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09 Apr We Talk with Iraqi Refugee Producer Motez,
Who Drops a Beatport Exclusive

Posted at 14:22h in feed, news
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Words: Cameron Holbrook

We catch up with the Iraqi electronic music specialist to learn more about his experience coming to Australia, how it enabled him to persue his musical dreams, and what his new sound holds in store.

One of South Australia’s freshest electronic acts, Motez, is gearing up to release a brand new EP via the Sydney-based record label, Sweat It Out. His first single off the forthcoming release is “Give Me Space,” a gorgeous ’80s-infused dance floor ballad featuring award-winning vocalist/multi-instrumentalist, The Kite String Tangle.

Following the original tune release, Beatport has snagged the exclusive of Motez’s “Give Me Space” (Club Mix) — a rework that, according to Motez, was created to “take the vocals to a darker place” and is “made to sound big and boisterous for those peak moments on the dance floor.” Check it out below.

Originally hailing from Baghdad, Motez grew up under Saddam Hussain’s regime before fleeing the country in the 2000s. After seeking asylum in Australia in 2006, he got a job working at a record shop and immersed himself in the world of dance music. His musical appetite and knowledge of computers led him to making music. He soon found a funky and blistering house-oriented sound that has garnered support from some of the biggest names in the scene, and labels like Food Music, Say Wat Records, Armada Electronic Elements, and more.

We caught up with Motez to learn more about his experience growing up in Iraq, music production, his forthcoming EP, and more.

Tell us about your experience growing up in Baghdad and having to endure Saddam Hussein’s regime and the eventual war. 

It was quite tough. The lack of stability or predictability totally took its toll on the overall Iraqi psyche. Iraq was quite the cultural hub for centuries, even up until the ’90s. There’s always been a huge appetite for art, music, poetry, and many Western music influences. My parents grew up on the likes of Tom Jones, Elvis, and The Beatles. Eventually, being under a dictatorship that started diving more into religion, made a huge negative impact on finding new music. Also, being under sanctions meant that the country was virtually closed to the rest of the world, and with that, the flow of new music was cut off as well.

We found our ways, though. I still remember finding bootleg cassettes and CDs of The Prodigy, Jean Michel Jarre, and Underworld. I also got my friend to make me a bootleg CD of Fatboy Slim’s You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby. That record shaped my music a lot, and the fact that I supported Fatboy Slim on his entire Australian tour a couple of years ago and had the chance to meet him was quite a surreal experience for me.  

The most jarring experiences happened post-2003 after Saddam was removed. That was the most dangerous and volatile time. I had a very close encounter with a bomb explosion. I was a few meters away from it and was literally about to drive through, but I was distracted by something, so I stopped, and then the bomb went off. I still feel incredibly lucky that it didn’t happen to me.  

One of your first jobs after moving to Australia was working at a music store. Can you name some of the artists you came across working there who inspired your career path, and how did you come to start writing, producing, and DJing your music?

I haven’t actually met many artists working there, but I was genuinely inspired by the people I worked with. They were mostly rockers though, so only a handful of us dabbled in electronic music. I was surrounded by all the latest synths, speakers, and music gear that I had the chance to play around with them, and it honestly helped with my production skills and understanding of the technical stuff. I have also formed incredible friendships that have shaped my experience being a migrant. They really enabled me to work in music more.

One relationship that has become an integral part of my life and work was meeting my best friend Wayne Sunderland, who started Suture Mastering. It has become one of the most sought-after mastering studios in the country, and he’s mastered for the likes of Lil Jon, Dom Dolla, and Tommy Trash. He’s touched almost every electronic music tune coming out of Australia, including my own music. He’s a wizard. 

We heard there is an EP on the way… What can you tell us about it? 

Correct, there’s an upcoming EP that will comprise of a few tracks that are thematically linked in a sense. Consider it the “darker sibling” to the Soulitude EP that I released last year. It explores thoughts of freedom from expectations, catharsis, being rebellious, and turning the page to the next chapter… it’s a bit more out there. It’s louder and prouder than anything I’ve done. Sonically it leans a lot on what I’ve done already but with a nostalgic expression.

How did you link up with The Kite String Tangle for this track? Tell us about some of the ’80s inspired music that helped inform your creative direction for this tune.

I’ve always been a fan of Danny’s work. His voice and production have always been at the forefront of Australian music, and to top it all off, he’s a very nice man. We caught up a few times over the years in shows but haven’t really worked together until I remixed his song “North” a couple of years ago, and that’s when we decided to work together. He’s sent me a bunch of vocals that I can work with, and “Give Me Space” was the one that resonated with me the most. It’s just an idea I’ve been thinking about given we have all been locked in and isolated, the sense of appreciation for this notion of space. I found that extremely important to recalibrate and reassess.

As for the music, I’ve loved ’80s sound for a long time listening to artists like Pet Shop Boys, Talk Talk, and Depeche Mode. Recently, I’ve been listening to lots of Krystal Klear, Damon Jee, and Adana Twins, as well as “Cold Wave” music like Molchat Doma, Boy Harsher, and (especially) Drab Majesty. The mix of all of these artists has truly shaped my musical listening experience over the last two years and what’s to come in the next couple of years.

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09 Apr Monki Debuts on Hot Creations with ‘Yurican Soul’ EP

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

The UK dance music aficionado’s rave-inspired two-track EP drops on April 9th via Hot Creations.

South London DJ/producer, radio presenter, and label head Lucy Monkman (AKA Monki) has revealed her debut release on Jamie Jones’ Hot Creations imprint with the Yurican Soul EP. 

An all-around renaissance woman who has dominated the worlds of fashion, sports, and music, the release of her latest two-tracker follows a slew of 2020 releases that appeared on labels such as Dirtybird, Pets Recordings, Toolroom, and her cherished &Friends imprint. 

With tribal-esque themes, powerful synth lines, and a sunny temperament that runs throughout the EP, the record’s title track is piloted by charming Spanish vocals and choppy percussion, right before a full-on onslaught of acid wraps the arrangement up with a bang. The b-side, “Ring Ring,” employs the help of spoken word artist Queen Rose, who provides a melodious and playful vocal element that jumps in front of the tune’s shaking blips and a high-octane bassline. Check out the tracks below.

“Hot Creations has been a label I’ve admired for years,” Monki says about the EP. “‘Yurican Soul’ was inspired by one of my heroes, Louis Vega, and the old school sound of New York. While ‘Ring Ring’ was an idea from the studio that was really driven by the bassline until Queen Rose jumped on and brought it to life, with her naughty yet poetic take to the vocal.”

The ‘Yurican Soul’ EP is out on April 9th, 2021 via Hot Creations. Purchase on Beatport.

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08 Apr Beatport Exclusive: LCY Merges Mythology and Breaks with “Teeth”

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

The SZNS7N label boss shares the third single off their forthcoming six-track EP Pulling Teeth — set to drop on April 22nd.

London-based producer, DJ, and visual artist LCY (FKA L U C Y) is gearing up to release their much-anticipated Pulling Teeth EP on the artist’s cutting-edge club music label, SZNS7N.

The conceptual six-track EP is LCY’s “first completely non-fiction project and experience with world-building” that’s been two years in the making. 

Inspired by their intensive research and understanding of Celtic folklore, the record’s narrative centers around the artist’s personal and dystopian depiction of Ériu — the mythical matron goddess of Ireland. The EP has a whole personifies LCY’s interpretation of the ancient goddess’s lore, with each track separately grappling with the themes of creation, worship, abuse, trauma, consciousness, and ultimate decay.

“The story follows a post-human, post-human friendly AI landscape where the robots known as ‘the organism’ build a robot with a human brain (and accidentally a canine mouth) to in part worship and in part experiment on,” says LCY about the project. “The story expands throughout the project, and everything down to the tiniest of frequencies has been built with the intention of immersing the listener.” 

First introducing the character with an accompanying music video for the single “Garden of 10,” and further embedding us into Ériu’s story with the track “Shhh,” LCY’s third offering “Teeth” — available now as a Beatport exclusive — is the forthcoming EP’s lead track. Kicking things off with a haunting string arrangement, the track eases into a future-industrial breaks territory before launching into an alien-like acid assault. Check it out below.

The far-out world that LCY has built around Pulling Teeth will also come in the form of a seven-image graphic novel that will be revealed chapter by chapter over the coming weeks.

LCY’s ‘Pulling Teeth’ EP is out via SZNS7N on April 22nd. Purchase on Beatport.

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07 Apr Playlist of the Week: Riton

Posted at 11:50h in feed, homepage-masthead-slider, news
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Words: Henry Smithson

Newcastle rave hero Riton shares his “For The Good Times” playlist, full of surefire dance floor drivers.

WTF is going on with the world?! Life without festivals, dancing, parties, and your mates? It’s horrible, but not forever.

Small silver lining; I’ve fortunately had time to make a lot of music. Also, it’s been quite fun seeing some of the raves happening over this last year — although really, that’s just slowing down the jobs from letting us properly get back to it. So hasta luego corona, and hurry the fuck up with it so we can get back to doing what we love doing the most, having a good time!

I created this playlist for precisely that reason. Download these tunes, play them loud, and here’s to hoping for a ridiculous summer!

Start mixing Riton’s playlist on Beatport LINK, or on LINK’s new DJ web app.

Riton, Nightcrawlers, Mufasa & Hypeman – Friday (Dopamine Re-Edit) [Ministry Of Sound]

Mufasa & Hypeman saved 2020 with their original video. I recently reopened the session files for this, and it reminded me how much fun I had making it. The drums are from a 909, the bass I made on a 101, and the organ is from my M1. 

Jaden Thompson – Closer [Cuttin’ Headz]

Whopper. The vocal and bassline are just so good. Big things ahead for Jaden 

Todd Edwards – The Chant [Undisputed Music]

Todd the God. I can’t get enough of this track. Nuff said. 

Shovell, Mele – Pasilda [Defected]

I know this has been out for a while, but I keep coming back to it for a reason… because it’s one of the most recognisable and effective party tunes around. 

Uch – Genius of House [UNDR THE RADR]

Uch really is a genius of house and shouts for recognising the Genius of Manchester. Grand Central Recs reppin!

India Jordan – I’m Waiting (Just 4 U) [Local Action]

One of the best tunes to come out last year, just absolutely gutted for India  — and me — that they haven’t had a chance to play this out in a festival yet.

Riton – Up and Down [Riton Time]

I know it’s one of my own, but I couldn’t do a playlist of uplifting tracks without including “Up and Down.” Still a favourite. 

Riton, Alex Metric, Shungudzo, KUU – We’ll Always Have This Dance (TSHA Remix) [Higher Ground]

TSHA delivered on this remix. I love what she did to Shun’s vocals, the drums are great, the bassline is excellent. 10/10. 

Jodie Harsh – My House (Dance System Remix) [Warner Records]

I worked with Dance System on a music video way back when he was LVis 1990, and I’m happy to see his reincarnation doing just as well. Also, shouts to Jodie Harsh! 

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06 Apr Label of the Month: SCI+TEC

Posted at 11:13h in features, homepage-masthead-slider
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Words: Marcus Barnes

Marcus Barnes hears the history of SCI+TEC Records, straight from label founder Dubfire.

For someone who has described himself as a “workaholic” in previous interviews, Ali Shirazinia — better known as Dubfire — has had his hands full lately, and is all apologies as we finally connect on Zoom after several missed attempts.  

As well as his regular appearances on the post-pandemic podcast DJs & Beers, Dubfire has been spending time with family in Washington, where he spent the majority of his formative years after arriving in the States from his native Iran when he was seven years old. He’s also been enjoying the world of gastronomy, a pre-existing hobby that the pandemic has allowed him to explore in greater depth.

 “I had to refocus the work. I’ve been doing sourdough, baking at home. I became obsessed because there was a schedule attached to it; you had deadlines, you had timelines, and you made it with love. It took a lot of effort and time to get it right and then you gave it to someone you love,” he says. “And when they appreciate it? It’s like playing for an audience.” Now his obsession is pizza, he confides, explaining the technicalities of baking the perfect, dehydrated pizza base in a home oven, as opposed to a traditional Neapolitan one. 

This is Dubfire all over: meticulous, obsessive, hard-working and doing it all for the love. That may sound as cheesy as his pizza, but it’s a genuine work ethic that has placed him, and his label SCI+TEC, at the top. 

“I think this is the first time that we’re [talking about the label] in over 11 years, with anybody actually,” he explains. In fact, it’s been 14 years since SCI+TEC was conceived as Science + Technology Records, with Dubfire’s own “I Feel Speed.” The label was christened during a visit to Don Quijote in Japan, a “weird department store” that represented exactly what the label stood for — uncomplicated, cutting-edge and progressive.

Check out the SCI+TEC Dubfire Selects 2007 – 2021 playlist on Beatport.

In the fallout of his split with Sharam, the other half of hugely successful ‘90s-era dance music act Deep Dish, Dubfire was displaced and seeking to find a new home. He straddled two worlds — commercial electronic music and the so-called underground — for a while. But days and nights spent at DC-10 in Ibiza, among other influential spots, nudged him towards the minimal sound that was popular at the time. 

He was initially met with distrust, and found it difficult to get his music considered, or even listened to, by many of the most influential labels. HIs answer was to bypass the gatekeepers by setting up his own platform. “A lot of it stemmed from my insecurities,” he reveals. “When I was breaking away from Deep Dish, I wasn’t sure if the musical direction I wanted to go in was going to be taken seriously. Certain people seemed a bit wary of this new direction. They were questioning and wondering why I wasn’t just sticking to the successful formula that we had going on.”

Despite prior commercial success, Dubfire had to go back to the drawing board and start afresh. Still hurting from the Deep Dish split, he needed something to anchor him, to be grounded while in freefall. And once the music started to speak for itself, SCI+TEC gave him the validation he needed. Among his earliest releases was the iconic “RibCage,” which Loco Dice also eventually picked up for the launch of his own label Desolat. Though he’d given the track to Dice several times, it wasn’t until Loco Dice heard “Dubby” (as Dice calls him) play the track at the launch of his Global Underground compilation at a New York strip club that he finally gave it the attention it deserved. Another cut, “Roadkill,” was getting a lot of love from Armin Van Buuren around the same time, so his connection to different ends of the dance music spectrum remained intact. In fact, Steve Angello was behind an early release on the label under the alias Mescal Kid. These early successes and acknowledgements rebooted his confidence and helped steer him out of a dark period, which culminated in artists beginning to approach him with demos, as well as the next phase of SCI+TEC — building the crew.

“I looked around at Richie Hawtin and others who had a crew around them and I thought that might be a cool thing for me to build,” he explains. “Like the little crew that could spread the gospel of the label, and we could do events together and be road dogs together. We all want to feel like we belong to certain social cliques, or to feel connected to something, and I really needed that at the time.” This next step in SCI+TEC’s evolution has become a cornerstone of what drives Dubfire and keeps him inspired — nurturing newcomers and passing on his knowledge. 

Around SCI+TEC he has assembled a core family of artists, who are closely affiliated with the outlet, but also given the freedom to release with any other label they want to. Carlo Lio, Shaded, and Alex Mine are central to the SCI+TEC family tree, each of whom has benefitted from Dubfire’s experience and genuine desire to see them do well. “I realised that it gives me great satisfaction to pay it forward,” Ali reveals. “[Danny] Tenaglia, Carl Craig, and people like that took Sharam and I under their wing and mentored us. So I felt a strong responsibility to do that, and it filled a void in me that I had when I was in Deep Dish. It gave me a lot of satisfaction to really A&R those guys.”

Dubfire’s early experiences with the label still inform its running today. He operates from a place of creative freedom, centred on a difficult-to-define yet ever-present sound, informed by his own personal taste. Within that loosely defined space, he welcomes artists new and old to come on board with their own unique flavours, with less focus on genre and more attention given to character and soul. 

Like many of the most prominent and influential figureheads, Dubfire never really had a grand plan. He navigated the world of label management through feeling and instinct, choosing intuition over clinical business strategy, music with soul over music for sales.

SCI+TEC’s artist development is what Dubfire describes as an “underground version of a 360-deal without the deal.” Artists who join the family are also signed up to the booking agency he part-owns, Bullit, giving them greater visibility and more opportunities to tour the world. “There was no deal,” he explains. “It was just like, ‘Look, I’m going to do all this for you, because it makes me feel good to see you guys succeed.’”

Feedback from the roster’s artists reflects the payoff of that mentality. “It was the label that really launched my career,” Carlo Lio says. The Canadian artist first appeared on SCI+TEC with the Colors EP in 2010. “SCI+TEC was the label that showed “Carlo Lio” to the world. It’s a very diverse label, so as a producer it definitely lets me have an open mind when creating tracks. It’s nice to never be restricted as an artist.”

Alex Mine got his break in 2014 with the Enigma EP. “After my first release I immediately felt that I took a step forward,” the Italian producer says. “Your artist credibility grows and you start thinking about building your own career. For me personally, SCI+TEC opened the door in both ways: as a recording artist and as a DJ, since the release worked really well. It helped to catch the attention of the promoters and I began to tour around Europe.”

Check out Alex Mine’s SCI+TEC Label of the Month playlist on Beatport.

Dubfire is a seasoned mentor. He’s seen the very top of the music business and all of its pitfalls, and now he’s taking young people under his wing, schooling them for a life in an industry that chews people up and spits them out on a regular basis. Artist development is one of the key catalysts behind the label’s longevity, along with its timeless sound and conscious swerving of trends. With the constant flow of new ideas and energy, SCI+TEC operates in its own lane, resulting in a strong following and a discography full of classic material. Nick Curly’s 2012 remix of “Slob” by Zoo Brazil, for instance, epitomises the label’s tech noir groove: sultry, lascivious, and built for the dance floor. Elsewhere in the catalogue you’ll find ambient gems such as the 2020 album Dream Interpretation by Kazuya Nagaya, which is the subject of a remix package that’s being pressed onto marble-effect vinyl for release this year. 

The conversation moves on to low points. No label makes it this far without its share of challenges and, for Dubfire, the pandemic has — shock, horror — proven to be the most difficult time for his label since it launched in 2007. “Without question, the pandemic” he states. “It’s the first time that we hit the pause button. A year ago, I wasn’t sure what was happening. My gigs got cancelled. And then you’re having to look at like, what your overheads every month for everything, every aspect of your life and business and you’re like, ‘Fuck, it’s this much?! I have no income coming in how the hell are we going to do this?’” Not only that, he also started to wonder whether it made sense to even release music, especially during that initial dark period in those first few months of global shutdown. Legal expenses were cut, they had to release a few EPs with generic artwork, and the running of the label had to be reconfigured with a new, more economic outlook.

Remarkably though, as time went on both vinyl sales and digital sales began to pick as the shockwaves of the pandemic dissipated and fans began to appreciate music again. This, coupled with several of the label’s closest allies and contributors offering to defer their fees and continue to work with SCI+TEC, gave him the strength to continue. “Everybody that we’ve been working with, that we had a great relationship for all these years, stepped in to help us navigate through this financially until we got to a point where things were ok,” he explains. “Then sales also started to increase, and that was the other catalyst that gave us the confidence to keep going.”

A year since the world entered a seemingly endless dark tunnel of woe, there’s increasing optimism, and projects such as the Dream Interpretation remix package demonstrate that a renewed sense of confidence has returned to the label. In keeping with Dubfire’s consistent efforts to nurture new talent, the roster of artists on the huge release includes the debut of EVS (AKA Evan Sugerman), a jewelry maker-turned-producer. Evan had been sending Dubfire his music after they met a few years ago. “His music was quite experimental,” he says. “I had some established names, but I was also looking for some names nobody had heard of before. I’m like, ‘I can send you this album, if you like something maybe you can see if you can take a crack at it.’ And Evan loved the album. He ended up doing something, my engineer gave it some polish and this is going to be the first thing he’s ever released. That felt good.”

‘Dream Interpretations (The Remixes)’ drops on April 23rd via SCI+TEC. Pre-order on Beatport.

Feeling good, having fun, surrounding himself with a crew — these are all simple, yet fulfilling achievements that Dubfire set out to integrate into his life while unpacking the messy Deep Dish divorce back in the mid-2000s. Sitting in his Washington studio over a decade later, he appears satisfied and content. The work he’s put into himself, the label, and the crew of artists he’s assembled has paid off, and now he’s focusing on the new generation.

In 2019 he was involved with a mentorship project at a music academy in Barcelona called Bridge_48. Young producers were encouraged to submit their demos, and Dubfire listened to all of them, selecting a group of finalists and, eventually, a winner. Of those final few, three were from the UK, including the winner, and they ended up on SCI+TEC, with “Dubby” encouraging them to form their own little crew, perhaps sparking a new chapter for his label in the process.

Though he’s renowned as a headline act, Dubfire’s behind-the-scenes efforts to push other artists forward is probably his proudest work. He lights up when eagerly talking about Bridge_48, or his crew of artists at SCI+TEC, explaining how good it feels several times throughout our chat. It’s an outlook rooted in legacy, making a lasting contribution to the music culture he’s been immersed in for most of his adult life, beyond his own productions and performances.

 “If I can continue to pay it forward, keep the next generation going and preserve the healthy future of our industry, then I’m happy,” he says. “In my role, I’m just a spoke in the wheel when it comes to all of this. But if I can make sure that I’m coaching new artists and taking them out of their comfort zone and having them achieve success, that’s the ultimate.” 

Marcus Barnes is an author, journalist, copywriter, and tastemaker with over 15 years experience in print and online. Find him on Twitter.

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02 Apr With DJ Sets, Beatport’s Web App Unlocks Unlimited Inspiration

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Words: Chandler Shortlidge

Play real DJ sets from some of the world’s biggest selectors, right in the Beatport DJ web app.

Earlier this month, Beatport revolutionized playlist building and music discovery with the launch of the Beatport DJ web app, which features a fully-functional DJ setup right in your browser. 

Available only to LINK subscribers, Beatport DJ users can access Beatport’s entire catalogue, as well as genre charts and exclusive playlists, for unparalleled musical inspiration — all from within the app.

Now, Beatport is adding a new way for DJs of any level to get inspired with the introduction of DJ Sets, which brings real-life sets from the world’s best DJs right to your fingertips. 

Drawn from hours of music played on Beatport’s Twitch channel, the sets of artists like Charlotte de Witte, Palms Trax, and Masters at Work have been meticulously recreated by Beatport’s expert curation team, right down to the track order, key, and BPM. Nothing like this has ever been done before. And while not every song is always available on Beatport, our curation team has gone to great lengths to find suitable substitutions when necessary. 

At 20 tracks long, each playlist features approximately two hours of music to DJ with. Hone your sound by playing along with your favorite DJ from start to finish, or deepen your knowledge and skills by deconstructing and reconstructing sets from today’s top selectors. It’s like stepping into the DJ booth with Carl Cox without ever leaving your room.  

For further inspiration, DJ Sets will also feature genre-specific playlists and playlists for any mood or situation, like pool parties, after hours, peak time and more. Every set is hand-built by Beatport’s curation team, who are highly passionate and knowledgeable music lovers and professional DJs with an ear pointed to the world’s best dance floors.

With DJ Sets, Beatport is celebrating the artists and DJs we love, and who are at the core of everything we do. 

If you’re already a LINK subscriber, head to Beatport DJ to start playing now. Or sign up for a LINK account here, With the future of DJ streaming and music discovery only a few clicks away, there is no better time than now to become a Beatport LINK subscriber!

Learn more about the Beatport DJ web app.

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02 Apr The 7 Best Melodic House & Techno Tracks On Beatport You May Have Missed

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Words: Tom Peters

Our expert curation team brings you the best tracks on Beatport you may have missed. This time featuring
Rafael da Cruz, Komenda, Nicky Elisabeth, Rancido, and more.

Rafael da Cruz – Bes [DUAT FOLKLORE]

The label DUAT FOLKORE is all about Egyptian mythology. Bes was a powerful God in the Dynasty XII of ancient Egypt, who became a defender of everything good and the enemy of all bad. The God of dance, music, sexuality, fun, and also humor. Even the name of the balearic island Ibiza means “Island of Bes.” Rafael builds and keeps the tension throughout the whole track and is definitely one to watch out for. “Bes” is timeless, emotional, and hypnotizing. I can imagine it being played by Dixon & Âme for the next Lost In The Moment after the pandemic is over.

Komenda – Tunno [Applied Magic]

The fourth release on Aera’s new label Applied Magic, which he launched in 2020, is from the North German duo Komenda. This EP is the whole package, including an incredible remix by INVÖKER (FR). All tracks are unique in their own little way. “Tunno” could be best described as the sound of a dying dial-up modem, sending stuttering morse code to the depths of interplanetary space. Reminiscent of ’90s bleep sound, warped and filtered through a prism of contemporary. This is cutting-edge dance music and guaranteed goosebump material.

Nicky Elisabeth – Cleste [Kompakt]

Amsterdam-based talent Nicky Elisabeth is a resident DJ at De Marktkantine, one of the most established clubs in the Dutch capital, and it has been the long-time host of numerous KOMPAKT parties. Anyone who has experienced one of these parties will find much of the special atmosphere and punchy sound of those nights in Nicky’s KOMPAKT debut 12inch “Celeste.” Nicky catches the Kompakt Sound and keeps the tension and dreamy mood throughout her EP. The two remixes of the title track “Celeste” from the hands of the grandmasters Robag Wruhme and Roman Flügel are no less “celestial” than the original.

Rancido – Clocks [OMENI]

Dutch artist Rancido has the perfect blend of genres such as afro beats, soulful, deep, and melodic house & techno. With releases on OMENI, Innervisions, Stil Vor Talent, Mo Black Records, this is a certified artist that needs no introduction. The Clocks are ticking, and it’s time to take a deep breath and let Rancido guide us with his beautiful and sensual music.

Mila Journee – Affection [HIATO Music]

Brazilian act Mila Journée’s new release is her third outing on Hiato Music. With recent releases on Ritter Butzke Records, Us & Them Records, and 3000 Grad Records, her most recent Disturbance EP contains two songs that perfectly represent her sound. “Affection” is pure energy. With a progressive kick and rolling bass, an obscure pad gives the track all the dark aspects necessary for melodic progression, along with a touch of melancholy that holds the listeners’ attention. From clubs to festivals, this one will keep the crowd going.

PALMFooD – Elahara [A Tribe Called Kotori]

The Hungarian PALMFooD released “Elahara” — a slow but steady percussive and emotive grower for a perfect sunset or sunrise set — on the tribal and hallucinogenic label A Tribe Called Kotori. The track and the imprint both embody the journey to a place of spirituality where music connects. 

Felyx – Beauty In A Stranger’s Eyes [Glory Hill Studio]

The Greek Artist Felyx releases another mysterious melodic track on Glory Hill Studio — a music production studio and independent record label based in Athens, Greece. The artist’s roguish b-side of the record, “Beauty In A Stranger’s Eyes,” features stretching synth melodies, warm soundscapes, and warbling strings that are sure to catch the attention of any stranger passing by a dance floor.

For more melodic house & techno tracks you may have missed, check out our Beatport Link Playlist.

Start your free trial of Beatport LINK.

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01 Apr The Desperados Rave to Save App is Supporting Europe’s Clubs
One Dance Move at a Time

Posted at 19:11h in feed, news
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Words: Chandler Shortlidge

We learn the story behind Desperados’ Rave to Save app and virtual party series. For every 1000 steps you take during each livestream, the app donates €1 to shuttered clubs throughout Europe.

Following the successful launch of Desperados Rave to Save, the world’s first dance-powered app that’s designed to support Europe’s nightlife industry, Beatport and Desperados are set to raise even more money for the club scene with another fundraising event with elrow at Reineke Fuchs, Cologne featuring David Hasert and Franca on April 4. 

For every 1,000 steps taken by partygoers on the Rave to Save app, €1 was donated to support eight different clubs across Europe where the virtual parties will be hosted. Purple Disco Machine played the first party in Berlin, and more are planned for the UK and Ibiza. 

To learn more about what’s in store, and about this one-of-a-kind initiative, we spoke to Head of Marketing Global Desperados, Rutger van der Stegen.

Download the Rave to Save app. 

Apple download
Google download (Germany only) 

What inspired Desperados to help save the rave?

Europe is home to some of the most incredible clubs and venues in the world. But with the pandemic forcing these spaces to keep their doors shut for months, all this vibrancy and energy has been put on hold.

At Desperados, we feel we have a responsibility to support an industry that we have such strong ties with. That’s why we’re launching the Rave to Save app, calling on the party community to support nightlife venues across Europe by doing what they do best – dancing. By bringing people together, we can all support the venues we love so they are ready to re-open their doors and welcome us all back when it’s safe to do so.

Is anyone at Desperados a die-hard clubber?

It’s fair to say that partying is firmly entrenched in the Desperados DNA. Over the years, we’ve partnered with hundreds of DJs, musicians and artists from all over the world to ignite the party spirit through our different events and activations, spanning both the real and virtual worlds. The launch of the Rave to Save app is an exciting next step on this journey.

Which clubs will receive donations through this initiative?

We’ll be hosting eight virtual Rave to Save parties from eight different clubs across Europe with money raised at each party going to the club that’s hosting the event. We kicked things off with our launch party at the Prince Charles Club in Berlin on 27th March, with more fundraising events to come at other clubs based in Germany, London, and Ibiza, with more TBA. 

Tell us more about the app. Why run a fan-powered fundraising campaign rather than simply offering a one-off donation?

The Rave to Save app uses the pedometer function available on every smartphone to track partygoers’ moves as they dance to epic beats on their home dancefloor. For every thousand dance steps taken, €1 will automatically be donated to support the local club. App users can further boost their donations with a direct contribution, which will be matched by Desperados at each virtual event, up to €30,000.

The purpose of Rave to Save is for Desperados and its community to support clubs that have been impacted by the pandemic, whilst also keeping the party spirit alive for people across the world in lockdown. So in addition to the fundraising element, we see it as a massive opportunity to bring the party community from around the world together, whilst we all stay safely apart.

Desperados is known for its wild experiments and big in-person parties. How and why did you change your strategy once the pandemic hit?

At Desperados, we’re committed to consistently exploring new ways of pushing the boundaries of experimentation when it comes to party experiences.

Ever since the pandemic hit, we shifted to a digital-first strategy, focusing on how we can keep the party spirit alive for people in lockdown, whilst also continuing to support and collaborate with music venues, artists, DJs, and our event partners.

Rave to Save sees us take this up another level. Amid a continued challenging climate for the global music and nightlife industry, we felt a responsibility to come up with an innovative way of supporting those at the forefront of the sector. The launch of the Rave To Save app is our way of doing this – calling on partygoers everywhere to dance, donate and make a difference together.

What are some creative ways to get into the raving spirit at home before opening up the app?

As you tune into each virtual party, why not grab an ice-cold Desperados to ignite the party spirit from your living room? Then turn those speakers up loud and get moving to tunes from the exciting mix of DJs we’ll be working with across the eight parties – with the next one being elrow Rave To Save at Reineke Fuchs, Cologne with David Hasert and Franca. You can watch via Beatport’s Facebook and YouTube channels at 7PM CET on April 4.

We see each event as a great way of bringing the party community together whilst we all stay apart. So make sure you encourage your friends to download the app and virtually join you at the party, so you can all dance and donate together. See you on the virtual dancefloor!

Depending on how much ends up being raised, how are you hoping these clubs will use these funds? 

The donations will be used to support the clubs in various ways – whether that’s going towards employee salaries, rent of the space, or to help with future bookings. Our aim is to support these clubs and event spaces so they can reopen their doors and welcome us all back once social distancing measures are relaxed.

 How does Desperados hope to support club culture in the future once the pandemic has ended? 

We’ll continue taking people beyond the obvious and supporting club culture through a range of innovative events and party experiences in 2021 and beyond as part of our new #GoDesperados creative platform. Whilst we can’t comment on the activity we’ve got planned for the rest of the year at the moment, it’s certainly one to keep an eye on. Watch this space!

Check out Purple Disco Machine’s ‘Rave to Save’ Beatport Chart here.

Check out Nakadia’s ‘Rave to Save’ Beatport Chart here.

Check out Franca’s ‘Rave to Save’ Beatport Chart here.

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01 Apr Playlist of the Week: Hannah Wants

Posted at 11:00h in feed, news
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Words: Hannah Wants

Etiquette label founder Hannah Wants gears up for a big year with her “Lift Off” Playlist of the Week, featuring house heaters, new and old.

My Lift Off Beatport playlist features 20 tracks from a variety of house music sub-genres, both past and present, and one techno banger for good measure. You’ve got tracks in here for every occasion — simple listening pleasure, pre-party, 2 A.M. in the party or 8 A.M. at the afterparty  — I’ve got it covered. 

Whenever I make a mix or a playlist (or play a set) I always love to delve into older music and back catalogues, so there are a couple of gems you may have forgotten about or that I may just be introducing you to for the first time. Either way, they’re resurfacing here because they’re heat. 

I hope you like the records I’ve chosen for my playlist and big love to Beatport for making it their Beatport Playlist of The Week. From my heart to yours, enjoy! And hopefully I’ll see you on a dance floor in real life real soon.

Start mixing Hannah Wants’ playlist on Beatport LINK, or on LINK’s new DJ web app.

Hannah Wants – Lift Off [Ultra]

This is my latest release and a collaboration with the talented vocalist Nathan Nicholson. For me, “Lift Off” signifies a new chapter in terms of my productions. COVID and the madness that has ensued has been a bitch but one of the amazing things to come from my touring schedule coming to a halt has been the amount of time I’ve been able to spend focusing on new music, and “Lift Off” is the first of many forthcoming releases. My release schedule is full for the first time in over a decade and I absolutely cannot wait for you to start hearing all this new material!

HNQO – Pain N Love [Hot Creations]

Who doesn’t love Hot Creations? It’s one of my favourite labels and one I dream of releasing on in the future. I love digging for older bangers that people may have forgotten about and so going through back catalogues of record labels is a favourite thing of mine to do. “Pain N Love” is a deep house record from 2012 and 2010-2013 were the years for deep house, an era that can’t be touched in my opinion. 

Eskuche – Believe [Etiquette]

Eskuche has been one of my favourite producers consistently for the past couple of years now; ever since I heard “Concentrate” on Hot Creations I’ve been a big fan. I’ve been fortunate enough to build up a great relationship with Eskuche, and we’ve released several of his records on my record label Etiquette, and “Believe” is the A-side from his latest EP with us. This EP actually begins a new chapter of Etiquette, with club world ground to a halt we took the opportunity to re-brand Etiquette and come with something bigger, better and stronger on all levels. Eskuche’s Believe EP was a great opener and has gained support from industry heavyweights including Michael Bibi.

Hannah Wants & Eskuche – The ISH [Etiquette]

Another great bonus from building a relationship with Eskuche over the past couple of years has been getting to make music with him. “The ISH” is the A-side to our 2020 collaboration EP and one of the many reasons I wish so bad clubs were open so this could have run its course on dance floors around the world. Expect another collab EP with Max and I later this year!

Mizbee & Daniel Orpi – Touch Me [Kaluki Musik]

This is a track I’m really loving at the minute. The promo dropped in my inbox and was definitely my favourite pick from that day’s tune hunt. It’s got such a great groove to it, the drums are dope and Mizbee’s vocal is such a great fit. After hearing “Touch Me” I reached out to Mizbee and asked her if she wanted to collaborate and within a week or so she’d written a perfect topline to an instrumental I’d been sitting on for a while… I really love the way music can come together in the most unexpected of ways! 

Black Coffee – You Need Me [Ultra]

I’ve moved out to live in Ibiza temporarily and Black Coffee has been an artist I’ve been rinsing out here. I’ve always been a fan but without my usual hectic lifestyle in terms of travelling I’ve really had time to trawl his back catalogue and it’s inspired me ridiculous amounts. “You Need Me” is such a masterpiece just like many of his others, and Black Coffee as a whole is the epitome of house music for the soul. I’ve made a few tracks out here inspired by him and it’s a mission of mine to get his stamp of approval on them. 

Solomun – Love Recycled 1 [2DIY4]

A classic twist on a record done RIGHT. Love Solomun and I love this record. I added this to my playlist because I recently started a What Hannah Wants DJ set stream series out here in Ibiza and I ended my first set with “Love Recycled 1” — I’ve always been a fan of ending a set on a classic!

Luuk Van Dijk – FM Prezzie [Kaluki Musik]

Luuk Van Dijk… another one of my favourite producers by far. Basslines for days and a really unique sound. Both tracks on this Kaluki EP are fiya but I think FM Prezzie just tops it for me. One I wish I was banging in sweaty clubs and warehouses for sure. 

D.Zeledon – Weak [Unnamed & Unknown]

I’ve been exploring those deep and minimal tech vibes much more whilst I’ve been out here in Ibiza and “Weak” was a heater I found on a big tune hunting session one evening. I’m yet to go and explore the rest of D. Zeledon’s releases but it’s on my to do list, I’m sure they’ll be some more goodies in there!

Luca M & Just2 – Sweet Love [Stereo Productions]

A 2013 oldie but a goldie… I chose this for my playlist because it’s got Ibiza written all over it. Close your eyes and think sunshine, boat party, smiles and vibes. Cute and clever vocal sample and grooves for days.

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31 Mar Beatport Insider March 2021: Top-Selling Tech House Tracks, Artists, and Labels

Posted at 11:44h in features, homepage-masthead-slider, trending
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Words: Beatport

With Beatport Insider, we look at key stats from the Beatport store each month. This time, we look at the artists, tracks, and labels that dominated our tech house genre’s sales and streaming charts over the past six months.

Toolroom continues to dominate as the genre’s top-selling and most-streamed label on the site, and Spanish dance floor staple Dennis Cruz takes the top spot as one of Beatport’s most popular tech house artists, followed closely by Chicago legend, Green Velvet.

Check out our Beatport Insider March 2021: Tech House Playlist here.

10 Most LINK-Streamed Tech House Tracks

FISHER (OZ) – Losing It (Extended) [Catch & Release]

Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam (Nightfunk Remix) [Hot Fuss]

DONT BLINK – Vibration (Extended Mix) [Sink or Swim]

Kevin McKay, Milos Pesovic – Work It (Extended Club Mix) [Glasgow Underground]

Late Replies – Hold Up (Original Mix) [Sola] 

Dennis Cruz, Eddy M – Goldigger (Original Mix) [MUSE]

Endor – Fur (Extended Mix) [Defected] 

Dennis Cruz – Five (Original Mix) [MUSE]

FISHER (OZ) – You Little Beauty (Extended) [Catch & Release]

L Devine, Tinie Tempah, Torren Foot – More Life (John Summit Extended Remix) [FFRR]


Check out our Beatport Chart of the Top 10 Most Streamed Tech House Tracks here.

10 Top-Selling Tech House Tracks

DONT BLINK – Vibration (Extended Mix) [Sink or Swim]

Kevin McKay, Milos Pesovic – Work It (Extended Club Mix) [Glasgow Underground]

Dennis Cruz – Five (Original Mix) [MUSE]

Late Replies – Hold Up (Original Mix) [Sola] 

L Devine, Tinie Tempah, Torren Foot – More Life (John Summit Extended Remix) [FFRR]

Dennis Cruz, Eddy M – Goldigger (Original Mix) [MUSE]

Endor – Fur (Extended Mix) [Defected] 

Sam Supplier, Volkoder – Tornado (Original Mix) [Catch & Release]

Cloonee – Sun Goes Down (Extended Mix) [Big Beat Records] 

Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam (Nightfunk Remix) [Hot Fuss]


Check out our Beatport Chart featuring The 10 Top-Selling Tech House Tracks here.

Top 10 Most-Streamed Tech House Labels

Toolroom
Catch & Release
Sola
Hot Creations
DIRTYBIRD
Glasgow Underground
Black Book Records
SOLOTOKO
Repopulate Mars
Sink or Swim

10 Best-Selling Tech House Labels

Toolroom
Sola
DIRTYBIRD
Hot Creations
Glasgow Underground
Repopulate Mars
Black Book Records
Sink or Swim
MUSE
SOLOTOKO

10 Most-Streamed Beatport HYPE Tech House Tracks

Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam (Nightfunk Remix) [Hot Fuss]

LO’99 – Acid Worldwide (Extended Mix) [Medium Rare Recordings] 

EDUKE – One House (Club Mix) [Force Of Habit]

Martin Ikin, Sammy Porter – Back To Funk (Extended Mix) [Lovejuice Records]

Dario Nunez – IS LIKE (Original Mix) [Soleado Recordings]

Eli Brown – Legion (Original Mix) [Arcane Music] 

DJ S.K.T – Like This (Extended Mix) [Stashed]

Lewis Tala – Higher (Extended Mix) [Stashed]

Joshwa (UK) – Changes (Extended Mix) [Lovejuice Records]

Dots Per Inch, Gucci Daniels – Get Money (Extended Mix) [STEREOHYPE]


Check out our chart of Beatport Hype’s Top 10 Most Streamed Tech House Tracks here.

10 Best-Selling Beatport HYPE Tech House Tracks

DONT BLINK – Vibration (Extended Mix) [Sink or Swim]

Technotronic – Pump Up The Jam (Nightfunk Remix) [Hot Fuss]

GUZ (NL) – Set U Free (Extended Mix) [Sink or Swim] 

LO’99 – Acid Worldwide (Extended Mix) [Medium Rare Recordings] 

EDUKE – One House (Club Mix) [Force Of Habit]

Dario Nunez – IS LIKE (Original Mix) [Soleado Recordings]

Eli Brown – Legion (Original Mix) [Arcane Music] 

GUZ (NL) – U Got My Love (Extended Mix) [Sink or Swim] 

DJ S.K.T – Like This (Extended Mix) [Stashed]

Joshwa (UK) – Changes (Extended Mix) [Lovejuice Records]


Check out our chart featuring Beatport Hype’s Top 10 Best-Selling Tech House Tracks here.

10 Most-Streamed Tech House Artists

FISHER (OZ)
Green Velvet
Dom Dolla
Chris Lake
Dennis Cruz
Martin Ikin
Solardo
Eli Brown
Sonny Fodera
DONT BLINK

10 Best-Selling Tech House Artists

Dennis Cruz
Green Velvet
DONT BLINK
John Summit
Cloonee
Martin Ikin
Chris Lake
Eli Brown
Kevin McKay
Dom Dolla

Top Trending Tech House Artists

  • Of the Top 100 artists in 2020 who had the highest % increase in sold tracks in the last six months, compared to the six months before.

Chelina Manuhutu
Shermanology
Late Replies

Old Gold (Tech House)

  • The top 10 best-selling tracks over the past six months that were released before 2010.

John Tejada – The End Of It All (Original Mix) [Palette Recordings] 

Housey Doingz – Brothers (Original Mix) [Wiggle]

Detroit Grand Pubahs – Sandwiches (Original Mix) [Detelefunk]

Wighnomy Bros. – Wurz + Blosse (Original Mix) [Kompakt Extra] 

Brett Johnson – Two Cents (Massi DL 100 Resampling Remix) [Frankie Records] 

Hector, Seth Troxler, Shaun Reeves, The Royal We – Party Guilt (Matthew Styles Remix) [Crosstown Rebels]

DJ Jes – Fight the Feeling (Original Mix) [Immigrant Records] 

Derrick Carter, Tone Theory – Loop Limbo (Original Mix) [Plink Plonk Records] 

Matthias Meyer – Infinity (Original Mix) [Liebe Detail] 

Stimming – Melodica (Original Mix) [Green]


Check out our Old Gold (Tech House) Beatport Chart here.

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30 Mar Enter the April Edition of Beatport and Pioneer DJ’s The Big Break Competition

Posted at 21:16h in feed, news
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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Submit your 20-minute mix using Beatport LINK for a chance to win €1000’s in prizes and perform a DJ set via Beatport’s Twitch Channel!

Beatport has linked up with Pioneer DJ to present a fresh monthly DJ competition that will offer DJs of all sounds the chance to win great prizes, show off their skills, and build up their fanbase on a global scale.

Called The Big Break, each month Beatport will select eight finalists to play a live set to thousands of listeners on Beatport’s Twitch Channel using Beatport LINK. From these eight finalists, Beatport and Pioneer DJ will choose three winners who’ll take home €1,000’s in prizes, including subscriptions, top-of-the-line music gear, and a featured Beatport Chart.

Congratulations to our three winning performers from the March edition of Beatport and Pioneer DJ’s The Big Break competition! 

1st Place: Supernova lights the way (Instagram // YouTube)

2nd Place: DJ Legarza (Facebook // Twitter // Mixcloud)

3rd Place: DJ Programma (Instagram)

All competition submissions must be mixed using LINK. See the full list of contest rules and prizes below. Good luck! 

All eight finalists will receive a pair of Pioneer DJ HDJ-CUE1 headphones (incl. two colored accessory packs) and a three-month subscription to Beatport LINK PRO+.

1st Place

Prize package includes:

  •  1 Year Beatport LINK PRO+
  •  Plugins from Plugin Boutique
  •  3/mo Loopcloud Subscription
  •  Featured Beatport Chart
  •  DM-40BT Speakers
  •  XDJ-XZ Professional all-in-one DJ system
  •  Pioneer DJ Masterclass

2nd Place

Prize package includes:

  •  1 Year Beatport LINK PRO+
  •  Plugins from Plugin Boutique
  •  3/mo Loopcloud Subscription
  •  Featured Beatport Chart
  •  DM-40BT Speakers

3rd Place

Prize package includes:

  •  1 Year Beatport LINK PRO+
  •  Plugins from Plugin Boutique
  •  3/mo Loopcloud Subscription
  •  Featured Beatport Chart
  •  DM-40BT Speakers

Instructions on how to enter:

Step 1 



Record a
20-minute mix (audio & video) and upload the footage as an UNLISTED video on YouTube.

  • Contestants MUST be using Beatport LINK during their set.
  • Don’t have a Beatport LINK subscription? Sign up for a 30-day trial.
  • LINK is fully integrated within Pioneer DJ’s rekordbox, as well as many other DJ programs.

Step 2



Upload the link to your UNLISTED YouTube video along with your name, e-mail, socials, and country on The Big Break landing page
here.

We will notify you once your submitted video gets approved for meeting all proper guidelines.

Step 3



Once your submission is approved, set your YouTube video to PUBLIC and share it across your social media platforms, tagging @Beatport and @PioneerDJGlobal using the hashtag #BeatportsBigBreak.

Step 4 



A panel of judges from Pioneer DJ and Beatport’s curation team will review each performance and select the top eight finalists. Each finalists will be contacted individually.

Step 5



Finalists will be asked to perform an hour-long set for the competition livestream on Beatport’s Twitch channel. This occurs on the last Friday of each month, so be sure to keep this day free in your diary in case you are chosen as a winner!”

The submission deadline for the first competition is Wednesday, April 23rd, 2021, at 7:00 AM Pacific time.

The Big Break livestream will take place on Friday, April 30th via Beatport’s Twitch Channel.

Head on over to The Big Break competition landing page to learn more about this exciting DJ contest and upload your set!

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30 Mar Elevven and Monstercat Silk Head-Up Beatport’s LINK101 DJ Workshop

Posted at 20:18h in feed, news
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Words: Beatport Staff

Master the basics of Beatport LINK and the Beatport DJ web app with LA duo Elevven as your instructors on April 1st – 2nd.

Learn all about Beatport LINK, the Beatport DJ web app, and the art of DJing in the streaming era with Monstercat Silk! 

In January, the Vancouver-based label Monstercat announced its strategic acquisition of the cherished Los Angeles-based imprint Silk Music — creating the third musical brand under its banner with the new name Monstercat Silk. Learn more about the joining of these two powerhouse labels here.

Joining the label for the latest edition of our LINK 101 DJ workshop will be LA progressive house and bass trance duo, Elevven. In addition to answering your DJ-related questions, the team will walk you through everything you need to know about mixing, discovering, and auditioning tracks using the Beatport DJ web app and Beatport LINK.

Monstercat Silk LINK101 Session 1 — April 1st at 11 am PST.

Monstercat Silk LINK101 Session 2 — April 2nd at 11 am PST.

All LINK101 attendees will receive TWO free months of Beatport LINK if signing up for LINK for the first time.

Sign up for the Monstercat Silk LINK101 DJ Workshop.

Once you subscribe to Beatport LINK, be sure to explore the Public BETA of our new Beatport DJ web app at dj.beatport.com.

Check out Elevven’s Beatport LINK101 Chart

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29 Mar Grafix Honors 25 Years of Hospital Records with an Exclusive Mix

Posted at 15:36h in features, trending
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Words: Cameron Holbrook

In this interview, Grafix — staple of the drum & bass scene — reflects back on his career with Fred V, discusses his latest solo work, and pays homage to his label home of the last 10 years, Hospital Records, with an exceptional mix.

A stalwart of the global drum & bass scene, Exeter-born, Bristol-based DJ/producer Josh Jackson, better known as Grafix, is all about showing the wide range of sounds, emotions, and attitudes that his genre has to offer.

His infatuation with drum & bass started when artists like Pendulum, Logistics, and High Contrast captured his musical imagination at an early age. He began DJing around England and released early solo work on small labels Pristine Recordings and Allsorts. Though his life would change forever after meeting his musical partner Fred Vahrman, AKA Fred V, while studying at Music Tech at Bath Spa University.

Forming a production partnership, the duo caught the attention of Hospital Records in 2011, debuting on the label for its 15 Year anniversary compilation with “Find My Way.” They quickly became a label favourite, releasing numerous singles, EPs, and albums like Recognise, Oxygen, and Cinematic Party Music before amicably breaking up in 2018.

Grafix has since thrived as a solo artist with singles like “Radiance,” “Acid Generation,” and “Stutter,” and more recently with his remix of “4 Days” by Degs on the label’s 25-year-anniversary compilation, H25PITAL.

We caught up with Grafix to reflect on his ongoing relationship with Hospital, how he’s adjusted to his career as a solo artist, his livestream family, and what he has planned for the rest of the year.

Grafix also provided a mix of killer Hospital tracks “both new and old” to help honor the seminal drum & bass imprint’s milestone achievement. Listen to his mix in the player above and check out his interview below.

Growing up in Exeter, you got your start playing in bands. Tell us a little bit about how you and Fred V first became hooked on the drum & bass sound. 

Yeah, there were some bands in the early years, nothing more than garage band punk, though. Drum & bass captured me when I was 14. It was all we heard at parties, all my friends listened to it — it was culturally relevant at the time, and I loved the sound; fast and loud. Quite reminiscent of punk to be honest. The stand-out record for me then was Pendulum’s Hold Your Colour.

Since your split with Fred V, how has your writing and production process changed? Were there any significant hurdles you faced or major epiphanies you found at the very start of your revamped solo career?

This has been a really unique experience for me. My process has changed a lot — when you’re in a duo for as long as Fred and I were, you start to get used to each other’s ways, and the smart thing to do is know your strengths and know your weaknesses. So as soon as you are back out on your own, you really recognise your shortcomings! For me, I had to do a lot of rebuilding and push way out of my comfort zone in a lot of areas; taking charge of vocals was probably the biggest hurdle.

Tell us about your recent single “Empty Bottles” (feat. Degs).

“Empty Bottles” is a track Andy and I wrote over lockdown. It actually started out as a remix for a different track, but we felt we had a really solid idea and could make it work as a single. I made the bare bones of the instrumental, and Andy nailed the topline in a day. One thing that really resonated with me was the lyrics. They felt so familiar and relevant to my life, like it was something I wanted to write — seeing eye to eye on that concept made it a perfect collaboration for us to finish. Check it out here.

Your productions span a broad range of emotions and sonic frequencies, from ethereal and uplifting to dark and downright sinister. After experiencing a whirlwind of a year like 2020, do you find yourself leaning towards one over the other? What kind of sound and vibe do you think the greater/global drum & bass community has been leaning towards as of late?

I’ve always liked the challenge of delivering those two opposite sounds, and it will always be something I’m looking to improve on. It’s not one or the other for me. It will always be both. Sometimes I try and achieve a sonic collision of both dark and light in one piece of music. That was the idea with my track “Radiance.” Due to the times that we are living in currently, for me, the more song-based, musical side of drum & bass is a bit more relevant, purely due to the sad reality of clubs not being open. Still, I’m sure the whole scene is saving a ridiculous amount of bangers for the moment doors are open again.

Tell us about some of your recent livestreams. How would you describe the community of fans who tune in to your at-home sessions?

I have to give a massive shout to the livestream community, whether it’s the amazing people that lock into my stream or all the other DJs/artists that have started doing their own. It’s not easy, but it’s an unbelievably rewarding process. If lockdown’s taught me anything, it’s that I’m going to continue doing this throughout my career. I love the engagement with fans and like-minded drum & bass fiends. 

Can you explain what #LAGSPLOSION is?

It’s a beautiful mistake. My streams are Wednesdays at 9 pm GMT on my Facebook/YouTube/Twitch if you want to see it in action.

What can fans look forward to hearing from Grafix later this year?

I have a new remix of a Deg’s track called “4 Days” out this month on H25PITAL. After that, I have a few really exciting collaborations that will be coming out from April onwards, including a collaboration with Ruth Royall on her Paper Dragon alias, ‘Forget The Rain.’

Tell us a little bit about the mix you put together for us.

The mix features a collection of my favourite Hospital tracks, old and new. It was great fun putting it together. Enjoy!

Cameron Holbrook is Beatportal’s Assistant Editor. Find him on Twitter.

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29 Mar Jacques Greene Picks 10 Must-Hear Cuts
from Legendary Disco Label, Unidisc

Posted at 12:28h in feed, news
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Words: Jacques Greene

With his remix of Lime’s “Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight” out now on Unidisc Music, Jacques Greene cites 10 essential disco cuts from this legendary Canadian label.

Montreal is a party town. It isn’t a recent phenomenon either — there’s something in the blood, in the water. And Unidisc probably put it there.

Growing up going record shopping and scouring for tracks in the basements of the shops on the Plateau, you’d come across the various iterations of the label’s logo without fail. They released and re-issued disco, hi-nrg and italo, and its presence in the city was so strong that many personal favorite italo records with names like Gino Soccio would actually turn out to be from here, not Italy. Montreal was referred to as “Disco’s Second City,” and Unidisc was largely responsible. Here’s a list of some personal favorites that I wish I got to hear at the Limelight in the ‘70s, reportedly Montreal’s answer to Club 54. 

Shannon – Let The Music Play 12” Inch Version

Gino Soccio – Les Visiteurs

Mac Thornhill – It’s All Right Club Mix

Lime – Angels Eyes

Nightlife Unlimited – Let’s Do it Again

Suzy Q – Get On Up and Do it Again

Shannon – Give Me Tonight

Dynasty – I’ve Just Begun to Love You

Vera – Don’t You Want My Love 12” Mix

Lime – Babe, We’re Gonna Love Tonight

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26 Mar Purple Disco Machine Selects the Tracks
that Shaped his Love of Club Culture

Posted at 19:04h in feed, news
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Words: Purple Disco Machine

To celebrate the launch of Rave to Save, a world’s first dance-powered app by Desperados to support Europe’s nightlife industry, international music producer and artist Purple Disco Machine tells us about the unmissable tracks that shaped his own, personal club culture.

 

For every 1,000 steps taken by partygoers on the Rave to Save app, €1 will be donated to support eight different clubs across Europe where the virtual parties will be hosted.

 

Purple Disco Machine played the first party in the world’s nightclub capital – Berlin.

“My own personal journey into club culture probably started at the beginning of 2000 when a club called ‘German Club’ opened its doors in Dresden, and this was the first real house and disco event in my hometown. The first time I went to one of their events, I actually went alone because all of my friends just liked techno and didn’t want to join me. I danced all night, and I felt like I was reborn. This was exactly the music I loved. It was a mix of original disco and this upcoming new thing called French house. A few years later, I met the resident DJs who also owned a record store, and from that day on, I was their best customer!” — Purple Disco Machine

Join Desperados and Beatport’s first Rave to Save event and dance it out for a good cause with Purple Disco Machine on Saturday, March 27th at 19:00 CET.

Tune in via Beatport’s Facebook.

Tune in via Beatport’s YouTube.

Learn more about the charity livestream series and the Rave to Save app here.

Get the Rave to Save app on Apple download or Google download (Germany only).

Donna Summer – I Feel Love [Murcury Records]

One of the most important and iconic records ever made. The best disco record? There probably is no modern electronic dance music without “I Feel Love.”

Daft Punk – Around The World [Parlaphone]

The group whose music has probably influenced me the most. I could name x5 Daft Punk records in this chart, but I chose ‘Around The World’ as the funk and the electronics come together so immaculately.

Jimmy Bo Horne – Spank [High Fashion Digital]

It was another French Touch artist – DJ Falcon – who turned me onto this track with his record that sampled it. It is funky and disco and sounds very progressive for 1979.

Boris D’lugosch – Keep Pushin’ [Peppermint Jam]

It was not easy in the 90’s being a German DJ & Producer who played and produced House Music. This is just a great House record, and artists like Boris inspired me to try to do what I do now.

Fatboy Slim – Praise You [Astralwerks]

It is almost like a blueprint of a perfect dance record. The piano, the vocal sample, the breakdown. It was an honor to remix it.

Herbie Hancock – Rockit [Columbia] 

I really love electro-funk and often try to incorporate some into my DJ sets. Such a powerful groove with the scratching, and of course, Herbie Hancock is a jazz legend. So cool he embraced this different vibe.

Kool & The Gang – Open Sesame [De-lite Records]

I had to include a pure funk tune in my top tracks. There are so many to choose from, but the horns do it for me every time. Like all the funk bands, these guys were such amazing musicians.

Stardust – Music Sounds Better [Because Music]

The ultimate DJ set closer and the most fantastic disco and house record ever recorded. I still goosebumps when I play it.

Check out Purple Disco Machine’s full playlist on Beatport.

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26 Mar The 7 Best Minimal / Deep Tech Tracks On Beatport You May Have Missed

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Words: Raphael Pujol

Our expert curation team brings you the best tracks on Beatport you may have missed. This time featuring James Dexter, Guti, Wyatt Marshall, Odd Ones Out, and more.

WLAD, Demarzo – Sketchy (Original Mix ) [HedZup]

HedZup label boss, Wlad, has just come out with a stunning album featuring 10 collaborations with some of the scene’s hottest producers. Since 10 tracks are a lot, I wanted to make sure you don’t miss this one! A collaboration with Demarzo, this offering from WLAD is a true banger. This track has all the elements of groove that you need for a good romp on the dance floor. I’ll definitely be playing this one in my sets.

Wyatt Marshall, Sly Turner – Patch & Tweak (Original Mix) [Rendr Records]

Another great collab release from Wyatt Marshall and Sly Turner. The two of them have delivered what the title offers, some patches and tweaks! Having followed Wyatt Marshall for some time and loving his music, I can imagine all the little FX and sounds are coming from his modular synths, making the track move, evolve, and randomize. The sexy vocal tops it off with an effective bassline, it has the ingredients you are looking for!

James Dexter, Jack Swift – Don’t Need You (Original Mix) [AVTR]

If you haven’t heard, the legendary Avotre has just started a new sub-label called AVTR and it will feature some rougher and deeper cuts that you are bound to fall in love with. This track from James Dexter and Jack swift is the perfect balance between deep and energetic while maintaining a level of emotion that comes from the vocal and deep pads. Topped with some classic 909 drums, this is the definition of an incredibly well-produced track. 

Rich NXT, Shyam P – Other Side (Guti Remix) [Fuse London]

You might have heard the original from Rich NXT and Shyam P, but did you hear the Guti Remix? This deep and soulful cut is one that will close out a set in the right fashion. There is a sense of nostalgia in the air with this tune, and it can sometimes be just enough to wrap up a set. Guti has managed to combine some garage-influenced rhythms with a deep, pensive atmosphere, paired with a vocal meant to capture you in the moment. 

Elias R – U & ME (Original Mix) [Moiss Music]

Moiss Music is a label that I’ve been following for a few years now and they never cease to surprise me and deliver high-quality material. This track by Elias R is no exception and “U & Me” will be a great addition to your playlists/carts. The modulating acid bassline and “jackin” groove will get the dance floor heated up at the beginning of any set! 

Project89, Prunk – Telling You The Truth (Original Mix) [Key Rec]

Project89 is the man on the rise, catching the attention of the scene after his stunning releases on Meta, Avotre, PIV and soon to be on Moscow Records! With this collaboration with PIV label boss, Prunk, you’ve got your perfect sunrise, festival, hands in the air anthem. With an energy-packed bassline accompanied by classic minimal house stabs and catchy vocals, it’s an arrangement that is bound to get you going. Wait for the breakdown and lose yourself before coming back to life with the main drop! 

BEATPORT HYPE PICK

Hype is your destination for new music from up-and-coming labels and artists on Beatport. Learn more here.

Adrien Calvet, Coupe Melba – Le Sude (Odd Ones Out Remix) [Odd Pleasures]

This remix of Adrien Calvet and Coupe Melba’s “Le Sude” from Spanish duo Odd Ones Out is one of my absolute favorite discoveries of the month. I always look for some kind of soul, energy, and sexiness while I dig for new tunes, and this one ticks all the boxes. The vocal with the typical south France accent adds a lot of personality, and the spoken word sample is a perfect addition to a record that is driven by its funky bassline.

For more minimal / deep tech tracks you may have missed, check out our Beatport Link Playlist.

Start your free trial of Beatport LINK.

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26 Mar Marco Faraone’s ‘No Filter’ gets Remixed by Chris Liebing and Mathew Jonson

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Radio Slave and Marco Faraone recruit two veterans for No Filter Remixes (Part I) — out now via Rekids.

Italian techno DJ/producer and UNCAGE label founder Marco Faraone has tapped Chris Liebing and Mathew Jonson for the first remix package of his debut album, No Filter.

Farone describes his 2020 LP as an exercise in “freedom and flexibility,” where he allowed himself to “produce and play outside the lines” while letting his “inner child” take control.

No Filter Remixes (Part I) — released via Radio Slave’s Rekids imprint — focuses on “No Drama.” Liebing delivers a heavy, arpeggiated blow to the track with deep bass and creeping soundscapes, while Jonson puts his synth wizardry to use to create a winding and dreamy 12-minute excursion . Check out the two-track remix package below.

No Filter Remixes (Part I) is out now via Rekids. Purchase on Beatport.

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25 Mar ADE Confirms In-Person Conference and Festival for 2021

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

The 25th Anniversary of Amsterdam Dance Event will take place between October 13th – 17th, 2021.

The annual electronic music festival and conference, Amsterdam Dance Event, is gearing up to “celebrate the reopening of our scene” with the 25th-anniversary edition of the event — taking place in the Dutch capital from October 13th – 17th, 2021.

The announcement comes following the positive results of the Netherlands’ recent widespread vaccination campaign and rapid test capacity. 

In the announcement, ADE confirms that various organizers and venues such as Awakenings, DGTL, Dockyard, elrow, Loveland, Audio Obscura, and more will be joining this year’s festivities with more following soon.

The initial program highlights have already even been announced, confirming performances from Dave Clarke, Oliver Heldens, Avalon Emerson, and Speedy J.

The 2021 in-person gathering comes after ADE’s online broadcast of the conference in 2020, which covered topics such as COVID 19’s massive impact on the electronic music scene, new opportunities for the live industry, labels, and artists, tackling sexual misconduct in the music industry, and more.

Pre-registration for the ADE 2021 Pro Pass is already online. Sign up here.

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24 Mar Beatport’s Definitive Guide to Techno

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Words: Marcus Barnes

As part of Beatportal’s new series on the history of electronic dance music, Marcus Barnes explores the rich history of techno, from the 1970s right through to today.

Check out the Definitive Techno History playlist on Beatport. 

LATE 1970s

In the decaying post-industrial Midwestern city of Detroit, a young Black man by the name of Juan Atkins manifested an escape hatch into the future with the aid of his Korg MS10 synth. Inspired by the work of futurist Alvin Toffler, whose book Future Shock he studied at school, Atkins, still only in his teens, set about creating music that could transport listeners to an imagined future. Crumbling Motor City became glistening Techno City, as Atkins channeled elements of funk and soul through automated beats into innovative electronic compositions that migrated over the Atlantic to Europe as part of an ongoing cultural exchange. 40 years later, the music he christened “techno” has branched off into numerous styles and sub-genres, but the ethos remains the same: futurism, optimism, escape, catharsis and people dancing in unity to the electronic beats. 

The history of Detroit techno is populated by the influence of Black electronic music, but also determined by European electronic pioneers and ignited by the socio-economic and cultural circumstances of Motor City itself. Going all the way back to Berry Gordy’s Motown, there’s a distinct attitude and rhythm that exists only in Detroit. From Martha and the Vandellas’ hit “Dancing in the Street” to “The Tracks Of My Tears” by Smokey Robinson, Gordy’s label was a hit factory, pushing out one big song after another, modeled on the production lines at the car factories that dominated industry in Detroit. 

Photo: Juan Atkins

Disco DJs and funk bands preceded the birth of Detroit techno, both integral to the city’s Black club culture in the years before techno arrived. Legendary DJs such as Ken Collier primed the city for its first wave of techno, with the 4×4 heartbeat of disco pumping away on the dance floors of clubs such as Pink Poodle, Millie’s and Flamingo. The disco influence was especially pertinent for techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson, who lived in New York when he was a kid. After moving to Detroit when he was nine, Kevin would still visit New York every summer as his brothers were still living there. During those trips he made it to the Paradise Garage, where Larry Levan kept the dance floor ignited with disco and proto-house cuts all night long. Tracks like First Choice “Love Thang” and Cerrone “Supernature” inspiring young Kevin. 

Later, it was the Electrifying Mojo who became Detroit’s foremost influence with his show on WGPR-FM. As Captain of the mothership he would take listeners on a four-hour long odyssey of music and themed segments, presenting his audience with a broad selection; from Prince b-sides and rarities, to Kraftwerk’s “Numbers”, Parliament’s “Flashlight” and much much more. His shows were pivotal to the birth of techno, introducing pioneers like Juan Atkins and Carl Craig to programmed electronic beats, and new wave innovators like Gary Numan and Depeche Mode. Numan’s “Cars” a fitting anthem for the city’s automotive pulse. New wave, industrial and eighties electronic acts were highly influential at the time as well as bands like the B-52s, whose “Mesopotamia” was a favourite of Mojo’s. 

Kraftwerk are considered the godfathers of techno, and contemporary electronic music. Interestingly, Detroit groups The Stooges and MC5 were among Kraftwerk’s early influences, as was Motown Records, according to the group’s later member Karl Bartos. Tracks like “Numbers and “Trans-Europe Express” inspired Arthur Baker and Afrika Bambaataa to produce “Planet Rock”, giving birth to electro, a precursor to techno. “Clear” by Cybotron, (AKA Juan Atkins and Rik Davis) is another pivotal track in the electro world, which we’ll come back to later. 

Photo: Kraftwerk

THE 1980s

A young Juan Atkins managed to convince his grandmother to buy him a Korg MS10, which he used for his earliest experiments. He’d already been playing bass in garage funk bands as a teen, and spotted the synth in a back room at a music shop called Brunel’s during a visit there with his grandmother. After that, he picked up the Pro One by Sequential Circuits, a mini version of their famous Prophet 5 synthesiser.

In 1981, The Electrifying Mojo debuted proto-techno tracks like “Shari Vari” by A Number Of Names and Cybotron’s “Alleys Of Your Mind”.  Later, Atkins and Davis’ 1982 jam “‘Cosmic Cars”’ would play out like a follow up to Gary Numan’s 1979 release. Elsewhere, Cybotron’s “Techno City” was the first Motor City track to use the term ‘techno’ and Model 500’s “No UFOs” marks the point where a new sound began to emerge.

In 1983 Roland released the TR-909 drum machine. That, along with their 808, proved to be pivotal in the development of contemporary electronic music. A shift in sound, driven by the Japanese manufacturer’s machines, happened soon afterwards as electro evolved into techno. 

By 1985, Juan Atkins was operating on his own under the Model 500 alias. His first cut, “No UFOs”, was a local hit and heralded the genesis of techno. The follow up, “Night Drive (Thru Babylon)” has clear echoes of Kraftwerk’s signature sound: spoken-word narrative, futuristic atmospheres, and soul and funk cocooned inside icy electronics. And while this sound was found on many of Atkins’ early releases, each was also written with his own distinct Detroit spin. Juan, along with high school friends Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May* and Eddie Fowkles, started to create the soundtrack to a better future, an escape from the post-industrial depression their city was experiencing

*Derrick May has since been accused of sexual assault by multiple women. 

Eddie was part of Juan’s Deep Space crew and was among the first to release on Atkins’ Metroplex label, which laid down the blueprints for Detroit techno. “Goodbye Kiss”, by Fowlkes, was released in 1986, a year after Metroplex launched. It was the label’s sixth release, and became a city-wide jam. The following year, Derrick May released “Strings Of Life” as Rhythim Is Rhythim, alongside “The Sound” by Reese & Santonio (Kevin Saunderson and Santonio Echols), “When We Used To Play” by Blake Baxter, and “Triangle Of Love” by Kreem (Atkins and Saunderson). Also active in this era were Anthony “Shake” Shakir, Alan Oldham, Norm Talley, mobile DJs like Delano Smith, and several other early techno architects, all of whom contributed to shaping Detroit’s emergent sound, which rivaled Chicago’s thriving house scene. Two key venues, Cheeks and, later, The Music Institute, were at the heart of the early Detroit techno scene.

Across the Atlantic, these seminal cuts were flowing into specialist record shops in London, Manchester and numerous other cities across Europe. Electro records were the soundtrack to the new hip hop subculture, which was exported out of New York and onto the streets of Europe’s cities, towns, and villages. And as the decade progressed, tracks like Cybotron’s “Clear” re-emerged as cult classics, bringing the futuristic Detroit sound to Europe’s youth on the dance floors of clubs like Berlin’s Metropol, Le Palace and Les Bains Douche in Paris, London’s Jungle club and the Blitz, and Spain’s La Ruta del Bakalao. Many of these venues were gay or Black clubs, and provided patrons a heady mix of disco, funk, HI-NRG, EBM, new beat, new wave, industrial and early house and techno records.  

By 1988, the popularity of this emergent genre was reaching new heights on both sides of the Atlantic, as Kevin Saunderson unleashed “Big Fun” and “Good Life” as Inner City with Paris Grey. Both tracks were globally successful, turning Saunderson into an overnight pop star just as acid house was exploding in popularity in the UK and across Europe. Suddenly songs like “Strings Of Life” became part of the summer soundtrack, and could be heard at many of the summer’s biggest outdoor raves: Sunrise, Energy, and Biology held crowds of 25,000 or more, as young ravers traveled from around the UK to fields on the outskirts of London to party night and day.

Check out the Detroit Techno soundpack on Loopcmasters.

Meanwhile in Manchester, a club once known locally as stronghold for jazz funk began putting on acid house nights, as The Haçienda set the stage for the Madchester era that would follow for many years and give birth to acts like A Guy Called Gerald and 808 State. Gerald’s classic “Voodoo Ray” was an instant acid house anthem, while his 1989 track “Emotions Electric” epitomised the hedonism and hazy outdoor euphoria of the various raves that took place all over the UK. Similarly, 808 State’s “Pacific State” captured the emotion of the era.

Though one of the era’s biggest turning points came in 1988, when UK journalist Neil Rushton compiled Techno! (The New Dance Sound Of Detroit). The compilation was signed by Virgin Records, and helped establish Detroit techno in Britain. Rushton’s compilation, the first official release of its kind, landed in ‘88, but it wasn’t until the following year when its impact was fully felt. Music fans who were already familiar with early Atkins releases were formally introduced to the Detroit sound with a release that brought together a crew of pioneers on one record for the first time. It was part of a burgeoning connection between techno’s birthplace and the continent where it was truly thriving. And soon, UK artists like Kirk DeGiorgio, Mark Archer (Altern8), the late Matt Cogger (who worked for Transmat in the late eighties), Frankie Foncett, Lee “In Sync” Purkiss (who went on to launch Fat Cat Records) and more began visiting Detroit in order to connect with the pioneers. They worked in the studios of Atkins and May, forming bonds that led to the creation of music that was more authentic than many of the early British attempts to emulate Motor City; acts like B12 and The Black Dog initially taken direct influence from The D, whileCogger’s ‘Artemis’ (as Neuropolitique) was recorded at Metroplex Studios, for example. Pirate station Kiss FM hired Colin Dale and Colin Faver to host shows, both using their slots to showcase early techno. Both Dale and Faver were essential to the proliferation of techno in London. 

Detroit’s pioneers also visited the UK, playing live shows and DJ sets to varying degrees of success — some parts of the country weren’t quite ready for the music. Darren Mohammed of Adrenalin M.O.D. went on to record “Heychild’s Theme” as Heychild in 1989, an early UK techno classic. The Black Dog (Ken Downie, Ed Handley and Andy Turner) emerged with their first release “Age Of Slack” the same year, followed by “Virtual”. 

Back in Detroit, another radio personality was becoming an anonymous phenomenon. The Wizard, a faceless DJ whose dynamic precision, quick mixing and live re-edits won him a loyal fanbase on local radio station WJLB. Real name Jeff Mills, The Wizard was initially a member of the industrial group Final Cut. While things didn’t quite work out, the project ended up connecting him with “Mad” Mike Banks. Together they set up Underground Resistance, inspired by the success of independent Detroit outfits Metroplex, KMS and Transmat. 

UR had a clear objective and ethos, conceived to oppose the powerful entities that controlled the music industry. Mills and Banks (later joined by Robert Hood) brought a strong purposeful, empowering edge to the music. Put simply, Underground Resistance was a game changer. The incendiary performances of Jeff Mills, Mike Banks and Robert Hood, along with their militant dress code, ethos and mission statements etched into their records,  added a whole new dimension to the music. Initially centred on their own often diverse, uncompromising, sometimes soulful, sound, with cuts like “Transition”, “Planet X”, “Jupiter Jazz” and the confrontational “Fuck The Majors,” which features the words, “Message to all the murderers on the the Detroit Police Force — we’ll see you in hell!”, with a dedication to Malice Green, who was beaten to death by Detroit police officers in 1992. UR also released Blake Baxter’s mesmerising “When a Thought Becomes U”, DJ Rolando’s timeless 1999 track “Knights Of The Jaguar,” and some of Drexciya’s early material, from “Aqua Worm Hole” and “Wavejumper” to “You Don’t Know”. 

Drexciya defined their own sound, taking the majority of their influence from electro and developing the genre into what became a unique representation of their ethos and the world they had created. Though they would never have pigeonholed themselves as such, or even claimed to be part of Detroit’s techno scene per se, Drexciya played an important role in the growth of the music, their mystique and insular approach creating a unique, aquatic strand of techno DNA.

Parallel to UR’s arrival, Jeff Mills was also producing his own solo material, which elevated him to almost God-like status for fans across Europe. His seminal anthem “The Bells” was one of many underground club hits he produced during a prolific period in the early nineties, and in 1991 he founded his own label Axis, and he also launched a sub-label named Purpose Maker, with productions mostly under his name but also using the alias Millsart. Cuts such as “Black Is The Number”, “The Dancer”, “In The Bush”, “Step To Enchantment (Stringent)” and many many more proving Mills to be a visionary without equal in the techno world.

In Belgium — a country with a history rich in music and dancing — a slowed down sound called new beat was exploding parallel to the development of techno. Discovered as a “happy accident” when “Flesh” by A Split Second was played at the wrong speed by DJ Dikke Ronny, new beat became the sound of a generation. Though it was short-lived, fizzling out in just a few years as imitators watered down the original sound, new beat opened the country up to electronic sounds, spawning Electronic Body Music (EBM) and ushering in a wave of techno innovation, led by acts like Joey Beltram.

By the time Beltram released his seminal techno track “Energy Flash” on R&S Records, the label was already seven years old. Launched in 1983 by Renaat Vandepapeliere* and Sabine Maes, the label (christened with the couple’s initials) embraced the new beat/EBM boom, and was perfectly positioned for the wave of gechno that would follow. There were all-time classics such as “Plastic Dreams” by Jaydee, “Mentasm” and the aforementioned “Energy Flash” by Joey Beltram, a glut of early Aphex Twin releases (Selected Ambient Works 88 – 92 among them) and C.J. Bolland’s incendiary “Horsepower.” So influential was the label in the UK that they set up a London office, with the aid of drum & bass DJ Bryan Gee. In fact, D&B pioneers Fabio & Grooverider cite R&S as one of the key influences in the conception of jungle at legendary club night Rage.

Elsewhere in Belgium, Frank De Wulf rose to prominence as one of the country’s most prolific and revered electronic music artists. He broke through with his classic track “Acid Rock” before cementing his place in the history books with the ‘B-Sides series on Music Man Records (another seminal Belgian label) with cuts like “Magic Orchestra”, “The Tape” “Traffic” and “Moral Soundabuse”. Music Man launched in 1989 and hit the rave wave with a series of releases that were immediately on the money — “Just A Techno Groove” by Sounds In Order (De Wulf and Gaetan Bouvie) and the acid/new beat hybrid “Danger Zone” by Fatal Attraction, for instance. Other Belgian tracks that epitomize the era include T99’s “Anasthasia” and the high-octane acid delirium that is “Gravity” by Trax-x.

In Holland, techno pioneers include Orlando Voorn, a former DMC champion who became one of the earliest Dutch artists to forge a direct link to Detroit; and Gerd and Speedy J, two Rotterdam-based producers who would heavily influence the country’s techno scene. Of course, no mention of Holland is complete without Miss Djax (Saskia Slegers), who launched her label Djax-Up-Beats in 1989. The DIY hardcore techno platform fully embraced the underground attitude of rave culture, and Slegers often released music without mastering the recordings. Among its early successes were Terrace with “916 Buena Avenue”, Edge Of Motion’s “Set Up 707”, “Give Your Body” by Random XS and Miss Djax’s own “Hardliner”. Djax also formed a strong alliance with techno artists from Chicago and the labels Relief and Dance Mania. 

*Renaat Vandepapeliere is currently being sued by a former employee for unlawful dismissal and racial discrimination.

Photo: Orlando Voorn

Photo: Sven Väth

Photo: Jeff Mills

If techno was still a new, far-out concept in the UK and Holland toward the late ‘80s, in Kraftwerk’s home country of Germany, it had been brewing for a few years. As early as 1984, DJ Talla 2XLC launched the legendary Technoclub night in Frankfurt. This predates the techno scene that appeared in Berlin by at least five years. And in 1985, Talla 2XLC  recorded the hugely influential electronic cuts “Techno Talk” under the Moskwa TV moniker with Alexander Henninger, Ralf Henrich and Kurt Ader.

Berlin’s pioneers include DJ Chris, who was resident at Metropol, one of the city’s forward-thinking gay spots. He liked to focus on the beats and basslines, keeping it minimal and hypnotic, rather than full-on vocal. Sylvester’s “Dance Disco Heat” by Sylvester, along with “The Break” by Kat Mandu and “Hot Shot” by Karen Young were among the favourites during the late seventies disco era, before the transition into HI-NRG with acts like Lime and Bobby O on regular rotation during the early eighties. 

Movements like Neue Deutsche Welle, which DAF were part of, krautrock and various experimentations with electronic synthesisers — Fad Gadget, Nitzer Ebb, The Normal etc — along with disco and funk, set the scene for what occurred in the late eighties when acid house exploded out of the UK and spread across Europe.

Over to the west in Frankfurt, Sven Väth was making a name for himself. He went to Ibiza in 1980, decided he wanted to become a DJ and began playing records at his parents’ pub. Two years after the Ibiza trip, Sven landed a residency at Dorian Gray, where he met Michael Münzing and Luca Anziloti. The three men teamed up as OFF (Organisation for Fun) in 1985. In that time they achieved huge commercial success, with “Electrica Salsa”, a 1986 single which sold over a million copies. And then, in 1989, the Berlin Wall came crashing down. The impact was instant. East Berliners, who’d been living under a Soviet regime, finally had a taste of freedom and the future. 

THE 1990s

Despite the early success of Dimitri Hegemann’s UFO Club, by mid-1988, its numbers were dwindling. After the wall came down, however, it was suddenly packed, as a generation hungry for fun and adventure headed out to explore Berlin’s nightlife. Seeing opportunity,  in 1991 Hegemann opened a new club in the vaults of a former department store. Called Tresor, early guests included many of Detroit’s pioneers, who played their first Berlin shows at the club. The venue itself was pitch black, small, dripping with sweat and intensely loud, standing in stark contrast to the city’s newly minted open-air street party, Love Parade, which began in 1989 a few months before the wall came down. The Love Parade ran for many years, becoming one of Europe’s biggest street parties, while the success of Tresor urged Hegeman to launch a record label by the same name.  

Tresor Records’ debut release was 1991’s “Sonic Destroyer” by Jeff Mills, Mike Banks and Robert Hood, who were producing under their alias X-101. Blake Baxter was also among the first wave of artists to release on Tresor, as were Eddie Fowlkes and Juan Atkins. The harder-edged sound coming from Mills and Underground Resistance soundtracked the hedonistic catharsis of the citizens of reunified Berlin. Techno had arrived, as ex-industrial spaces and squats housed ad-hoc raves side by side with early clubs like Planet and E-Werk.

DJ Kid Paul (Paul Schmitz-Moormann) was one of the most prominent names at the time, and went on to write the techno-trance classic “Café Del Mar” as Energy 52 with fellow techno prodigy Cosmic Baby (Harald Blüchel) in 1991. Another key selector in Berlin was Tanith, who was resident at UFO and Tresor. He launched a label called Bash in 1991. Not forgetting pioneers like UFO resident DJ Rok, and Westbam, who took over from DJ Chris at Metropol and is the only DJ to have played every single Love Parade.

Ellen Allien, who’d been introduced to electronic music and rave culture while living in London in 1989, returned to Berlin and immediately immersed herself in the city’s club scene. She became a resident at Tresor, The Bunker and E-Werk, launching the Braincandy show on Kiss FM along with a record label of the same name. In 1995 she released her first EP on Championsound, which included “Waiting For The Dr.” and “Get The Groove Goin”. Braincandy shut down in 1997, but she set up another label two years later. BPitch Control, named after her Pitch Control parties, became her new platform, featuring producers like Rob Acid, TokTok, Trike and Paul Kalkbrenner among its earliest contributors.

Check out the Berlin Techno soundpack on Loopmasters.

Photo: Ellen Allien

Photo: Underground Resistance @ Tresor, 1991 (Courtesy of Exhibit 3000)

Mark Ernestus, founder of record shop Hard Wax, was also instrumental in bringing the Detroit sound to the German capital. The shop was and still is one of the most respected outlets for techno in Europe, if not the world. As Basic Channel, Ernestus and Moritz von Oswald pioneered the dub techno sound. Cuts like “Phylyps Trak” and “Quadrant Dub II”, along with their exploits as Maurizio, including “M04A”, “M06A,” and “Domina,” rank amongst some of the most influential and enduring techno to come from Germany. 

The duo also launched offshoot labels, including Chain Reaction and Main Street, which released seminal records from artists like Vladislav Delay (“Huone”), Porter Ricks (‘Port Gentil”), and Monolake (“Cyan”) — the latter a project of Robert Henke, who went on to create Ableton. 

By 1990, European techno had started to formalise and step into adolescence, while in America, a second wave of Detroit producers was hitting their stride. These included names like Kenny Larkin, Stacey Pullen, the late Mike Huckaby, Moodymann, Marcellus Pittman, Omar S, Brett Dancer, Scott Grooves, K-Hand, Claude Young, Daniel Bell and Carl Craig. 

Before branching out on his own, Craig played drum machine and synthesisers in Derrick May’s live band. But his idiosyncratic approach to techno immediately set him apart, and he quickly became a respected member of the global techno fraternity, signing early tracks like “Crack Down” and “Elements” to May’s Transmat label. Later, Craig became synonymous with the jazzy, cerebral side of techno with cuts like “At Les”, “Sandstorms” and drum & bass instigator “Bug In The Bass Bin” under the Innerzone Orchestra alias. He also set up Planet E Communications, a label that he used to express himself freely while supporting friends and newcomers to the electronic music world. 

Across the water in Windsor, Canada, Richie Hawtin was beginning to find his feet as a DJ and producer. Among his early releases was the showstopping 1991 collaboration with Joey Beltram and Mundo Musique as Final Exposure entitled “Vortex.” With fellow Canadian John Acquaviva he launched Plus 8 Records and began to carve out his own niche, splicing acid, harder edged techno and minimalist experimentations with his propensity for technical wizardry.

Originally using the pseudonyms States of Mind (with Aquaviva) and F.U.S.E., Hawtin really hit his stride with the Plastikman alias, which he conceived in 1993. His first release, “Spastik,” was an instant smash, becoming and remaining a ubiquitous peak-time club weapon. Other cuts that cemented Hawtin’s place among the greats include “Call It What You Want!,” “Minus / Orange 2,” ‘Technarchy,” “Bang the Box” (as Jack Master) and “F.U.” as F.U.S.E..

In 1998 he launched the M_nus label, which marked another step forward as an artist and label owner; curating a core family of artists around the label and expanding his exploration of the minimal sound. 2001’s DE9 | Closer To The Edit was a thrilling showcase of Hawtin’s technical skills, blending various components of existing tracks into entirely new ones, in a “first-of-its-kind” commercial DJ mix. Hawtin’s innovative outlook also extends into his performances, which have incorporated a wide range of technological developments over the past 20 years, his almost obsessive fascination with technology resulting in a setup that is light years of most other electronic music artists.

All of the aforementioned artists plus Jeff Mills, Carl Craig, Hawtin and Mathew Jonson and many others became part of the transatlantic exchange between the US, Canada and Europe, as their music flowed across the Atlantic Ocean to European shores and beyond. Eventually, they all spent time living in Europe too, where techno flourished much more than it did on home soil.

Techno had strongholds in other parts of North America, with brothers Frankie Bones and Adam X near-singlehandedly launching the early ‘90s New York City rave scene, while Josh Wink in Philadelphia helped triangulate the nascent yet growing East Coast rave community.  With trax-influenced tunes like 1992’s “Percolator,” Chicago’s Cajmere (and his Green Velvet alias) was central to the story; plus the Relief and Dance Mania crew, who formed strong bonds with Miss Djax in Holland. And DJ Rush emigrated from his native Chicago to Berlin, where he established himself a potent force, pumping parties full of energy with his entertaining persona and high-octane selections.

It was around the beginning of the nineties when the music began to split into various styles. Holland witnessed the extremes of gabber; London had jungle; France found French Touch, and people formed distinct tribes around trance, house, techno, hardcore and more. 

Holland’s Speedy J signed his first release to Richie Hawtin’s seminal Plus 8, while Orlando Voorn landed on Lower East Side Recordings with ‘Hey, Hey, Hey’ under his Frequency Moniker. 1991 saw the arrival of Hithouse Records, launched by the late Peter Slaghuis. The label was one of a few early Dutch labels that released homegrown house and techno. Bunker Records also launched in the early nineties, introducing the pioneering outfit Unit Moebius (Menno van Os, Guy Tavares, Jan Duivenvoorden and Ferenc E. van der Sluijs). Groundbreaking Dutch label Eevo Lute Muzique, founded by Wladimir M. and Stefan Robbers (AKA Florence/Terrace) arrived in 1991 and Clone Records was launched by Serge in 1992. Three years later Serge opened his first record store, and Clone entered the annals of Dutch electronic music history, becoming one of the country’s best-known and most influential brands. The ‘90s also gave birth to Rush Hour, which was opened in 1997 and has been at the heart of Amsterdam’s electronic music scene ever since. 

Artists including 2000 and One, Major Malfunctions, Steve Rachmad and Terrace appeared on the scene, pushing the music forward, while clubs such as Nighttown, Parkzicht, Mazzo and Roxy offered Dutch customers a glimpse into the future via the new techno sound. 

Check out the Detroit Dub Techno soundpack on Loopcloud.

In 1990, Sven Väth’s pop group OFF split up. But Sven was running the Omen club, a techno boiler room in Frankfurt. He also launched labels Eye Q in 1990 and Harthouse in 1992, both of which were prolific throughout the decade. But it’s his decision to launch Cocoon in 1996 that would mark Sven’s longest lasting (and arguably largest) achievements in techno. Starting as a club night in Frankfurt, Cocoon first Ibiza party took place in 1999 at Amnesia, and remains one of the island’s longest running techno nights, spawning a booking agency and record label. The Cocoon Recroding’s earliest releases include outings from Frank Lorber with “Jailhouse Rocker”, Glove with “Drogenkontrolle”, Legowelt “Disco Rout” and Sven’s own classic “Face It”. 

Other artists that came out of Frankfurt’s fertile scene include Alter Ego/Roman Flügel and the Klang label; Ricardo Villalobos; and Chris Liebing, who co-established a harder style of techno known as Schranz. In Cologne, Kompakt was launched by Mike Ink/Wolfgang Voigt, Reinhard Voigt, Jörg Burger and Jürgen Paape, who were later joined by Michael Mayer. The label grew out of a record store called Delirium and arrived on the German scene in 1998. 

In 1996 Munich’s DJ Hell launched International Deejay Gigolo Records, a label that rose became central to the electroclash movement of the early 2000s, but initially signed US acts l Jeff Mills and Anthony “Shake” Shakir; UK legends like DJ Naughty, Dave Clarke and DMX Crew; and Terrence Fixmer, Miss Kittin and The Hacker from France. Their fellow Frenchman, Vitalic, also released his seminal Poney EP with Hell’s label, which is said to be Germany’s most successful electronic music imprints.

Photo: Mike Huckaby

Photo: Roman Flügel

In the UK in 1990, B12 Recordings was founded by Mike Golding and Steve Rutter, launching with “Musicology” by Musicology (Golding and Rutter). The EP included “Telefone 529,” which was later licensed to Warp. This was a precursor to what was later dubbed IDM or Intelligent Dance Music. The following year Steve Bicknell started up Lost with Sheree Rashit. Witnessing the explosion of rave culture and its subsequent division, Steve gravitated towards the deeper, darker sound of techno. Widely regarded as one of London’s premier techno parties, Lost set the bar high, bringing over people like Richie Hawtin for his earliest appearance in the capital. 

Several other techno parties popped up, including The Brain, Final Frontier at Wandsworth superclub Club UK, The Drum Club, Strutt and Best of British which became Open All Hours at Ministry of Sound, plus Vapourspace at the Fridge in Brixton. But Lost held the most allure, thanks to its mouthwatering lineups and focus on the immersive power of the dance floor, presenting techno music in spaces that complemented and often amplified its ominous power. They cultivated a close bond with Jeff Mills, whose track “The Bells” was a Lost anthem.

Fat Cat Records became one of the key techno hubs in London around this time, after relocating to Covent Garden from Crawley, West Sussex. Outside London, the Sheffield scene was making an impact. In the pre-Warp era, a number of pioneering acts formed in the northern city and eventually became the first wave to be signed to the electronic powerhouse. “LFO (The Leeds Warehouse Mix)” by LFO one of their earliest and most revered releases. The West Country had its own scene, with Aphex Twin emerging as one of the most innovative sound technicians. His track “Didgeridoo” one of many early examples of his near-limitless talent. In Birmingham, two of the most influential artists of the nineties arrived on the scene with Surgeon and Regis. The latter also launched a label, Downwards, and duo eventually teamed up as British Murder Boys. Together they were pivotal in creating a dark, industrial, typically grey British sound that continues to inspire techno artists around the world today. 

In 1991, Glaswegian duo Slam launched Soma Quality Recordings, a label that has become synonymous with the Scottish techno scene and has supported and nurtured lesser-known acts and superstars alike (including Daft Punk) over the years. Their track “Positive Education” was an early triumph for the duo. And in the Northern Ireland capital of Belfast, Shine opened in 1995, welcoming a long list of techno stars over its 25-plus year history, with local techno heroes like Phil Kieran keeping the city pumped. While Sunil Sharpe was one of the most influential figures in Dublin, techno fans could get their fix in most of the UK’s big cities and towns, with spots like The Orbit in Leeds, Escape in Brighton, Voodoo in Liverpool and Atomic Jam at the Q Club in Birmingham all catering to the ever-growing community.

Photo: Speedy J

Throughout the nineties, techno continued to maintain a prominent position within the UK electronic landscape, with James Ruskin, Mark Broom, Dave Clarke, Ben Sims, Neil Landstrumm, Steve “Stasis” Pickton, The Advent, Ian O’Brien, and Christian Vogel among the artists keeping the genre alive. Not forgetting Grain, AKA Santos Rodriguez AKA Artwork, who went on to be pivotal in the birth of dubstep. His classic records on Fat Cat are highly regarded for their functional yet characterful construction. Labels including Mr.C’s Plink Plonk, Peacefrog, Ifach, Mosquito, and Rephlex were pushing the music in new directions and looking to the future for inspiration while keeping true to techno’s core ethos.

Throughout the era, Jim Masters was an instrumental figure in the techno scene, launching Open All Hours at Ministry of Sound and his own event It Is Where It Is later on. His label Open signed acts like Carl Craig and Green Velvet, while a who’s-who of technoland appeared at his events over the years, some of whom performed their first-ever shows in the UK. He also ran a night called BASE for seven years with Carl Cox, who of course became a global ambassador for techno, his musical knowledge, gregarious persona, and exceptional technical abilities making him one of the most beloved DJs on the planet.

France caught the wave a little later with Guillaume La Tortue forming the core of the burgeoning underground scene in Paris. Along with Laurent Garnier and David Guetta, he was one of the main faces at Jean-Claude Lagrèze’s French Touch parties at The Palace. La Tortue went into production, landing on labels such as Music Man (“Salinas”), Chronobrain, and Chris Carrier’s Adult Only. 

Eventually, a hardcore techno scene formed in France, with Manu Le Malin leading the charge. In the mid-nineties he appeared on Lenny Dee’s Industrial Strength label and began his production career. Manu straddled the worlds of techno and hardcore for a while, using the alias The Driver for his techno work. On that first release he worked with Thomas Bangalter, who went on to become one of the most famous and influential French electronic music artists in history as one half of Daft Punk. Manu set up in Montpellier and the city became one of the key outposts for techno in France. The aptly-named Jack de Marseille was at the forefront of his city’s small but dedicated scene, both hosting a night called Atomix at La Luna and opening a record store called Wax Records. Among the many weapons in his artillery were cuts like D-Shake’s “Techno Trance,” “Chime” by Orbital and Master Techno with “My Noise.” 

Photo: Carl Cox

Also in the south, La Tribu des Pingouins (Penguin Tribe) came to the fore as an influential collective that covered all the bases — they organised raves and set up a record label and record store called Pingouins. Their party Boréalis, launched in August 1993, brought in thousands of people at every event. One of the group’s members, Josselin Hirsch, founded Technopol, an activist/lobbying group that works to support and defend rave culture, and which organised France’s first techno parade, inspired by the Love Parade in Berlin. By 1996 the crowds at Boréalis had grown from 2,000 to 25,000, and they were hosting summer parties under the name Polaris. Though Boréalis came to an end in 1999, Technopol is still going strong today. 

Italy developed its own fervent techno community around this time, with hotspots in Rome and Naples with Old River Club. Famed Riccione club Cocoricò also opened in 1989, becoming one of Italy’s most famous institutions, while selectors like Mauro Picotto and Lory D put in the groundwork for a national scene that remains just as strong and fevered today. They were followed by Marco Carola, Luigi Madonna, and a whole wave of Italian techno superstars.

In Sweden, early key players included Jesper Dahlbäck, Robert Leiner, Alexi Delano, Par Grindvik, Joel Mull and Cari Lekebusch, who often met at the Swaj Cafe in the centre of Stockholm. While the enthusiasm was there with fans and ravers almost instantly, clubs faced a constant battle against the police and media, with raves labeled “drug parties” and a police department determined to shut down raves. The backlash even had a name: Ungdomssektionen (the Youth Section). But the Deep in Bleep club night at Tritnaha challenged the status quo, staying open all night long for eager ravers. The owners of Tritnaha eventually went on to open Docklands in 1995, one of the biggest and most influential Swedish venues of the nineties. Docklands fell foul of the Ungdomssektionen’s unwanted attention within five months of opening, and from the mid-nineties to the early 2000s this campaign against rave culture never ceased and it was almost impossible to play techno in many clubs. 

Of course, no mention of Swedish techno is complete without Adam Beyer, who teamed up with Jasper Dahlbäck and Peter Benisch to launch Globe Studios. During this period, many of the aforementioned artists were collaborating with one another. For instance, Beyer’s first release was a link up with Peter Benisch and Joel Mull (as John Mull). The Swed EP, under their alias Slaughterhouse, was released in 1994 on New York’s Direct Drive label. Beyer’s first solo release was entitled “Drum Codes” on Glenn Wilson’s Planet Rhythm Records —  the label wing of Stockholm’s influential record store. (A shop called Mega Store was also a key spot for record collectors at this time).

By 1996, Beyer had launched his own label based on the simple premise of releasing DJ tools created strictly for the dance floor. The first EP did exactly that, with Beyer and Dahlbäck teaming up as Beyer & Lenk to produce four untitled dancefloor-focused techno cuts. Since those early days, Drumcode has become one of the world’s most popular and recognisable techno brands, with a global radio broadcast and legions of diehard fans, who travel to Drumcode events all over the world. Beyer himself has achieved superstar status, but has always been eager to share the love, with a career-making roster that’s signed some of today’s best-known techno purveyors, including Alan Fitzpatrick, Reset Robot, Ida Engberg, ANNA, Sam Paganini, Victor Calderone, Enrico Sangiuliano and many more.

Photo: Carl Craig

Photo: Terrence Parker

But Sweden’s impact on techno hasn’t all been the DJ tool variety: Sweden’s Eric Prydz also hit the world stage, using the alias Cirez D for his techno experiments. Prydz achieved major commercial success, but maintains an underground presence through his pseudonym and is one of Sweden’s most famous electronic music stars. 

In Spain, the early nineties belonged to Oscar Mulero, who earned his stripes at the New World Club before going to open his own club The Omen (not to be confused with Väth’s club) with some friends. He eventually caught the attention of international observers when he was booked to play at the third Sonar Festival, after it launched in 1994. His label Polegroup is one of the foremost Spanish techno labels and Oscar became a global icon in the years that followed that first Sonar performance. Other key Spanish DJs during this time were Reeko, Exium (Valentín Corujo and Héctor Sandoval) and Christian Wünsch, all of whom turned to production towards the end of the decade. Wünsch started his own label Tsunami, while Reeko also launched his own label, Mental Disorder, which he uses as a platform for his prolific output under different personalities.

The offspring of the late-eighties, Ruta Del Bakalao scene includes Paco Osuna, who came up through the ranks to ascend to the very highest levels of success. The Ruta Del Bakalao was a strip of highway in Valencia, where a number of clubs supported early electronic music, from EBM to proto house, new wave and more. Osuna started out in 1994, growing up on a diet of tapes from Raul Orellana, the resident at Studio 54 in Barcelona, where his uncle was a director. He landed a residency at Heaven in Valencia and within five years made his debut in Ibiza. 

Osuna connected with Väth on the island, which was the catalyst behind the growth of his international profile, since the German kingpin signed him as the first Spaniard to join the Cocoon agency. By the mid-2000s he’d launched his own label, Mindshake, with the debut EP coming from Osuna himself. He also regularly released on Richie Hawtin’s Plus8, most notably with his massive remix of Plastikman’s “Goo.”

Towards the end of the nineties, London continued to innovate, forming its own incarnation of tech house, a sub-genre that Blake Baxter laid claim to years before. Artists including Mr. C, Eddie Richards, Nathan Coles, Layo & Bushwhacka! and Terry Francis cultivating the sound through events like Wiggle. Fabric appeared on the scene in 1999, creating a permanent home for techno in the capital. Likewise, Turnmills (with nights like Eurobeat 2000) and The End were hubs of techno activity around this period.

Photo Credit: Sebastian Matthes

THE 2000s

As the millennium approached, dance music peaked before falling in global popularity. This was as true for techno as it was for house, and while pop-centric electroclash took hold in America, some European DJs turned to minimal, which was dominated by imprints like Perlon and Richie Hawtin’s M_nus, and epitomised by tracks like Gabriel Ananda’s “Doppelwhipper’’ and Ricardo Villalobos’s “Dexter” and “Easy Lee.”

However, not every producer fell in with the Berlin-centric minimal crowd. Thanks to his formal training and the depth of his musicality, Canadian Mathew Jonson made a huge impact in the 2000s, standing out with his richly textured productions that were deeply emotional. His first release, 2001’s “New Identity” on Itiswhatitis Recordings, introduced the world to his subtle yet persuasive style; it’s a prime example of Jonson’s hypnotic, almost poetic sound. By 2003, two years after his first release, he’d produced “Typerope” and the growling classic “Decompression” (via Richie Hawtin’s M_nus), while 2005 saw the arrival of his masterpiece “Marionette,” a spellbinding composition that’s hailed as one of the greats.

Photo: Magda

Photo: Richie Hawtin & Ricardo Villalobos

After achieving commercial success as Deep Dish (with Sharam Jay) Washington D.C.’s Dubfire needed a change in direction. Spending time in Ibiza, and especially DC-10, pushed him to start a new solo project, inspired by the minimal sound. His 2007 debut, “RibCage,” on Loco Dice and Martin Buttrich’s label Desolat, was a minimal masterstroke and demonstrated Dubfire’s production prowess from the off. Since then he launched the famed SCI+TEC label, while working tirelessly to build a technologically advanced live performance set up. Further down the line, Truncate, DVS1, Function and the Sandwell District crew held it down for the US, alongside the Detroit pioneers and the generations that followed. 

Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival, an early incarnation of Movement Detroit, was founded in 2000. It was one of the first electronic music festivals in North America. Richie Hawtin was holding legendary parties at City Club, and the aptly-named Motor Club was also a seminal spot in the city. Meanwhile, a new generation sprung up out of Detroit: Matthew Dear, Seth Troxler, Magda, Shaun Reeves, Ryan Crosson, Ryan Elliott, Lee Curtiss, Kyle Hall and a whole new generation of artists who continued Motor City’s legacy and deep connection with Europe. Many of them migrated to Berlin, where their influence was felt across the city, which had become an epicentre for techno music. 

Germany’s domestic techno scene also evolved, maturing into various strands with acts like Booka Shade, DJ Koze, Solomun, Norman Nodge, Len Faki, Steffi, Monika Kruse, Ben Klock, Marcel Dettmann, Âme and many many more, taking the music in various directions. But at the centre of the German techno movement was a gay club called OstGut. Founded in 1998 by Norbert Thormann and Michael Teufele, the club’s early residents included Marcel Dettmann, who would also reside over OstGut’s reincarnation as Berghain, which launched in 2004 (when Ben Klock began his residency). Berghain became synonymous with techno to many fans almost instantly, and some even described the linear, streamlined sound its residents played as “Berghain techno,” which became the dominant sound for much of the 2000s. Berghain’s industrial setting, impeccable soundsystem and sterling booking policy also made it a global tourist destination, while Ostgut Ton, the club’s offshoot label, became highly influential as well, with early cuts like “Dead Man Watches The Clock” by Klock and Dettmann setting a high standard straight away.

Photo: Berghain in Berlin, Germany

But in the UK, fabric was still flying the flag, with Sankeys and, later on, Warehouse Project in Manchester. plus Sub Club and The Arches in Glasgow. A new crop of techno-focused heads began to revive its scene, some of them coming from the dubstep world. This post-dubstep generation helped kickstart an upsurge in the popularity of techno in Britain, with artists like Scuba, Joy Orbison, Blawan and Boddika and labels Nonplus, Swamp81, Hotflush, Hessle Audio and Livity Sound representing this very British style of techno; dark and bass heavy. Blawan’s seminal “Why They Hide Their Bodies Under My Garage?” a prime example of the sound. 

Photo: Dekmantel Festival (2016)

THE 2010s

As the 2010s got underway, the club scene was once again thriving. EDM sparked an explosion of raves and festivals across the USA, and its trickle-down effect led to the rebirth of an underground scene in the States. Levon Vincent, Kyle Hall, Function and plenty of others proved the US was still a prime source of techno, with Levon especially pushing out one impeccable cut after another, like the impossible to forget earworm of all earworms, “Man Or Mistress”. The decade marked a major shift in the consumption of electronic music, with “techno tourism” becoming a key driver in the growth and spread of techno. While clubs, festivals and artists all began to establish huge followings through social media, heralding the dawn of a new era. 

As budget airlines democratised international travel, artists and music lovers traveled the world like never before, giving rise to the popularity of international festivals and clubs. Berlin had become the unquestioned techno mecca by 2010, thanks in large part to its permissive clubs and supportive local government. Artists flocked there in their droves, attracted by a cheaper way of life, weekend-long parties and some of the world’s best club spaces: Arena, Club Der Visionaere, Bar 25, Kater Blau, Watergate and Berghain among them. Today it is one of the most prominent and respected techno destinations on the planet, with Berghain becoming a globally recognised centre for electronic music and its residents. New acts like Rødhåd, Vril and the Dystopian crew, Efdemin, Recondite, plus the Zenker Brothers and their label Ilian Tape, rose to prominence alongside predecessors such as Dettmann, Allien and Klock. Not forgetting Radio Slave, whose Rekids label was instrumental in establishing new acts with Radio Slave himself producing a long list of minimal techno classics.

Festivals appeared everywhere, catering for a new market-driven by cheaper air travel. Techno arrived on the big stage in nations from Canada (Mutek) to Albania (Ion). Croatia saw a huge upsurge in festivals, with Dimensions, Sonus and Hideout among its best-known techno events. Elsewhere in Europe, Dekmantel, Awakenings, Time Warp, Kappa Futur Festival and Junction 2 emerged among a sea of techno-focused large-scale events. In the US, South America and Asia it was much the same. A global scene formed as international travel became more and more commonplace, and DJs and ravers alike connected to a worldwide circuit.

Photo: Charlotte De Witte & Amelie Lens

In Paris clubs like Concrete, Djoon, Badaboum, La Machine Du Moulin Rouge, La Petit Bain and Zig Zag were among the clubs that catered for techno, along with plenty of warehouse raves across the city and party brands like Possession. An array of artists popped up in France, including Bambounou, Francois X, Scan X, Shlømo, DJ Deep, Traumer, Leo Pol, NDOS, Polar Inertia and Antigone . Buoyed by the success of their club, the team behind Concrete launched their Weather Festival, and another huge techno event, the Peacock Society also became a regular fixture on the annual rave calendar in France’s capital city.

Italy saw a new crop of techno stars rise up, including Joseph Capriati and melodic techno heroes Tale Of Us, as well as DJ Tennis with his Life And Death label, which released several early Tale Of Us EPs. The duo later split with Tennis’ label and set up their own platform called Afterlife, which spawned a hugely popular party series in Ibiza which focused on the dark side of emotive techno and won them a legion of dedicated fans around the globe.

Belgium’s long dance music traditions have given rise to all kinds of famous DJs over the years, including techno producer Peter Van Hoesen and lauded techno clubs Clubs like Fuse Brussels, Café d’Anvers, and Kompass in Gent. However, few have achieved fame like Amelie Lens, Charlotte de Witte, who represent a new generation of techno superstars. The impact of Amelie and Charlotte is hard to understate. As women in traditionally male dominated roles — headlining major techno events and festivals while running their own techno imprints — both have shattered barriers through dominance and prowess on the decks. Since launching in 2018, Amelie’s LENSKE has become a home for incendiary acid and techno cuts such as “The Riddler” by Farrago, “Zenith” by Milo Spykers and “Frozen Throne” by Airod; while Charlotte’s label and club night KNTXT — running since 2019 — has seen huge success with early releases like “Pattern” and a collaboration with CLR bossman Chris Liebing entitled “In Memory.”

In Holland, Joris Voorn, Edwin Oosterwal, Darko Esser, Benny Rodrigues, Legowelt and clubs such as Transport, Studio80, Melkweg, Paradiso, Chicago Social and the legendary Trouw, plus large-scale festivals such as Lowlands and Awakenings were breathing new life into the scene. Labels such as Delsin, Voyage Direct, Slapfunk, and VBX.

Dutch techno culture has remained strong and healthy up until today with Dekmantel Festival, which is widely considered to be one of Europe’s premier electronic music festivals. The Amsterdam Dance Event perhaps the best representation of Holland’s healthy electronic music scene. The annual conference, networking event and multi-venue festival draws in hundreds of thousands of visitors every year demonstrating the country’s position as a global powerhouse, with each new generation producing talent that keeps the heartbeat of techno pumping.

Spain has maintained a constant output of techno talent, Coyu, Uner, Affkt, Edu Imbernon, HD Substance, Hoax Believers, Kwartz and Ramiro Lopez among them. On the club tip Goa Fabrik Madrid, Mondo Disko, Razzmatazz and Nitsa have been at the heart of Spain’s techno scene, alongside festivals such as Monegros, DGTL Barcelona and the Off Week parties, which take place while Sonar is on. American techno powerhouse Maceo Plex, AKA Maetrik, migrated to Spain. From his early  Maetrik cuts like “Paradigm House,” to huge early 2010s Maceo Plex tracks such as “Your Style,” “Under The Sheets” and “Conjure Balaeria,” his technical skills and innate funk make him one of the most respected producers in the world.

Not forgetting Ibiza, where techno established an influential stake on the island. Circo Loco, Richie Hawtin’s ENTER, Marco Carola’s Music On and, of course, Sven Väth’s Cocoon night, still representing. Ibiza was always a key destination for dance music fans, but it saw a massive upsurge in seasonal tourism during the 2010s as EasyJet and Ryanair launched cheap flights to the White Island, many of the island’s rave tourists coming from the UK. 

In Britain, techno once again becomes the flavour of the day, as acts like Mr. G (who was one half of The Advent), Trevino, Dense & Pika and Alan Fitzpatrick, along with newcomers such as Rene Wise, Dax J and Rebekah became household names, while Adam Beyer’s Drumcode began an upward trajectory that would span the decade. Beginning with his 2010 Drumcode Halloween party at Tobacco Dock, Beyer’s reign as techno’s dominant force owes much to his massive success in the UK, where he still regularly throws massive, sell-out shows.

Photo: Joseph Capriati

Photo: Mr. G at Printworks, London

Nina Kraviz came through in 2012 with a series of well-received tracks, “Ghetto Kraviz” one of her most distinct cuts. The Russian selector has maintained her career at the highest level ever since she broke through in 2012. In 2014 she launched her label трип (Trip), conceived as a home for a wide range of techno styles, from experimental through to straight-up industrial bangers. The catalyst behind Nina’s ascendence was her ability to construct potent DJ sets, conjuring up forgotten gems from the past and splicing them with exclusive new material from an assorted cast of techno innovators. Her agility on the decks is complemented by her originality as a producer, as heard on more recent releases like “Desire”, “Pochuvstvui” and “I Want You” — and that her label has become one of the most stylistically daring in techno is a testament to Nina’s musical fearlessness and depth of knowledge.

Another techno powerhouse who emerged in the 2010s is Nicole Moudaber. The Lebanese artist fled her country and became immersed in London’s underground, flourishing initially as a promoter, before turning her hand to DJing and producing. Now one of the foremost artists in the techno world, Nicole’s label, parties and radio shows are part of her MOOD branded empire. Her debut album Believe landed on Adam Beyer’s Drumcode in 2013, with tracks such as “Movin’ On” and “Fly With You” among the LP’s eight solid cuts. Later, she collaborated with Skin from Skunk Anansie to produce “Someone Like You” and “You Like This”, along with “See You Next Tuesday” with Carl Cox and her remix of Monolink’s “Rearrange My Mind.” Moudaber’s international success includes residencies in Ibiza and her huge impact on the US market through performances at the EDC festivals.

Photo: Nina Kraviz at Sea Star Festival

The end of the 2010s saw the rise of a clutch of artists driven by a more visceral, yet lighthearted take on techno. Channeling the boisterous, ravey energy of the nineties, artists such as VTSS, Varg, Anetha, Hadone, Randomer and many others created a new movement that injected the party element back into techno. 

Detroit native Seth Troxler became a poster boy for techno, emerging as one of the scene’s first truly universal personalities, his online antics matched by his DJ skills, and his avant-garde productions. Along with Art Department, Deniz Kurtel, Guy Gerber, Maceo Plex, and his Visionquest buddies Shaun Reeves, Ryan Crosson and Lee Curtiss, Seth blurred the lines between house and techno, becoming an underground superstar in the process. 

Motor City’s Movement Festival began to receive more and more overseas visitors, on top of local attendees and, though the focus veered away from Detroit for a while, the roots remained strong in the birthplace of techno as its originators traveled the world and maintained strong links with Europe and the rest of the world. Juan Atkins launched his Borderland project with Moritz Von Oswald, Carl Craig also collaborated with Von Oswald and Jeff Mills went into deep space as he pushed beyond the stratosphere to conceive his own unique world of techno experimentation.

Globally, techno has ballooned into one of the world’s most popular electronic music genres. From deep, dark underground styles, to more mainstream productions, the genre has had a complete renaissance. Over the four decades since it first appeared, the sound has been embraced all over the world, from Japan to South America, Poland to Canada, spawned a cacophony of offshoot genres and inspired millions of dancers, DJs, producers and music collectors. All from the mind of one visionary young man who took it upon himself to channel his love for electronica into the soundtrack of a brighter future. 

See Beatport’s all-time top selling techno playlist.  

Marcus Barnes is an author, journalist, copywriter, and tastemaker with over 15 years experience in print and online. Find him on Twitter.

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24 Mar Playlist of the Week: Alan Fitzpatrick

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Words: Alan Fitzpatrick

UK techno kingpin and We Are The Brave founder Alan Fitzpatrick shares his “I Miss Raving” playlist, which is chock full of peak-time techno weapons.

Raving is such a key part of our lives, and the tracks I’ve selected are perfect for getting in the mood for a party. This chart is essentially a playlist of tracks guaranteed to get anyone and everyone excited for a massive, dark, sweaty, warehouse rave. Goosebumps, hairs on the back of your neck vibes!

My listening habits varied a lot over the past year due to the Coronavirus restrictions and the absence of clubs. I enjoyed exploring different genres and immersing myself in downtempo and electronica as I felt this music reflected my mood at the time. However, earlier this month the British Prime Minister issued a ‘roadmap’ for the end of lockdown, giving everyone something to look forward to. 

I didn’t realise how much I’d missed raving until I heard the date for UK nightclubs reopening. Since then I’ve been hammering techno in my home studio, reminding myself of everything we missed in 2020. I’m sure we can all agree the first party back is going to be absolutely ridiculous. 

Start mixing Alan Fitzpatrick’s playlist on Beatport LINK, or on LINK’s new DJ web app.

Ben Klock – Subzero [Ostgut Ton]

It’s almost impossible to talk about raves and techno music and not give mention to this monster from Ben Klock. It takes me back to those Berghain parties and every time I play it, still feels like the first time I’ve heard it. It’s a classic. Ben continues to be innovative and delivers the highest quality productions, his Klockworks is hands down one of the best labels. 

NANCY Live – Scapegoat [We Are The Brave]

This is a belter, really makes your hairs stand on end. Knowing she’s doing absolutely everything analogue makes it so much better too. NANCY is a huge talent, proud to have signed her to my label. Great to push genuine live acts in the techno too, she’s 100% one to watch in the future. 

KUSP (UK) – Freedom Of Fear [Rekids]

The KUSP lads know how to produce a filthy techno banger. I’ve been an avid supporter of their music for a couple years. I even signed their tracks to my own label, so it’s great to watch them developing their sound. This track from their latest Rekids EP is insane, peak time perfection. 

Alan Fitzpatrick – Everlasting [Rekids]

I couldn’t really do a techno chart and not include onE from myself. “Everlasting” is rave inspired techno heaven, a nod to my earlier works from 2010 – 2014. Had a lot of fun writing the tracks on this EP and I’m glad they caught Radio Slave’s attention, Rekids is a perfect fit. The only thing left to say is this EP deserves a club. 

Daniel Rifaterra – Narni [We Are The Brave]

Daniel is another new signing for me, he’s a massive emerging talent and definitely one to keep eyes on. “Narni” is an incredible debut on my label. It’s deep, dark and emotive and reminded me of playing sets in Lehmann Club in Stuttgart. 

3STRANGE – The Way You Hold Me [Apex Faction]

I’m excited to grow this new project as I really enjoy writing music under the 3STRANGE alias. 

It’s a no boundaries approach to studio time and sounds very different to my Alan Fitzpatrick productions. This track fits perfectly with the collective mood in the current climate but I think it also  has its place post rave — think early morning sunrise vibes. 

Overmono – Verbosa [XL Recordings]

A definite winner for me. I’m a big fan of the guys and I admire the arrangement here, it’s inspiring. I love music that’s unpredictable and makes your ears perk up. This is music you want to listen to. 

ONYVAA – The Way It Is [KNTXT]

There’s been numerous tracks I’ve listened to over the last year and thought to myself, ’this needs a proper soundsystem’ and this track is one of them. Big big release from ONYVAA and I’d expect nothing less from Charlotte’s KNTXT label. Been playing it a lot in my sets, it’s high energy and packs a punch. Can’t wait to unleash it to the crowds. 

Radio Slave – Variations V1 [Rekids]

Love this concept from Matt, some really inspirational live edits going on here. Everything released on Rekids is a winner for me at the moment. It’s one label that continually pumps out top tier music. All killers, no fillers and big ups for sticking with the release schedule even though clubs are closed! 

Modeā – Silence [We Are The Brave]

Modeā is on fire right now and I’m sure 2021 will be even stronger for him. He’s another emerging talent that I’m proud to have signed to Brave, a really genuine and passionate lad with great ideas. I’ve mentored him over the years so it’s great to see his productions develop and gain support of headlining artists and label heads. “Silence” is a nod to the old trance days, it goes off every time. 

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24 Mar Nakadia Publishes Autobiography, “Positive Energy”

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Words: Chandler Shortlidge

The autobiography details Nakadia’s rise from rural Thailand to global techno superstardom.

Thai superstar techno DJ/producer Nakadia is publishing an autobiography titled “Positive Energy — Becoming Nakadia” at the end of the month.

Her journey began as a child in rural Thailand where she lived on a dollar a day. Wanting a better life for herself, she quit school to work in factories before meeting her now-manager Sebastian Lehmann online through a job at an internet café. He convinced her to visit Germany in 2002, where she heard techno for the first time, and spent the next several years fighting her way past many hardships and prejudices to become on of her country’s biggest DJs, signed to labels like Carl Cox’s Intec.

Before the pandemic, Nakadia played shows in 76 countries for clubs and events like Tomorrowland, Love Parade, Loveland, Parookaville, Nature One, Family Piknik, Watergate Berlin, D-Edge and many more. She’s also released on labels like Filth on Acid, Get Physical, Codex, and Set About, and has an EP on the way with Irregular Synth.

The book will officially be available on March 31, 2021, but a pre-release edition is already available now on Nakadia’s website. Order here.

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23 Mar Beatport and Digital DJ Tips Join Forces to Teach You to DJ

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Words: Beatport Staff

Quickly learn how to master the art of DJing by signing up for the DJing Made Easy course and get two months of Beatport LINK for free.

Beatport has teamed up with one of the world’s most respected and widely used DJing schools, Digital DJ Tips, to give our customers and Beatport LINK community a comprehensive learning course on how to master the art of DJing. 

With over 27,000+ students enrolled in 163 different countries, Digital DJ Tips and its staff of experienced instructors have been teaching beginners how to get behind the decks for over a decade.

The DJing Made Easy course comes packed with 30 individual video lessons with step-by-step instructions that lay out all the DJing tips, tricks, and secrets that you need to know to keep up with today’s competitive DJ market.

Through the lesson plan, those who sign up will learn the best practices for transitions and song selection, how to DJ any party on their gear, how to use their controller’s features properly, how to perform confidently, and much more.

The lesson plan also includes a newly added section that will teach prospective DJs how to master Beatport’s revolutionary DJ streaming service, Beatport LINK, and the site’s new Chrome browser web app, Beatport DJ.

Anyone who signs up for DJing Made Easy through this link will get an exclusive Beatport deal of $95 for the course (60% off of $273) and also get two month’s of Beatport LINK (or Beatsource LINK) for FREE, with access to all the music you could possibly need to learn the ins and outs of DJing, including Beatport DJ, which allows you to start DJing instantly with the entire Beatport electronic music catalog in your web browser.


SIGN UP HERE


Beatport LINK and DJing Made Easy is the perfect combination for anyone looking to learn to mix quickly, easily, and affordably.

Find out more about Beatport LINK.

Learn more about the Beatport.DJ web app.

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23 Mar Majestic Scores a Beatport Number 1 with his Remix of Euro-Disco Classic, “Rasputin”

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Words: Heiko Hoffmann

We catch up with UK producer Majestic, who just reached Beatport’s overall top spot for the first time with his fresh house remix of Boney M’s “Rasputin.”

Hello Kevin, congratulations on your first overall Beatport number one!

Thank you so much! What an honour!

Did you already have a chance to celebrate the news?

With us all being locked indoors, we haven’t really celebrated! However, I celebrated with my team on WhatsApp. Just such a great moment as a DJ/producer to get the top spot on Beatport.

Your remix of “Rasputin” is going viral all over the place, but TikTok played a crucial role. Can you explain what happened?

I kept seeing the original Boney M record on TikTok, and when I heard the string riff during the instrumental section, it really reminded me of classic disco house, and I thought it would be worth seeing if it would work in that kind of sampled house style!

Boney M’s “Rasputin” is a euro-disco classic that you treated similarly to the French filter house hits of the late ’90s. How did the idea for the remix come up?

You’re spot on! When referencing music whilst making this, I looked at obviously Daft Punk, Justice, and even Armand van Helden and Duck Sauce! The idea came to me one Thursday night in my studio and was an instant vibe.

Many people will come across your name now for the first time, but you’re anything but a newcomer — having been part of the UK garage scene since you were a teenager and as a longstanding Kiss FM radio host. How does it feel to get this reaction to a production of yours after so many years?

Yeah, I have been doing this a LONG time, first getting a name as an “MC” and collabs with some of the biggest names in electronic music — Laidback Luke, Steve Aoki, Skrillex — but in terms of production, I have been making music since I was twelve! But the last seven or eight years, I have really made the transition into DJ and an artist rather than just an MC.

Do you already have further releases lined up?

I am currently signed to Ministry of Sound, and we have the next couple of singles lined up, as well as a couple of big collabs in the works! I also have a lot of what I love to call “underground” releases pending, which really show more of my “club” side.

Things are opening up again in the UK with hopes of clubs reopening in June. Have you already got your first booking planned for the summer?

 We are hoping the clubs open in June, and I, for one, can’t wait to press play on “Rasputin”! We’ve got bookings in the diary, and we are planning a Limitless club tour for the end of the year!

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22 Mar Beatport Exclusive: Hear Quenum’s ‘Little Secret’ on Rebellion

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Quenum lands back on Crosstown Rebels’ sister label with a pack of stripped-back minimal heaters.

Swiss-based electronic talent Quenum has made his 2021 return to Crosstown Rebels‘ sister label, Rebellion, with his cunning Little Secret EP.

With over 30-years of dance floor experience under his belt, the Cadenza co-founder has cemented his reputation on stages worldwide, formulating projects such as his Azimute and Access 58 monikers while also collaborating with the likes of The Advent, UMEK, and Luciano. With over 30 EPs on some of the biggest labels in house and techno, the prolific Quenum has earned the respect of pioneers and newcomers across the dance music spectrum.

The new three-tracker is his follow-up to last year’s Valley Of True People EP on Damian Lazarus‘ imprint, and his subsequent Darly EP on Diversions Music. Filled with magnetic kick-hat combos, tribal percussion, and ethereal tones, the EP’s “Little Secret” and “Amnesia” are minimal late-night weapons. Tapping Watergate resident Yulia Niko for remix duty, the Berliner brings a subtle touch of acid to the title track that perfectly rounds off the record. Check out the EP below.

“When I made Little Secret, I imagined myself in a gospel church, with the chorus around me,” Quenum says about the release. “That’s why I used a strong and deep bassline, with vocals and the organ. ‘Amnesia’ is the darker track on this EP. It’s slightly hypnotic, as if you were meditating in the middle of the dance floor.” 

Quenum’s Little Secret is out now via Crosstown Rebels. Purchase on Beatport.

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22 Mar You Can Support Europe’s Nightclubs by Dancing with Desperados

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Open up the app, tune into the virtual party, and start dancing! Every 1,000 steps will equal €1 donated to shuttered clubs throughout Europe.

Beatport has partnered with beer brand Desperados and elrow to celebrate the launch of Rave to Save — an app that raises money for clubs through music and dancing. 

Clubbers worldwide are invited to unite and turn their dance moves into cash during this eight-part virtual party series, which kicks off on Saturday, March 27th at 19:00 CET, with Purple Disco Machine on Beatport’s Facebook and YouTube channels.

By tracking your steps with each dance move, the Rave to Save app will donate €1 for every 1,000 steps taken (approximately 10 minutes of dancing). The fundraise will support clubs in Germany, UK, Romania, and Spain that will be hosting the virtual parties. 

Partygoers can even boost how much they contribute to their favourite clubs by making a direct donation to each venue, which will be matched by Desperados up to €30,000 per event. Club owners will use the funds to cover operational costs, including staff salaries and rent, depending on the final amount raised.

“Europe is home to some of the most incredible clubs and venues in the world. But all of that energy and vibrancy has been put on hold during the pandemic,” Purple Disco Machine says. “Desperados’ Rave to Save app is providing venues with much-needed support by encouraging people to do something they love — dance. People from all over the world can party together, donate together and make a difference together.”

Take a virtual trip to Berlin’s Prince Charles club for Desperados and Beatport’s first Rave to Save event to dance it out for a good cause with Nakadia and Purple Disco Machine on Saturday, March 27th at 19:00 CET.

Tune in via Beatport’s Facebook.

Tune in via Beatport’s YouTube.

Download the Rave to Save app. 

Apple download
Google download (Germany only) 

Rutger van der Stegen, Head of Marketing Global Desperados, said: “With nightclubs and music venues forced to keep their doors shut for months, Europe’s nightlife sector has taken a big hit from the pandemic. At Desperados, we believe we have a responsibility to support an industry that is so deeply entrenched in our DNA. That’s why we’re thrilled to unite partygoers from around the world through our Rave to Save app. By dancing together, we can all support the venues we love so they’re ready to re-open their doors and welcome us all back when it’s safe to do so.”

The app is the latest wild experiment in a series of innovative experiences and activations taking place in 2021 as part of Desperados’ new creative platform, #GoDesperados.

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22 Mar Introducing: Anfisa Letyago

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Words: Cameron Holbrook
Photos: Tommaso Napoletano

Hailing from Naples by way of Russia, Anfisa Letyago is quickly becoming one of techno’s most talked about new talents.

“My home is like a museum,” Anfisa Letyago says, surrounded by an assortment of gorgeous antiquities. Flanked by two ornate vases shaped like heads, she briefly tells me about the ceramic tradition of Caltagirone, a city in Sicily that has been producing these “Moor Head” vases for hundreds of years.

For DJ/producer Anfisa Letyago, Italy and all the enchantments the country has to offer have been integral in nurturing her musical identity and explosive career. A passionate ambassador for Naples, her home city, the young electronic music phenomenon is eager to tell of all that her city has to offer.

In just three years, Anfisa Letyago has gone from a cherished local DJ in Southern Italy to one of techno’s most talked-about names. A quick glance at her Instagram reveals a staggering following with avid support from dance music titans all over the globe. An intrepid selector with a positive attitude regarding all things art and dance floor related, Anfisa Letyago is poised to take over clubland with her undeniable skills and smile.

While her character is so closely tied to Naples, or “one of the most beautiful places in the world,” as she refers to it, Anfisa originally hails from Siberia. She moved from Russia to Italy when she was 17 to live with her mother and became immediately drawn in by all the food, wine, history, and culture that could be found in her new seaside home.

“It’s a city of art with an infinite and immense musical culture that has produced so many artists who’ve had such impact on the underground scene worldwide,” Anfisa says. “Moving to this city, I was able to find and experience acts like Marco Carola and Gaetano Parisio, along with other visiting DJs from the US like Louie Vega, Frankie Knuckles, Jeff Mills, and beyond. That was my path here in Napoli.”

In 2010, by the time she was 18, Anfisa had saved up enough money from her seasonal jobs to purchase a pair of Pioneer CDJ 100s. Feeling a bit rusty with her English, she laughs and struggles for a second to find the word “practice,” but practice she did. Quickly mastering the mechanics of mixing, her innate desire to confront and collect music from all over the globe naturally led her to vinyl.

“I have a serious passion for vinyl. I can’t describe how much I love touching and working with a physical record,” Anfisa explains. This tangible excitement for vinyl showed true in her tone and expression, stoked on the fact that she had just received the test pressings for her forthcoming EP earlier that day. 

Describing herself as “young and fascinated by all things music,” she worked herself up to the point where she started landing gigs at small clubs throughout Italy. With her growing reputation, Anfisa’s initial plunge into the world of music production came in 2015. Her first single came in the form of a bubbly house collaboration with Dutch artist Leroy Styles titled “Stop Talking” — released via SPINNIN’ Records in 2016.

“Making that track was a beautiful experience, but it made me think a lot,” Anfisa says. “And I realized that I was taking a different path from what I truly wanted. From there, I started to refine my skills and began to trust my overall feeling as a producer when I began to create tracks with a heavier electronic and techno feeling.”

With more time on the road landing supporting slots for major acts like Martin Garrix, Don Diablo, David Guetta, and Axwell & Ingrosso, among others, she also began to lock into a more sophisticated sound in the studio. By 2018, everything changed for Anfisa after fatefully meeting one of the most renowned electronic acts of all time, Carl Cox.

“Carl was really the first person who supported me,” Anfisa says. “It’s like a dream, you know? I met him in Sicily and gave him my USB with some of the music I produced. That same night, he played my tracks throughout the party. And after this, I tuned in to his streams from some of the world’s biggest festivals, and he always supported my tracks. Just two months after meeting him, he wrote a message and asked me to produce some music for his Intec Digital imprint. He’s helped my work progress so much. He gave me hope. It all started with Carl.”

With dance music royalty now backing her, Anfisa’s life “changed a lot” over the following year. She kicked off 2019 with the release of her Bright Lights EP on the legendary NYC imprint Nervous Records, followed by her So Good EP on Carl Cox’s Intec label. “The focus I chose for both those EPs was inspired by the world of house, which has always been so important and super powerful to me,” Anfisa says. “I decided to back them up with heavy, techno-oriented bass sounds to create a unique energy and sound that really reflected my feelings at that time.”

Now finding herself jet-setting to gigs and major festivals throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, she began to find additional support amongst heavy hitters like Adam Beyer, Pig & Dan, Charlotte De Witte, Radio Slave, Pan-Pot, and DJ Pierre, who asked her to contribute to his Acid Trax Remixes series. It was towards the latter part of 2019 and the early months of 2020, with the release of records like the aptly named Electrifying EP Hotflush Recordings, her Hypnotic return to Intec Digital, and the I’d Rather B EP on Rekids — featuring remixes from Mark Broom and Marco Faraone — that the techno world began realizing Anfisa’s potential and prowess fully.

“I cannot give myself a precise genre identity because I’ve always worked as a selector first and foremost,” Anfisa says. “I always try to satisfy the dance floor’s needs while putting my personality and musical feeling into all of my sets. However, my preference has always been old-school techno — full of groove, full of drums, and a lot of attitude!” Catch a glimpse of the way she moves behind the decks after dropping a peak-time weapon, her preference for hair-raising techno is written all over her face, and it never fails to command a crowd.

Entering into a pandemic for a hotly-tipped touring act like Anfisa is a tragedy, but as 2020 revealed for so many up-and-coming artists, far from a death sentence for her career. 

“I just came back from Greece and was getting ready to leave for Ultra Abu Dhabi in March of last year before everything stopped,” Anfisa says. I had big plans for 2020. I had lots of confirmed festivals in the books like Ultra Miami, Tomorrowland, Loveland, too many festivals really.” 

Retreating back to Naples, Anfisa, with her ever-positive outlook, viewed the shutdown as “a chance to upgrade my studio and to study and produce what I wanted.” Live-streaming from her home and setting up in gorgeous locations throughout her city where she could “show the real side of Naples that not everyone knows,” Anfisa’s fandom continued to skyrocket throughout 2020.

With plenty of time to experiment in the studio, Anfisa decided the best course of action was to put her heavy techno-focused productions on hold for a while and come up with something a bit more personal and off-center. A labor of love that took up most of her attention throughout the year, she constructed the coming of age Listen EP, which dropped right at the start of 2021. The four-track release is pensive, impactful, full of voice sequences, and driven by a rhythm that draws new horizons and a musical perspective outside of the club.

“It’s different,” Anfisa says about the record. “Listen has an important value because it was born out of a desire to tell my story, to express myself totally without thinking about anything else. I experimented not only with my voice but with the sound especially. I feel like I’m in a great phase of my artistic evolution, and it was thanks to this forced stop, I managed to acquire this awareness. I loved expressing my feelings through the language of electronic music. It has a lot of shades, and you never know where your experimentations will take you.”

The Listen EP also marked the start of Anfisa’s own label, N:S:DA or Nisida — named after a small volcanic island that lies just north of Naples. “Nisida is a very beautiful place that nobody really knows about, but it’s also totally inaccessible,” Anfisa says. “It’s a private island with a prison on it that has such a rich history to tell.” 

“I want N:S:DA to be a home for artists who have stories to tell through their music,” Anfisa continues. “I want it to be electronic, but the genre is not important. The most important thing is the tales they have to tell. I want to put all my focus on their stories. It’s a brand new label, but after announcing it, I received tons of demos from some very young and talented producers. I’ve been spending lots of time on it, so we’ll see how it goes!”

After a brief discussion about some of her favorite wines and how the Amalfi Coast is her go-to spot when she needs to “recharge her batteries,” it’s clear that Anfisa feels fully replenished and is ready for nightlife to resume in full. “Like a lot of DJs, I miss my old life,” she says. On the horizon, with the light at the end of the COVID tunnel starting to reveal itself, Anfisa already has intended gigs booked in NYC, Amsterdam, Malta, and more towards the end of this year. 

In the meantime, she’s eagerly awaiting the drop of her second EP on N:S:DA, titled after the label’s island namesake, Nisida, which is slated to drop on April 9th, along with forthcoming releases on a few well-known German labels and a curious music project she’s been working on for a Michelin restaurant called “Sound of Jane.”

In an interview with Forbes back in 2019, king Carl Cox made a point of shouting out Anfisa’s “amazing music,” naming her a leader of the “now generation.” With dance floors finally set to reopen — albeit slowly and unevenly — across the globe, hopefully the uninitiated will finally get a hardy dose of Anfisa’s amazing talents very soon. 

Cameron Holbrook is Beatportal’s Assistant Editor. Find him on Twitter.

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19 Mar Floyd Lavine’s New Afrikan Tales Label is “a Place of Afro-Futurism”

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

We talk to RISE co-founder and Watergate resident Floyd Lavine about his new label, Afrikan Tales.

Originally hailing from South Africa, Floyd Lavine has been instrumental in bringing the Afro house sound to Berlin, where is has exploded in popularity over the years.

Despite his success, Floyd’s mission wasn’t completely sonic. As he tells it, co-founding the influential RISE collective, label and party series — which calls Berlin’s Watergate home but also tours the world — was also inspired by bringing more ethnic diversity to Berlin’s dance floors.

Now the DJ and producer is looking ahead to a year full of new music with the launch of his Afrikan Tales imprint — a label built to give African artists “a platform to narrate their tales in their own way,” while creating “a new narrative for the future,” Floyd says. With five EPs on the way in 2021, there’s plenty to be excited about.

We caught up with Lavine to learn more about the imprint, his 2020 in lockdown, and his plans for the year ahead.

Hi Floyd, thanks for talking to us today. First off, how was your 2020, and is your 2021 (hopefully) shaping up to be any better?

My 2020 was challenging, difficult, and eye-opening, all at the same time. I was traveling a lot in 2019, and for 2020, I was hoping to play even more shows and strengthen my relationships with people throughout the industry that I had met in different countries over the years. Well, that didn’t happen for obvious reasons. It turned out I spend more time traveling to the fridge than anywhere else. 

After accepting that there was nothing that I could do except waiting for things to change, I tried to put as much time as possible into creating music, and I ended up collaborating with incredible artists. I also started thinking more about my identity in the music industry and the story that I want to tell as an African living in Berlin. All this led me to start my own label called Afrikan Tales, which I just launched. This year, I’m looking forward to working on the imprint more to give African talents a platform to share their Afrikan Tales.

Do you have any bookings on the horizon yet?

Well, I do, but for now, I’m still sitting, waiting, and wishing like everybody else for the world to open up fully. If 2020 taught me one thing, then it’s to be patient and not take things for granted. I can’t wait to play again, though! I feel like I’m not the only one dreaming about a wild night out and dancing until my health app counts a marathon-amount of steps!

You’ve been instrumental in establishing a thriving Afro House scene in Berlin. Can you tell us about your RISE event series, collective, and imprint? Who was involved, and how did the city’s Afro House scene first start to take form?

Rise Music was founded by Hyenah, Robin Drimalski, Dede, and myself. Later the amazing artists Minco, Jamiie, and Walter Griot joined the crew. We all were in a way connected with Africa and Afro house. With Rise, we wanted to start a music label and an event series that brings a new feel to Europe. At the time, not many people in Berlin were familiar with African house music. During that time, Berlin was also oversaturated with techno, and for us, the audience didn’t feel inclusive enough. The RISE events brought together a community of what we think Berlin should look like: diverse and colorful. We wanted to challenge the status quo by consciously booking people of colour and females. Watergate is our “home base” where we did a monthly event, but we continued to grow and brought the event series to many countries and different continents. We showcased our take on the Afro-sound in Hong Kong, Japan, Brazil, Canada, the States, and most of Europe. I feel like we played our part in helping shape the modern feel of African House Music. 

How will your new label and multi-media platform Afrikan Tales differ from that of RISE?

RISE was a big milestone for me, and I will be forever grateful for what we created. I worked with a great collective of people with different ideas, creating something bigger than ourselves. We pushed boundaries and were able to build cultural bridges between the African continent and Europe. My approach for Afrikan Tales is connected with my personal story and is pretty much a direct consequence of my own journey. Over the years, I traveled to different countries, and a lot of times, I experienced that the way stories from Africa are being told didn’t resonate with me. With my new label, I want to give African artists a platform to narrate their tales in their own way and to use storytelling as one of the most impactful tools and put their very own ideas into the world. Like the name says, Afrikan Tales is about the “tale,” “the background,” “the portrayal,” and “the legacy.” Our continent is full of unique talent and original creatives that will give meaning to us by engaging and educating us with their tale.

How would you describe your debut EP for the new label/platform, Story Tellers? Who features on the record, and what was the recording process like?

The EP is warm and quirky with Afro-futuristic elements. Each song has its own feel. With the lead track “We Here Now,” I was looking to capture a classic, old-school Afro deep house sound, which reminded me of what I was listening to when I was growing up in South Africa. Lore Vain was able to capture that Moloko style vocal, which I have always loved, while also bringing her own captivating flavour.

“Raw Soul” was made during the lockdown in Berlin with my two talented friends Elias and Liam Mockridge. It was created by Elias and I sending each other interesting music parts. I wanted to replicate the feelings that I had during the lockdown in that period of time with the track. The world was getting back to basics, and it gave everything a certain rawness and realness. But I was still longing for a good fun time on the dancefloor, and that’s where the vocals from Liam Mockridge came in.

The third track, “Skirts and Pants,” is my personal exploration of Afro-futuristic sounds. It presents a certain mood that you feel at a very specific time on a dancefloor. A special time when you are teleported into a hypnotic space, where you fully lose yourself in the moment. 

What are the hallmarks of a good storyteller? How does your new label hope to relay these tales of your motherland musically, visually, and narratively?

I feel like a good storyteller is about making people see what you see. Like any art, the art of storytelling is about the feelings that you evoke. I wish for Afrikan Tales to be an overall experience. I’ve met incredible African creatives and artists that are inspired by the continent and I can’t wait to share all their music with you.

Part of my label will also be my podcast Afrikan Abroad where we will get the opportunity to go more in-depth about my journey as an artist, the music industry, and the challenges that come with it. I’m also going to be hosting incredible guests who will share some of their lessons and tips with the audience.

On my website, I want to share stories of creatives and people who are helping to share the new narrative of Africa, what we stand for and what our vision is for the future. Visually and narratively, I want to transport people to another place. A place of Afro-futurism — where Africa is seen in all its dimensions. 

What can we expect to see, hear, and learn from Afrikan Tales later this year?

Musically we are looking to release four to five EPs this year. I’m also in the process of looking into new, unsigned talent that I want to bring to the forefront. Once the world has opened up, we want to create events and different showcases to capture our philosophy. Going into 2021, we want to challenge each other by looking at how we can be part of the future: thinking about our natural and social environment and how we can contribute to our community all over the world in a positive way. As I mentioned earlier, I want to use the tool of tale-telling to create a new narrative for the future. 

Floyd Lavine’s Story Tellers EP is out via Afrikan Tales. Purchase on Beatport.

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19 Mar Meet the Women of Beatport: Part Two

Posted at 12:35h in features, homepage-masthead-slider
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Words: Beatport Staff

In celebration of Women’s History Month, we speak to five women who work at Beatport, learning about their jobs, and what they think needs to happen to encourage diversity within their respective fields.

Name: Sandy Bartsch

Job title: Office / CRM Manager – Berlin

What led you to your current job at Beatport?

Well, an application, an interview and then a working contract! Hahaha. Actually, I gave up my teaching job and started a music and lifestyle blog, interviewing DJs who would cook their favorite recipes for me and answer random questions. Over time I connected more and more with the scene and since then I never left. Flexibility was the key for me, so I did PR for labels such as Stil vor Talent and social media for BPitch Control. I love being an Office Manager, but this position requires an open office which is non-existent right now, so I suddenly found myself helping out the Digital Marketing Team, for which I am grateful for being able to develop within Beatport even in rough times like this one. 

What needs to happen to encourage more diversity in your field? And have the events of 2020 changed anything in that regard?

Working in the music business has so far been the best way for me to combine personal preferences with the job. I don’t like looking at respective fields, rather at the bigger picture! Everyone has their valuable position. Aside from the fact that it’s just fun to work with people who share the same passion, I already work with a lot of cool women. They all inspire me in one way or another and I am firmly convinced that if a woman wants something and does everything possible for it, then new paths will automatically open up. Nevertheless, I find it important to be critical again at suitable points and at given moments to rethink old concepts and, if necessary, to evaluate them. I am happy and grateful to find myself in a scene in which I can do whatever I want. It’s only up to me whether or not I want to face new challenges. There has never been a better time in electronic music for women. Always speak up and stand for your individual needs, I deeply believe there is always a way to make it happen! 

Current favorite tune on Beatport: 

I really can’t wait any longer to listen to this track on the dance floor loaded with people to dance and shake it all just off like there is no tomorrow! Even as a mom of two who seldom has the chance to go out, but I absolutely can tell I miss raving so much!

Honey Dijon – Not About You (KDA ‘Legacy’ Extended Rework) – [Classic Music Company] 

Name: Kelsey Sullivan

Job title: Project Manager – Denver

What led you to your current job at Beatport? 

Music has been a passion of mine ever since I was a 5-year-old kid making mixtapes from a cassette player, so the opportunity to work with Beatport in the music industry was a no-brainer. I joined as a Project Manager on the Technology team where I get to help teams create tools for DJs and redefine how DJs both find and share their music. I’ve been very lucky to work with amazing people that are passionate about improving the electronic music scene. 

What needs to happen to encourage more diversity in your field? And have the events of 2020 changed anything in that regard?

Diversity and inclusiveness are essential to a team’s success. When both of these are present, teams’ productivity and performance improves. However, technology fields still struggle with diversity. I think education around biases (known or unknown) is one of the major steps to allow more diversity in the field. On top of this, more mentorships and groups are key to promote and maintain diversity. 

Current favourite tune on Beatport:

Ela Minus – Megapunk (TSHA Remix) – [Domino] 

Name: Michelle Oldenburg

Job title: Social Media Manager – Berlin 

What led you to your current job at Beatport? 

Since I graduated from high school, I’ve been working in advertisement while studying psychology and volunteering in the local cultural scene. When I moved to Berlin, I worked weekdays for a big live-streaming platform, and on weekends I worked in night clubs or volunteered at festivals like CTM, Mira Festival and DICE Conference. After freelancing for Beatport’s Content department for a few months, I was offered my current position. Now I am working in Social Media, as well as on live-streaming, brand strategies, and media partnerships. 

What needs to happen to encourage more diversity in your field? And have the events of 2020 changed anything in that regard? 

A lot of change is still needed! Since COVID-19 has prevented many exchanges from taking place in real life, a lot of discussions have shifted to the internet. Considering women’s experience, their exposure to gender-based online violence has increased – facilitated by the proliferation of digital communications (COE Commissioner of Human Rights, 2020). According to research by the World Health Organization, it is estimated that one in ten women have already experienced a form of cyber violence since the age of 15. Women are 27 times more likely to be abused online than men (Networked Intelligence for Development, 2015). Other studies (i.e. European Institute for Gender Equality, 2015) show that women significantly reduce their use of a social media platform after being harassed or change the way they express themselves.

Regarding my working reality, I see this kind of bullying online every day in the comment section of Beatport’s and other electronic music accounts’ social media pages, and it’s infuriating! It needs to be ensured that women can express themselves, especially as artists on the internet, without being harassed or bullied. They need to be able to feel comfortable using digital tools and platforms to promote their music. While these issues are part of broader structural problems, there are steps to facilitating more inclusive online spaces that music marketers can take. The most crucial would be comprehensive training for staff and an increased focus on educative content for our communities – education is key. Misogynistic behaviour towards women has to be socially, but of course, also legally unacceptable. After all, we need strong allies, online and offline, who are willing to spend their free time fighting with us against oppression and sexism – a fight that women in the music industry constantly have to fight.

Current favourite tune on Beatport: 

I rediscovered “Loos In Twos” by Anz after her fantastic piano tunes special on NTS radio, which featured many of my all-time favourites. 

Anz – Loos in Twos (NRG) [Hessle Audio]

Name: Verity Mayes

Job title: Product Manager – Berlin

What led you to your current job at Beatport

When I was a teenager I wanted to work in a record shop, so I suppose I’ve just taken a long route to the best record shop on the planet!

DJing has always been the essence of life, and my journey has taken me along some enjoyable nuances of that, including club promotion, event management, marketing, and project management. The reason I work in electronic music is the soul satisfaction, and I’ve been able to be part of some amazing moments with brands that are leaving their own legacies. Now that I’m in my role as a Product Manager here at Beatport, focusing on the label and supply side of things, I get to help bring ideas that will really contribute to the industry into reality.

What needs to happen to encourage more diversity in your field?

I’m lucky to have had some incredible opportunities, probably from spending too much time in the rave, but for those who feel far away either physically or mentally, they can be harder to find. I can see some companies really striving to encourage diversity, the growth of remote working and active online communities are helping, but more opportunities need to be opened up and promoted in the right places. We need to bring unity off the dancefloor too, and those working in the industry need to adopt an open mindset, valuing a spark irrespective of who they find it in or how much experience they have, paying it forward and inspiring the next movers and shapers. 

Current Favourite Tune on Beatport:

Octo Octa – Spell For Nature [T4T LUV NRG]

Name: Jordan Mafi

Job title: Curation Manager – LA

What led you to your current job at Beatport? 

I’ve been a Beatport customer since I was 16 years old to build DJ sets and stay informed of trending new music, so when I was faced with choosing a new career path after NEST HQ closed its doors, I was thrilled when I came across a job opening at Beatport on Indeed. The position called for an expert curator for the store’s EDM genres which is exactly where I thrive — I couldn’t believe it when I got the job and I’m still excited to wake up for work every day!

What needs to happen to encourage more diversity in your field? And have the events of 2020 changed anything in that regard? 

As a woman in the music industry, I need men to step up and call out sexism when they see it, even (and especially) when it’s coming from their friends. I need men to recognize that there are barriers women face in this industry that they will never experience and trust the women they work with to get the job done, because we can and we will. When people have conversations about women in music and how we can progress as an inclusive industry, I need men to pass the mic to women so we can speak for ourselves. In terms of supporting women in dance music, I need men to play out music created by women, book women to play their live streams and live shows when they return, and collaborate with women as much as they do with other men.

In the EDM community, the events of 2020 have exposed the bad behaviors of some male-identifying artists and industry workers. And while it’s hard to listen to these stories, it’s necessary for our entire community to recognize toxic masculinity and its presence in the dance music industry. I’m very grateful for investigative reporters such as Annabel Ross and Ellie Flynn for telling the stories of women who were sexually assaulted by once-powerful male DJs — this is exactly what needs to happen to move our scene forward and no one should ignore these behaviors again.

Current favourite tune on Beatport: 

I’m a slave to fast beats, so I can’t get enough of Use Caution’s remix of Tommie Sunshine and Haus of Panda’s “Burning With XTC” via Speed House Movement. Use Caution has impressed me from the very beginning of her career, and her music has only gotten better with each release. This remix makes me want to run to the dance floor and lose my shit — it’s so powerful and just perfect for the rave.

Tommie Sunshine, Haus of Panda — Burning With XTC (Use Caution Remix) [Speed House Movement]

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19 Mar Michael Klein Returns to Second State with the ‘No Mercy’ EP

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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Germany’s Michael Klein brings three new colossal techno cuts to Pan-Pot’s label.

Frankfurt-born, Berlin-based Michael Klein returns to Pan-Pot’s accomplished Second State imprint on March 29th with his hefty No Mercy EP. 

The new three-tracker from the BLK DROP label-boss is his eighth official offering on Second State, following up his two 2020 EPs, Der Storm Kommt and Hoisin. Dark and twisted to its core, the title track sets the tone with gloomy kicks and a 303 assault before diving into the high-octane synths and dizzying atmosphere of “Joker Smile.” The EP comes to a close with “Sticky,” an utterly dynamic and malicious techno offering. Check out the tracks below.

Michael Klein’s No Mercy EP drops via Second State on March 29th. Purchase on Beatport.

Check out Michael Klein’s LINK Artist chart on Beatport.

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19 Mar The 7 Best Afro House Tracks On Beatport You May Have Missed

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Words: Steve Mill

Our expert curation team brings you the best tracks on Beatport you may have missed. This time featuring Giorgio Bassetti, Harry Romero, Floyd Lavine, Hanna Hais, and more.

Giorgio Bassetti – Armendralo (Original Mix) [Nite Grooves]

Giorgio Bassetti is a relatively new name to the Afro House scene. Here, we see him teaming up with the Nite Grooves label team to deliver a gem of a deep Afro House groover, set to move you for sure when you hit the dancefloors again!

Harry Romero feat. Jessica Eve – It Hurts (Original Mix) [Crosstown Rebels]

I have followed Harry Romero since my very early days in house music, 20 years ago. His quality remains exceptional, and his new single on Crosstown Rebels is here to prove this one more time. Teaming up with Jessica Eve, they deliver an addictive Afro House track that balances perfectly the usage of percussion, the vocals, the musical elements, focusing on the one thing that matters the most. To make you dance to it!

Floyd Lavine feat. Lore Vain – We Here Now (Original Mix) [African Tales]

Sweet little deep Afro beat here, Floyd Lavine teams up with Lore Vain to deliver a stunning and hypnotic viber with interesting, lush instrumentation that slowly builds throughout the track. All that on Floyd’s new label, which makes it even more exciting. Afrikan Tales its name is! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this new imprint.

Emanuele Esposito – Kuyenda (Original Mix) [Switchlab]

The Switchlab team has been delivering so many hit tunes over the last few months, and this new single from Emanuele Esposito, called “Kuyenda,” is no exception. An addictive mono synth loop that works as the track’s riff, featuring jungle-sounding effects left and right with an overall dark and hypnotic mood, make this Afro track is not-to-be-missed! Crossing over to the melodic fans as well here, so watch out!

Hanna Hais – Malinke (Original Mix) [Celsius Degree Records]

Even though it came out a few weeks back, it’s worth bringing to your attention for many reasons. First, it’s Hanna Hais, and we love Hanna Hais here at Beatport. Secondly, if there was a dancefloor open this week, this is the Afro track you’d want to hear at the club. It sounds heavy, and the soundsystem would not disappoint you! Let’s hope things will go back to normal soon so we can dance to tracks like this.

Kiko Navarro feat. Paul Randolph – The Captain Of Her Heart (Clemente Reinterpretation [Afroterraneo Music]

Kiko Navarro is no newcomer to the house music scene, a very diverse musician with sounds ranging from deep to soulful to tech and Afro house. This is his latest offering on his own imprint, Afroterraneo Music, straight from the Balearic island of Mallorca, where he resides. Teaming up with Paul Randolph and getting a stunning remix treatment from Spanish talent Clemente, it’s time to meet “The Captain Of Her Heart.”

The Young Collective feat. Jei – Ochun (Original Mix) [Ferosh]

We recently launched Afro Latin sub-genre over here at Beatport. The reason was we wanted to give impressive tracks like this a space of their own dedicated space. “Ochun” is a song that combines the best of both worlds when it comes to Afro and Latin influences over dance music and house. The result is a bright, warm-sounding summer track that you won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

For more Afro House tracks you may have missed, check out our Beatport Link Playlist.

Start your free trial of Beatport LINK

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18 Mar SOS Music Highlights Five Essential Female-founded Labels

Posted at 19:30h in features, homepage-masthead-slider, trending
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Words: Cameron Holbrook, Maddy Maia, Lottie Moore

SOS Music’s Maddy Maia and Tottie shine the spotlight on five female-led imprints that are blazing new trails in the dance music scene.

Stationed in Los Angeles, SOS Music is a forward-thinking imprint and music collective focusing on female and female-identifying talent, showcasing cutting-edge electronic music from around the globe.

Founded in 2020 by one of the city’s most loved and respected DJ duos, Maddy Maia and Tottie (AKA Sisters of Sound), the pair made a remarkable splash with the release of their debut V/A compilation, SOS Music Vol. 1. Distributed by !K7 and released in October 2020, the 14-track collection features artists including Hinako Omori, rRoxymore, Nightwave, Umfang, Masha, C Love, Violet, LCY, Minimal Violence, and more. Get locked in with some of our favorite selections from the compilation below.

Proceeds from the compilation were donated to three women’s charities: the Transgender Law Center, the Women’s Refugee Commission, and Downtown Women’s Shelter. 

Under their Sisters of Sound moniker, Maddy Maia (A&R at Ninja Tune) and Tottie (dublab) have performed at festivals like Dekmantel, ADE and Coachella, and on radio stations like The Lot (NYC), NTS, Rinse FM, Mixcloud Live, LA’s dublab and more.

Here, Maddy and Tottie have compiled a list of five of their favorite female-founded labels. These imprints have not only helped inspire SOS Music’s sonic ethos but have made considerable strides in bringing diversity and innovative leftfield tracks to the dance floor.

Explore and purchase SOS Music Vol. 1 on Beatport here.

Check out Maddy Maia’s ‘Female Founded Labels’ chart on Beatport.

Check out Tottie’s ‘SOS Music’ chart on Beatport.

Label: Naive/Naivety
Founder: Violet

Naive (and its sister label Naivety) are two wonderfully progressive labels founded in Lisbon by the multi-faceted and unstoppable force in Europe’s dance scene, Violet. A rebellion to current movements, both platforms were developed to “gravitate around beautiful music irrespective of sonic trends… with variegated records that feel a bit timeless.” Leaning to the left of the sonic spectrum, the music Naive releases is diverse and eclectic, and the catalogue feels genre-less, focusing on what Violet describes as “freedom of expression, not necessarily danceable, but focused on whatever truth the artist wants to express.”

It’s also the product of someone deeply committed to their local scene and community. Aside from her label empire and productions, Violet co-founded the legendary online station Rádio Quântica, and pre-pandemic was a resident at Mina – a Portuguese queer rave held in unexpected venues. You naturally get a taste of this local community through Naive’s releases; the vast majority are women and people from the queer community, but, according to Violet, this happened organically because it “mirrors my day-to-day experience and closest circles.”

Label: SZN7N
Founder: LCY

SZNSZN is the perfect snapshot of the darker, more percussive end of UK dance, bass, and rave for 2021, and absolutely packed with hidden gems. Founded in 2019 by genre-bending UK DJ and producer LCY (FKA L U C Y), the label and platform pushes and encourages collaboration and innovation, featuring a melting pot of DIY UK talent like Yazzus, Lijah, Tailor Jae, Traces, MUHLA, Raheim, Kyri Michael and Zonae in its first year alone.

The roster feels like a glimpse into LCY’s sonic soul at times,  reflecting the recent shift to heavier club music in her own productions (and in her name change). With a perfectly fitting visual narrative through the nostalgic typeface and bold imagery, SZNSZN says makes a statement with its output, and we couldn’t love that more. 

Label: On Loop
Founder: Moxie

An undeniable figure in forward-thinking dance music and a source of huge inspiration for us, On Loop always felt like the natural progression for DJ Moxie’s faultless selector abilities. So it’s no surprise that the label’s output is of such stellar quality. Originally an extension of her legendary parties and a tribute to the community she built via her long-standing residency at NTS, we get the sense that with On Loop, Alice is in it for the long run, releasing artists like Violet, System Olympia, Shanti Celeste, DJ Python, Addison Groove, and Lone over five hefty compilations. 

What we particularly love about On Loop is that all of the releases have this uplifting groove and a certain feel-good energy — there’s no pretension. The compilations are diverse and melodic, ranging from upcoming artists to more internationally recognised names. But every track makes you want to dance, mirroring Moxie’s own DJ sets, which have earned her international recognition and seen her grace the decks at the world’s most iconic clubs: Panorama Bar and De School being no exception. The latest release, Moxie Presents Volume 5, is a real standout for us with some favourites including SOS artist rRoxymore and the incredible Chinese-born, Vancouver-based Yu Su.

Label: Love on the Rocks
Founder: Paramida

Love On The Rocks is an exceptional Berlin-based record label run by the illustrious Panorama Bar resident, Paramida. We absolutely love the originality in Paramida’s musical style and commitment to digging, which “blends proto-house to trance, percussive gems with high-energy techno, Italian dream house, and irresistible new beat.” These genre-defying moments are very much expressed through Love on The Rocks’ catalogue, described by Paramida as “an experiment in musical exploration, embracing artists both known and unknown, music both old and new.” Drawing on niche influences from all corners of the globe, she describes the label as “an almost forensic retreading of obscure musical paths, tracing connections between artists, tracks, moments and memories, reframing them for today’s audience and the dance floors of tomorrow.” 

Founded in 2014, Love on The Rocks has had close to 20 releases and counts Elles, Khidja, Massimiliano Pagliara, Warehouse Preservation Society, Alex Kassian, Ess O Ess, and Das Komplex as label alumni. Their success, according to Paramida, is “about believing in yourself, believing in your friends, even (or especially) when you don’t know what’s going to happen next. That, and having a shitload of fun while you’re doing it.” 

Our favorite releases of late include the outstanding Supergau: 5 Years of Love On The Rocks and recently released Peyote Dreams Remix EP with Alex Kassian and Roza Terenzi. 

Label: Femme Culture
Founders: Elkka + Ludo

This label and all-female DJ collective was founded in 2016 by Ludo and London-based multifaceted producer and DJ, Elkka. It serves as a brilliant platform to push LGBTQ+ sound and talent, and promotes inclusivity in all backgrounds and genders. Femme Culture has touched on important charity elements, too, including the critically acclaimed HeForShe compilation series. Now in its third year, proceeds from the comp are donated to UN Women. Standouts on 2020’s monstrous edition include DJ Python’s hypnotic “Oph Bloop,” Yazzus’ intensely hyperactive rave tribute “GOT TO HAVE UR LOVE?” and head-honcho Elkka’s aptly named squeaky synth-infused “Community.”

Though a fairly young label, the Femme Culture catalogue boasts an impressive list of contributors, like Octo Octa, Mr. Mitch, minimal violence, India Jordan, Kassian, and Poté. It’s also home to two of our favourite artists at the moment, Ariel Zetina and BadSista. The label champions femme electronic talent, without being aggressive or excluding. “It embodies who we are. It’s about everyone, not just women.”

Follow SOS Music on Twitter and Instagram.

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18 Mar Playlist of the Week: Aly & Fila

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Words: Aly & Fila

Egyptian duo Aly & Fila pack out a playlist with some of their most treasured trance, melodic house & techno, progressive house, techno, and indie dance tunes of 2021.

Trance is and always will be our main passion, but we also like to listen to lots of different music types. For this playlist, we have selected ten very diverse tracks. Several of the tunes are on our FSOE label, and we rinse them regularly during our livestreams and FSOE radio show.

Our imprint has just reached 500 releases, and we’re proud to say it has become the flag bearer for uplifting trance. Here we’ve picked some of the recent releases that have kicked off the year with a bang. There’s also some great music on our UV label, which has now become one of the biggest progressive house labels in the scene, and some wonderful melodic techno releases that we’re also big fans of. After all, good music is good music!

Start mixing Aly & Fila’s playlist on LINK, or on LINK’s new DJ web app.

Aly & Fila x Luke Bond With Audrey Gallagher – Million Voices (Billy Gillies Remix) [FSOE]

We reached 500 FSOE releases, and we are really proud of this milestone. To celebrate this, we have had 10 of our favorite releases remixed. Billy is a really exciting name in trance music, and he’s delivered a brilliant remix of our “Million Voices” single. 

Ben Böhmer & Tinlicker – Run Away (feat. feat. Felix Raphael) [Anjunadeep] 

Two of our favourite melodic house producers right now. This epic collaboration results in a beautiful single that has a lovely summer vibe to it.

Will Atkinson – The Last Rave On Earth [VII]

This track from Will is pure rocket fuel. Full of energy and emotion, one of Will’s best releases ever, in our opinion. 

Stephan Jolk – A Declaration Of Love [Afterlife]

When we are in Ibiza, we love to go to Afterlife, and this track explains precisely why. Such a beautiful tune with an infectious lead line on the new Unity compilation.

Sneijder – Chase The Sun [FSOE]

Sneijder is a wonderful DJ/producer who always delivers such impressive tracks for FSOE. This one has a beautiful and uplifting breakdown while keeping his energetic slamming groove.

Paul Thomas & Fuenka – Yin [UV] 

Fellow UV label boss Paul Thomas has tweaked his sound for 2021 to deliver a more profound melodic/progressive vibe while still providing the emotional melodies. “Yin” is a perfect example of this.

Paul Denton – Existence [FSOE] 

“Existence” is hands down one of our favourite productions of the year so far. We love everything Paul does, but this track is up there with the best. We have some big plans with Paul for 2021, so watch this space!

Jay Lumen – From Outer Space [Footwork]

We really love Jay Lumen tracks. We think he has been able to combine glorious melodies with slamming beats to perfection all through his career. “From Outer Space” has a cool classic ’90s techno feel to it. Amazing track.

Sean & Dee, Fuenka – Beskar [UV] 

Two of our crucial UV artists unite for an epic single. This label is going from strength to strength with every release, and we think it’s one of the most vital progressive/melodic house labels in the scene right now. 

Raxon – 2121 [Cocoon]

We love how diverse Raxon is. This track has such a funky groove to it, and it’s a lot more minimal compared to his recent work.

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17 Mar The Next Generation of Dubstep Producers are Diverse, Inclusive, and Pushing Boundaries

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Words: Jordan Mafi

Meet seven groundbreaking producers who are leading the charge for a more inclusive and musically experimental dubstep scene.

Born in ‘90s South London, the original dubstep sound was a mixture of UK garage, two step, grime, breakbeat and Jamaican dub. Following its formative years in the early to mid-2000s, which birthed classic cuts like Skream’s “Midnight Request Line” in 2005 and Benga’s “26 Basslines” in 2008, the post-dubstep era was born, introducing the world to acts such as Kode9, Chase & Status, and Flux Pavilion.

By the 2010s, dubstep had landed in the United States, and artists like 12th Planet and Skrillex rocketed to fame with their punk rock-infused, ear-splitting take on the sound, which some called “brostep.” Older fans and artists who didn’t like the new bigger-is-always-better approach formulated by Skrillex and others soon dropped away, but new mutations of dubstep continued emerging as time went on.

Beyond the classic versus commercial debate, modern dubstep has never been recognized as a champion for inclusivity, or diversity. Recent efforts to educate newcomers to the EDM scene about bass music’s Black history are admittedly overdue, but these conversations have pushed the dubstep community to be more vocal about where the scene has fallen short for its creators and its fans. 

Thankfully, the next generation of dubstep producers seem to both honor the roots of dubstep while stretching its boundaries to the limits, and see inclusivity and diversity as central to the evolution of the sound.  

ACE AURA

Meet the face of what’s known today as melodic riddim. The 22-year-old Texas producer has an instantly recognizable sound, which fuses glittering pads and headbang-worthy bass. He’s even inspired an entire movement for young producers around the world, and has been picked up by labels like Disciple, Circus, Monstercat, and more.

Ace Aura stumbled upon dubstep when he was an eighth-grader thanks to a friend. “I was sitting next to him in the cafeteria at lunch and he put his earbuds in my ears. It was the Dirtyphonics remix of ‘Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites’ by Skrillex, and from that moment on, I was hooked!” As a drummer in his middle school band, Ace Aura already considered himself a musician. But dubstep pushed him towards learning how to make electronic music. “I had received a demo version of Pro Tools as a Christmas gift from my parents the year prior, so I started watching tutorials on YouTube and researching what software I needed — the rest is history.”

Fierce yet lively melodies are a key part of Ace Aura’s signature style, but his listeners may not realize how much his experience as a drummer has influenced his sound. “I take inspiration from my time in high school marching band, using drumline elements and percussion instruments like the marimba.” His writing process is also highly conceptual — Instead of treating melody and intensity as separate entities, he tries to combine them into one element. “I feel that that kind of sound has a ton of potential to evoke a wider range of emotions,” he says. Ace Aura’s creativity is also a product of his faith. “I am a Christian and that is a very central part of the way I write music,” he says. “Songs like ‘Coma,’ ‘Breaking Free,’ and ‘Rise’ are all tied back to my faith.”

At the moment, he’s most inspired by hardwave, a heavier and fully-loaded sister sound to wave music that’s dominated the SoundCloud community recently. But he’s still optimistic about the future of dubstep. “I feel like we’re on the verge of entering another golden age. There was a period of a few years where the ‘riddim’ sound kind of took over and became stale and monotonous, but now people are finding more and more ways to innovate within the subgenre, spawning all sorts of new sounds and ideas to spin off of.”

AKEOS

Recognized as one of America’s beloved dubstep wunderkinds, Akeos has been producing music since they were just 12 years old. Now at 18, Akeos represents dubstep’s next generation, with a trademark sound inspired by everything from Barely Alive to bassline, jump-up drum & bass, and hardstyle.

Akeos was just 15 when they released their first track, “Offender.” And after Subtronics shared it on Twitter, the track immediately blew up, resulting in an explosive rise for the underground producer. They’ve since caught the attention of the best-selling dubstep labels in the world, including Never Say Die Records’ sister imprint NSD: Black Label. 

Sound design is at the centre of Akeos’ approach, which incorporates different styles from their influences and beyond. “It’s really fun and most of the time, I find a way to put in a hardstyle kick or a jump-up synth in my song even if what I’m working on is dubstep,” they say.

Beyond their devotion to music, Akeos is highly outspoken for trans rights. They’re constantly uplifting trans producers from their community on social media and have performed shows where all proceeds have been donated to organizations like The National Center for Transgender Equality. And Akeos believes the dubstep scene has become more inclusive for both those who identify as LGBTQ+ and women. “I’m very glad people are doing what they want to do and being who they want to be within dubstep and other electronic music genres. Honestly, if you ask me, it should have always been like this. Regardless, I’m really happy to see inclusivity be more common, especially in dubstep right now.”

Looking at their peers, Akeos thinks the dubstep scene is in a cool spot. “There are a ton of smaller producers really making an impact online and I’m really into a lot of their music,” they say. “It’s a bit hard to keep up with, to be honest, but I’m very glad to see people trying new directions and getting really weird with it — I respect it a lot.” Though they may not realize it yet, Akeos’ influence is already reaching bedroom producers and seasoned professionals alike.

HUKAE

We recognized Hukae in our 50 Best Tracks of 2020 feature for his single “Dirty Talk” — a tune that decidedly heralded dubstep’s move away from formulaic drops to more complex arrangements. 

Hukae’s first memories of dubstep are of 16bit, specifically “FRZR9000” and “Dinosaurs,” music that was totally alien to him at the time, though his inspirations are largely a result of his upbringing. “With me coming from the UK, I am heavily inspired by UK drill, grime, and rap beats, but mostly drill,” he says. “I tend to use very strange drill flows and hi-hats and arrangements in my songs. I also really love drum & bass, and both produce and listen to it quite a lot.”

There’s something so delightfully off-kilter about Hukae’s music; its loose, off-grid flows and extreme sonic manipulation somehow work in harmony. “I feel I am very unique and experimental with the way I approach my music,” he says. “Lots of trial and error has got me to the point I can say I now have a ‘signature style,’ in a way. Like I said before, my influence from UK drill is very clear in my music — my drum patterns and perc flows are completely different from everybody else in the scene. I feel that this sets me apart from most.” 

As for the scene, Hukae is excited about future innovations. “I feel like the scene is thriving and very healthy,” he says. “So much innovation with up-and-coming producers pushing boundaries and making super fresh music. I’m really excited to see how far the scene will have been pushed in another one to two years.” Speaking of innovation, Hukae recognizes and applauds the recent push for inclusivity. “Everybody, no matter where you’re from, what you look like, or what you believe in, has the right to be included into this scene — or any scene for that matter,” he says. “Music is an art form and everyone has the right to express their emotions however they would like. I love the fact the scene is more inclusive now, and that’s the only way it should be.”

MOORE KISMET

16-year-old producer, visual artist, and screenwriter Moore Kismet defies all barriers in the creative industry and has garnered the attention of not only the dubstep community, but the wider electronic music sphere. Their music is an amalgamation of experimental trap, R&B, pop, ambient, and future bass, and Kismet was just 14 when they released their first single under their moniker, commanding attention from dance music’s top tastemakers.

Kismet first discovered bass after listening to “Not A Real Thing” by Far Too Loud, Beardyman, and JFB. “It was so innovative for its time and it really pulled me into it,” they say. “It was also actually how I found out about Never Say Die Records in the first place.” Kismet would go on to release a flurry of genre-bending singles and their momentous debut EP, Revenge Of The Unicorns on Never Say Die in 2019. “I think the reason I decided to start making bass music is because I wanted to try and write music that was unapologetically weird, and when I was younger, I felt I could do that with no remorse in that space.” 

They may be young, but Moore Kismet has already broken a number of boundaries in the bass music scene through both their art and identity. As a result, their opinion of the state of the scene is less than optimistic: “There is a select group of people — mainly close friends and acquaintances — that I still regularly keep up with who I feel are pushing the boundaries of bass music farther than I ever did and could when I still made it proactively. Other than that, I feel it’s slowly becoming very stale and repetitive and a lot of what most listeners have shifted to is some odd sweet spot in-between thriving uniqueness and stagnant familiarity.” These “close friends and acquaintances” are some artists featured in this piece, which begs the question: who’s next? And what? It’s a future full of exciting possibilities. 

“I’ve noticed that since artists like myself, Akeos, Hollimon, Kilamanzego, and more have started to break through in electronic music as a whole, it has opened up more opportunities for other LGBTQ+ creatives and musicians,” Kismet says. “It’s something that I’ve wanted to see for so long and I’m so happy that it’s slowly becoming more inclusive of marginalized communities.”

At just 16 years old, the sky’s the limit for Moore Kismet, whose future plans include the big screen. “In five years, I hope to see myself writing original music and composing scores for blockbuster movies, producing and songwriting for some of my favorite artists, and breaking into the mainstream with my own strange and beautiful music.”

OOLACILE

Oolacile has been an integral part of post-2010 dubstep, and fans of Disciple Records know his music all too well. He was a staple of the label’s roster, and often joined the Disciple crew for shows across the US. He’s since launched his own Halcyon imprint, which specializes in forward-thinking bass music and future riddim.

Even though he’s leading the charge for groundbreaking new sounds, Oolacile’s dubstep roots couldn’t be more classic. “My earliest memory of entering the world of dubstep was back in 2010 when I was introduced to the Ministry of Sound: The Sound Of Dubstep compilation,” he says, which featured music from Joker, 16bit, Nero, Coki, and Caspa. 

A lifelong musician, Oolacile’s journey began with metal and hardcore before genres like drum and bass, garage, bassline, and other UK sounds drew him in. He cites Inspected and UKF as his first favorite dubstep curators. 

“I pull inspiration from many places; I always try to push the envelope and bend and break boundaries within songwriting and sound design,” he says about his sound. “Sometimes I think I’ve hurt myself a little by being maybe a bit too experimental within the mold of dubstep, but not being experimental enough where it transcends the genre. I’m working on that.”

No surprise then that Oolacile has become bored with mainstream sounds, saying it’s “very much about who can out-sound-design each other or have the hugest drums.” However, he also thinks dubstep is “on the precipice of yet another evolution,” and had noticed a recent “influx in LGBTQ+ people being interested in and making exceptional music in the bass music space.” But it’s not all rosy. 

“One thing I can say I have noticed is that, unfortunately, sometimes people demand female producers to ‘prove themselves,’ and almost never with men. Some people think [women] have [ghost producers] working on their music — that is extremely disrespectful and unfair. It’s something that needs to be addressed and I hope as time goes on, that ridiculous bias fades out of existence.”

Now with a record label to run, Oolacile is ready for what’s to come. “I’m really excited about the future of music,” he says. “I plan to make Halcyon a label that is incredibly open-ended and can publish a wide variety of music that is forward-thinking. In regards to my personal project, I have a bunch of old records that I’ve been sitting on for way too long that I need to release. Once I get those out, I plan to really start branching out musically in a very extreme way.”

PAPA KHAN

Representing Indonesia with pride, Papa Khan has become a viral figure for dubstep’s contemporary sound. His uniquely melodic approach caught the attention of none other than DJ Marshmello. After hearing his music, Marshmello signed Papa Khan to his own Joytime Collective imprint, later telling CULTR, “I knew the moment was right when I came across Papa Khan’s music. He’s bringing something fresh and new to dance music.” 

Papa Khan recalls his first exposure to dubstep through Stephen Swartz’s “Bullet Train” featuring Joni Fatora, and Skrillex’s Grammy Award-winning Bangarang EP, describing it as a sound he had never heard before. 

“What makes me so into dubstep is that there are tons of possibilities in sound designing and so many creative ways to produce it,” he says. Influenced by music as disparate as heavy metal and future garage, Papa Khan’s productions have a signature style that’s catapulted him to the top.

“It’s amazing — lots of young, talented producers are getting the spotlight they deserve,” he says about the state of the scene. “I’m so excited and I’m really looking forward to the future.” Although he recognizes the strides dubstep has taken in becoming more inclusive, Papa Khan believes it could be more diverse. “I feel like the scene needs more LGBTQ+ and women artists. It’s amazing to see a lot of [diversity]; it makes it look even more colorful and unique.”

VOLTRA

Fascinating, enigmatic, and ultra-talented, Voltra is a fresh face whose flawless mixdowns and expert sound design have blown everyone away. 

“As a kid, I initially didn’t really understand it,” Voltra says about their introduction to dubstep. In 2011, Voltra got their first MacBook Pro which came with GarageBand, and “spent a lot of time making music throughout my childhood, as I didn’t really have anything else to do and didn’t have a lot of friends,” they say.

Drawing on genres like trance, Japanese rock, and metal, Voltra’s style feels like it’s from the future. “I usually strive to find ways to innovate and present new ideas to dubstep with my music, as well as push the boundaries of what’s possible technically in EDM when it comes to sound design,” they say. “I really want my music to stand out from both a stylistic and technical point of view and want to be the sort of producer who other people want to copy, not who copies other producers.” It’s clear that Voltra excels in this regard: social media was flooded with messages of excitement and disbelief at Voltra’s livestream set for Digital Mirage, the online music festival hosted by Brownies & Lemonade last November. Complete with mind-bending visuals and a colossal amount of dubplates, it stands as a key moment in modern dubstep history. 

Like their peers, Voltra recognizes how inclusive the scene has recently become. “I feel like there’s just been a lot more widespread recognition of LGBTQ+ issues by the general public and a lot more overall acceptance lately,” they say. “It’s difficult to pinpoint when this trend really began, but it’s definitely good to see and I like that it presents a more open environment for people to figure out who they are without feeling like they need to be ashamed of it, at least in this community. I don’t really like to associate the Voltra brand much with my identity for personal reasons, but there’s no getting around the fact that I’m queer at the end of the day and I’m happy that people who do want to make their identity a larger part of their image get to do so freely.” 

After signing their debut Luma EP with Disciple Records last year, the bass community is eagerly waiting for what’s next.

Jordan Mafi is a freelance writer and a Curator at Beatport. Find her on Twitter.

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16 Mar Remix Tiësto’s ‘The Business Pt. I + II’ and You Could Win Big

Posted at 20:00h in feed, homepage-masthead-slider, news
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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Enter your remix of Tiësto’s hit track “The Business Pt. I + Pt. II” by March 28th for the chance to take home a $7000 prize package, score an official release on Atlantic Records, and win direct support from Tiësto, Beatport, and more.

Beatport has partnered up with dance music icon Tiësto to present a once-in-a-lifetime remix opportunity for budding producers everywhere.

The Dutch superstar’s two-part release, “The Business Pt. I” and “The Business Pt. II” (featuring vocals from Ty Dolla $ign), has amassed half a billion streams worldwide, making it one of the biggest dance music tracks in recent memory.

To celebrate this massive tune’s success, Beatport, Loopmasters, LabelRadar, SPINNIN RECORDS, Selected, Musical Freedom, and Atlantic Records have come together to collaborate on this global remix challenge, giving producers the chance to gain global dance floor recognition, take home huge prizes, and more.

Kicking off today, March 10th, Tiësto’s “The Business Pt. I + II” Remix Challenge encourages producers from all genres to add their musical flair to the hit track by registering for the contest over at LabelRadar and downloading the stems via Loopcloud.

Participants must submit their remix to Label Radar by Wednesday, April 7th at midnight pacific time. From there, a panel of judges from our partnered labels will then select the winners, who will be announced later that month. 

Enter Tiësto’s “The Business Pt. I + II” Remix Challenge here.

The grand prize winner will score an official release on Atlantic Records, remix inclusion in Tiësto’s CLUBLIFE radio show, a $7,000 prize package, and social support from Tiësto and all the partnered labels/channels on release day.

Four runners-up will also be awarded prizes with playlist support on Beatport, editorial support on Beatportal, and various levels of social support from the contest’s select label partners.

Check out the complete list of prizes below.

GRAND PRIZE

Prize package includes:

  • An official release on Atlantic Records
  • Remix inclusion in Tiësto’s CLUBLIFE radio show
  • A pair of Barefoot FOOTPRINT01 Speakers
  • 12-month Loopcloud Pro Subscription
  • A bundle of plugins from Plugin Boutique 
  • 12-month Beatport LINK PRO+ Subscription
  • Roland Verselab MV-1
  • SUBPAC X1 and C1 Pro Wireless Bundle
  • AIAIAI TMA-2 Headphones
  • 12-month Algoriddim djay PRO AI Subscription
  • ROLI LUMI Keys Studio Edition
  • $100 in Beatport Download Credits

1st Runner-up

Prize package includes:

  • Beatport exclusive release
  • SUBPAC X1 Bass System
  • Six-month Algoriddim djay PRO AI Subscription
  • 12-month Loopcloud Pro Subscription
  • 12-month Beatport LINK PRO+ Subscription

2nd Runner-up

Prize package includes:

  • Remix upload to SPINNIN’ Records YouTube channel
  • Six-month Algoriddim djay PRO AI Subscription
  • 12-month Loopcloud Pro Subscription
  • 12-month Beatport LINK PRO+ Subscription

3rd Runner-up

Prize package includes:

  • Remix upload to Selected YouTube channel
  • Six-month Algoriddim djay PRO AI Subscription
  • 12-month Loopcloud Pro Subscription
  • 12-month Beatport LINK PRO+ Subscription

4th Runner-up

Prize package includes:

  • Remix upload to Big Beat Records YouTube channel
  • Six-month Algoriddim djay PRO AI Subscription
  • 12-month Loopcloud Pro Subscription
  • 12-month Beatport LINK PRO+ Subscription

GOOD LUCK!

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16 Mar Beatport HYPE: Kuukou Records

Posted at 18:57h in features, feed
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Words: Cameron Holbrook

We learn the story behind Simina Grigoriu’s “floor-thrashing techno” label, Kuukou Records.

DJ, producer, label owner, and mother of two Simina Grigoriu has spent the last decade solidifying her reputation as a force of nature in Berlin’s breakneck and competitive techno scene. Originally hailing from Romania, Grigoriu and her family immigrated to Toronto when she was just a child to flee Nicolae Ceaușescu’s brutal communist regime. Starting her new life in Canada, Grigoriu’s intense interest in music touched on classical scores, classic rock, grunge, jazz, hardcore, hip hop, and beyond. 

Building up her DJ skills by the time she got to college, Grigoriu’s musical taste eventually found a home in the headlong and savage sounds of techno. In a sudden twist of fate, she met and fell madly in love with renowned German techno artist Paul Kalkbrenner in 2008, prompting her to pack up her life in Canada and move to Berlin.

Since her move to Europe’s clubbing capital, Grigoriu began DJing around the city, and releasing on labels like Sonat Records, Frequenza, and Susumu Records. In 2016, she launched her Kuukou Records imprint and got to work building the label’s sound with signees like Torsten Kanzler, Dusty Kid, DESNA, Alfred Heinrichs, BB Deng, and more. At its five-year mark, Kuukou Records has grown into a hotly sought-after home base and springboard for some of the scene’s most promising techno producers. 

Recently having given birth to her second child, we caught up with Simina Grigoriu to learn more about her background, the inspiration behind Kuukou Records, and what the future has in store for her label and personal life. Despite the stresses and time-consuming nature of being a mom with a newborn, Grigoriu was kind enough to put together an exclusive mix that beautifully showcases the sound and vibe of Kuukou Records. 

Check out Simina Grigoriu’s HYPE x Kuukou Records chart on Beatport.

Tell us about your musical journey growing up in Toronto. How did your love of hip hop transition into a love of electronic music? Were there any early shows/artists that had a significant impact on you before diving into this world? 

I’ve always been into music. As a child, I played piano and violin, and I was in a choir. As a teen, I started rapping and writing rhymes. There was never a day when I didn’t have music blaring in my Panasonic Shockwave headphones or blasting from the subwoofer of my little black Jetta.

As for my musical education, I never officially studied music production. In my 20s, I started learning Ableton during my free time (outside of my 55-hour workweek in marketing and print production), and I did so from tutorials and with mentors, who were and still are my good friends. I’ve had great luck turning my hobby into my job, but I still consider myself a student! It took a long time to learn the basics of music production, and I’m still learning new skills every time I go into the studio.

I was working at a bar in university, and I remember I kept looking at the DJ. I was not only interested in learning the skills, but I was also interested in changing the music! So I got myself some decks and a XONE:92 and started to learn to mix. A buddy of mine told me that the most challenging style to mix is jazz and classical (no real beats), so I started with that. I was also blessed with fantastic friends who gave me tips and showed me the ropes.

After university, I worked a full-time corporate job while still raving about and mixing on weekends, but it wasn’t until I moved to Berlin that I decided to focus on music full-time. I love what I do and encourage others to follow their passion. One of my goals with my label, Kuukou, is to provide a space for artists to experiment and showcase their music, the way so many label bosses have done for me, too. 

As far as early influencers, I would say Jeff Mills and Robert Hood had a big influence in my early interest in techno, and I’ve always admired what Richie Hawtin was doing in the ’90s. I was also into alternative punk and grunge and loved (and still do) ’90s hardcore rap. I grew up with Eric Clapton, The Doors, and Roxy Music. I am a musical anomaly and what we hear at home reflects that. I think the music I make also reflects this, and I’ve sampled a ton of stuff from the tracks I love and listened to over and over as a kid.

What prompted you to move to Berlin? What year did you make the jump? How has the city inspired your production and informed your dance floor awareness?

I moved to Berlin in 2008, and I moved for love. I had been playing some shows in Toronto but nothing that I would consider professional — it was mostly after-hours, and my days were spent at my corporate job in advertising. I met Paul Kalkbrenner in September just before Berlin Calling came out. In fact, he was there to promote the movie, and it was our mutual friend and promoter who introduced us. I was adamant about NOT dating a DJ/producer as I was just getting started and wanted to be taken seriously. Still, we fell in love instantly, and less than a month later, I had sold my car, rented out my apartment, and moved to Berlin to be with him. It was quick, and we were crazy, but here we are, almost 13 years later, with two babies and still in love.

I love Berlin and everything it stands for: music, art, freedom, history, and change! It’s a city like no other and incredibly inspiring for young artists. It’s also a difficult market to break, considering that everyone and their grandma is a DJ here. In Toronto, I am a star among my friends (or so they think) because I somehow made it in Berlin. In Berlin, I’m just another DJ. This is called perspective and makes me work harder here than anywhere else. This is Techno Town, and to stay relevant, we always have to reinvent ourselves. 

How did your love of flight and aviation inspire the name behind your record label?

Ohh, I love this question because flight and aviation are part of every DJ’s life if you really want to do it professionally. I founded Kuukou Records in 2016 after taking a yearlong break to have a baby. My pregnancy was so rough that I had to cancel many gigs and stop touring earlier than expected. I had nothing else to do with my time other than making music (and eat. A lot). I produced an album, which I later decided to split into EPs and start my little techno label. I started with “Techno Monkey,”  a track dedicated to my dear husband Paul, and “Ninja Princess,” a track dedicated to our daughter Isabella Amelie. 

At the recommendation of my manager, my booking agent, my husband, and pretty much everyone I spoke to, I decided to split my album into EPs because for today’s generation of music enthusiasts, the concept of the album is beginning to become obsolete. It just made more sense this way. We now have 46 excellent releases, including top remixers, and I am very excited about my now 6-year-old label. 

Kuukou means “airport” in Japanese. When I traveled to Japan for the first time, I felt like I could live there my entire life. I kept hearing the word “Kuukou” (pronounced Kuu-kwo in Japanese) over the airport’s intercom, and it sounded cute and funny. I kept it in mind. It was not until four years later that I decided to found my label, and then this word popped up in my mind. 

As a self-proclaimed aviation junkie, I love to fly. I love planes and machines and airports and am obsessed with the hustle and bustle of what it means to run an airport — especially a hub. I’ve been traveling my entire life — back and forth from Toronto to Bucharest for the summer as a kid — and it shaped me. I became independent at a young age, and I realize that this was in no small part due to my extensive traveling as a child and young adult.

It only seemed fitting to intertwine my love of aviation and music. It seems to have become somewhat of a theme for us because, as DJs, we are always traveling. An airport can make or break your trip, especially if you get stuck in one for a long time. So yeah, Kuukou! 

Who are some of the artists/collaborators that have been instrumental in supporting the record label and helping you get it up and running? What would you say are some of the label’s most successful tracks to date?

My biggest supporters are the people with whom we work as well as all our artists. I am thankful for our designer, our engineers, and my two right-hand men at Grise Agency for helping me run the label (thanks, Jens and Marcel!) — I could not do this without their decades-long expertise. 

I’m thankful to Paradise Distribution for doing a great job by pushing each release, and I’m grateful to Beatport for all the features and for believing in us! Spotify has been a massive support with the playlist features and has even included me in covering the latest Electronic Rising playlist. 

My family has been a great support as well! Paul and Isabella know how important music is, to all of us collectively, and that this is my passion. Without their support, I would not have had the heart to start the label, and I’m fortunate that they like the music and understand what I’m trying to do with Kuukou. So far, I would have to say that the tracks with the most traction and best sales are:

Simina Grigoriu – Confiscate (Drumcomplex Remix)

Simina Grigoriu – Ninja Princess (Alfred Heinrichs Remix)

Zusan – Hail

Simina Grigoriu & Moe Danger – Shark Island (Paul Kalkbrenner Remix)

How do you decide what fits the label and what doesn’t? What are some words you would use to describe Kuukou Records’ sound, ethos, vibe, etc.? We would also love to know more about the album/EP art aesthetic. Who creates it, and what can you tell us about it?

I am solely responsible for Kuukou’s A&R. Each demo makes it to my ears, and if I like it, it goes to the label managers for a few spins and an open conversation.

There are many factors involved, and since this is a business, we have to consider everything, even beyond the music. We have to look at an artist’s stats and previous releases before making any decisions. That means that even if I like a track and would release it in an instant, I have to consider how it will perform, how the artist will promote it on his/her end, and how that will translate into sales and streams. This is the part I don’t like because I want to give every unique track the opportunity to shine, but we invest so much into our artists and each consequent release that sometimes this is not feasible to say yes to every cool project. Some labels release digitally every week, but we invest so much in promo/design and PR that it’s just not always possible. I am trying to change that as we go along actively. 

I created the artwork concept with a designer’s help, and we change it for every release. I know a lot of labels try to keep costs low with basic changes from release to release. Still, I feel that, since every artist has put their heart and soul into the music, the least we can do is visually match that effort by keeping the artwork fresh and new and providing several formats for use across all platforms. I am a big fan of dynamic animations for social media and videos for YouTube. I am trying to create exciting visuals to increase engagement across all platforms and give each release a chance to shine individually.  

Congrats on the second baby! What’s it like being a techno mom? What’s the key to maintaining a healthy work/life balance?

Thank you! Victoria Rosalie was born on February 10th here in Berlin. Her big sister, Isabella Amelie, is so happy, and Paul is thrilled to be as daddy to these amazing little souls. As for being a techno mom, I’m not really sure what that is. I am a mom and a mom first. I love being here and being present, but I also love my job, and my passion for travel is never-ending. Having said that, my heart breaks when I have to leave for a weekend because as Isabella gets older, she needs me around more and more — setting examples and being here for her sometimes very big feelings. Other parents go to work during the week, and we do it on weekends. It’s hard for kids to understand this. It’s also essential for me to set an example for my girls and show them that following your dreams is important and that whatever path you choose means hard work and sometimes sacrifice. I never go away for too long, and with the exception of my Asia tours, I’m gone for a maximum of a day or two. Even for intercontinental tours, I never stay extra days the way I used to before we had children. I want to come home and be here for them. There is also a lot of “mommy guilt.”  

We have no nanny but rely on Paul’s mum’s good help, and now that we have two kids, we might consider getting a bit of help. But I love it! I love the loudness and messiness of children, and I love being the one they run to when there is a problem to be solved. It’s a delicate balance, but over the last year, knowing that I will be home has brought me a sense of calm — knowing that I’ll be here no matter what. I still miss the shows. I miss them so much, and I NEED to play like my arms depend on it, but I’ve also enjoyed being here and being present. 

What does Kuukou Records have in store for 2021?

Oooh! Lots! I am so proud of my little baby techno label. We’ve come such a long way since 2016, and I have so many ideas for the future. As always, we are focusing on releasing only quality, memorable music. As my friend Marc Houle once said: “You can’t sing a track; you can only sing a song.” So we try to showcase melodic but floor thrashing techno. It’s a delicate balance.  

We are releasing every six weeks, so we have to be picky with projects but are open to hearing everything. It’s inspiring for me to receive demos and find little nuggets of techno gold to release on Kuukou.  

For 2021, we have some new additions to our label as well as releases from our core artists. There’s lots coming down the pipeline, but I suppose what I’m most excited about are the “Techno Monkey” Remixes. It’s a very special project we’re putting out all year long in the form of Spotify singles and four EPs, including a dozen remixes of my first track on Kuukou, “Techno Monkey” — a track I made for Paul with the B-side for Isabella called “Ninja Princess.” I am super excited about this project and curious to hear everyone’s take on the remixes. Some names include Lilly Palmer, Stefano Noferini, Paul Kalkbrenner, Wex 10, Hito, Desna, and many more! We’re starting to release the first ones in May.

Can you tell us a bit about the mix you put together for us?

I just chose a bunch of my favourite tracks from Kuukou, which was NOT easy, but the mix asked for one hour, not a full day or tunes, so I had to make some decisions. I hope you like it! 

Thank you SO much, Beatport! 

Cameron Holbrook is Beatportal’s Assistant Editor. Find him on Twitter.

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16 Mar John Summit Lands on Insomniac Records with “Make Me Feel”

Posted at 10:00h in feed, news
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Words: Cameron Holbrook

Chicago’s house music extraordinaire reveals one of his most sought-after and highly-anticipated tracks of the year.

One of Beatport’s top-selling artists, John Summit, has announced that his debut Insomniac Records single, “Make Me Feel,” will be released on March 26th.

The release comes following a torrent of hit tracks that have turned this young DJ/producer from the Windy City into one of the most talked-about rising house music talents. His 2020 track “Deep End” on Defected reached Beatport’s overall top spot back in July, and he scored yet another Beatport Number 1 in January of 2021 with his Repopulate Mars single, “Beauty Sleep.”

Summit brings the same winning formula with “Make Me Feel” — a track that’s packed with confident rhythms, snappy vocals, laser-focused synth work, and a hammering bassline.

“This track is probably my most requested ID of all time,” John Summit says. “Every livestream I’ve played over the past few months, people have been begging for it to get released, so I’m so stoked to finally get this one out!”

Check out the tune below.

John Summit’s single “Make Me Feel” drops on Friday, March 26th via Insomniac Records. Purchase it on Beatport.

Check out John Summit’s ‘Make Me Feel’ Chart on Beatport.

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16 Mar Producer Spotlight: Anastasia Kristensen is
Exploring New Worlds in Her Productions

Posted at 10:00h in feed, homepage-masthead-slider, technology
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Words: Daniel Brashaw

Photos: Sarah Rachel Rignel Fresco

We talk to Russian-born, Denmark-based Anastasia Kristensen about her new approach to production and DJing, and delve into her forthcoming Loopmasters soundpack.

It goes without saying that 2020 was a year of major changes in the world of dance music. Dancefloors, the social and spiritual hub of the electronic music scene, have been sorely missed by ravers and DJs alike. And for Russian-born, Denmark-based DJ and producer Anastasia Kristensen, it’s meant an uncharacteristically quiet year.

From several headline gigs per weekend across the globe in 2019 to almost a year without touring, the travel restrictions put in place as a result of Covid 19 have totally changed Kristensen’s life. And while she hasn’t been headlining any festivals or club nights, she has been hard at work writing music, and designing her first sample pack for Loopmasters: Retro Future Techno.

“[Lockdown has] benefited me in a way because I don’t travel as much, so my health has kind of normalised,” she tells us from her home in Copenhagen. “That’s a positive thing, but obviously it’s been very hard to accept the fact that we don’t travel right now, and we don’t see people.”

Check out Anastasia Kristensen’s Retro Future Techno sample pack on Loopmasters.

And how has it affected you musically? Has time away from club and festival environments changed what you’re listening to and making?

I have definitely been making lots of drafts with untraditional beats, not four on the floor stuff, but I also write a lot of tracks that are club-ready — it’s a balance. 

In my free time I listen to all sorts of music. I really like listening to other people’s podcasts. It’s important to stay in shape, but for obvious reasons I’m not in the same shape that I usually would be — I haven’t prepared a proper Rekordbox playlist in a very long time.

Have you been DJing much at home?

I bought CDJs when we were going into the first lockdown back in March 2020. I played a few times and recorded some mixes, but it’s not even near to what I normally do. 

I’m excited to get back because I think my DJing will have evolved because of this break — I’m going to be looking at it from a new perspective.

How do you think it will have changed?

I think my taste has evolved and I’ve become a bit more aware of what I really like, and what kind of sound I prefer in my sets. But time will tell.

With a forced break from DJing, have you found yourself producing more?

I wouldn’t say I produce much more, but I’ve given myself some freedom to explore different techniques. I created a sample pack for Loopmasters which was really interesting; it’s not something I’ve done before. 

I had two to three months to create it and I found that was a good amount of time to go and experiment, but it was also useful to have a deadline. You can make samples forever and the library can just grow and grow.

How did you find the process of creating a sample pack differed creatively from writing tracks?

It was a different experience because I reused a lot of samples that I made throughout the years. Some of the sounds in my sample pack come from some of the first recordings I made about six years ago. I went back and dug them out specifically for this project.

Of course it’s different to regular production because you have to focus on four to six second sounds which can be a bit frustrating. I’d end up making full loops, or find myself making a full track even though I only had to make one sound.

I’ve ended up with a lot of draft projects that will hopefully turn into full tracks.

When you go back through old projects looking for samples is it interesting to hear the progression in your sound?

I actually find it really hard to judge “my sound” because by the time tracks are released you’ve listened to them over and over again, and you can sometimes feel really sick of your own release.

However, the process of creating the sample pack became very creative and interesting. You make a lot of sounds and you can review your personality through these short samples.

What equipment do you use in your sound design process?

I used synths like Zebra and DIVA to build sounds from scratch. I also used Ambika which is really good for percussive sounds and rich, melodic stuff. I also have my own samples from different gear I’ve used over time that I would manipulate with effects  

All the sounds I created ended up working very harmoniously, even though every sound came from a totally different source. There are sounds from years ago and sounds that I synthesized recently. I wanted it to have this theme of sounding modern, but with touches of late ‘80s and ‘90s.

The artist Ctrls also helped me a lot with this project. It was my first time working on a sample pack so I wanted to have a better idea of how to approach it and how to polish the sounds. He would mix down the samples for me. I always use someone to mix down my sounds — I think having a second pair of ears to listen to your productions is a professional way to approach your own work.

Let’s talk about sound design in your own music. You use breakbeats in a really interesting way, and they have an amazing sound in your tracks, do you have a specific approach to working with breakbeats?

I actually have a custom-made library from about 10 years ago, they’re pretty rare drums. I don’t remember exactly where they came from, it was someone who made them from scratch over three or four years and sold them on the internet, it was literally a website that looked like it was from the ‘98 era or something. 

I stumbled upon that library, bought the samples and I’ve been using them on and off ever since. I’ve also created and programmed a few for my sample pack.

I really like breakbeats because they can switch up the energy of an EP or set, if you just have constant four on the floor it can get a bit boring.

How do you approach the EP writing process?

My process is pretty much the same from year to year. I usually have a bank of tracks, then I’ll go back to finish certain tracks. I’ll polish and rearrange them and maybe add some details for the EP, then I’ll discuss them with the label and sort out the order of the tracks. 

There was a time when I was preparing an EP and then I decided to say no because I wasn’t actually feeling it, so that can happen too. 

It can be a long process to form an EP, and sometimes you don’t even end up with one, but it’s been interesting and a good learning process for me so far. I’m excited for everything that’s yet to come.

You’ve also recently curated the Rewire & Acquire V/A charity compilation which featured  19 different artists, and raised money for equalitynow.org. Is curating releases something you would like to do more of in the future?

I would love to for sure! I just really think that it needs the right time and the right kind of platform. Making your own label is a lot of work and there are many approaches.

I wanted to do this one because I was really involved with the charity and I had so many friends showing me their work. It kind of merged into this idea doing something with several purposes — contributing to a good cause but also showcasing tracks from friends. Some of them do not have many releases and some of them do. I thought it was a good way to combine known and less known names together. 

It’s gone really well. We’ve raised over €1200 in the first two months and it’s inspired me to plan something similar for this year or next year. 

I’m very responsible about this process. I don’t want to just throw more digital tracks out there. I think everything has to be well-curated and have a certain meaning with good production and good masters. 

I think this one took a good two months even though it’s just digital and I have people around me to master it. I had to say no thank you to a few artists unfortunately as there were going to be too many tracks and I’d rather wait for part two. I definitely want to do more  A&R — let’s see how that’s going to turn out in the future. 

Most of the tracks on there are quite dancefloor oriented, but the second track, “Sunflower Seeds and Spit,” is a spoken-word piece with ambient instrumentation. What’s the story behind that?

S Ruston and caner taker wrote about their struggles as immigrants and the abuses they received, which fits well with the overall idea of the compilation. That’s why it comes early in the compilation. 

You also have a track on the compilation called “What Colour.” It’s a little different to your past releases, how did you approach writing that?

For my own production, I wanted to do something different compared to what I usually produce. I don’t want to pin myself to one style, and using my own platform was a very good way to release something that might surprise people. I could see that track was really popular among friends and German listeners.

Do you see your DJing and producing as two separate artforms, or are they linked in your eyes?

It’s kind of both. When I was traveling and touring I thought more about making DJ-friendly tracks, and I still do that. However, it’s been really nice to feel less pressure and expectation because of the pandemic. Making music can be totally separate from the dancefloor and DJing, but as a DJ it’s also great to see producers thinking about DJs in the way they produce and structure their tracks. 

It’s important for producers, and for DJs who are digging for music, to not just stay in your bubble but to see what else is out there. Dig old records and see how people were making music in the past, or look for artists from different continents because there might be a different culture around producing electronic music. It’s really important to not just stick to what’s conventional or work within a formula just because it works. 

That’s what I love about podcasts. I love to discover what my friends and people I don’t know anything about have been doing. I also really love independent blogs and digging for something that’s not necessarily been put up on a track-selling website. That’s how I try to keep up my knowledge and curiosity now that everything is closed and we can’t travel or go to small local shops or meet local artists. Thanks to the Internet there’s a lot to discover still.

Are there any artists or labels you have been particularly liking the music of lately?

I always really like what Timedance put out, they have some really interesting releases. Quest?onmarc has sent me some of her unreleased tracks and I’m really excited for her to have them released, I think they’re really dope. I’ve also been digging some of the early 2000s to late ‘90s Pete Lazonby. I discovered him not so long ago and it’s some of the quirkiest dancefloor music, more like intelligent dance music meets dancefloor. I like it a lot. 

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15 Mar Cover Story: Refusing to Follow Trends,
NYC’s Jubilee has Won Success Exactly Where it Counts

Posted at 11:23h in features, homepage-masthead-slider, trending
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Words: Jasmine Kent-Smith
Photos: Sarjoun Faour, Squid Stills

A passion for UK and American bass-driven sounds has carried Jubilee around the world, earning her a score of global admirers and industry friendships in the process.  Jasmine Kent-Smith hears her story so far.

When she was a little girl, Jessica Gentile would sleep with the radio on. She was born and raised in South Florida, and so it was local stations like Miami’s Power 96 or 99 Jamz that she tuned into before bed; a soundtrack of Miami bass and freestyle lulling her to sleep.

Her parents were into music too – which she knows “is, like, the bio favourite to write.”  Her father always had a “crazy” record collection, while her mother was an ’80s-era aerobics instructor and listened to everything from disco to Latin freestyle, Gloria Estefan to early Madonna. Gentile was into this stuff too, but it wasn’t her calling. She wasn’t quite sure what that was back then. She’d soon figure it out though, and in the process become Jubilee — the globally-adored, Mixpak-affiliated DJ, producer and, most recently, Magic City label head. 

As Jubilee, Gentile melds her bassy signature sound with dancefloor-honed versatility. This dual approach makes her the kind of DJ who’s as ease playing to the likes of Beyoncé at a trendy party held at Opening Ceremony’s now-shuttered NYC store as she is on stage at a larger-the-life EDM festival, or at an intimate venue in the north of England. 

At the heart of her career lies an authentic devotion to dance music — a dedication to musicians and movements that link back, however loosely, to the Miami-routed, bass-indebted stylings that shaped her as a child and have continued to drive her artistically ever since. “I’ve always wanted to, and always will make, things that sound like Miami bass,” she offers over email after our call. “I know that it’s my ongoing thing, but it’s what I love.” It’s a love that burns regardless of what she’s working on, who she’s working with, or any external battles she may be facing. Like, I don’t know, a global pandemic.

In conversation, Gentile is personable and warm as she shares stories and anecdotes from times long past; her words flowing with such openness you’d think it was a catch-up between old friends rather than an interview. This could be credited to her time spent working as a make-up artist at New York department store Henri Bendel.  Much like hairdressing, it’s a profession that requires an empathic deposition, and the kind of charm that elicits confessional moments from clients who often treat appointments a little like therapy sessions.

Or it could stem from years spent rolling up to raves alone. When she was a teenager, drum & bass was Gentile’s gateway into dance music. It linked nicely with her enjoyment of breaks-focused material, especially the kind played by the local DJs she loved. Plus, she’d always loved Miami bass, and these sounds all flowed into a communal sonic pool. But she struggled to find friends with the same interests. “When I lived in Florida I was a total raver,” she says. “[I] loved going out, but there was nobody at my school or in my world [who] was like that. It wasn’t cool.”

At the time, Miami raves worked like this: someone would find a spot, and every party in the city would be held there for a while. Then it would get raided or close down or “something horrible would happen,” and the city’s promoters would move somewhere else. “When I first started going out, there were a lot of afterhours [parties] on South Beach, and then they passed this law that everything had to close at 5 a.m. there because of raves,” adds Gentile. The anti-rave legislation in question was introduced in 1997 in efforts to curb all-night events. Or more specially, the drug use that was considered part of the events by the state.

One of the venues she stumbled across back then was The Edge, a “mostly punk” spot in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. It was “insane,” she admits, with “people just doing balloons like laying on the floor.” She would go a lot, attracted to the music on offer. However, she was too young to get in legally, so would have to climb the fence or try her luck with the “stamp trick,” when an of-age party-goer licks or otherwise wets the stamp on their hand before smudging onto the hand of someone underage.

I ask Gentile, if she were to make me a mixtape (an actual, tangible, IRL one) composed of tracks that played a key role during her teenage years, which tune would kick things off. She settles on DJ Icey‘s “Tricks Theme” – “for sure”. It’s something she’s starting to play again actually, along with other stuff from her youth. Back then, she’d go to the record store to pick up mixtapes and tickets to local raves – but she wouldn’t actually buy records. “Turntables were expensive, records were expensive, and I was super young,” she recalls. She only started purchasing them aged 21 or so, while living in New York.

Breakbeat Science, a drum & bass record store in Manhattan’s East Village, was her store of choice when she moved to New York in 2003. “It was so exciting to go and go to these record stores that I’d followed on the very bleak Internet that we had at the time,” she says, smiling at the memory. Before moving, Gentile had only experienced the store via its bustling message board. “And of course, the guy working there was a total dick. You know, I got the full experience. Shout out to Breakbeat Science, they’re the best, but like that one guy working there at the time…” She assures me that everyone else who worked at the store was lovely. In fact, she’s actually still friends with one of the employees.

Gentile would trawl through forums like Hollerboard or Breakbeat Science each week in search of raves to attend. She met a lot of people this way, some she still talks to today, and even met Mixpak founder Dre Skull there. When Dre eventually invited Gentile to be his friend on Myspace, she noticed that Miami hip-hop hero Uncle Luke was among his top friends. “All right,” thought Gentile at the time. “I can fuck with this dude.”

She wound up moving in with him and DJ, journalist, and promoter Star Eyes, aka Vivian Host – another one of Gentile’s long-time friends. “For two years, we were living in this weird loft,” says Gentile. “It was during the recession, so we weren’t really working. Like, I believe I was working at this club, but rent was really cheap. We had three rooms each — it was nuts.” Gentile and Dre were living together when Dre first came across Jamaican dancehall star and Mixpak signee Popcaan. “I remember him being like, ‘Oh my god, I met this vocalist, and he’s like, it.'”

It was around then that Gentile started promoting raves, like her regular Flashing Lights bash, which took place in a Chinese restaurant called 88 Palace – “super cool, super grimy, really fun,” Gentile says – with DJ Ayres and Fool’s Gold‘s Nick Catchdubs. She relished putting on her own events because they meant she could book whoever she wanted and play whatever she wished. It’s an ‘If it doesn’t exist, I’ll do it myself’ kind of mentality that can be felt in all that she does.

In 2008, she launched a record label called Nightshifters alongside Jason Forrest. Nightshifters put out the first record from Canblaster, a collaboration between Gentile — who was dabbling in production at this point — and Udachi, as well as music from the likes of Hostage, AC Slater, and more. After a few years of label life, the pair arrived at a crossroads: They either had to put all they had into it – or call it a day. 

“I had just finished my first solo record by myself,” recalls Gentile, who confided in Dre (who she and Star Eyes used to dub “The Guru” thanks to his insight into the music business), telling him:  “I don’t think I want to put this out on my own label, because I don’t think this label’s gonna really go much further.” His response? Well, to put it out on the then-fledgling label Mixpak.

It wouldn’t be the first time that the pair worked together. They were already throwing small, fun and “crazy” parties together with some of their favourite artists. “They would never do well! It was just me and him like, ‘Hey, we want to get the Brick Bandits or these Jersey club dudes who I’ve known forever,” she says with a laugh.  “I’ve lost so much money in my life — and not complaining about it at all — because I’ve just been like, ‘Oh my god, everybody needs to see this person DJ and I’m gonna break the bank to get them here.'” 

Over the years, Gentile’s released a pair of excellent albums (After Hours and Call for Location) and a handful of EPs on Mixpak, plus played at events like Red Bull Culture Clash 2016 on behalf of the label. (Mixpak won, deservedly so). She’s full of praise for the imprint and its commitment to mix things up in a way that feels totally organic, and reels off favourite early Mixpak releases from the likes of Sizzla, Double Dutch and Lil Scrappy. It’s something she does frequently during our conversation, and her enthusiasm is only heightened while talking about UK-originated sounds.

It’s a topic we get into serendipitously. Mid-way through our conversation, Gentile notices the pastel-hued illustration by the usually Manchester, but currently Seoul-based multi-disciplinary artist Murlo on my wall. A fellow Mixpak-affiliate, Murlo shared a selection of the prints to accompany the release of his 2019 debut album, Dolos. As it turns out, Gentile has the very same one on her wall.

This isn’t really a surprise. Gentile’s a proven fan of UK-born sounds, from two-step to garage, grime through to dubstep and jungle. In the past, she’s played frequently at Swing Ting, the Manchester party and label that cites Murlo among its crew; repped Mixpak at Notting Hill Carnival; and hosted shows on London-based radio stations like NTS, Rinse FM, and even BBC Radio 1, where she took up a residency in 2018. This was something she’d always wanted to do. “It actually felt really good because everything that I had done before was like, ‘Oh, it’s because you know this person’, or it’s because you’re on Mixpak and whatever — you have imposter syndrome. [But] that was really a good feeling because they knew what they wanted, and I was that.”

She’d actually piloted a show for them already back in 2014, but it didn’t work out. She didn’t let it get to her too much though; years spent immersed in theatre in a life lived prior meant that she was equipped to deal with rejection. “I would go on all these auditions for commercials and stuff like that,” she says, reflecting on her theatre days. “My mom would always be like, ‘Don’t get excited and don’t get your hopes up. If you get the call, you get the call,’ and that also applies now.”

A couple of years ago Gentile was “basically halfway” to living in London. She’d stay in a friend’s spare room and even considered moving permanently, but then Brexit happened, Covid-19 happened, and so it remains a wistful pipedream. It doesn’t mean she’s been diverting her gaze away from Britain though. She’s still as excited as ever by music and artists coming out of the UK. Take Manchester-based party-starter Anz. “I don’t think I’ve felt such gushing love for an artist’s work and progression like I feel about Anz,” she says. Or British-Jamaican rapper Thai Chi Rosé, whose “stage presence is unreal, and so far, the music she has put out has been great.” Or the woefully under-applauded producer (and UK funky innovator) KG: “I love everything she does.”

“Honestly, if it weren’t for coming to London all the time for three years it would have been hard to stay inspired,” Gentile admits. “There is a never-ending output of incredible music and people in the UK. Getting to play with Swing Ting once or twice a year and hanging in Manchester with the crew and MC Fox is like yearly medicine to me.”

 Given how much exploring new places and meeting new people inspires Gentle, it’s natural that her enthusiasm has waned in the past twelve months. “That’s where I made my music from,” she says, frankly. “So, sitting home isn’t exactly doing it for me right now. And it’s really, really hard to work on music. However, knowing that I have my The Lot Radio show coming up and having to put together music for it keeps me up on things.”  

As does her new label Magic City, which takes its name with the compilation series Gentile’s been running since 2015. The label, which kicked off with an EP from Gentile titled Are We There Yet?, sees her adjusting into a mentor-like role. Really, what she wants is for the artists releasing via the imprint to be excited about the music that they’re coming out with and for her to do a little bit of the work for them – whether it’s helping with artwork, paying for mastering or getting them a sync deal. She looks up to the likes of Nina Las Vegas, who through her label NLV Records, has “helped a lot of young artists really find a way to make money but also keep it weird,” Gentile says.

Gentile’s in an expert position to assist both artists taking their first steps into the industry, and semi-established names looking to make overdue breakthroughs. She’s lived multiple lives, navigated a dizzying number of trend-led eras, and donned more hats – figuratively speaking – than Jamiroquai’s Jay Kay. “People don’t understand, first of all, I’ve been around a little longer than they think,” she says at one point. 

Diversifying her career – something she started doing early on – has been key to her longevity. As has keeping her circle tight, and opting to work with friends or people she’s known “forever.” She also reckons a lot of it is due to never having an “over-hyped up” moment: “I never ‘got big’ as they say, I guess.” 

To an extent, I’d agree. Though it downplays Gentile’s consistency and tireless dedication to her craft. While she may not be “big” in a ‘ginormous techno fee’ kind of way, she’s valued immeasurably by fans and peers who’ve followed her journey across regions and roles. Gentile’s refusal to shrug off the sound she loves — the very one she’d fall asleep listening to all those years ago — in favour of something trendier or more financially lucrative remains a major part of her draw. Much like her natural ability to forge strong connections with others around her, these components, when soldered together with her music, mean that Gentile is secure in herself and her style no matter what the next chapters in her story bring.

Jasmine Kent-Smith is a freelance journalist. Find her on Twitter.