Slash Dot Dash Podcast 026: Felix K

After the huge success of our celebratory 25th edition, we're not ones to rest on our laurels. So naturally following 25 comes 26. We stay in the same city as we move from a British ex-pat now living in Berlin to a Berlin native in the shape of Felix K.

Felix K is a DJ and Producer from Berlin and the visionary behind the labels '0000', 'Hidden Hawaii', 'Gilga', 'QNS', 'Sub' and 'Solaris Series'. His DJ career goes all the way back to 1997, when he started as a DnB DJ. 2007 turned out to be the year he stopped collecting DnB records in favour of Techno and House.

Although you can certainly recognise an immense inter text of inspirations that spans from music and movies to art and architecture, Felix's production output is hard to pinpoint to any specific musical genre. When listening to his music, out's hard not to appreciate the way he filters his inspirational input into unique moody and dubby music.

In 2012 he joined of the most exciting collectives of recent times, as he became part of the now infamous Dystopian booking agency. He's since performed at the likes of Berghain and Corsica Studios as well as a small tour of Japan last month. In 2013 his debut album, 'Flowers Of Destruction' was released though his Hidden Hawaii label and met with worldwide critical acclaim. Spanning the realms of techno, DnB and ambient experimentalism, the whole piece was a homage to Felix's wealth of highly varied inspiration.

Felix's abilities as a producer, and the aspects that make his music of such interest, transpose directly into his DJ sets. All the subtle intricacies, the attention to detail and the full force of deep hypnotic techno are there to be absorbed and admired, as he transports you into an intense world of encapsulating rhythms, removing you from a place of cease and comfort and dropping you into a sparse slowly evolving landscape. Unable to break the lock it has over your attention, you have no choice but to allow it to consume you and, come the end, you feel nothing but reward for doing so.

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


More info on Felix K can be found via his Facebook Fan Page. For the rest of the podcasts please head over to the podcast page on our Website.

Slash Dot Dash Podcast 025: Rebekah

We're all feeling rather proud this month, as what began three years ago is now all grown up and this month we celebrate reaching our 25th Slash Dot Dash Podcast. We've featured some amazing artists from around the world spanning the techno spectrum, from the lushest dub right through to intense industrialism, and everywhere in between.

So to mark the occasion, we welcome our first female DJ and a long time friend of SDD, the Berlin based, British born, First Lady of Birmingham Techno, Rebekah.

Rebekah is one of the up and coming artists in today's world of electronic music who has made a lasting impression on some of the biggest players in the scene. Her passion is burning bright for techno, inspired by Dave Clarke, Derrick Carter, Richie Hawtin and Billy Nasty in her teens at the legendary Que Club in Birmingham.

She is currently playing at some of the most happening clubs and festivals world-wide, such as Berghain, Tresor, fabric, Atomic Jam, Studio 80, Cocoon Club, Cocrico, Guendalina, Forsage, About Blank, Tomorrowland, Awakenings and Exit. Her residency for the Eclectricity events in Birmingham has seen her play for Cocoon parties alongside Sven Vath, Dubfire, Loco Dice, Marco Carola and Luciano. Rebekah has also become a regular feature at Global Gathering warming up in the Circo Loco, Cocoon and M-nus arenas consecutively, the latter being one of the standout sets of 2010 for the whole of the festivals.

In spite of her busy tour schedule Rebekah also manages to make time to develop and manifest her personal vision of modern techno. Finding her own creative flair within the studio she is currently working with concepts, sounds, feelings, energy, art and everything else that inspires her on a deep level. She is a prolific producer and has remixes and singles on renowned labels like Cult Figures, Naked Lunch, Coincidence, 8 Sided Dice and Stolen Moments.

In a world where promo reactions count for nothing, Rebekah's recent tracks have been road tested by none other than Richie Hawtin himself. Flirting with Death has been found in his sets in the past year, along with her remix of Matador's Blond Slackers on Stolen Moments, which has been played out by Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer, Perc, Dustin Zahn, Tommy Four Seven, Alan Fitzpatrick and Sandwell District. It has been banged out at countless clubs, festivals and podcasts, has made it to the Beatport Charts and has been cited as her biggest production to date.

In June 2012 Chris Liebing invited Rebekah to record a mix for the infamous CLR Podcast series, cementing her position as a highly promising artist within the techno world. After recently joining the CLR artist booking agency, she will soon release one of her tracks on a forthcoming Various Artists EP on CLR as an introduction to the label.

Apart from gaining the respect of many of her credible techno peers, also established brands have recognised her efforts and have approached her for sponsorship deals. Consequently Rebekah has joined the alai Pro artist family where she has developed her live set using Akai's APC40 and she proudly holds a sponsorship by DC Clothing.

The future definitely is bright and the dairy packed for this little lady of techno. Anyone that has seen her play out live knows first hand that there are no gimmicks or clichés about this Producer / DJ, just unadulterated raw talent and a passion for the music she plays.

The mix is everything you'd expect from Rebekah, and so much more. When her passion for techno is put in the same ring as her expert technical knowledge the result is nothing short of a heavyweight encounter. Layers of ever increasing intensity, jacking grooves, futuristic premonitions and straight up dance floor bombs let you know just why she's one of the UK's most in demand techno DJs around.

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


Tracklisting

1) Divvorce - Wander 7 [Fifth Wall]
2) Samuli Kemppi - Extragalactic [MRec]
3) Mørbeck - Hoodia [Mechanism Industries]
4) O/V/R - Fallen Night Review [Blueprint]
5) Peter Van Hoesen - Force Withdrawn [Tresor]
6) Killawatt - Reactive Technique [Osiris Morgen]
7) Kwartz - Collapse Process [Sonntag Morgen]
8) Manni Dee - The Saints Smile Shyly [Black Sun]
9) #4.26. - Together [Frozen Border]
10) CTRLS - Modular Framework [Token]
11) Dualit - Martian [Mindcut]
12) Lakker - eeAea [Stroboscopic Artefacts]
13) Corax - Danaan [Rodz-Konez]
14) A Vision Of Love - Hate 2/6 [Avian]
15) Manni Dee - First & The Seventh [Black Sun]
16) Deflecting - Panic [Techno Gipsy]
17) Peter Van Hoesen - Assembly [Tresor]
18) Kwartz - Magnetism [LCR]
19) Paul Birken - Funnel Fiends [Mord]
20) AX&P - Coulomb [Ampere&Ohm]
21) Barker & Baumecker - Crows [Ostgut Ton]

Thanks again to Rebekah for putting together this incredible mix for us and thanks to all the previous guests which have helped to build a series that we're so very proud off. We salute you all.

More info on Rebekah can be found on her Facebook Fan Page. You'll be able to find all the info on her upcoming dates and releases as well as news of her label, Decoy Records.

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

#.19.21.3.11.21.20 [HG015]

In a sea of mystery artists and secret projects, Horizontal Ground stand out head and shoulders above most. A collection of artists with IP address style names assigned to them alongside some of techno's emerging stars. AnD, Skirt, Samuel Kerridge, Szare and Monica Hits the Ground have been thrown into the pot with our previous guest and podcaster, 194.454.18.5.24.5.18 as well as 19.26.1.18.5.

The 15th release on the imprint comes from a new face, well name, #19.21.3.11.21.20. Three tracks of dark techno is the outcome. A1 comes with a powerful marauding bass and shattering percussion. B1 nods your head with it's metronome like clicks and effects whilst B2 heads back to the dancefloor with it's ever evolving synth lines.


Expect to see the release in the shops by the end of this week, but don't hang about because these vinyl only releases are normally limited in numbers. You can pre order your copy on the ReadyMade Website

Sawlin & Subjected - Foreign Awake Part 1 [EDLX.033]

Sawlin & Subjected are two artists that have burrowed their way through the Berlin undergrowth and now the word is spreading far and wide. As two thirds of the three part collective (with Mørbeck), named Vault Series, they've been making bold statements in the techno world through a practically faceless, unhyped approach. Letting their thunderous, post apocalyptic manifestations lead the way to the wider audience rather than using PR and marketing.

It's these heavyweight outings that have caught the attention of Speedy J and prompted him to commission a two part EP for his Electric Deluxe label. The first EP, 'Foreign Awake Part 1', features three tracks from the duo. The EP begins with 'Texture 3', a dark expanse of swarming bass topped with unnerving reverbed bells. 'Texture 4' hits you like an instant slug to the head as it's heavy distorted kicks force you to sit up and take notice. The EP finishes with 'Texture 2'. A slower, but by no means, lesser impact. The kick fires at you with a deliberateness that focuses your mind, whilst frequencies scurry around your feet, like insects, upsetting your sense of calm.

Check out the EP from the Soundcloud player below


The release will hit the shops in the not too distant future so keep an eye out for that. More information on the artists can be found via their Facebook Fan Pages, Sawlin and Subjected and while you're at it don't forget the Electric Deluxe Fan Page.

If you want to catch the pair performing live, you can do so this weekend at the Electric Deluxe ADE special on Saturday alongside the likes of DVS1, Lucy, ROD and of course Speedy J. Full event info can be found on the ADE Website

Slash Dot Dash Podcast 024: Stefan Gubatz

Stefan Gubatz is an electronic music producer living in Cologne / Germany. After a few years experimenting with lots of different styles he found a home at the newly founded Traum Schallplatten sub label, Telrae, where he released a couple of 10 Inches, mostly dub techno oriented. His debut LP 'Distanz', which went even deeper into wide atmospheric soundscapes was released in late 2012, accompanied by two 'reworks' of his album on 10".

While becoming older and even lazier than before (as he claims), Stefan is always looking for new frontiers in sound, not only concentrating on dub techno but trying out new styles and experiments.

For our 24th Podcast Stefan has compiled music, new and old, to transport you into a world of downtempo experimental sounds that drift you through distorted clicks, saturated synth patterns and heady intense beats. This is by far our most out there mix, designed for home listening rather than warming you up for a big night out, as Stefan demonstrates his ability to manipulate your emotions of state of mind with every passing moment.

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

Tracklisting

1) Harmonic 313 - Music Substitute System [Warp]

2) Kraftwerk - Geiger Counter [Capitol Productions]

3) nsi. - Risset [Non Standard Productions]

4) Kadrage - Circle Machine's Circle [Viva Hate Records]

5) Kraftwerk - News [Capitol Records]

6) Farben - Raute [Mille Plateaux]

7) Jeff Milligan - Convenience Store [Poker Flat Recordings]

8) Atom TM - Ich Bin Meine Maschine [Raster-Noton]

9) Plastikman - Plastique [Novamute]

10) Niederflur - Drehbrücke [Minus]

11) Jackmate - Shark Bait [Authentic Music]

12) Alec Empire - 22:24 [Geist]

13) Stefan Gubatz - Still Untitled

14) Jette Von Roth - Das Gefühl des Werdens [Roter Punkt]

We'd like to extend our gratitude to Stefan for putting together this wonderful mix for our series. If you'd like to know more about him then check out his Facebook Fan Page and if you're a fan of analog hardware we'd strongly recommend you check out his Youtube Page we're he invites you into his studio to experience his live abilities.

As for the rest of our podcasts, to find them, please head over to the Podcast Page on our website

Mix Of The Day: Vatican Shadow fabric Promo Mix (Sep 13)

Vatican Shadow provides us with our Mix Of The Day as he puts a selection of music together for the fabric blog. Chopped full of music you've never heard of before with a sprinkling of a few bits that you would of he produces a mix unlike many you'll ever hear (unless it's another of one his?). There's not much to say other than check it out with the soundcloud player below, and make up your own mind.


Tracklisting

1) Kevorkian Death Cycle - Water [Ras Dva Records]
2) Fuse - Substance Abuse [Plus 8]
3) Traversable Wormhole - Universal Time [Traversable Wormhole]
4) Leather Strip - Dreaming (Two Demo 1982) [Alfa Matrix]
5) Strom.ec - Ylösnousemus
6) James Ruskin - If [Tresor]
7) Vatican Shadow - Peace Rage [Hospital Productions]
8) Franco Battiato - L'era Del Cinghiale Bianco [EMI]
9) Ninos Du Brasil - Ciencias Ocultas [La Tempesta International]
10) Lussuria - Keys To Unlock Paradise (Roman Showers) [Hospital Productions]
11) Goblin - Suspiria (Main Title)
12) Sandwell District - Falling The Same Way (Regis Mix) [Sandwell District]
13) Moulder Machine feat Atrax Morgue - Music For Dead Brains
14) Purient - You Show Great Spirit [Blackest Ever Black]

As well as the mix, Vatican Shadow has been extremely generous and produced a new track exclusively for the fabric blog also.

Of course, all this activity isn't for nothing, because on Saturday Vatican Shadow stands shoulder to shoulder in Room 2 with Regis and Untold for what is undoubtedly one of Room 2's most exciting and expansive line ups of the year. Tickets are available from the fabric website

If that's not enough for you, or you just can't wait till Saturday night to see him perform live, the best we can offer you if the Boiler Room London show airing tonight at 8pm. Supported by Cut Hands, Conor Thomas and Russell Haswell, it'll be a night for the experimentalists and one that we can't wait to experience.

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