the order of the day and it's these styles which will make a perfect accompaniment to the Blueprint sound in room 1.

Set Times

Room 1 - Blueprint Records

10pm - 11pm: Warm Up

11pm - 1am: Mark Br0om

1am - 3am: James Ruskin

3am - 4am: Regis (Live)

4am - 6am: Luke Slater (Planetary Assault Systems DJ Set)

Room 2 - Colony

10pm - 00:30am: Tengui

00:30am - 2:30am: Raime

2:30am - 4:30am: MB & CB

Tickets are still available on Resident Advisor, or if you're feeling really lucky then there's a chance to win some tickets on the We Fear Silence Website.

Video: Marcel Dettmann b2b Ben Klock @ Blueprint Records, Cable (8th Oct 11)

Saturday night was the third and final Blueprint Records party of year and it was an absolute belter. I witnessed the full four hours of Marcel Dettmann's back to back set with Ben Klock and i can tell you the first two hours were incredible, the third hour was totally unreal and the last hour was pretty much out of this world. They toyed with our emotions, dropping it deep before launching back even harder.

I've seen both Marcel and Ben play separately over the last few months and, although, all those times, the nights have been quality, something about Saturday was better than almost anything I've heard before. I left feeling thoroughly discombobulated after having my mind systematically taken to pieces by the Berghain residents. I managed to get a video of the two hard at work, but this fails to do the party justice. In hindsight I should of got some of the crowd, but thinking wasn't really an option at the time, with the barrage of beats coming from the Cable soundsystem (which sounded better than I've ever heard it before).

Special mention of course goes to James Ruskin. His first set of the evening set the place up perfectly for what was about to happen, then when Marcel and Ben had finished, James stepped up for another 3 hours to keep the party going right through till 9am.

All in all it was an incredible night and the best Blueprint Records party yet, bring on 2012. I can't wait to see how they're going to top this year!

We Fear Silence pres Blueprint Records @ Cable (8th October 11)

You shouldn't need me to tell you that tomorrow night at Cable, We Fear Silence will be hosting the next edition of the Blueprint Records parties and it will be featuring three true techno heavyweights.

2011 has already seen two label parties featuring some of the best names in the scene. The last party, in July, was an incredible night. Peter Van Hoesen provided one of the best live sets I've ever seen and utter carnage ensued when DVS1 hit the decks to close out the night. Back in March Surgeon, Luke Slater and O/V/R teamed up with James Ruskin to provide another 'night of your life' moment.

Back to tomorrow, and it's possibly their biggest line up to date. Considered by most to be the biggest names in the business, Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock epitomise what techno is all about. Unlike some music scenes, there's no hype without substance. These guys deserve their position at the top of the techno tree and have worked their way to the top using nothing but talent. Their legendary residency at techno's best known club, Berghain, has only helped to catapult them to global fame. Taking in sets at clubs and festivals worldwide to spread the word of what they so deeply believe in. For some, techno is a fun distraction from the drudgery of modern day living. For Marcel and Ben, it's a way of life.

The pair will be partaking in a 4 hour b2b set, the like of which should get the hearts fluttering of many a techno fan. I remember the smile on James' face when he told me he'd just confirmed the line up back in July. It's fair to say I was excited too!

Tickets for the night are still available on Resident Advisor, otherwise you can pay on the door. All the info you'll need can be found on the event page too.

For more info on all the parties concerned you can check out the relevant facebook pages

We Fear Silence Fan Page

Blueprint Records Fan Page

Marcel Dettmann Fan Page

Ben Klock Fan Page

Or if Twitter is your preferred method of social networking you can follow James Ruskin and Blueprint Records. In the mean time WFS caught up with Marcel and Ben for a chat before tomorrow nights party. Here's what they had to say...

You’re known for playing marathon sets of up to 12 hours at Berghain, how do you balance these sets between music that may be seen as leftfield and more club-focused material?

Ben: How do I balance it? I just play what I play when I think it's the right time to play it.

Marcel: In general I don't prepare my DJ sets record by record because I always try to be responsive to the atmosphere of the crowd. Being focused on the moment and then picking the right record is every time a great challenge for me whether it's a marathon or a short set

Although your lineage is in Techno you play everything from house classics right up to present day UK bass music from the likes of Pearson Sound, Scuba and Actress. What producers are you taking notice of at the moment and why?

Ben: I'm definitely more into Techno than Dubstep. It seems to be very fashionable at the moment to say: ‘Oh yeah, I play a lot of Dubstep in my Techno sets.’ The reality is it almost never happens and for good reasons. Where is the fun and the groove in those nerdy self-absorbed tracks? Don't take me too seriously, I just like to provoke a bit. I follow Robert Hood, Planetary Assault Systems, DVS1 and Truncate.

Marcel: There are quite a lot of good producers at the moment who really surprise me so I don't want to point out single names.

Having a respected Techno label like Ostgut Ton backing your sound, what made you decide to start your own label?

Ben: Klockworks has a more raw and stripped down feel - not as ‘epic’ as Ostgut. I wanted to have a, Work In Progress, platform besides Ostgut Ton.

Marcel: It started when I began to work at Hardwax. To get to know the [record] label business better felt very attractive to me and I really liked the fact of being my own boss. So I built up my own label MDR [Marcel Dettmann Records]. The thoughts behind it were - and still are - to provide a platform for friends and their music. Little by little I also released some of my own music. MDR was always meant to be a label with clear statements just focused on music. In connection with that I'm happy to announce that I just signed a new artist Wincent Kunth and there are two other great artists I'm just talking to at the moment.

What can we expect release-wise from you and your respective labels in the near future?

Ben: There is a new DVS1 release coming next month. Really looking forward to playing these tracks from vinyl finally. We [Marcel and I] wanted to work on a new double 12" but we were both too busy with our own projects and traveling this year. We will try to make it next year.

Marcel: The Conducted mix compilation will be released at the beginning of November. My last 12" on Ostgut Ton has just been released and on MDR I will come up with a Wincent Kunth 12" beginning of December. In matters of new things for Deuce [with Shed] or with Ben I hope we can manage something next year.

With such a heavy touring schedule, when was the last time you enjoyed yourself in a club when you weren’t playing?

Ben: That barely happens. I enjoy myself in a club when I play. Work and joy is one thing for me.

Marcel: To be honest I love my job and I can't remember. I'm always on tour and playing every weekend, so when there is a free time slot which I could use for going out I prefer doing other things and spending time with my wife and our friends.

As the Blueprint records night moves ever closer, what can we expect from your 4-hour back to back set with Marcel?

Ben: We'll work our asses off to make it a good night for everyone. And of course expect some dubstep here and there in our set!

Marcel: Let us surprise you.

Bank Holiday Weekend Recommendations: Ostgut Ton @ Cable, WetYourSelf @ fabric

This weekend is the last Bank Holiday until Boxing Day and it'll probably turn out to be one of the busiest clubbing days of the year. Every venue across London will be trying to pull out all the stops to draw in the crowds, but there's only two events that have caught our attention.

I struggled to pick a favourite out of Ostgut Ton @ Cable and WetYourSelf @ fabric so we've simply started off with Ostgut because it's first. On Friday to be exact. After successful showcases at Corsica Studios and The Red Gallery they've now switched to one of our favourite London venues, Cable. Not only that, but for the first time they're bringing over our favourite Ostgut DJ, Marcel Dettmann. Joining him will be Marcel Fengler, Efdemin, Steffi and Ame.

Tickets are still available on Resident Advisor and you'll find all the rest of the details there too.

Finally, no Bank Holiday Sunday would be complete without a WetYourSelf special. We have very fond memories of the last one in May when Slash Dot Dash front man, XI, made his first appearance at fabric b2b with Chris Stanford and a selection of the Worlds very best techno artists in Room 2. And this commitment to great techno continues into August. Headlining Room 2 this time is possibly the current biggest name in techno, Chris Liebing. He'll be joined by another SDD favourite, Terence Fixmer, Kai Zen boss and upcoming London producer, Roberto and our good friend from the Candlelight Sessions, Billy Allen.

Also don't forget to head up to Room 3 at some point to check out Andy Bone. Those of you who came down to Public Life last month for our last party will remember what a great job he did on warm up duties and we expect the same on Sunday.

As always tickets are still available on Resident Advisor and there's plenty more info to be found

We Fear Silence pres. Blueprint Records @ Cable, London (16th July 11)

This Saturday it's the next Blueprint Records party @ Cable, hosted as ever by the in house team, We Fear Silence. The last couple of Blueprint parties have been totally insane. Line ups including Sandwell District, Luke Slater, Surgeon and of course James Ruskin.

This weekends event is just as huge as it's predecessors. Ruskin will be joined by Time To Express boss, Peter Van Hoesen (remember how good he was at fabric!), the man from Minneapolis, DVS1, the beardman himself, Mark Broom and our good friends MB & CB from Colony.

Tickets are available from Resident Advisor now otherwise it's more on the door. Check out the RA page for all the info.

This weekends top picks for London - Perc Launch Party, Unterton & RA X

This weekend is a busy one for techno in London. Here's a little round up of what we think is worth doing. First up, it's been a long time coming but Perc's debut album 'Wicker & Steel' is finally out. The launch party is Saturday night and features Perc Trax artists Forward Strategy Group and Truss.

Full info and tickets are available on Resident Advisor

After the success of the first Ostgut Ton showcase at Corsica Studios the two brands have joined up and announced a string of collaborative parties under the name 'Unterton'. Ben Klock leads the charge with the usual following of Berghain / Panoramabar residents behind him.

Tickets and full details of tonight's event can be found on Resident Advisor

Lastly it's a special night for Resident Advisor. 10 years old and Saturday sees the first of 10 parties around the world with this special 'X' concept. Each event has a secret headliner who has hand picked the rest of the line up. This is possibly the worlds best secret. No one knows who the 'X's are (or they've all been sworn to secrecy with the threat of death). The first party in London is looking extremely promising. Our March guest and Podcast contributer, 19.454.18.5.25.5.18, will be back in London for the first time since he played for us, and we can't wait.

Obviously Resident Advisor has all the details and ticket info.

Have a great clubbing weekend. No doubt we'll see you somewhere along the way!

We Fear Silence pres. Blueprint Records @ Cable (26th Mar 11)

If you're out and about in London on Saturday there's only 1 place for you to make plans for. The flyer pretty much tells you all you need to know. Some serious big techno heavyweights. For those of you who don't know too much about O/V/R, it's a live project from Ruskin and Sandwell Districts, Regis. Recently they performed live at Berghain and it went down an absolute stormer. Rumours have it that the whole Blueprint Klubnacht went on till 11pm Sunday!

The room 2 line up is also a strong one. Really excited to see how the ambient set from Sigha and Shifted goes down. I'm expecting it to be special.

Anyway there's still tickets available on Resident Advisor for a more than reasonable £10 (+bf) or you can pay on the door but it will cost you a few more quid.

Shed (Live) @ Wear Fear Silence, Cable (11th Sep 10)

Last Saturday we made our way down to SE1 for the latest in We Fear Silence's string of events at the South London superclub, Cable. A massive line up, including Surgeon, A Made Up Sound, Peverlist and more, was assembled to join Shed in the launch of his new Album 'The Traveller'.

I caught the end of his amazing set on the trusty iPhone for your viewing pleasure. The album is available in all good shops on CD and Vinyl and available digitally from the usual download sites. More info on Shed can be found on his Myspace Page