On the continent of electronic music, Johannes Paluka has travelled far and wide, collapsing musical boundaries with enviable ease. Under the moniker of Iron Curtis, the Berlin-based creates his complex, hauntingly beautiful productions from a range of eclectic styles and influences. Be it House, Acid or soulful Techno – his sound moves in the equilibrium of reduced, but never minimal. Flashes of kitsch brighten the dark universe of Iron Curtis but fail to interfere with the melancholy subtext. As far as leftfield electronic music is concerned and as long as he sees a chance to break a few genre rules here or there, Iron Curtis is brimming with ideas. all photos courtesy of • Kai von Kotze | http://kaivonkotze.de/ • Jesse Pollock | www.unpiano.com • Chris Fladung | theuniverseisnotaboutyou.tumblr.com/ • Herr Müller | http://www.dicey-studios.com/

Iron Curtis

Afrikan Sciences is one of the most expansive and intensive musical torch bearers of modern experimental techno and jazz. A self taught multi-instrumentalist and a true outsider, he challenges the canon and the limitations of musical expression through his complex yet mind opening rhythmical and sonic woven formations. Porter's repertoir covers possibly an entire spectrum of music yet defies the constraints of categorisation which sets him apart from other contemporaries. Listening to African Sciences we're entering a Universe in itself, full of Intrigue and Inspiration. At the dawn of the Age of transhumanism one of the matters to consider is the concept of Man vs Machine and the balance between manmade and digitally facilitated. There is a clear sense of human centred approach in AfSci's output, with an emphasis on improvisation, fluidity, exploration and development. It is a sound for the acquired taste yet not exclusive. His live performances resonate through the audience leaving them enthralled, hypnotised, enriched. Triumphing over the analog with productions and performances with a truly organic feel.

Afrikan Sciences

In 1998 he got involved with promoting electro events in London and soon after started writing music as Plant43. His first vinyl release came in 2006 on the much-missed Ai Records. Several 12’s and the well-received “Burning Decay” album in 2010 alongside other releases on Semantica Records, AC Records (acidlab.de), Bleep43 Recordings and Cultivated Electronics have highlighted his singular and ambiguous style of sinewy electro that draws deep from the influence of Drexciya. Emile is also graphic designer and co-founder of bleep43.com, which is dedicated to promoting and reviewing electronic music. Since 2003, the London based Bleep43 parties have seen him play live alongside such acts as ERP, DJ Stingray, Surgeon, $tinkworx, Microthol, Urban Tribe and many more.

Plant43

Javonntte has been producing music and DJing since the early ’90s. Having had a love for music since he was a child growing up, he turned himself into an independent singer, songwriter, producer and even a dancer, where he once toured with Aretha Franklin’s troupe. Having collaborated with legendary producers Blake Baxter, Amp Fiddler and Andres in his formative years, Garrett has since spread his wings as a solo producer, with a steady string of releases on such labels as Traxx Underground, Quintessentials and Kai Alce’s NDATL to name a few.

Javonntte

Bottin (Guglielmo Bottin, 1977) is producer, dj and sound designer based in Venice, Italy Bottin makes music only an Italian can make... probably Take a youth spent against a background of old Italian Giallo soundtracks, add in late 70s Italian disco influences, a touch of free and easy west-coast vibe and a smattering of kitsch. That just about half describes Bottin. Bottin’s seminal releases include “Fondamente Nove” on Eskimo Records (2008) and “No Static” for American label Italians Do It Better (2009). Bottin soon moved to the forefront of the contemporary disco scene with his concept album 'Horror Disco” on Bearfunk Records UK, which garnered critical praise for its dashing display of all of Italo’s delights without the pastiche. The album’s title may conjure up images of a Goblin inspired trip through Dario Argento horror movie nostalgia, but in actuality it is filled with thick, Moroder-esque basslines that inspire dancing rather than dread. Horror Disco has sold out 2 cd editions and is currently been repressed in a double-LP special collector's edition. in 2010 Bottin is back on Eskimo Recordings with Galli/Piazza Venezia (produced together with Rodion) in which the signature italo-disco approach gradually blends into a housed-up dancefloor anthem. Shortly after, Nang Records releases “Discoursive Diversions”, a collection of remixes by Bottin for artists like Lindstrom, In Flagranti, Tosca and many more. 2011 saw the release of the Discocracy single on Eskimo Recordings (followed by the Discocracy Revisited remix EP) as well as Aztaro, a collaboration between Bottin, Justus Köhncke and Rusty Egan of Visage. With an exhaustive touring schedule covering over 20 countries and 4 continents, from North America to Australia, Brazil to Hong Kong, from Europe's best underground parties to cult events like We Love Space in Ibiza, Bottin’s reputation as both producer and DJ is a steadily growing force to be reckoned with. His sets are an unpredictable journey into space disco, italo rarities, and deep funk. A reckless blend of retro-futuristic sounds and contemporary electronica that always sets the dance floor on fire. When it comes to nu disco, Italians don't necessarily do it better. But William Bottin makes a pretty good case (Pitchfork) William Bottin is one of the finest purveyors of electronic disco around at the moment (Vice Magazine) A comic sensibility breathes from your melodies of Bottin's Horror Disco. Based in Venice, Bottin has a closer understanding of the links between Italo disco and giallo soundtracks than most. (San Francisco Bay Guardian)

Bottin

Nobu is something of a cult figure for those who know with decades of experience, all of which are distilled at his acclaimed party ‘Future Terror’, his label ‘Bitta’ and his few choice production outings. All of this has slowly but surely turned Nobu from being one of Japan’s, to one of the world’s most in demand selectors who is famously flexible and ever evolving.

DJ Nobu

Overmono were on a roll before lockdown. As the top YouTube comment for their Joy Orbison collaboration track ‘Bromley’ put it, “so this is the track that was on every 5 minutes at Warehouse Project. ”That track and the duo’s own ‘Le Tigre’ were played out constantly by the likes of Four Tet and Ben UFO, the former also hiring the duo to remix his track ‘Teenage Birdsong’. Then there are their edits. Thom Yorke was so impressed by the duo’s versions of ‘Not The News’that he let them release the tracks on their own Polykicks label. Add to that their cheeky version of Rosalia –‘A Palé’,which caught the ear and the eye of the respected flamenco artist, as well as being a highlight of their live performances pre-lockdown. Then the world abruptly stopped, all their forthcoming gigs were cancelled and suddenly Overmono were able to fully commit their energy to their legendary Bromley studio. It’s was during this time that the duo feel they’ve been able to realise exactly what Overmono’s music should be. “Our work together had so far been about exploring and defining what Overmono is... and we feel like we’ve got this now”.

Overmono

She released her debut album 'Significant Changes' on Ninja Tune in March 2019. Her debut LP is a blend of vintage drum machine funk drawing heavily on Chicago's house blueprint - a natural progression following a string of EPs both solo and alongside friend DJ Fett Burger on their jointly run (until 2018) Freakout Cult label, alongside releases on 1080p and Swedish label Geography Records, including 2018’s standout single “Diva Bitch”. She also remixed Little Dragon’s track 'Lover Chanting’. Renowned for her high-energy performances as a DJ - Jayda G has played all over the world, including a renowned Boiler Room set at Dekmantel in 2017 and since then many festivals including Glastonbury, Melt!, Night + Day Bilbao plus nights for Rhythm Section, The Hydra, Warehouse Project and many more. In 2018 she completed her Masters in Resource and Environmental Management specialising in environmental toxicology, wherein she investigated the effects of human activity on the Salish Sea killer whales of Vancouver, in her native British Columbia. It was also the year that she finished recording her debut album. Jayda released her EP “Both Of US / Are You Down” in July 2020, which was subsequently nominated for the 2021 GRAMMY Award for 'Best Dance Recording'. It’s no surprise, then, that Jayda G’s DJ-Kicks mix, releasing on 14 May 2021, captures the buoyant spirit of the music that has influenced her most. Sitting at the centre is her new single 'All I Need'.

Jayda G

Belgium’s Peter Van Hoesen is considered as one of techno’s tastemakers but never has been that typical techno artist. Peter is someone who sculpts sounds for many different environments - the club, the home, the gallery or even the museum. He does so with a true sense of personality. On his own label Time to Express he releases textural compositions and he also records to great acclaim as Sendai alongside Yves De Mey. In performance terms, Peter lays down dark and arresting techno sets as well as captivating, story telling live musical journeys. Because of that he is renowned around the world for his high quality, high creativity, high levels of consistency, constantly translating his personality into his music.

Peter Van Hoesen

Zadig gets into the rave scene in the 90s. He makes his place rapidly into this growing community and stands out as an unavoidable figure of the Norman scene. But five years of mixing Indus, Hardcore or Acid music finally gave him an oppressive sense of being closed in. Moreover, he no longer identifies with this environment and decides to turn to Techno, a much more basic but also wider style of music. Highly influenced by Jeff Mills, Joey Beltram, Surgeon or the labels Synewave, Lost or Tresor, Sylvain is at a turning point in his career. He then moves to Paris and holds various odd jobs. It is by working at Matos DJ Store , the famous Bastille music store that he meets Mathieu Berthet an independent sound engineer, a record distributor and an expert in electronic music. This encounter turns into a friendship and Zadig regains interest in creating music. He then takes a risk, gets into debt and creates his own home studio with a Juno 106 synthesizer, the TR-808 and TR-909 Rhythm Composers etc… Mathieu Berthet also enables him to be introduced to the label Plastic Rec for the release of his first Detroit-oriented single ‘‘Vision’’. Zadig makes a distribution deal with Syncrophone. That’s the beginning of a nice story with the Record store which releases Dark Nebula in 2010. This record is considered as his first important step in terms of production and enables him to sign with Sino (Technasia’s label). The maxi P.8 takes his career to a new level by offering him international visibilty. Meanwhile, he makes friends with major figures of the Techno and House Parisian music scene such as John Thomas and Dj Deep Didier Allyne. This is in fact with the latter’s label, Deeply Rooted House, that he has just signed his latest maxi ‘’TTRXL’’. Thanks to these encounters and the experience he has gained, Zadig then starts Construct Re-Form, a label on a human scale which was initially created to release his own productions. In 2010, he collaborates with S3A and is playlisted by Marcel Dettman on Friendship Connection (Paname Recordz). This significant success had given him a solid basis to develop his own label. Construct Re-Form almost immediately welcomes 3 talented DJs known as Antigone, Voiski and Birth of Frequency. Zadig then becomes an astute label manager who provides technical advice and, perhaps most importantly, human support to his three protégés. Considering the recent results of the label and its growing recognition, this formula works wonders.

Zadig

Terrence Dixon, also known under the Population One moniker, describes his techno as “Forward-thinking ghetto electronics” and is widely recognised for his incongruous, minimalist sound design, authenticity, and dedication. A prolific producer, his 30-year studio career has seen releases on Metroplex, Tresor and Rush Hour to name but a few. Dixon's sound safeguards Detroit techno so that it will remain relevant in the years to come and his tracks have been some of the most exhilarating of the 21st century. He is a champion of the Detroit sound, who is firmly rooted in the city's grand tradition, but also propels things forward in unexpected ways. Bookings: PARAMOUNT tom@paramountartists.com

Terrence Dixon

Theo Parrish is a revered force in the electronic music scene. He is a legendary music producer, a versatile DJ and the owner of the heavy-hitting Sound Signature record label. Growing up in Chicago, Theo received early influences from jazz and soul artists by the likes of Miles Davis, George Gershwin, Stevie Wonder and Nina Simon. At the young age of 13, Theo discovered the Chicago House music scene and began DJing.
 
He attended art school at the Chicago Academy of the Arts and the Kansas City Art Institute. In 1994, Theo received his degree and moved to Detroit where he became an active DJ in the already established Detroit electronic music scene. In 1995, Theo gained exposure in the scene when he secured his single "Lake Shore Drive" on the B-side of a Moodyman record. Shortly after, he released his first solo project in 1996 called "Baby Steps EP". In 1997, Theo created the now well-known label, Sound Signature, and released multiple projects while also working under the alias 3 Chairs with Rick Wilhite and Dixon. Heavily inspired by Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy, Theo's releases on Sound Signature are soulful and focused on rhythm.

In the following year, Peacefrog records released Theo's first full-length LP, "First Floor". Following a slew of EPs, collaborations and compilations, Parrish released his second full-length album, Parallel Dimensions, in 2000. This album was met with critical acclaim and sold out quickly. Between 2001 to 2002, Theo was producing at a prolific rate. During this period, he released more than 10 singles and EPs including: "I Can Take It", "Locations of Lost Color", "Solitary Fight" and his white-label Ugly Edits series. Beyond his solo project, Theo was also part of the Rotating Assembly, a musical group which showcased live musicians and singers. The group released their first full-length "Natural Aspirations" in 2004. 

Theo has kept up with a steady stream of singles, EPs and projects since the early 00's including his popular collaboration with Andrew Ashong, "Flowers". Since 2006 Theo has released four full-length albums including: Sound Sculptures Vol. 1 in 2007, Sketches in 2010, American Intelligence in 2014 and his newest album Wuddaji in 2020.


Theo Parrish

Born and raised on Detroits westside in the late 60's Norm's addiction to music began at an early age.By the age of 13 years old Norm's diverse musical outlook consisted of Disco,Progressive,Jazz.Starting off Norm collected good music(45's-8-tracks-Vinyl)with proceeds earned from his paper route and eventually was introduced to Ken Collier who just happened to live 3 blocks over so needless to say most of the Disco and Progressive I attained was through Ken who was a DJ mentor for me.At this point and time I only had one turntable an eight-track player a receiver and some speakers.So I would have friends over and play records and we would dance until we were sweating!!So one day a friend that would come over and vibe was having a backyard party and needed a DJ and asked me to do it which was really special to me because I had never did a party in my life,I only had one turntable and couldn't mix!!So back to Grindstone I went to earn the money to buy a turntable and a mixer and a tape deck which I had about two months to get.At that time I made about $30 dollars a week and before you know it I was at HD Sounds putting together a system(Gem Sounds,Sharp tape deck excellent for pause button mixes,pioneer turntable)So it was on!I did the party which turned out to be a success and got some more offers to do more gigs which began a career on the decks that stands to date!!So in 1985 I began to archive the mixes I was doing on Cassette tapes(over 500)and did that for 15 years up until the year 2000 when I began making mixed CDs which I have over 400 to date!

Norm Talley

Of the original crop of Detroit DJs, Delano Smith is one of the few still dedicated to the craft. Reflecting on house and techno without his influence would reveal a very different musical landscape today. Coming up when the world was just discovering the impact a DJ could have, Delano traversed his way to the top in a tough scene full of talent. Although dance music post The Belleville Three and Underground Resistance is well documented, the context that set the tone for them to emerge is less so. At a time described as the Wild West by some, when party culture was taking its first tentative steps, Delano honed his skills under the the guidance of the late, great Ken Collier. With initial sets fusing soul, disco and early electronic sounds, Delano planted seeds in the minds of Detroit’s subsequent generations. Those dancing to his sets in the late 70s and early 80s would later become ambassadors of a scene with worldwide appeal. Now, Delano stands shoulder to shoulder with the figureheads he once educated, writing a brand new chapter for house and techno. Delano’s story is long and intriguing, first taking to the decks in friends’ basements, these weekend sessions turned into the dance hall parties that paved the way for Delano’s residencies at clubs across Detroit. Championing permutations of the post-Disco era, a sound described by the D’s luminaries as “progressive” before house and techno were officially coined, Delano began to receive bookings beyond his home state, eventually touring what would become a familiar axis between the US and Europe. Following a period out of the game, Delano returned with a new focus, forming the DJ collective BeatDownSounds with long-time peers Norm Talley and Mike 'Agent X' Clark. The trio offered a unique, slowed down and raw take on house, a sound picked up by London/Tokyo label, Third Ear Records, and presented on the double-length compilation ‘Detroit BeatDown Vol.1’, the success of which enabled Delano and his partners to represent the Motor City on an international level. Comparatively late to production, Delano started releasing his own music in earnest from 2002 onwards, finding homes on esteemed underground labels and of course on his own Mixmode imprint. In 2009 Delano formed a pivotal relationship with the Berlin based Sushitech Records, following a chance meeting with label head Yossi Amoyal, the setting Panorama Bar, a club that would later help define Delano’s musical direction. After a string of successful Sushitech EPs, Delano dropped ‘Odyssey’ onto the scene’s collective consciousness, an album spawning enduring dancefloor favourites. Two years later his sophomore long player arrived, loaded with dark and dubby material ‘Twilight’ was a curve ball to follow the hysteria that greeted his debut. 2017 saw Delano add yet another Sushitech LP to his discography, entitled ‘Detroit Lost Tapes’ it offered archived material, dug out and recontextualised with a worldwide tour following in support.

Delano Smith

Squarepusher, the performing pseudonym of Tom Jenkinson, is an English electronic music artist signed to Warp Records. He specialises in the electronic music genres of drum and bass, musique concrète (sampled digitally rather than by tape), and acid, albeit with a significant jazz influence. Jenkinson was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and educated at King Edward VI Grammar School. A self-taught expert-level bass guitar player and drummer, his style of extremely fast, cut-up beats mixed with fusion jazz and interlaced with synth lines and samples has gained him a cult following. He is friends with Richard D. James (Aphex Twin), and his albums have been critically acclaimed for their forward-thinking approach to electronic music. Jenkinson performs live, playing with a fretless or fretted bass guitar, a laptop, and other hardware. He appeared twice on BBC Radio 1's The Breezeblock show. On 26 June 2005, Squarepusher played at London's Royal Festival Hall as part of the Show 'Songs of Experience' a tribute to Jimi Hendrix. His 12 minute performance was built up of a medley of Hendrix tracks played solely on the bass guitar with the use of effects. One of his brothers, Andy Jenkinson, is also a respected recording artist, under the name Ceephax Acid Crew. A third brother, Jonny Jenkinson, also performs and occasionally supports his siblings on tour as a drum and bass DJ.

Squarepusher

Ricardo Villalobos is a Chilean electronic music producer and DJ. He is well-known for his work in the minimal techno and microhouse genres. Villalobos was born in the capital of Chile, Santiago, in the year 1970. However, at the age of three he moved to Germany with his family after General Augusto Pinochet overthrew the socialist government of Salvador Allende in 1973. When Ricardo was around 10 or 11 he started to play conga and bongos. Though he loved music, he could never see himself as a musician. In the late eighties he began to make electronic music. From a very young age he has been a a big fan of Depeche Mode, even following their tours around Europe to listen to them. Villalobos takes much of his inspiration from Depeche Mode, as well as other artists such as Daniel Miller, Thomas Melchior, Baby Ford, Daniel Bell and Andrew Weatherall. He has also taken inspiration from rhythmic South American music. Villalobos began to play his music at parties while he was studying at university, but this was only for his own enjoyment. He started a label, Placid Flavour, in 1993 but this was unsuccessful. His first record was released on the German Playhouse label in 1994 and he began DJing as a professional in 1998, and is in present times regarded as one of the most important minimal DJs in Europe, alongside other talented chilean djs and producers such as Luciano Nicolet (an occasional collaborator) and Dandy Jack

Ricardo Villalobos

Hailing from New York, he was seduced by techno when Jeff Mills held residency (as well as his own first) at Limelight in the early 90s. Producing from the mid-90s onward, he released his first 12's on Damon Wild's Synewave and his own Infrastructure imprint. A chance meeting in 1996 brought him together with Regis (Karl O'Connor). The two worked as Portion Reform, releasing uncompromising music on Downwards, making him the only non-Birmingham producer to appear on the label. He later moved to Berlin in 2007, still working with Regis, and now Silent Servant (Juan Mendez), putting his focus on Sandwell District. Since, the label come collective, skyrocketed into cult status - decentralizing the artist ego, blurring the lines between the artist, label and dj; re-arranging the DNA of modern dance music.

Function

Born in Chicago but raised in Detroit, Dj, producer, singer, and percussionist Alton Miller was raised on Stevie Wonder, Santana, Parliament Funkadelic and the Philly Sound. The artist began developing his deejaying skills under the electrifying energy of House Music founding fathers like Larry Levan and Timmy Regisford, whereas he was oftenly going to Ron Hardy’s Music Box and Frankie Knuckles’s private loft partie in Chicago with some of his Detroit friends including a certain Derrick May. A few years after, Alton along with his like-minded friends Chez Damier and George Baker, opened the legendary dance club, The Music Institute in Detroit in 1988. Since then, Alton has lived in Paris and South Africa, where he pursued his musical creativity process while representing the Detroit vibe. His travels allowed him to discover other cultures and to make a name for itself all around the globe. He toured in a lot of countries including Japan, Australia, South Africa, Europe and New Zealand. He has also had the pleasure of recording with some of the best independent labels in the industry, including Defected, Planet E, King Street, Nitegrooves, Trackmode Records, Seasons and Octave Lab. Alton’s eclectic way of mixing, without never being afraid of blending the old and the new, creates a magical vibe. Hearing the DJ perfectly summs up what House Music and Hi Tech Soul is all about

Alton Miller

Yet, Sanders is highly regarded to the point of reverence by a great many jazz fans. Although he made his name with expressionistic, nearly anarchic free jazz in John Coltrane’s late ensembles of the mid-’60s, Sanders’ later music is guided by more graceful concerns. The hallmarks of Sanders’ playing at that time were naked aggression and unrestrained passion. In the years after Coltrane’s death, however, Sanders explored other, somewhat gentler and perhaps more cerebral avenues — without, it should be added, sacrificing any of the intensity that defined his work as an apprentice to Coltrane. Pharoah Sanders (his given name, Ferrell Sanders) was born into a musical family. Sanders’ early favorites included Harold Land, James Moody, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, and John Coltrane. Known in the San Francisco Bay Area as “Little Rock,” Sanders soon began playing bebop, rhythm & blues, and free jazz with many of the region’s finest musicians, including fellow saxophonists Dewey Redman and Sonny Simmons, as well as pianist Ed Kelly and drummer Smiley Winters. In 1961, Sanders moved to New York, where he struggled. Unable to make a living with his music, Sanders took to pawning his horn, working non-musical jobs, and sometimes sleeping on the subway. During this period he played with a number of free jazz luminaries, including Sun Ra, Don Cherry, and Billy Higgins. In 1964, Coltrane asked Sanders to sit in with his band. The following year, Sanders was playing regularly with the Coltrane group. Coltrane’s ensembles with Sanders were some of the most controversial in the history of jazz. Their music represents a near total desertion of traditional jazz concepts, like swing and functional harmony, in favor of a teeming, irregularly structured, organic mixture of sound for sound’s sake. Strength was a necessity in that band, and as Coltrane realized, Sanders had it in abundance. Sanders made his first record as a leader in 1964. After John Coltrane’s death in 1967, Sanders worked briefly with his widow, Alice Coltrane. From the late ’60s, he worked primarily as a leader of his own ensembles. In the decades after his first recordings with Coltrane, Sanders developed into a more well-rounded artist, capable of playing convincingly in a variety of contexts, from free to mainstream. Some of his best work is his most accessible. As a mature artist, Sanders discovered a hard-edged lyricism that has served him well.

Pharoah Sanders

Tin Man is an artist in the truest sense of the word. Over the last decade now the man born Johannes Auvinen has explored an ever evolving sound palette that touches on house, techno and ambient. Much like his namesake’s character in the Wizard of Oz, he has been on a mission to find his true self, except this Tin Man’s medium has been music. Most recently the California born producer and live act has been responsible for reinvigorating the acid scene with his unique and cerebral manipulations of real Roland 303s. His tracks have been laced with slow and subtly shifting patterns that are infused with a very real machine soul and exude captivating warmth. Taking influences from “Chicago and radio pop rock as well as melancholic UK electronics and Sahkö” Tin Man’s extensive discography also explores less sublime and seductive sounds on labels like Keys of Life and Acid Acid, and plenty of raw sonics on albums like Scared. He is also part of The Acid Symphony Orchestra (a live super group that features artists playing on ten 303, 707 and 808) and has turned out a standalone neo-classical and ambient work, Vienna Blue, which proves he does so much more than pure dancing music. “I started fiddling with music when I was in college,” he says. “I was collecting records, anything electronic; from ambient to techno to computer music. When I was out of school, and had steady work, I bought some gear and then tried imitating the music I liked with mixed results.” Before long though he found a sound that was truly his own and has continued to do so over and over again ever since. This modern acid master plays live on 303s, 707s and plenty more bits of hardware, always creating textured soundtracks on the flying using a range of FX and skills built up over the last decade. He never fails to make people dance to his beat whether he’s playing festivals in Japan, influential clubs in Europe or dirty back rooms across America and puts most similar acts to shame.

Tin Man

Alessandro is the head of Mannequin Records and the resident dj / curator of the bi-monthly Mannequin Records nacht at Berghain. Since moving to Berlin in 2013, he introduced an array of obscure techno, electro, ebm, minimal synth, post-punk and experimental records through his own imprint. His music production is deeply influenced by the use of analog equipment from the 70's and the 80's. His recording studio, based in Berlin, is filled with some of the most amazing synthesizers, drum machines and outboard produced during that period. His dj and production skills brought him to work with music institutions like Berghain, Tresor, Redbull Music Academy, Resident Advisor, Boiler Room, Atonal Festival and so on. In 2019 he started a music collaboration with the electro producer The Hacker as 'Amato & Adriani', followed by a release and an extensive tour around Europe. Aside from his work in releasing forgotten gems and up to the minute synth incantations, Alessandro Adriani has also been quietly issuing out his own music for labels like Mannequin, Stroboscopic Artefacts, Pinkman and Jealous God.

Alessandro Adriani

Since his earliest productions, Amsterdam’s electronic music pioneer Steve Rachmad has created a legion of monikers for his various compositions. We’ve seen tracks from Black Scor- pion, Tons of Tones, Rachmad Project, Scorp, Parallel 9, Ignacio, Dreg, Sterac Electronics and many more come out of his studio... One of the main characters living on Planet Rachmad has always been STERAC: a side of Steve’s musical personality that’s not easily described. Let’s say that where other aliases were used for excursions to more dub-, disco-, or house- oriented records, STERAC’s focus has always been on the no-nonsense, darker, and deeper side of techno. The STERAC discography consists of classic tracks on labels such as M-Plant and Tresor, with the 2012 remixes of his legendary album Secret Life Of Machines (1995) demonstrating the lasting quality of the STERAC oeuvre. Reinterpretations by Ricardo Villalobos, Joris Voorn, and Marc Romboy to name a few, proved a bit hit with fans and fellow artists. This year, STERAC releases appear on Klockworks and Delsin, while his schedule takes him on a tour past the world’s finest clubs: from Berlin’s Berghain to Tokyo’s Womb, and from Output in New York to Club Rex in Paris. On top of that, a series of selected remixes is coming your way.

Sterac

Roza Terenzi’s productions are prime for interstellar communication; sublime mind dance, warehouse bleeps and dawn-ready breaks that will inevitably find union between earth people and other beings. Since moving from Perth to Melbourne in 2016, her immense DJ style and consummate live sets at Inner Varnika, Meredith and Strawberry Fields have cemented her as a vital component of Australia's dance music mecca. Devoted to her local scene with releases via Butter Sessions, Bizarro, Pelvis and Voyage, Terenzi's spent the majority of 2018/2019 answering international calls. Extensively touring UK/Europe, India and North America, she's brought her bush doof energy to Primavera, Dekmantel, Lente Kabinet and Honcho Campout, twisting club havens Säule, Pickle Factory, De School, Robert Johnson, Closer and Nowadays. This time on the road has only strengthened her production output. Inaugurating Planet Euphorique with Vancouver likemind DJ Zozi (aka D. Tiffany), she's released quasi-cosmic atmospherics on Dekmantel and her signature alien beatdown on Kalahari Oyster Cult, while remixing 90s rave masters DJ Trance and Darwin Chamber and new wave electroids Assembler Code and Jensen Intercepter.

Roza Terenzi

Michigan born Rick Wade might not get the headlines of his more celebrated Detroit peers, but few have done as much to contribute to the house canon as he. For nigh on two decades ‘big daddy Rick’ has consistently turned out deeply channeled grooves that need every second of their often elongated lengths to have best effect. Peppered only lightly with strings, the odd breathy voice or some other delicate hook culled from the funk and soul sounds around which he grew up, Wade’s style is the perfect embodiment of minimum effort, maximum impact. A famously rapid and prolific producer who turns out hundreds of excellent tracks on a non stop basis, Wade is also the force behind legendary imprint Harmonie Park, which has released classics from peers like Mike Huckaby, amongst others. His own discography stretches to three pages and is a pure gold mine for house heads, with each track sounding as timeless as the next. In DJ terms Rick is just as assured, laying down sets that are tinged with funk and soul and keep you dancing in his long form grooves all night long. From Europe to the US, this true house legend has played every venue worth its salt.

Rick Wade

Based in the humble city of Jena in central Germany, Robert Witschakowski-Jockel started producing music in the late-'90s, during which time he was resident DJ and booker of Kassablanca. His tenure there proved influential in bringing the likes of Jeff Mills, Robert Hood and Claude Young to the city's nascent club scene for the first time, where he remains a pivotal figurehead of Germany's electro-tipped underground. With mixes netted for Resident Advisor, Electronic Explorations and Digital Tsunami, to the CD release of We Are Not Your Friends Vol 1, Robert's work as The Exaltics is no longer exclusive to the tight-nit circles of street-wise DJs, producers and label owners alike. With a live acid show now in full swing, Robert's performances as The Exaltics have seen him tour Europe and dominate Berlin, billed in 2017 alongside a huge cast of acts for Tresor & DJ Stingray's Kern Vol 4 release party. With the bulk of Robert's music now released on his ever-growing Solar One Music, the label he runs with Crotaphytus collaborator and life-long friend Nico Jagiella, Robert's world of shadowy electro has gravitated to, among others, discerning imprints like Shipwrec, Clone West Coast Series and Crème Organization. Robert has collaborated with Drexciya's Gerald Donald for Solar Music's Hubble Telescope Series as Project STS-31, and Arne Weinberg as Val_Ex, with Gerard Hanson (aka Convextion) also welcomed into the Solar One Music fray under his E.R.P. alias. Add names Helena Hauff, Ekman, Drvg Cvltvre and the late Andreas Ghem to the body of artists delivering Solar One Music its lone aesthetic, Robert's purism and integrity to his field of science fiction, acid-influenced electro is undeniable.

The Exaltics

Delfonic started his professional DJ career in 2004 and has meanwhile played every single club, shack and party in Berlin, and quite a bit in Germany and Europe too. He is holding two residencies, one weekly at Gretchen (the infamous follow up to the Icon Club) and a monthly one called “deep riot” at Farbfernseher. His residency at Icon/Gretchen led him to play very successful sets alongside internationally acclaimed DJ's as Kaytranada, Coldcut, Amon Tobin, Bonobo, FaltyDL, Jazzanova, Flying Lotus and many more. Markus is also vital in providing (Berlin's) Djs with music via his record store OYE in Prenzlauer Berg and organizing the incredible Berlin record store day once a year (in November). Also he is Label Manager of Box aus Holz, Torben & Money $ex Records, which are related to OYE Records. In addition to that produces music for advertising (with his friend Boris...) but we just got the promise from him, that he will work more on club music from now on too. It´s all about the Groove . . .

Delfonic

Grew up in New York City . Introduced to DJing in the late 80s as a teenager, been DJing ever since. I own Novel Sound, Bookings please contact: bookings@uzuriartistbookingsandmanagement.com

Levon Vincent

DJ Fett Burger

In a career that spans two decades, Terence Fixmer reached worldwide recognition with the release of his debut album Muscle Machine on DJ Hell’s seminal International Deejay Gigolos imprint in 1999. The album opened a whole new genre by combining Electro, Industrial, EBM and Techno into a more dance floor-focused EBM style, simply called ‘Techno Body Music’. Tracks like “Electrostatic”, “Body Pressure” or “Electric Vision” today remain modern classics. Ever since the release of this groundbreaking debut LP, the Antwerp-based French producer and live act has consistently explored and redefined the boundaries of modern Techno – and he is not slowing down. In 2003 Fixmer teamed up with Nitzer Ebb’s lead singer Douglas McCarthy to form Fixmer/McCarthy – their partnership pushed the genre of Techno EBM to the maximum, resulting in two full-length albums, Between The Devil (2004) and Into The Night (2008). The duo has performed their energetic live sets at numerous renowned clubs and festivals all across the globe, functioning as a bridge between the Techno scene on the one hand, and the alternative EBM/Gothic scene on the other. Fixmer/McCarthy earned respect in the global scene for their unique way of creating truly pioneering sound fusions by elegantly blending the aggression of Techno Body Music and the sensuality of Electronica. His expansive discography under his real name as well as with his various alter egos has proven Fixmer’s continued relevance and restless drive to create experimental, mind-bending, ruthless and unrelenting sounds, way beyond the musical mainstream.

Terence Fixmer

A founding member of noted Motor City institution Underground Resistance, Mills helped build the artist roster and label ideology (as well as much of its back catalog) with partners 'Mad' Mike Banks and Robert 'Noise' Hood before moving to New York in 1992 to pursue more vigorously his solo and DJ career (with a resident spot at the legendary Limelight and a recording contract with the noted German label Tresor). (Although rumors of bad blood between the early UR crew have been denied by all involved, Mills' decision to split was apparently total, with Banks all but repudiating his involvement with Mills and Mills distancing himself from the continuing political militancy of Banks and the UR organization.) Mills' UR-related releases (including 'The Punisher' and 'Seawolf') are stripped-down and erratic, fusing elements of hardcore acid and industrial techno to the sparse Detroit aesthetic. Not surprisingly, his post-UR sound hasn't eased a bit, although UR's penchant for the four-track has been replaced by higher-quality production. Prior to his involvement in UR, Mills was a DJ at Detroit public radio station WDET (he was also studying architecture at the time), spinning everything from Meat Beat Manifesto and Nine Inch Nails to Chicago house and underground Detroit techno. He began producing in the mid-'80s, working with Tony Srock on the project the Final Cut. Mills met Banks through a local garage group Members of the House, who Banks was working with in the late '80s. Mills remixed a track on a Members 12-inch, and his and Banks' shared love for Chicago soul and the harder edge of Detroit techno blossomed into Underground Resistance as a combined business and creative enterprise. The pair, along with Robert Hood, recorded several EPs and singles together, including tracks such as 'Waveform,' and 'Sonic,' before Mills defected to New York in 1992 to pursue a residency at the Limelight club and a solo career recording for Tresor and his own label, Axis. Mills' discography includes two full-length volumes of Waveform Transmissions for Tresor, a live album and rarities collection for the British label React, and the first album in a new contract with Sony Japan, as well as a handful of 12-inch EPs on Axis and several collaborations with Robert Hood on his M-Plant label. In 2000, Mills took more memorable action by scoring a new soundtrack for Fritz Lang's 1926 film Metropolis, screened around the world at venues including the Museum of Music in Paris, London's Royal Albert Hall, and the Vienna International Film Festival.

Jeff Mills

When Byron The Aquarius talks about live frequencies, his enthusiasm is infectious. A keys player by trade, Byron’s love for melody and harmony has consistently drawn the attention of electronic music’s leading labels and producers. Hailing from Birmingham, Alabama, Byron launched his production career in 2007, collaborating with well-known Parisian producer Onra on an EP entitled “The Big Payback.” That collaboration led to numerous releases on independent labels like Rush Hour, Warp (with Flying Lotus), HHV, Circulations, Reebok Classics A Journey into Future, Real Soon, and Giant Step Records. In 2010, Byron signed to a production deal with Denaun Porter from D12 (Eminem producer). It was at Denaun’s studio in Detroit that Byron realized he wanted to make his own music and bravely returned to Alabama to hone his craft through jazz studies and jazz composition programs in piano at Morehouse University and Jacksonville State University. In 2015, Byron released a ten track solo album on BBE entitled “Planets of Love.” When he wasn’t working on his own music, he was playing keys in the studio with Kai Alce. Their creations got into the hands of Theo Parrish, who loved the sound of the sublime jazz-infected house and picked two tracks to release on his legendary Sound Signature label in 2016. The resulting “Highlife EP” has been hailed as 'stunning', 'intoxicating' and 'essential.' So what’s next for Byron The Aquarius? In April, Byron drops a project entitled “Gone Today Here TMRW” on Kyle Hall’s esteemed Detroit label, Wild Oats. He’ll also be heading out on tour for the summer and performing at the Dimensions Festival in May. Wherever Byron is -- in the studio working on music, performing live, or DJing – you can be sure 2016 will be filled with the sound of live frequencies.

Byron The Aquarius

Toyko’s Hoshina Anniversary has risen to particular prominence in recent years with his self-titled brand of 'Watechno'––making a beautiful and good combination of Jazz and Japanese sounds together with Electronic music, sounds like nothing else out there. His works have found homes on Aliens Jams, ESP Institute, Osàre! Editions YOUTH, Young Marco’s Safe Trip and Amsterdam-based MUSAR Recordings.

Hoshina Anniversary

A perennial presence in music since the early 90's, Ron Trent is considered to be one of the architects of the Chicago music scene. He began the journey through studying and collecting records from a young age, taking cues from his father who ran a record pool in the late 70's. This upbringing provided the strong foundations which not only enabled him to become a respected DJ in his early teens, but also gave him the confidence to embark on his own productions in the mid 80s, culminating in his first release, the highly recognized and international acclaimed classic 'Altered States', in 1990. Through his legendary Prescription Records, Ron has notched up an extensive back catalogue of his own productions and introduced several key players. Prescription Records is widely regarded as one of the most influential Deep House imprints of the period. In the early 90's, Ron collaborated with House/R&B team Hula & Fingers, producers for Jive records and production credits with Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, Kool Mo D, High Five, Lidell Townsend and MTF. Under the direction of Hula & Fingers, Ron began to develop his skills as producer and musician by incorporating his training as a percussionist along with developing skills on the keyboards. After several releases on Club Records, Hula & Fingers classic imprint, Ron went own to form his own label with renowned vocalist/producer Chez Damier. In 1993, Ron and Chez began creating the template for what would become the signature Prescription sound, eventually finding its way into various remix and writing production hits, and implementing the conception of Prescription Records. Prescription Records, together with it's sister label Balance, introduced the likes of Anthony Nicholson, Abacus, Glenn Underground (CVO), Moody Man, Norma Jean Bell, Joshua, Peven Everett, Rob Mello, and Luke Solomon to the world. During its course, Prescription became known for issuing superbly produced, often epic dance music by drawing influences from all over the globe and delighting club goers, as well as DJs with its highly unique sound. Ron's sound expanded in 1997 with the release of the dance classic 'Ncame U.” With writing partner Anthony Nicholson, famed vocalist D'bora, and Peven Everett on trumpet, this record launched Ron onto the NYC dance scene. After moving to NYC in the early 90's, Ron Trent quickly gained respect as a DJ/Producer by playing for Body and Soul at Shelter and hosting his own events at the legendary night club Vinyl in downtown Manhattan. Ron’s DJ and production skills would eventually lead to collaborating with giant step records, creating a new sound that would lead the way for the future of Giant Step the club and Giant Step the label. In 2000, Ron started his highly popular weekly residency with Giant Step at Shine, bringing forth a fusion of Neo Soul, Jazz Funk and World music whilst merging it into a dance formula. With Ron's vast knowledge of music and Giant Step’s thirst for the cutting edge, the event became one of the most top rated nights in NYC. Ron's in-house productions on the Giant Step/Sony label, featured artists such as Amel Larrieux, Jody Watley, Anastacia, Donnie, Carl Hancock Rux, Lina, just to name a few. His productions have lead to work with other greats including Tony Allen, Chucho Valdes, Papa Weba, 4Hero, Amp Fiddler, Groove Collective, as well as various other world artists. DJ compilations include: “Giant Step Sessions” (Giant Step), 'Musical Reflections (R2 BBE), “Afro Blues” (Kings Street), “Deep&Sexy 2” (Wave music), “Abstract Afro Journey” (King Street). In addition to prescription, Ron Trent created two further imprints which broadened the scope of his music production spectrum. Electric Blue recordings features more experimental sound, pushing the envelope and complementing the already established prescription sound. Future Vision Records was created as a platform to combine various artists with the signature Ron Trent production. Ron has also built up a quite a reputation within the music industry circles with his unique interpretations and reformulations of commercially popular tracks on his remixes, such as 'Honey' by Erykah Badu and 'Spring Summer Feeling' by Jill Scott. Outside of running record labels Prescription, Future Vision, Electric Blue Recordings and Music And Power, the last few years has seen Ron Trent making his presence known internationally: from regularly gracing the decks at Berghain in Berlin and making appearances at ADE in Amsterdam, to playing for serious audiophile and music connoisseurs in both London (Need2Soul, Boiler Room, Brilliant Corners) and Japan (Air, Circus)....just to name a few. Now based back in Chicago, Ron Trent's musical quest for knowledge and tones continues. Having been featured on Red Bull Music Academy numerous times and co-curating the multimedia exhibit 'Move Your Body - the Evolution of House Music' at the Chicago cultural centre in summer 2015, 'SODA' is an organisation Ron Trent founded in 2016 with the aim of perpetuating and preserving the legacy of underground music through cultural and educational events for future generations ahead.

Ron Trent

Nicolas , better known as DJ Steaw or Steaward, is a powerhouse producer and DJ. Born in Rennes, France and currently based in Paris, DJ Steaw travels around Europe and the world at large, playing his bass-heavy, soul-infuenced productions for captivated audiences. Just this year, he played to the biggest audience - 3000 dancers warming up for Derrick May and Carl Craig in Paris and debuted in Australian with shows in Melbourne and Sydney. DJ Steaw’s house tracks are percussive and heavy with bass, featuring bold samples that are everything from melodic to arresting. DJ Steaw cites the African American musical tradition as one of his main inspirations. His listeners can hear its imprints on his work—jazz’s improvisational spirit and rap’s unpredictable rhythm light up DJ Steaw’s house tracks. In addition to DJ’ing and producing music, DJ Steaw is the cofounder of two record labels, Rutilance Recordings and House Puff Records. DJ Steaw’s notable works include “Bel Air,” an EP released in 2017 on Madhouse Records, owned by house music founding father Kerri Chandler. “Bel Air’s” title track was promoted by Mixmag as “a swinging house gem.” In addition to Madhouse and DJ Steaw’s own labels, the producer has released across other taste-making imprints like Hot Haus Recs and Local Talk. His 2012 debut EP, “White Journey,” made a splash in the global community of house DJs—it was deemed “essential” by Traxsource. Just this summer, DJ Steaw has released two new EPs. In May 2018, DJ Steaw kicked off the season began with his “Heaven” EP and he closes with his September release, “Ocean View.” The diversity of sound represented in these EPs alone speaks to the DJ Steaw’s thrilling range as a DJ and producer of house music. The DJ’s first studio LP is set to release in mid-November of this year, representing a new chapter in the producer’s already prolific, commanding career.  DJ Steaw is both an important player on the global stage of house music and a regular at France’s hottest venues. Dancers can find him lighting up the floor at Concrete and Rex Club in Paris, Iboat in Bordeaux, and Terminal in Lyon. He also frequents taste-making clubs in Europe and the world at large, from Berlin’s Tresor to London’s Fabric to Amsterdam’s Claire. His deep house sets carry dancers up to effervescent dream worlds and down deep with dark, hypnotic rhythms. In June 2018, DJ Steaw’s “Everydayz” ranked number 3 in Beatport’s Best New Deep House list. Clearly, Steaw is making waves on the dance floor and  on the global stage of house producers. In addition to being a coveted DJ and producer, DJ Steaw is also the co-founder of record Rutilance Recordings. His most recent label project, House Puff, debuted just over a year ago in March 2017 with a well-received first release, Lauren Lo Sung’s EP “Tresor.” Rutilance Recordings, started by Steaw and his friend DJ Gunnter, celebrated its 5 year anniversary this year. The record label boasts 16 releases, with its much anticipated upcoming 17th release from DJ Steaw himself, a debut album “Rise.” Rutilance’s sub-label, Steaward, provides a harder edge to the label’s otherwise house-heavy sound. One notable release, “Steaward Vol. 9,” is a collaboration between the powerful duo J Shepheard and DJ Steaw, hitting hard with old-school synth and commanding basslines. The Steaward sub-label features vinyl-only productions, articulating DJ Steaw’s loyalty to house music’s raw tradition and elemental hardware. Rutilance recordings, Steaward and House puff records.

DJ Steaw

With versatile compositions and genre defying albums, Mdou's music has been an underground success with an international following, set on redefining the sound of the desert. Mdou Moctar hails from a small village in the Azawagh desert of Niger, a remote region steeped in religious tradition. As a child, he taught himself to play the a homemade guitars, cobbled together out of planks of wood. It was years later before he found a “real” guitar, teaching himself in secret. In an area where guitar music was all but prohibited, he quickly rose to the status of local celebrity amongst the village youth. In 2008 he traveled to Nigeria to record his first album “Anar.” A psychedelic reworking of the Tuareg sound, the electronic tracks featured innovative pitch bending synths, drum machines, and autotune. In 2010, he teamed up with the label and collective Sahel Sounds, releasing his first international album, “Afelan.” In 2015, he co-wrote and starred in the first ever Tuareg language film, “Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red In It,” a Saharan remake of Prince's “Purple Rain.” In 2017, he again shifted gears to another sound with “Sousoume Tamachek,” a mellow blissed out recording evoking the calm desert soundscape, tackling religion, spirituality, and matters of the heart. In the past years, Tuareg rock music has gotten faster. There is a preference for this new style, both in the raucous weddings of Agadez and in Berlin rock clubs. The wavering guitar solos, rapid fire drums and heavy distortion has become characteristic of the contemporary sound. Mdou takes on this challenge, but with an ear towards tradition. Rooted in traditional, with borrowed polyrhythms of traditional « takamba » and lyrics sung in the style of old nomadic poets, his guitar playing is wild and unrelenting, equal parts nomadic bard and Eddie Van Halen. Mdou Moctar and his band have toured Europe and North America, playing sold out shows from small DIY rock clubs in Portland to New York City's Lincoln Center. His music has been featured in the BBC, The Guardian, Pitchfork, New Yorker, L.A. Weekly, NPR, Rolling Stone, Les Inrocks, and his film continues to be screened at film festivals around the world. From underground star of Niger to international film star, Mdou Moctar has undoubtedly one of the quickest rises to success.

Mdou Moctar

Anthony Rother was described as an influential visionary, an electro pioneer and one of electronic music’s most prolific producers. For more than two decades Rother aggregated a vast musical canon that reflects his unique career as a sound researcher exploring the aesthetics far beyond the boundaries of electro, techno and pop music. Starting his recording career in the late ‘80s, the Offenbach-based producer established himself in Germany’s electronic music scene with his first two releases, 'Sex With The Machines' (1997) and 'Simulationszeitalter' (2000). In 1998, he founded his label Psi49Net, allowing him to keep his artistic independence and showcase his vision of electro music that cultivated a unique storytelling approach, guided by dystopian future visions on societal changes due to technological progress. The vocoder-driven vocals and the dark dystopian synth sound with machine-like beats have become Rother’s trademarks, even before he found international recognition as a science-fiction avant-gardist with the virtual electro-pop project 'Little Computer People' (2001) and his 3rd solo LP 'Hacker' (2002). In 2004, Rother created the Datapunk imprint to evolve an immediate, more song-orientated language that used simple melodies and even autobiographic anecdotes collected on 'Popkiller.' Perceived as one of his most venturous endeavors, yet his sonic shift had a decisive effect on many artists' careers: The Hacker, Boys Noise and Terence Fixmer published on Datapunk in its early days. While some of the experimental ambient recordings for Pete Namlook’s infamous label Fax +49-69/450464 reflects Rother’s prolific output, he also worked and co-produced with several prominent artists such as from former Kraftwerk member Karl Bartos, Sven Väth and DJ Hell. After its success, Datapunk turned into an enlarging business which devoured both time and creativity to make music. In 2013, Rother decided to let the project rest and took a break that he used to move his studio while only producing music for his HYBRID-Sets. Through his self-contemplative retreat, he eventually rediscovered the artistic instincts that brought him back to his roots; both in terms of his renewed independence as well as how he channels creativity as a producer. In late 2017, Rother resurfaced with an EP on Danny Daze’s Omnidisc and contributed the track 'Technic Electric' to Fabric 96 mix by DVS1. Last year, Rother returned to his Psi49Net label with a new album '3L3C7RO COMMANDO' that transports a clear message: Anthony Rother not only lives in and through his pure electro music, he still has something to say – here and now. The past represents the future! In April 2019, Rother will release two 12’’ on DVS1’s Mistress Recordings followed by another EP as well as a conceptual LP for Psi49Net in fall. Moreover, Rother will drop a 12-inch on Radio Slave’s Rekids offshoot Stranger In The Night.

Anthony Rother

This ability allows some to feel a special vibe that produces visions of the future by embracing the past. Keith Tucker, an Artist and DJ, has captured this vision in his recordings. Tucker, co-founder of AUX-88, and also known as DJ K-1, Alien FM, KT-19941, and his (Alter Ego) futuristic movie score sounds of Optic Nerve. During the early part of the 1980’s, Tucker focused his talents on playing his exclusive music via mobile DJ’ing. These transmissions of his exclusive music were most effective through street parties and various underground venues. Spinning the likes of Kraftwerk, Cybotron, Parliament, Human League, Derrick May, and the Soul Sonic Force, to name a few. On the radio, in and around Detroit, this music was playing, and Tucker discovered that keyboards and various drum machines had taken over his life. Various other aspiring artists, Ron Cook, Tommy Hamilton, and Anthony Shakir, helped redefine Techno with wicked drumbeats and synthesized bass tracks strictly for parties. In 1985, Tucker, Tommy Hamilton and Tony Horton formed RX-7, a local Detroit Techno band. They performed great hits by such groups as Cybotron, Kraftwerk, and the Soul Sonic Force. There were also many unreleased original tracks performed by RX-7. The band played at local events in and around the city of Detroit. Wanting to pursue personal projects, the band decided to disband a year later. Starting out in Classical Music during his grammar school years, Tucker went on to learn music sequencing. He also pursued a College career in Technical Illustration, Computer Graphics, and Mechanical Engineering. This in turn with a love of Classical Music has helped him to appreciate music as an art form. He learned that he had gotten more into the SCI-FI aspect of music because of the moody strings moving faintly in the background. Tucker’s style of Techno conveys this in the various bass lines inter mingled together to not only convey the title of his music, but feelings of being else where. This art form of music led Tucker to buy older models of analog gear and pursue sending out demo tapes to various local Detroit Techno labels. Tucker received a response from Metroplex Records; Juan Atkins’ label, and signed as Frequency. Under this alias, Tucker and Jessie Anderson recorded such tracks as, “Television,” “Frequency Express,” and “New Jack House.” On the track “New Jack House,” Darren Muhammad of Adrenaline M.O.D. did the vocals and Juan Atkins did the mixes. Tucker learned a lot from his experiences with Metroplex Records. In September of 1992, while working on new tracks for Metroplex Records, Tucker received a visit from Tommy Hamilton. They brought their experiences together to form AUX88, and found that their music talents had matured since the early 1980’s. Using their Detroit Techno background, the two quickly accumulated a mass of new tracks together, as well as individually. AUX-88 wrote many new tracks with a brand new vibe. The futuristic blend of Electro, Bass, and Trance, that they call Techno Bass. In 1992 the first single, “Technology,” transmitted by Direct Beat/430 West, immediately over took the Detroit club scene. “When we heard the tune, we knew the guys had made it in Detroit, for Detroit, so that’s where we released it, DETROIT,” exclaimed Lawrence Burden of 430 West Records. Burden explained that 430 West did not intend to sell Techno Bass anywhere else except the U.S., but Hardwax (the only underground store in Berlin, Germany) got wind of it, and demanded we sell it to them. After that, the world just caught on to Detroit’s form of Techno and made their own. After the first successful single, AUX88 produced their monumental double EP “Bass Magnetic.” While creating a new identity on the Techno scene, AUX88 brought about new feelings among other Techno artist. This was demonstrated through a truly historical event brought about through Juan Atkins of Metroplex Records. Tucker (K1), Tommy Hamilton (Tom Tom), and Mike Banks (Mad Mike) were approached by Juan Atkins to help organize and perform Atkins first ever-live performance as Model500, on October 13, 1995 for Metroplex Records 10th anniversary celebration. This live performance was performed in downtown Detroit and was a huge success. This historical event brought Press and Guess from as far away as Austria to see Model 500 perform “Clear”, “No UFO’s,” and “Technicolor,” to a standing room only crowd of on lookers. Tucker also received an invitation a few months later to perform December 16, 1995 at the MAYDAY gathering in Frankfurt, Germany, because of his outstanding performance from Model 500 and AUX88 affiliation. There was a highly energized crowd of over 28,000 plus Techno fans from all over the world. Tucker was the only DJ to spin an entire musical set of all Electro. This MAYDAY event was televised world wide via the Internet. K1’s Electro set was greeted with many cheers of acceptance and autograph seekers. Tucker felt it was time to leave AUX-88 and explore his other areas of interest in Techno music. He decided to pursue his alter ego solo projects Alien FM, Optic Nerve (signed to OMNISONUS Records of Paris), and KT-19941 on PUZZLEBOX Records (co-owned by Tucker and Wanda Dixon). Tucker felt that his style of Techno was unique of its own. Tucker felt he was not being properly recognized for his various solo projects. Many of his projects were being perceived as being group projects. In May of 2000, Detroit was host to the largest free Electronic Music Festival (DEMF) in the world. Tucker brought together old and new artist to form RX-7 again for the festival. AUX88, XILE, Black Electric, and Optic Nerve performed on one stage for the first time. Tucker’s vision of unity came together during the DEMF. Through Tucker‘s many releases, interviews, reviews and performances in the U.S and Europe, Techno has now given him the recognition he deserves. This has promoted Keith Tucker as an artist, a writer, and a performer. Tucker’s love of music shows that there is truth in the music. Call him what you want but by any other way, but don’t call him blind. This visionary from DETROIT has brought his unique brand of dance music to the awaiting ears of the world since 1990. He has also pulled together the members of AUX88 and other well known Detroit artist to form many different factions of Detroit techno. Tucker has had his hand in the mechanics of the groups FREQUENCY (Metroplex), ALIEN FM (430 West), SIGHT BEYOND SIGHT (430 West), the ever changing AUX-88 (Direct Beat), and AUXMEN projects (Puzzlebox), NICO Marks, Eddie Folks, Strand, members of P-funk all-stars, members of the house, Mike Grant, Max Durante (Fuzion Project), A Number of Names (Shari Varri), Patrick Wacher (Southern Outpost Records), and Model 500 Live. The former GM TECH grad has had affiliation, and is currently an inductee of DETROIT HISTORICAL Museum’s 'TECHNO: DETROIT'S GIFT TO THE WORLD EXIBIT'. The ELETRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL vet now concentrates on his renewed musical kinship with Tommy Hamilton to reform the original AUX88 duo lineup of the group and there new techno incarnation Aux 88 presents Black Tokyo.

Keith Tucker

Glenn Underground is the founding member of the Strictly Jaz Unit. He was raised on disco classics and freeform jazz in Chicago's Southside, the place where house music was born. Taking inspiration from Chicago's original pioneers, Larry Heard, Ron Hardy, Lil' Louis, and the like, Glenn has produced some of the most well respected deep house music of the past five years. His releases for Cajual, Prescription Guidance and Peacefrog have set the standard for sophisticated dance music. He is one of the few DJ's who can walk the line between deep jazz house, disco influenced house, and the kind of classics featured at the legendary parties of late 70's Chicago.

Glenn Underground

Having been at the forefront of the international electronic scene for years, Mount Kimbie (Kai Campos & Dominic Maker) need little introduction. After three critically acclaimed albums with Hotflush & Warp Records and countless world live tours, Kai’s focus has moved to back to one of the groups original priorities; the dancefloor space. Kai’s DJ sets offer a glimpse beyond Mount Kimbie’s varied influences of avant-garde tastes from across all forms of electronic music, revealing a harder, club-focused orientation and cementing Kai as a key DJ for a new generation of clubbers. This formidable reputation has built further with Mount Kimbie’s acclaimed 2018 DJ Kicks mix, which offered a prismic look at Berlin minimalism, snapping electro and pounding techno through the same restless experimental lens as their studio work. In 2020 Kai is set to delve even deeper into this world with continued worldwide DJing, B2B mixes, and new music.

Mount Kimbie

With over 25 years of collective experience under their belt, the established duo of Abstract Division is bringing deep and energetic techno sets to any club, rave or festival. During their 10-year collaboration, the duo managed to create their own, unique sound. Their in-depth knowledge in sound engineering enables them to release year after year clean, yet refreshing productions and each new track marks a subtle evolution in sound. In the past decade, the duo has released 45 tracks and 10 remixes in total and their tracks have been remixed by artists like Albert van Abbe, Area Forty-One, Ben Buitendijk, Ben Sims, Dasha Rush, Delta Funktionen, Deepbass & Ness, Forward Strategy Group, Function, Haeken, Jonas Kopp, Matrixxman, Marcel Fengler, Michelangelo, Mike Parker, Mike Storm, Milton Bradley, Norman Nodge, Lewis Fautzi, Tensal, Pacou, Peter van Hoesen, Perc, Psyk, Re:Axis, SHDW & Obscure Shape, Shifted, Stefan Vincent, Oscar Mulero (Trolley Route) and VRIL. While Paul is the label-boss of the Dynamic Reflection imprint, its (digital only) sub-label, The Nursery (former Digital Reflection) which aims to bring focus on talented, upcoming producers, is mainly Dave's responsibility. As a dj duo, their sets are energetic with a consciously built story line and evolving flow. Abstract Division likes to surprise, but never loses the interaction with the crowd. Since 2016, the duo is organising their own DECODE event series in different venues around Rotterdam. EARLY CAREER Before they started their long-standing collaboration, both Dave and Paul have performed and produced together with numerous other Dutch artists. Paul's first musical collaboration was together with Marco Rane under the alias Dynamo. Together they have released on labels like Aftertaste Recordings, Planet Rhythm Records and the sub-label of Bas Mooy's and Jeroen Liebregts' Audio Assault Recordings, called ARMS.Dave got known in the scene for his label, Audiosculpture (which he founded together with Damian Keane, Eddy Kreischer and Sicco Bosscher), for its electro sub-label, called Visitors Records and for his longstanding career of vinyl-only sets as part of the duo of Miller & Keane. Under the same alias, together with Damian Keane, he got to release on Radio Matrix - the label of the Dutch-born, Berlin-based electro artist, Delta Funktionen. The three of them also produce as a trio named the 'Phantom Regiment'. THE BEGINNINGS Paul and Dave met in 2009 in a club called Poema in Utrecht, where Paul worked as a booker at the time. He booked Dave as a solo performance for a Detroit special where he closed the night after Robert Hood. The very first time they sat together in the studio, they've experienced such a productive flow that the first track they've ever made, took them only 3 hours to finish. In the beginning, Paul and Dave ran under the alias Miller & Boex, but after deciding on starting a collaboration together also as a dj duo, they opted for a name change. Ultimately, they have chosen for the name Abstract Division. The phrase 'abstract' was important, because both René and Paul have always perceived techno abstract and 'division' as although their is a generational gap between the two of them, their co-productions show a high level of congruity. Their first debut under their new alias was at the Dutch Soenda festival in 2013. INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH While grasping every opportunity to play at clubs and festivals all over the Netherlands, they've simultaneously started working on two separate trilogies, titled Form and Function and Time and Perception. Both trilogies received a lot of support in the Berlin underground scene around the time. One of their tracks, titled 'Compound Statement' was even used as a soundtrack, after being discovered by the producers of the Netflix series 'Sense 8'. This success was followed by numerous remixes and releases on international labels like Semantica, Enemy Records, Raw Waxes or Lanthan Audio. After the trilogies, the duo started working on a new concept of a double EP they named Contemporary Spaces which was released in 2016 on Dynamic Reflection, along with 2 more EPs dedicated for remixes done by other musicians, like Matrixxman, Lewis Fautzi, Perc, Stefan Vincent, Tensal etc. The year 2017 brought an even wider support in the scene for their productions, when the founding father of the techno collective Underground Resistance, Jeff Mills opened the Rotterdamse Rave with their track Convergent. The same year, Richie Hawtin named in a BBC One Radio interview their track, Out of Alignment (released on Figure Jams, the sub-label of FIGURE) amongst his 10 favourite tracks of 2017. 2018 was another important year for Paul and Dave as the duo celebrated the 10-year anniversary of their label with a unique concept - a special box set of 5 EPs with the contribution of artists like Blawan, Donato Dozzy, Jeroen Search, Shlømo, Steffi etc., titled 'Continuum'. In the beginning of 2019, Dave celebrated his 50th birthday by hosting a new edition of DECODE in the duo's beloved club, Cultuurpodium Perron in Rotterdam which was re-opened again. Until today, Paul and Dave live in two different cities. Therefore, to be able to produce during the weekdays as well, they have their personal computers connected in Ableton. Before upcoming events, they prepare their track lists separately from each other and they usually don't agree upfront, which direction a set should go, but they intuitively adjust it according to how their crowd responds. That is why each of their sets is more like a spontaneous b2b, but between two experienced, like-minded dj's.

Abstract Division

DJ Koze exists a little outside of time of time. Not only because his records can take you to places where everything seems to stop, the present moment expanding out to the horizon, but because he manages to function on a timeline completely detached from the usual dreary cycles of hype, influence, club hits, press credibility and career progression that govern so many of the structures of the music world. None of which is to say, though, that he's a wilful “outsider” artist: though Koze's music has been consistently strange and psychedelic, he has absolutely no truck with courting obscurity or alienating people for the sake of it, and he is hugely popular with very good reason. Stefan Kozalla was born in Marrakech but his itinerant family eventually settled in the very northernmost reaches of Germany by the Danish border, in time for Stefan to gravitate to the music scene of nearby Hamburg. By the age of 16, in 1988, he was already insanely skilled as a cutting-and-scratching DJ, coming second in the DMC mixing championships. He joined local hip hop crew Fischmob, committing his first release to vinyl with them in 1994, and made his first solo releases later in the 90s as Adolf Noise. Even back here, there was nothing conventional about anything he did, nothing that he did fit into any trend or sub-genre of the time – yet it kep reaching new ears as people picked up on the unique frequencies he was accessing and quickly ran to share them with his friends. Likewise when he formed electronic pop band International Pony around the turn of the millennium – signing to a major label for two albums: though their influences and quirky humour might have invited comparisons with acts from the then-dominant electroclash scene, in fact their records sounded (and still sound) utterly unique, existing in a world all of their own. His identity on the dance scene as DJ Koze was also becoming well established by this point. He was first voted SPEX magazine's number one most popular DJ in 1999, and would hold that honour for NINE years. He also began a relationship with Frankfurt's Kompakt label around this time, his releases beginning with September 2003's 'Der Säger Von St. Georg' (a track on the Speicher 11 EP) and a three-track 12' titled The Geklöppel Continues. The following month, he recorded his second commercially released mix, All People Is My Friends, which was released on Kompakt the following January. From here his flow of tracks was steady, punctuated occasionally with thrilling albums, all of which still stand the test of time: Adolf Noise's Wo Die Rammelwolle Fliegt (Buback, 2005), DJ Koze Kosi Comes Around (Kompakt, 2005) and, on his own Pampa label, Amygdala (2013). Reincarnations: The Remix Chapter 2001-2009 (Get Physical) and Reincarnations: The Remix Chapter 2009-2014 (Pampa) collected his considerable, often spellbinding, remix work – this being the arena in which he would first demonstrate his true capabilities in terms of stylistic breadth. As the 2010s progressed, his productions, and the releases by others that he selected for Pampa, paradoxically placed him right at the heart of the dance establishment, even as each one undermined or rewrote the rules of what a dance track is. His 2012 remix of Matthew Herbert's “It's Only” was made Resident Advisor #1 Track of the year the following year. In 2014 his reworking of Moderat's “Bad Kingdom” was inescapable – and in 2015, his track “XTC”, with its pitched-down, deeply philosophical alternative take on drug musings, became one of the most peculiar tracks ever to achieve club anthem status. In 2016, his remix of Lapsley's “Operator” was nominated for best remix & best record at the Electronic Music Awards, LA ), and in 2017, his heartbreakingly gorgeous remix for his old Kompakt compadre Michael Mayer's track “For You” with Joe Goddard again achieved ubiquitous status. And that's just a very few choice tracks: plenty of electronic music heads would pick other tracks as favourites, or cite the importance of his remixes for Caribou, Mount Kimbie, Apparat, Lapsley, Matthew Dear, Whomadewho, Gonzales, Battles, Soap&Skin, Mathias Aguayo, Ben Watt, Hildegard Knef or any of a huge number of other luminaries. And there's more besides. In 2015, Koze had the honor of compiling the 50th installment of !K7's celebrated DJ-Kicks series, which he used as an opportunity to remind us of his love for leftfield hip-hop and pop as well as house: exactly the kind of variety he's brought to bear on knock knock. The following year, he presented Pampa, Vol. 1, an unmixed selection of exclusives sent by his good friends who also happen to represent a who's who of underground talent: Acid Pauli, Gold Panda, Mount Kimbie, Roman Flügel, Ada, Stimmung, Dntel, Isolée – and the small matter of a collaboration between DJ Koze & Jamie XX. Rather remarkably, and showing that no matter how peculiar his music gets, the more momentum Koze builds, the second Reincarnations set, the DJ-Kicks mix, and Pampa, Vol. 1 all placed on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the U.S. Almost a quarter century from his first release, in his own words, Koze “keeps delivering like a pizza boy.” Even in a world flooded by cheap copies and functional clubs, his remixing skills are some of the most in-demand in the world, the Pampa label is one of the most important in electronic music, and his DJ sets are revered worldwide to this day... and as knock knock! shows without question, he is still a world-bestriding music artist in his own right. Outside of time, outside of obvious influence, outside of trend and hype – but right inside a circle of great “artists with gifted talents... somewhere on the edge of pop music” – DJ Koze just keeps on keeping on.

DJ Koze

Mike Dehnert

'The brainchild of Dominick Fernow (also known as Vatican Shadow), Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement distorts nature sounds (inspired by the landscape of Papua New Guinea) into the dark and ritualistic realms of ambient music. Part magic and part mysticism, RSE debuted in 2011 with a series of cassettes released by Fernow’s label Hospital Productions — they were remastered in 2017 as the cassette box Water Witches. Also in 2017, he released the album Ambient Black Magic, which featured Silent Servant and Substance. Melding together the natural and the artificial, RSE creates the soundscape of an imaginary world that’s both foreboding and intriguing.' - redbullradio.com

Rainforest Spiritual Enslavement

Ever since the early 2000’s, both producers have been channeling their music through this now iconic moniker – an ever-growing experimental ground in the midsts of electronic music’s history. In a nutshell, their productions pay tribute to the provenance of a dance floor based on deepness, dub and melancholy. The result? Tracks nobody on this planet can ignore, let alone want to. To make this happen, Rakete and Hunger founded a record label of the same name in 2007. Since then, they keep busy 24/7 – as producers, A&R and remixers. A labour of love, focussing on the sometimes heavily pumping, sometimes gently pulsing heritage of the Golden Era of a concept of deepness both fuzzy and cloudy. There – and there only – real feelings are to be found, waiting to be harvested and re-contextualised. What originally started as an outlet for their own music, quickly became a platform for friends and acquaintances as well. A safe space for those who not only feel the same way musically as Rakete and Hunger, but also appreciate the holism of their artistic approach, be it artwork, formats or communication. This approach is centered around the concept of friendship – and visualized by an ever so slightly grinning robot. This guy is both FDF’s CI and an allegory. Can technology become somewhat human? The answer is yes. And it does not require a sophisticated AI – some with heart and mind wired circuits will do the trick just fine. Just as it was back then, when the musical cosmos for which FREUND DER FAMILIE today rose up out of the primordial soup of warehouse parties, bright drinks and naive uncompromisingness. Roots last the longest. FREUND DER FAMILIE produces and publishes for those who don’t want to forget history and at the same time have no fear of the future. A robot watches over them – forever. text by thaddeus herrmann

Freund Der Familie

Biography Chris Mitchell is a dj, producer, and co-owner of Vanguard Sound and Anunnaki Cartel. His releases span a variety of labels such as Sistrum, Plan B Recordings, Proper Traxx, and Argumento as well as his own imprints. Chris’emphasis in sound ranges from futuristic, soulful, to raw and gritty.His first experiences with music came during the early 90's when he began as a hip hop DJ. After meeting the DJ who would become his mentor, Chris was exposed to house music and later expanded his range to include several types of electronic music. Never being afraid of experimentation he played several clubs and parties in Tampa and made his way into production. Teaming up with long time friend and associate Amir Alexander Chris launched the Vanguard Sound and Anunnaki Cartel labels in order to remain uncompromising in his artistic vision. The pair have had several successful releases from themselves and artists including DJ Spider, Hakim Murphy, Dakini 9 and Joey Anderson. Chris has played several successful international dates including Bohemian Grove (Manchester), Deli (Tel Aviv), Concrete (Paris) and Deep Fried (Berlin).

Chris Mitchell

Sepalcure’s combination of love for bass and 90s house acapellas is the culmination of a cathartic two week collaboration between Travis Stewart (Machinedrum) and Praveen Sharma (Praveen & Benoît). Their mix of tribal dub, house and two step beats works equally well for both late nights in the club and rainy, introspective nights at home. Detroit techno chords cut through wooden beats, neon synths and dubbed out atmospherics.

Sepalcure

The cohesive array of depth charged devices that Anthony Linell has produced is formidable. From his opening statements as Abdulla Rashim on his early label of the same name, right through to his recent work that puts his aliases aside, there is a robust and rigorous intent that compounds the elemental strategies of techno's models to apprehend his singular vision. Presiding over Stockholm's Northern Electronics label with Varg (Jonas Rönnberg), Linell dispenses with mechanisms of attention on all fronts. Marked by an indefatigable self-reliance, the label presents exactly what it means to display, and no more. Carving an idiosyncratic platform for his music is as great of a warning as there could be that Linell's leveraging little toward the benefit of the audience. By his measure, the familiarity and comfort of contemporary techno is stripped back to its rushing heart, the senses left tailgating the strobe in a fit of intuition over decision. The greater this is exposed the colder it gets, and its in these extremes that Linell's caustic rhythmic precision hits. Live, it comes off as a galvanizing strike from the outside; analysing the room as a DJ, it's a case of being pursued through the dark. Just as the brevity of Linell's output in the eyes of techno is exalted as it is brought into focus, the background to this blurs as you start to decipher his other projects. Lundin Oil skirts the fringes of noise and experimental music, and in collaboration with Varg as Ulwhedar, this is perhaps even more pronounced. Purposively ricocheting between the techno world and experimental electronic music, Linell forges a distinct passage that gathers the aesthetically uncompromising motifs and missions from across this spectrum. It's this combination and resolve that's brought Linell to the world's attention, however little that attention has been solicited.

Abdulla Rashim

Liverpool based DJ and promoter. Founder and resident DJ at Abandon Silence, with residencies at Upstairs With, Pause & Mele's Manor. Andrew recently opened The Buyers Club, an intimate club space in Liverpool where he also holds a weekly residency.

Andrew Hill

His music offers a rare fusion of populist intensities and nuanced musicality. With a keen understanding for the needs of the dance floor and the universal laws of house and techno, he's thrown out the rule book time and time again, sneaking tricks learned from electro and even drum'n'bass into the clubs, and loading up his B-sides with tracks that do what they damned well please. (No kick drum? No problem.) His standards for sound and presentation are exacting. Both on stage and in the studio, Jonson's fealty to analog equipment and real-time playing; as opposed to mere layback-serves as a standard bearer for a kind of electronic music that goes way beyond the drag 'n' drop world of digital composition. Jonson has always been eager to get his hands dirty, and the music reflects that in gnarled bass sequences and long, intuitive lines. His sounds have serious teeth. Despite his quick ascent through the ranks of the techno elite, Jonson hasn't just stayed personally grounded. He's devoted much of his energy to supporting his own close musical family, in the groups Cobblestone Jazz, Midnight Operator and the Modern Deep Left Quartet, and with his Wagon Repair label. He studied classical piano as a kid, plus jazz drumming, and played drums in a marching band – thus laying both the melodic and the rhythmic cornerstones of his music today. Thanks to his father's work as a musician, he also got his hands on synthesizers at the age of 9. By the time he discovered hip-hop as a young teen, he was recreating its electro-based beats on his own rudimentary setup at home. Jonson gradually began honing in on his own sound, both in his productions and his DJ sets, inspired by a deeper, weirder sound that had begun filtering into the Victoria's techno parties. His first record, in 2001, was the first release on Itiswhatitis (a label Mathew bought from its original owner 11 years later). Another followed in 2002, and in 2003. That year, he also made his first appearance on Perlon, 'Alpine Rocket' – a track he recorded alongside Luciano during his first trip to Europe. And then, suddenly, Jonson was everywhere: Sub Static, Arbutus, Kompakt, M_nus – and every track an anthem. 'I had all that music kind of saved up,' says Jonson, 'and then, just by chance, released it all at the same time. People criticized me for it, said that it wasn't a good idea. But it worked out for me. All the tracks did well. I wasn't saturating the market with bad music.' He's right there. In 2005, Jonson co-founded Wagon Repair, and it's been a blur since, a nonstop series of tours and recordings, solo and with his band mates. Crucially, he moved to Berlin. His studio here is jaw-dropping, frankly: a semi-circle full of gear, from old workhorses like the 808 and 909 and SH-101 to unique beasts like their Cwejman and Roland System 100m modular system. Tate's Rhodes piano anchors one corner of the horseshoe, and everything feeds into a massive desk where tracks are mixed and recorded in real-time. His two hands have come up with some remarkable material. Having perfected his brand of earthshaking epic with tracks like 'Marionette' and ‘Decompression’, Jonson has increasingly turned his efforts towards more personal, introspective music. He never left the clubs behind though; his 2010 album, Agents of Time, featured a number of tracks that are as hip-winding wily as anything he's produced yet, full-on tracks like 'Girls Got Rhythm' and 'Thieves in Digital Land'. Equally physical was his 2011 drop on Hawtin's M_nus, 'Learning To Fly', and the well-received 'Automaton' on Crosstown Rebels. His 2013 album, On Her Blurry Pictures, too; here Jonson took advantage of the long player format to stretch out and indulge darker moods and slower tempos, but the core of the record remained rooted in a dancefloor context. In 2015, Mathew fulfilled his long-standing ambition of contributing to Fabric's esteemed mix series. Fabric84 is a recording of his set at the club's 15th birthday, during which he played a number of his classic tracks and unreleased edits. The energy of the occasion and the particular way Mathew performs his material blend perfectly, capturing a singular and very special set on CD. As well as continuing to tour his in-demand solo live show, which is consistently ranked amongst Resident Advisor's top 20, Mathew has recently remixed Paul St. Hilaire + Rhauder, The Martinez Brothers, Seth Troxler, and VCMG (to add to his past work including Moby, Cybotron, The Chemical Brothers, and Nelly Furtado). He released an album with Units and Measurements in 2016, and another as his new alias Freedom Engine entitled “A Box Full Of Magic” in 2019. Eighteen years on from his debut release, 'New Identity', Mathew's sound and reputation as an artist have developed, as you would expect for someone so richly and widely talented.

Mathew Jonson

Hong Kong born and raised in Canada, Stuart Li aka Basic Soul Unit has been steadily making his mark in underground electronic music circles since his first release in 2003. Stuart grew up listening to Toronto’s college radio stations and attended after hours parties playing underground house music. He later worked at Cosmos Records store which dealt vintage Jazz, Soul, Funk, Latin, Brazilian, Disco, House & Hip Hop to crate diggers both local and from abroad. Reflecting his diverse interest in music, Stuart's house & techno productions can swing from lush and soulful to crunchy and jacking . He has released and remixed music on respected labels such as Nonplus+, Dolly, Philpot, Mathematics, Mule Electronic, Versatile, Ostgut Ton, Créme Organization & New Kanada. The end of 2012 saw the the release of Basic Soul Unit’s first album “Motional Response” on Chicago’s Still Music to great critical acclaim. Cassy recently included 2 of Stuart’s tracks on her Fabric 71 mix CD for Fabric London. 2013 also marks the inaugural ep release of his own label Lab.our which he started with long time friend Jason Ulrich. As with his productions, Stuart's strength as a DJ is his versatility. Depending on the night and the crowd, he can throw down melodic techno, heavy jacking and industrial sounds, deep house, disco, and often a combination of these. Basic Soul Unit has also been performing live over the last 2 years. Stuart’s live set expresses the rawness and honesty of his productions. Expect soulful melodies and squelching acid basslines intertwining with rough hewn beats & jacking rhythms.

Basic Soul Unit

An American Sound Artist & Experimental Composer having recorded for a variety of labels (including Sony Europe - Axis/6277- Ghostly - NINJA TUNE - RVNG Intl - Soul Jazz Records) - Mathematics Recordings -Voted URB Magazines Top 100 of 2004 in a Group act & Top 100 as a solo artist, Jamal Moss has long been a part of the Chicago house/techno scene as both a Promoter/Producer & DJ. Moss’s first creative endeavors were as part of a crew that created industrial soundscapes / Art Noise for the Liquid Love parties at the famed Powerplant in Chicago from 1989-90. When the Powerplant was closed, Moss and his cohorts started Liquid Sex, which became a magnet for many well-known house artists such as Steve Poindexter, who put Moss in touch with future collaborators the Chicago Bad Boys collective. From the Fall of 1993 - to the Summer of 1996 was Host/DJ for WNUR'S 89.3 StreetBeat Program Showcasing a segment named JACK-FM( Thank U Shaun Fahey ). He was also taken under the wing of house legend Adonis, who became a key mentor figure in Moss’s life and an inspiration for his moniker: 'I decided to give myself meaning and purpose, to honor my father (who gave me life) and my mentor Adonis (who gave me knowledge); I named myself Hieroglyphic Being ( Performed Live at 2004 DEMF'S Underground Stage / A Featured Artists In Germany's DE:BUG Magazine issue 92 in 2005 / Voted URB Magazines Top 100 in 2005 & has Composed Works Featured On Time Out Magazines The Other side of Paris DVD Guide Along with Bauhaus/Front 242/Black Strobe & Featured in other MAGAZINE PRINT + DIGITAL COVERAGE: The Wire – The Guardian – Bomb Magazine – Chicago Reader – Chicago Tribune – Washington Post – Resident Advisor – Fact Magazine – Vice – Mixmag – The Georgia Straight – XLR8R – The Quietus – South Side Weekly – Crack Magazine – Electronic Beats – Groove Magazine – The Fader – Pop Matters – Financial Times – Village Voice – Time Out – Spin – Noisey – Pitchfork – Vogue . Composed works for a Tribute to Robert Moog Benefit Compilation & a Featured Artist in Xlr8tr's 100 Aniversary issue aug 2006 & has done Analog Composition Covers & Analog Editing For Alexander Robotnick - Miles Davis - Sun Ra in 2007 & 2008 ).” HAS OPENED FOR: The Sun RA Arkestra – Kamasi Washington – Shabazz Palaces – Chris & Cosey – Holly Herndon – William Basinski – Actress – Silver Apples – Senyawa – Morton Subotnick – Vatican Shadow – Dean Blunt – Mala - John Maus - Shabazz Palaces - Joachim Hans Rodelious - Wolf Eyes - Silver Apples - Morton Subotnick & many More. PERFORMED/COLLABORATIONS/LECTURES WITH: Mark Sanders – Orphy Robinson – Adonis – Evan Parker – Shabaka Hutchings – Marshall Allen – Jean-Francois Pauvros – Danny Thompson – Hamid Drake – Steve Poindexter – Jean-Marc Foussat – Wolf-Eyes – Reggie Watts – Janelle Monae – Shazad Ismaily – Greg Fox CLUBS + VENUES PERFORMED: Berghain – Corsica Studios – Cafe OTO – University Of Chicago – Oberlin – Tate Modern – Zoo – MOMA PS1 -HKW : Art Institute In Berlin – Palazzo Re Enzo – Barbican – EMPAC – Royal Albert Hall – Paradiso – Rex Club – Jazz Cafe – The Art School – Trafo : House of Contemporary Arts – Exploratorium of San Francisco – Smart Bar – Panther Room – Dude Club – Lux Fragil – House Of Electronic Arts Basel FESTIVALS PERFORMED: ADE – Big Ears – BEMF – Moogfest – Bestival – Dance City – Unsound – Le Guess Who – Phono Festival – Free Rotation – New Forms Festival – Roskilde Festival – Melbourne Music Week – Milhoes De Festa – Donau Festival – Dimensions Festival - Dekmental And the last of the line of producers directly influenced by Ron Hardy at the Music Box, which he is uniquely qualified to write a new chapter of Chicago's Rich Musical history.

Hieroglyphic Being

Yancey's career began slowly. He has now become highly regarded, most notably for the production of critically acclaimed albums by Common, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, and Erykah Badu. He was a member of Slum Village and produced their acclaimed debut album Fan-Tas-Tic (Vol. 1) and their follow-up Fantastic, Vol. 2. In the early 2000s, Yancey's career as a solo artist began to improve; A solo album Welcome 2 Detroit was followed by a collaborative album with California producer Madlib, Champion Sound, which catalyzed the careers of both artists. Just as his music was becoming increasingly popular, Yancey died in 2006 of the blood disease TTP. Following J Dilla's death, the hip hop community became centered upon his music and image. Many of the artists with whom Yancey worked performed or recorded tributes, and a large group of followers voiced their support for the late musician. Yancey's music experienced a rebirth as the producer gained many times more listeners than he had during his life, partly due to media exposure. Though several posthumous albums have been released and others are planned, the massive amounts of unreleased recordings by the producer remain somewhat undetermined. Yancey's estate has also been controverted.

J Dilla

Baby Ford makes experimental minimal techno and is one of the founders of the U.K acid house scene. He's released records under a slew of pseudonyms, including Casino Classix, El Mal, Solcyc and his most frequent, Baby Ford. His early work - heavily influenced by the late-'80s acid house sound, as well as Chicago producers such as Marshall Jefferson, Ron Trent, Armando, and Larry Heard - appeared primarily through the Rhythm King label, and included classic cuts such as ‘Oochy Koochy’, ‘Children of the Revolution’, and ‘Fetish’. Material has also appeared on Sire, Source, and Insumision/Transglobal. He's released four full-length albums to date, including the debut ‘Fordtrax’ (a staple of most techno DJs) and 1997's ‘Headphone Easyrider’, one of his more listener-friendly albums. His recent work has appeared mostly through Trelik and Ifach - two of the U.K.'s most highly regarded techno labels, and both of which Ford has a hand in managing (Trelik together with Eon's Ian Loveday, Ifach with Mark Broom). He collaborates with Thomas Melchior as Soul Capsule and as Sunpeople. . With Ian Loveday he has collaborated on a number of projects (including Minimal Man), both for Trelik. Less active as a remixer, Ford has reconfigured tracks for Stefan Robbers' Florence project and pop techno group S'Express, among others.

Baby Ford

Cari Lekebusch is a Stockholm-based sound architect alongsides other Swedish Techno profiles like Adam Beyer, Joel Mull, Alexi Delano and Jesper Dahlbäck. He has borne many pseudonyms over the course of his illustrious career to date including Fred, Mr Barth, Braincell, Shape Changer, Vector, and The Mantis to name a select few. Some of his earliest musical influences include James Brown, Ralph Lundsten, Herbie Hancock, African Bambaata, Egyptian Lover, Chris 'The Glove' Taylor, Kraftwerk, Mantronix as well as many of the hip-hop and electro sounds that emerged during the eighties. His parents had a vast vinyl collection as well which gave him ample opportunity to discover new sounds in his formative years. This eclectic range of inspiration continues to fuel his distinctive sound. From a young age Cari was determined to pursue a career in music; what started out as typical record collecting in the seventies eventually progressed into a desire to become a DJ. Before long he was also demonstrating his budding skills as a producer, using whatever electronic equipment he could muster to experiment with beats. In some respects he was seemingly following in the footsteps of his father who had operated an audio & video electronics store, agency and studio, known as Studio Lekebusch. Throughout the eighties his interests outside the music realm included graffiti art, breakdancing and a passion for kung fu, something which has remained with him to this day and helps to inspire him musically. Before embarking on a career in music, Cari completed a four year business program, in part to complement some of his future objectives which included establishing his own company; something he promptly did once he graduated and began a new chapter in his life. As with most DJs, Cari got his initial exposure performing at a variety of local venues, primarily at events in Stockholm, where he also organized his own nights on occasion. His first booking abroad was in nearby Helsinki towards the end of 1993 and was an important step in his young career; he had already realized that to seriously pursue his music career he would need to ultimately establish himself internationally, as his underground sound wouldn’t be viable in Sweden alone. The following year he made his debut in other European countries such as Germany, France and Italy as his tour schedule steadily grew. It was a breakthrough year in his career with the first releases on his inaugural label – Hybrid Sound Architectures, which later became known as H. Productions (a.k.a. H-Prod). He also had releases on another notable Swedish label at the time under his Vector and Rotortype monikers - Planet Rhythm. During this period Cari continued to expand his studio, known as HP HQ (H. Productions Headquarters) by enhancing his collection of various electronic gear including drum machines, audio processors and synthesizers. The launch of his own imprint enabled him to delve into his creative freedom at the utmost level of innovation and quality, acting as a core platform for his artistic visions. His efforts in the studio at the time came to fruition as numerous other pseudonyms were unveiled throughout this period including Phunkey Rhythm Doctor, Agent Orange, Mr. Barth and Braincell. Shortly afterwards his productions began appearing on other influential Swedish labels such as Adam Beyer’s Code Red, Truesoul and Drumcode, something which continued over the next decade as fellow compatriots continued to make their mark globally launching scores of other labels such as Jericho, Corb, Loop/Plumphouse and Svek. Frequent collaborations with other artists occurred at the time not only in the studio but also while on tour, either alongside countrymen during label nights or for select tours such as with Adam Beyer in 1998, which showcased a rare live performance to audiences on multiple continents. Subsequent years were peppered with many notable career highlights at the time including his first appearances in Asia and Australia, several North American tours plus an assortment of releases that garnered wide critical acclaim and helped to inspire a generation of producers. During the last half of that decade, Cari was a key ambassador in exporting the techno beats that proliferated from his homeland, a term which was then aptly coined by many as ‘Swedish Techno’. In addition to many other various label projects Cari has been involved with, he has continued to evolve the H. Production family of labels which ultimately led to the creation of Kaun Trax, Djupt, Audio Mekanixc, KGB, Trainspotters Nightmare, Audio Pollution and Grundtakt - an experimental hip hop label. After close to two decades in this highly competitive industry, his success is hardly ephemeral. He has been invited to perform regularly at many of the highest profile techno clubs and events around the globe, including Awakenings, Fuse, Tresor, Fabric, Berghain, Omen, E-Werk, Avalon, U60311, The End, Cocoon at Amnesia, Fabrik, Rex Club, Liquid Room, F135, Sona, Twilo, Rohstofflager, plus well-known festivals such as I Love Techno, Time Warp, May Day, Awakenings and Nature One. An impressive repertoire of releases to date have materialized from his HP HQ studio and permeated into the crates of the global electronic music community. Cari’s work has also been featured on a myriad of labels in addition to his own reflecting an array of genres, including releases on Swedish imprints such as Drumcode, Code Red, Truesoul, Jericho and Corb, plus tracks on other prominent labels such as Novamute, Soma, Primevil, Masters of Disaster, Fine Audio Recording, Harthouse and Turbo to name a few. Various studio projects over the years ranging from techno to hip hop have also seen him collaborate with a number of producers including childhood compatriots Alexi Delano and Fredrik Almquist aka RND as well as others such as Jesper Dahlbäck, Robert Leiner, Damon Wild, Oliver Bondzio and Dan Zamani. With a steady stream of releases and a perpetual global tour schedule, Cari shows no signs of hanging up the headphones any time soon; even at the height of his career he continues to hone his craft daily, previously citing: “I try to make music regularly and try to constantly figure out new things. I reckon it’s like science, you need to do it every day to continue evolving”. Much like his evolution as an artist, in more recent years he has also expanded his H-Prod company to include a graphic design venture with further plans on the horizon as his company and career continue to develop, potentially into the cinema and videogame realm. He has come a long way in his career from his humble beginnings many years ago and one can presume that Cari will work diligently to achieve his future plans with the quiet confidence he has exuded throughout his career. Bob Dylan once said that a man is a success if he gets up in the morning and gets to bed at night, and in between he does what he wants to do. And by that measure Cari Lekebusch has undoubtedly triumphed.

Cari Lekebusch

His vast musical output spans many different worlds – some real, some imagined - and does so in a unique and captivating fashion that keeps listeners enthralled. Since first emerging in the early nineties as a key part of the Dutch West Coast scene and Bunker family, he has become a core member of that crew who takes inspiration from Detroit and Chicago pioneers but also fantasy films and sci-fi culture, and is nowadays a modern day techno pin-up in his own rite. What's more, rarely does a year go by when he doesn't release an essential album. Most frequently producing as Legowelt, his unique style comes form an unfaltering devotion to hardware, be it old, new or totally knackered. Jamming all day long on music making toys, his output veers from dense and foresty techno to whizzing electro, deeper electronic and stuff for which there isn't even a name yet. Clone, L.I.E.S., Creme Organization, Peoples Potential Unlimited, Dekmantel, you name it, they have all come calling for the man's music. Quite simply the guy is an artist and musical force that cannot be stopped.

Legowelt

bookings: mythsteryrecords@gmail.com Mr. Beatnick is one of the UK’s bona fide musical diamonds in the rough, and is one of few hip-hop producers to newly enter the house and techno fold in the past few years to have really turned heads. During the late 00’s he released on labels like Far Out and Altered Vibes, working on tracks for artists like Ahu, Azymuth and Atjazz, but it was the epic, string-laden “Synthetes”, released on Don’t Be Afraid in 2011, which proved the breakthrough moment for this talented beat-smith. The follow up 'Sun Goddess' proved a similar success in 2012, followed by the 'Savannah' ep, concluding his house trilogy.

Mr Beatnick

“When I produce music it's an intimate process, and I nearly never think about a club situation or how people could react on the dance floor”. Listening to Markus Suckut making this rather brave statement, bearing in mind the kind of response he gets from his audience, the dancers - the ones inhabiting the aforementioned floor, you could think he is very lucky. Or, you could simply say he is very talented. For someone who does not necessarily compose with the audience in mind when in the studio, it is a very pleasant side effect how appreciated his work is in the actual clubs – his work is by instinct extremely groove-focused (something he gets constant recognition and accolade for). There is a continual hypnotic locked channel in Suckut’s reduced techno. His elements might be sparse but they are highly effective, the tracks are denied excess but the funk is still there, clearly visible. Whether he leans towards more dubby spheres or letting breakbeat be the backbone structure in the production, the swinging groove - his trademark - is always present. German born and based Markus has been producing and DJing for over a decade and a half. As a DJ he likes to take on the role of a storyteller, preferring the longer variety of a set if he can choose. His career is built on excitement and playfulness, both as a DJ and producer, something that has paid off into becoming a considerable back catalogue. With his first production being released in 2009, a discography of over 30 records is now linked to his name - including two full length solo albums; DNA (Figure) and Resist (EXILE) released in 2013 and 2017 respectively. Suckut also runs two imprints; SCKT founded in 2012, which he brought back to life in 2016 after a two-year hiatus, and the more recent Tales Of The Machines that he started in the same year. The latter one proclaims its manifesto being to release more extemporary live tapings from jamming sessions in the studio, simply letting the machines have more of a “final say” in the process.

Markus Suckut

Labelled by Resident Advisor as “one of the classiest and grooviest house DJs out there,'' Dana Ruh is a musician who lives and breathes music like few others. Thoroughly obsessed by the complexities of sound, she’s as renowned for his wizardry behind the decks as she is her label, Brouqade — as well as her role at fledgling Berlin music space, KMA60. A native of Gera, Ruh has been firmly settled in Berlin for over a decade now, with Germany’s capital continuing to play a profound effect on her unique way of working. An impressively multifaceted musician, Ruh’s early sound was often characterised by its subtle, minimal tropes, although these days she’s equally as likely to champion classy, up-tempo house as she is a tougher, more peak-time techno vibe. It’s a way of working that means she’s equally comfortable throwing it down in Romania as she Ibiza or at her summer residency at Berlin’s Club der Visionare. A master of the subtle groove, Ruh’s work continues to draw praise from electronic music’s most respected names, with her highly-regarded debut LP, Naturally, released via Jus Ed’s Underground Quality. Added to this, further celebrated releases have arrived recently via equally discerning outposts such as Slices of Life, Cave Records and Autoreply. Closer to home, Ruh continues to rep her Brouqade imprint with distinction. Conceived in 2007, the label is now firmly established one that’s equally likely to push forward-thinking up-and-coming artists and established names alike. Never one to sit still, Ruh’s most recent endeavour is KMA60, a collaborative affair alongside Jamie Fry. Located in Berlin’s Neukölln, KMA60 encompasses a record shop, a studio space, as well an in-house label, KMA60 Rezpektiva. Established in early 2019 but already gaining a reputation for its killer record selection and welcoming atmosphere, much like Dana Ruh herself, KMA60 is quickly becoming synonymous with quality.

Dana Ruh

History _ Developer is one of a few active DJ/Producers that emerged from the Los Angeles techno scene in the early 1990's. After ending his residency as a DJ on radio station 88.7FM kspc in 1995, Developer 'Adrian Sandoval' Became the Import & Export Manager of the first dedicated techno distribution company on the west coast ' Entity Music Distribution ' which distributed top labels such as Axis Records, Reload Belgium, Plus 8, as well as a wealth techno label's from Detroit, Chicago and around the world. Over the last 3 decades Developer has played alongside many of the elite techno talents from around the globe as well as taking part in laying a foundation in the LA techno culture by producing events and exposing various first time international talents throughout the mid 1990's to late 2000's. Developer gained much of his acclaim and extensive performance history from his strong marathon sets and quick programming skills as well as the ability of playing 50 tracks per hour on 3 turntables with effect processor and sampler. Currently _ Developer continues to thrive as one of the most interesting techno mixmasters from the Americas as well as the birth of his label Moduarz which features productions and remixes from some of his early contemporaries in Los Angeles as well as a few established and emerging talents from around the world. Developer's current approach on the advanced DJ/Performance comes naturally with the evolution of technology, software, effect processors and a strong library of timeless Techno and House tracks For Bookings please Contact \u003e Carola Stoiber bookings@pullproxy.com www.modularz.com

Developer

After being introduced to electronic music back in the early 90's in Los Angeles, a teenage David Flores was hooked. He started DJing across Southern California on the DIY warehouses, desert, and rave circuit. His style then was as varied as the local scene - a myriad of sounds ranging from house to acid to techno to hardcore. After a few years solely DJing, he began releasing original music under the moniker Audio Injection, which landed on labels such as Monoid, Stimulus, 4 Track & LA label Droid Recordings. His association with Droid Behavior began in 2003 and continues today as resident at the infamous and internationally acclaimed Interface event series alongside Drumcell and Raiz. In early 2011, he started the project 'Truncate' to focus on the deeper, raw side of techno. His Truncate releases have been gain critical acclaim from world class underground talent such as Modeselektor, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Chris Liebing, Speedy J, DVS1, Luke Slater, Ben Sims, Josh Wink, East Everything, Jooris Voorn, and many more. Since then, he has provided remixes for artists across the musical spectrum including Kink! for Pets Recordings, Slam for Soma, and Trus’me for Prime Numbers. He has also released original tracks on 50 Weapons and on Ultramajic as a collaboration with Jimmy Edgar. A rigorous international tour schedule has followed, including included stops at the most prestigious venues and events, including Berghain in Berlin, Fabric in London, Concrete in Paris, The Movement Festival in Detroit, Womb in Tokyo, Dimensions Festival in Croatia, Awakenings in Amsterdam and Output in New York. \u2028 \u2028 With his heavy remix, production and touring schedule there is still no slowing down for David. He continues to shape an evolving sound and to champion the Los Angeles underground.