Slash Dot Dash Podcast 023: Jeff Derringer, plus an exclusive interview

Jeff Derringer is a producer, performer, event promoter and educator based in Chicago. He is the resident and creative director of the Oktave project, which puts on events in both Chicago and New York.

Jeff's first EP came out on New York's Subtrak Label in the summer of 2010. He has since released three EPs on renowned UK label Perc Trax and a collaboration with Droid Behavior's Raiz on Speedy J's Electric Deluxe.

The Oktave project was started by Jeff, and partner Kevin Gregor, in New York in 2009. November 2010 saw the first Oktave show in Chicago. Past guests include Function, Claro Intelecto, Traversable Wormhole, Cio D'or, Donato Dozzy, Silent Servant, Dasha Rush, Mike Parker, Lucy and many more.

We invited Jeff to become part of our ever growing Slash Dot Dash Podcast family and he was more than happy to get involved. The outcome is a tough, uncompromising combination of US and European techno sounds blended together with his indisputable technical ability.

You can subscribe to our podcast series in iTunes or you can download or stream the mix from the player below


Tracklisting

1) Recondite - Cleric [Dystopian]
2) Peter Van Hoesen - Attack On The Reality Principle (Sigha Remix) [Time To Express]
3) Luis Flores - Null [Blank Code]
4) Function - Modifyer [Ostgut Ton]
5) Jeff Derringer - Closer [Prosthetic Pressings]
6) Function - Reykjavik [Sandwell District]
7) Dino Sabatini and Donato Dozzy - Penelope [Outis Music]
8) Mike Parker - FWD (Donato Dozzy Remix) [Prologue]
9) Pfirter - Repeticion [Stroboscopic Artefacts]
10) NX1 - MR3 [M_Rec Ltd]
11) Oscar Mulero - Rotula (Truncate Remix) [Modularz]
12) Shifted - Over [Mote Evolver]
13) Gary Beck - Egoist [Electric Deluxe]
14) Raiz - Keep Secrets (Function and Jerome Sydenham Remix) [Droid Recordings]
15) Audio Injection - Null [Blank Code]
16) CH Signal Laboratories - Hypnotica Scale [Sandwell District]
17) Mike Parker - Lustration One (Khonsu) [Prologue]
18) Rødhåd - Spomeniks [Token]


As well as the mix, Jeff was kind enough to answer a few questions for us....

1) How has your summer been?

My summer has been productive and I even got to relax a little bit. I've been finishing some records and doing some mixes (yours included), and I've actually done a little remix work. I don't do very many remixes as I don't want to take too much time away from my original productions, but every once in a while it's nice to work on someone else's stuff

2) How has this mix been put together?

I perform in Ableton Live and Maschine. I always record a mix live, straight through, and then go back and listen to what I've done. If I like it, I will do some basic editing to make sure it can stand up to repeat listens. I try to keep it organic so it's not overtly a 'studio' mix. I'm a total perfectionist when it comes to music, but I do my best to back off of that when I'm doing a podcast mix - I want it to have as much of the improvisational, 'in the moment' feel as possible. So what you're hearing on this mix is a 60 minute recording that I performed in my studio, with minor edits for continuity. 

3) Next Month sees the 4th Anniversary of your Oktave parties. What have been your highlights since the project's inception?

There have been so many highlights at Oktave, it's hard to isolate just a few. I know that sounds very clichéd. One of the most exciting shows was the one we did in NYC with Cio D'or and Traversable Wormhole - we did that at National Underground, which is a very small space, and it was mobbed. It was almost dangerously crowded and it was in the summer, so very sweaty. There was a feeling in the place that the roof might cave in at any moment, so there was an urgency to the night that really made it stand out.

Last summer we had Chris Liebing at Smartbar in Chicago, and that show was very fun and electric. It was one of the first times in Chicago where I looked out at the crowd and thought, 'wow, they're starting to get it.' Chris was a gentleman and a great showman, and there was just a strong energy in the room that night. Lots of new Oktave fans from that show.

Most recently, we did a Perc Trax showcase in Detroit for the opening night of Movement. We had a really great turnout again, there was tremendous energy in the club (The Works). That was the first time we had done anything at Movement, so there were some nerves going on. Would it work? It worked. Great line up, great people, a really nice kick off to a big weekend of techno.

4) You started Oktave in New York but have since migrated to Chicago. Why the change of location and what have the implications of that change been?

We started Oktave in October of 2009. At that point, I had been living in New York for nearly 17 years. I love New York and always will, but after that much time I was starting to get burned out. I'm a Midwesterner at heart. The timing wasn't ideal, but the spring of 2010 I decided to leave and go back to Chicago (my hometown).

Initially I thought about stopping Oktave, as we of course had the growing pains of any event series and had lost money on some early, more ambitious shows. But then I reconsidered the situation and decided that perhaps there was an opportunity to bring our sound to Chicago. There are a lot of great techno events in New York highlighting the artists that represent the Oktave sound, but no such event was happening in Chicago. So I moved in July 2010, and we had our first event at Smartbar in November of that year.

In 2011 and 2012, we did events in both cities. This was exciting but very difficult to maintain, as the costs of my travel to New York were prohibitive, and it was difficult for me to stay on top of things with everything else I have going on. In 2013 we've focused exclusively on Chicago, as the techno scene here has a much greater need for what we do. This is not to say that Oktave is finished in New York, but I guess right now we're just taking an NYC hiatus.

5) You teach audio production in Chicago. What's that like?

Soon after I moved back to Chicago, I started teaching audio production at Columbia College Chicago, a great Arts school in the South Loop. I currently teach a curriculum that focuses heavily on club music production. We focus on Maschine and Ableton Live, as well as the mixing and finishing process, which gets us into Logic. In the Intro class, we also look at the history of dance music, including Northern Soul, Dub, Disco, Garage, Hip Hop, House, Techno and beyond.

Teaching is very gratifying and a great compliment to what I do as a producer, performer and event curator. The kids are all excited about the production process and they're hungry to learn. I don't think there's too many opportunities for the students to get this type of class outside of the college, so they value the time they spend with me. As a teacher, that's a luxury and it makes teaching really really easy. Give me kids who are interested and looking to absorb as much information as possible - they're a pleasure to teach.

6) You mentioned that you perform in Ableton and Maschine. Is this the same software you use to produce? What's your production process like? Lastly, what do you have coming up as far as releases are concerned?

Yes, I produce in Ableton and Maschine, and I do my mixdowns and finishing in Logic. I mentioned I'm a perfectionist - this comes to fruition during my studio sessions. As far as production goes, I'm probably on the slower side of the spectrum. I take my time with tracks and I don't like to rush through the process. This slows down my release output and perhaps slows down my overall career, but I'm happy to be patient. If I am working on a two or three track EP, I will likely put together 20 or more ideas, and eliminate many of them before they get to the mixdown stage. I work faster when i have a deadline, but generally I like to take my time and live with a track for a while before considering it a finished product.

I see some producers pumping a lot of material, with a remix or an EP hitting the market every month or so. While this works for some, I'm not a fan of that strategy. When I was growing up, my favourite artists put out a new record every couple of years or so. I realize that things are much faster paced now and  you can't really sustain a career, especially in techno, putting out material every two years. However, I like for an artist's work to feel special, like they spent time on it. I carry that same philosophy over to my own productions.

That said, I do have some new stuff coming out that I'm excited about. Later this year I will release an EP on Prosthetic Pressings. I'm happy about that because I've been collaborating with Prosthetic Pressings on events in Chicago, and it makes a lot of sense to put out a new record with them. PP is also Chicago based, which makes it all the more special for me. My relationship with Presthetic and their main man Sean Sanders has been instrumental in establishing Oktave in Chicago.

After that, I will release my second EP on Electric Deluxe, Speedy J's excellent label based in Holland. I've been a huge EDLX fan from the beginning, and having the opportunity to put out my music with them is humbling and gratifying. I love their design aesthetic and their roster, and I play a lot of their music in my sets. I feel like that's important. Also having a legend like Jochem support and release my work is beyond all my expectations, to be honest. In April, Jochem brought me to Berghain to be a part of the EDLX showcase, which was my first European gig. Obviously, I'm very fortunate to be given those kinds of opportunities.




We'd like to thank Jeff for taking the time out to put this mix together for us and allowing to have an insight into the history or Oktave and his own personal journey. More info on Jeff can be found via his Facebook Fan Page. If you're in Chicago and want to catch him perform live, you can do so at next weekend's Oktave party, at the Smartbar, where he's joined by techno legend, Luke Slater.

For the rest of our podcasts, please head over to the Podcast Page on our website

Mix Of The Day: Surgeon - Rinse FM (5th Aug 13)

On Wednesday UK techno legend, Surgeon, started his monthly show on former pirate radio station, now legal, Rinse FM. He kicks things of with his usual blend of cutting edge fresh beats and techno classics that all sit perfectly together to serve up a mix full of industrial aggression and expansive soundscapes.

You can download or stream the mix from the Soundcloud player below



Tracklisting

1) Bee Mask - The Story Of Keys And Locks (Surgeon Remix)
2) Voices From The Lake - Reptilicus [Geophone]
3) Sleeparchive - C Version [Downwards]
4) Perseus Traxx - Poseidon's Monster [M>O>S>]
5) Jake Conlon - Dancia [Decoy]
6) J Tijn - Fucklebucks [Pennyroyal]
7) Dot Out - Light [Gate]
8) Qoso - Hard On The Boulevard [In Paradisum]
9) Truss - Redbrook [Prime Numbers]
10) Tomohiko Sagae - Endurance [Authentic Pew]
11) Conforce - Last Anthem [Delsin]
12) Delta Funktionen - And If You Know (Karenn Remix) [Delsin]
13) Perseus Traxx - Gorgon [M>O>S>]
14) Invincible Scum - Scumrush Part 1 [Power Vacuum]
15) The Third Man - Intro Sleep It Off [EPM]
16) LFO - Squeaky [Warp]
17) Phase - Morodem (Ben Sims Remix 1) [Token]
18) Phase - Morodem (Ben Sims Remix 2) [Token]
19) Jeff Mills - Gamma Player [Axis]
20) Jeff Mills - Mercury [Axis]
21) Paris Mitchell - Computer [Dance Mania]
22) Neil Landstrumm - Home Delivery [Peacefrog]
32) Infiniti - Game One [Metroplex]

If this mix has inspired you to seek out Surgeon performing live, and you happen to be in London on Saturday, you're in luck. Because whilst fabric's Room 1 will be hosting the CD launch party for Cassy's new addition to the nightclub's compilation series, Room 2 will be full of the sounds of Birmingham.

Unfortunately Terry Francis is unable to be at the event, but luckily for us, what this means is DJ Skirt and Surgeon will play extended sets to make up the time. Tickets are available from the fabric website

Concrete Fence - New Release (1) [Pan 39]

Concrete Fence is the collaboration of two true pioneers, Karl O'Conner (his work as part of British Murder Boys, Sandwell District, or on his own as Regis and of course his legendary label Downwards, has made him one of the key figures in the development of UK techno for the last 20 something years) and Russell Haswell (a conceptual artist who specialises in extreme computer music and audio visual installations).

The act first hit our consciousness when they debuted the live show at Corsica Studios last October. The question we've been asking ourselves ever since, will there be anything released, has finally been answered as 'New Release (1)' is soon to hit the stores care of Pan Records.

The EP comprises of 3 tracks. 'Industrial Disease' has the hallmarks of O'Conner's recent work. When combined with Haswell's love for noises from the realm of the obscure, it creates a masterpiece of experimental techno. 'Caulk' hums at you like a giant industrial demon whilst percussion echos all around before it's very matter destabilises and breaks down before your very eyes. 'The Unabridged Truth' takes on a 4/4 format and almost acts as a middle ground between the previous two and stands out as the more 'dancefloor friendly' portion of the release.

Check out the 'Industrial Disease' below.


The EP is due for release at the end of August. More info can be found on the Pan Records Website

Slash Dot Dash Podcast 022: Mikkel Metal

Mikkel Metal, aka Mikkel Meldgaard, born 1973, lives and works in Copenhagen. Completing a degree in Philosophy at the University of Coepnhagen in 2001, he now works as a teacher at KEA on an e-concept development program, besides making music.

His musical career started in the early nineties as a guitarist. Equally interested in the introspective sound of the British shoe gazer scene and the looser low-fi aesthetic of American slacker bands, he playing in various bands and developed as a guitarist.

By the mid-nineties he had grown an interest in electronic music, and bought a sampler. At first the focus laid on break beat music and melodic stuff. Later the direction changed towards a sound inspired by dub, techno and click sensibilities. While the indierock is still apparent, this is the sound that characterised Mikkel's music today.

Things kicked off in 2000, with the release of a 7-inch on the label Hal9000, that topped the de:bug's monthly chart (no. 42). Afterwards came an appearance on the net label Datamusik, and a series of 12 inches on the Danish label Echocord.

Mikkel developed and refined his sound, and also started issuing work to German label Kompakt. So far this has thrown off three 12 inches. These works still continuing click aesthetics and dub influence, but take a slightly different path, and go from shuffle techno to slow melodic 4/4 based tracks. Around 2010 his sound has showed an inspiration from more Detroit based sounds, as heard on his 'Pamon 403' EP on Echocord.

For our 22nd podcast Mikkel created a blissful dub infused soundscape, intertwining subtle grooves with elegant rhythms to transport you into the world of dub techno as seen through the eyes of the Danish producer.

You can subscribe to our podcast series in iTunes or you can download or stream the mix from the soundcloud player below.


Tracklisting

1) Boards of Canada - Transmisiones Ferox [Warp Records]
2) Moritz Von Oswald Trio - Blue [Honest Jons]
3) Valenx - Daughters Of The Everfire (Yves De May Remix) [Sonuos]
4) Mikkel Metal - Fubre [Echocord Colour]
5) Marcel Dettmann - Places Like This [Ostgut Ton]
6) Echologist - Buzz Factory [Echocord Colour]
7) Rhythm And Sound - Poor People Must Work (Carl Craig Remix) [Burial Mix]
8) Equalized - 004 [Equalized]
9) Radio Slave - Tantakatan (The Drunken Shed Mix) [Rekids]
10) Tony Blunt - Retrospective (Mikkel Metal Remix) [DPress Industries]
11) Morphosis - Too Far (Marcel Dettmann Definition 2) [Delsin]
12) Levon Vincent - Pivotal Moments In Life [Novel Sound]
13) Martyn - Bad Chicago [Nonplus Records]
14) DJ Koze - Mariposa [Kompakt]
15) Boards of Canada - Semena Mertvykh [Warp Records]

More info on Mikkel's release and upcoming DJ gigs can be found via his Facebook Fan Page

Slash Dot Dash Podcast 021: Kontort

Kontort is the production alias of London based Andrew Wright. His passion for underground music is evident in everything he does. As a DJ, under the name of XI, he's spent the last 8 years building a name for himself across the UK's capital, which has seem him perform at the very best venues for a number of London's best promotions.

The last few years have seen him dedicate his time to a small number of projects. Firstly launching his own promotion, Slash Dot Dash. After a number of events, taking in some of the worlds best techno acts, the brand was expanded to include a successful podcast series and an informative blog.

The final step for him was to make his move into production, and the Kontort project was born. Using a combination of vintage analog hardware and modern day software, his roots are based firmly in old school techno virtues, but integrating it with modern software allows him to keep his sights set firmly forward.

In 2011 he finally got recognised for his work when he was signed to Italian label, Toffler Music, and had 3 tracks released as part of the Various Artists compilation CD, entitled 'From The Grave' and then two more coming as part of 'The Brave' the following year. In the studio he continues to conduct sonic experiments and more music will be surfacing soon.

For our 21st edition of the Slash Dot Dash Podcast Kontort ventures into the dark underbelly of techno, bringing together the minimalistic ideals of Detroit and the hypnotic warblings of Berlin to supply you with an hour long expedition of twisted beats and rhythms.

You can subscribe to our podcast series in iTunes or you can download or stream the mix from the Soundcloud player below

Tracklisting

1) SS/S - Siglo 1 [Jealous God]

2) Kontort - Conservation [Unreleased]

3) Mike Parker - Lustrations One (Khonsu) [Prologue]

4) Lakker - Nevada [Stroboscopic Artefacts]

5) Recondite - Cleric [Dystopian]

6) Subjected - Vault101 [Vault Series]

7) Ventress - Typhon (Svreca Remix) [Edit Select]

8) Markus Suckut - Strength (Rod Remix One) [Sckt]

9) Reboot - Rhomb [Modularz]

10) Minilogue - Clouds And Water (Rrose Remix) [Enemy Records]

11) Rødhåd - Spomeniks [Token]

12) Pär Grindvik - Planets [A&S / Stockholm Ltd]

13) Traversable Wormhole - Universal Time (Dasha Rush Remix) [Traversable Wormhole]

14) Kontort - Secret Listeners [Unreleased]

More information on Kontort can be found on his Facebook Fan Page or you can check out his studio jam videos on his YouTube Channel

Mix Of The Day: XLR8R Podcast 302 - Marcel Dettmann

For our first Mix Of The Day of July we head to Berlin and to one of our very favourite DJ / Producers, as Marcel Dettmann compiles and mixes XLR8R's 302nd Podcast. As you would expect it features the usual amalgamation of Detroit and Berlin techno in all it's styles as he effortlessly traverses his way through stripped down to deep and back straight up dancefloor annihilators, before rounding out with the stuttery experiment work out of Other Lives' 'Tamer Animals' by Atoms For Peace. As a prelude to 'Tamer Animals' you'll the find a track off the new EP by Anthony Parasole which is forthcoming on Dettmann's own MDR imprint.

You can download the mix from the following link

Uploaded.net

Tracklisting

1) Black Deer - Chief Big Thumb [Unreleased]
2) Floorplan - Let's Ride [M-Plant]
3) I - Percussion Overdose [Pod Communication]
4) Unknown - A Side (From TFE XX 01) [TFE XX]
5) DJ Qu - Liquid Beats [Strength Music]
6) XDB - Frocks [Sistrum]
7) Baby Ford - Normal (Is It Normal? Club Mix) [Rephlex]
8) Container - Application (MD Edit) [Spectrum Spools]
9) Vedomir - Music Suprematism (Marcel Dettmann Remix) [Dekmantel]
10) Alex Cortex - Aitiai Part 1 [Source]
11) Marvin Dash - B2 (From The Uncut EP) [Force Inc. US]
12) Anthony Parasole - Off The Grid [Marcel Dettmann Records]
13) Other Lives - Tamer Animals (Atoms For Peace Remix) [50 Weapons]

If you want to catch Marcel Dettmann in the flesh, at the weekend he'll be in Ibiza (RA) tomorrow and France (RA) on Saturday. The weekend after he'll be found at T in The Park, b2b with Ben Klock, on Sunday as well as performing at his home club, Berghain, on the same day (don't ask us in which order, we really don't know). More info on Marcel can be found via his Facebook Fan Page

Slash Dot Dash Podcast 020: Northern Structures

For our 20th podcast we feature our first live set from two rising stars of techno. Northern Structures, Troels Baunbæk-Knudsen and Lasse Buhl, is a Copenhagen techno based duo focusing on organic and industrial inspired electronic music. Their debut on the label of Adam X, Sonic Groove, hit the techno scene hard in early 2011. The “Self Similarity EP” was played- and charted by DJ’s such as Regis, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Tommy Four Seven, Chris Liebing, Rolando, Xhin and Milton Bradley etc.

Shortly after the first 12” was released, Northern Structures performed their first liveset; powerful and hands-on techno, heavily influenced by the guys’ individual backgrounds in everything from house over dubtechno to drum’n'bass. Very diverse and yet focused, constantly changing and with no standard tracklist every set is unique. Their second release, the “Service and Devotion EP” on Sonic Groove, also received a lot of positive exposure, making 2011 a very successful year and Northern Structures continue their no-compromise approach to music in 2013.

The mix displays everything that's making them feature across many dancefloors worldwide. Powerful kicks, eerie submersed drones, metallic industrial hits and oscillating crescendos expertly combined to produce an hour of unrelenting techno weaponry.

You can subscribe to our podcast series in iTunes or you can download or stream the mix from the Soundcloud player below

For more info on Northern Structures, head over to their Facebook Fan Page. If you happen to be in Berlin at the end of the month you can catch Northern Structures alongside a whole load of techno talent at Magdelena. More info on Resident Advisor.