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Track List: 

01 Jeff Mills – Brace Yourself (AxisCD044)
02 Egor Boss – Neon (Gynoid051)
03 Delko – Asilo (Ness Remix) (SHT031)
04 Dacido & Meta – Eruption (Jeroen Search Remix) (FluxusDigital01)
05 Lee Holman – Perception (HOME009)
06 Jeroen Search – Paper Space (CSF035)
07 Claudio Masso – Just a Reason (Gynoid053)
08 A Hvich – Directory T (Logotech’s Innerview) (Archetype 001)
09 Shifted – Junk (Mote Evolver21)
10 Joboday – Display (Patrick Bolton remix) (SMR011)
11 Dadub – Biopoiesis (SA Monad VIII)
12 Darkcell – Radiant Flux (Translucent 3)
13 Mattias Fridell – Justify Or Prove (Gynoid054)
14 MFS – Institoris (Translucent 7)
15 Antonio De Angelis – Straight To The Bank (Gynoid07)
16 Peter Van Hoesen – Last One AT 1080 (Inertia-1)
17 Headroom – Strike (PRUK34)
18 Headroom – Giger (COMP01)
19 Blind Summit – Subconcious Distractions (UTSCH)

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Kn:  It’s been eleven years now since your first release with close friend Alexander Johansson, and even longer since you started to bind an ever closer affiliation with music in Sweden.  Can you tell us a little about how growing up led you to where you are now?

MF:  Well, I really think I’m a product of the environment, hehe.  I grew up in a very musical family and I found friends with a similar music interest early on.  We used to buy records and record tracks & mixes on a double-cassette deck I had.  My parents had an old keyboard with a very simple sequencer that we played with & recorded the result.  That’s probably the foundation for my early productions.  Electronic music got us hooked right away.  A few years after I met up with Alexander we discovered that we shared the same common goal to really focus hard on our biggest interest music.  

The Techno movement is Sweden was coming on strong and we really liked the whole thing.  It was very inspiring.  We had so much fun during these learning years and we were probably considered very nerdy for sitting in front of computers, synths & groove-boxes and constantly talking about music and music production, haha.  After our first release we got some amazing feedback and the record went well.  Soon after we got offers from other labels and that’s the path that took me to where I am today.  After several releases Alex took a 6 year long break from Techno but I never stopped.

Kn:  You played an equal hand in founding Tonal Path with Glenn Wilson, which certainly has hosted some outstanding records in the past and this year is no exception.  If we deconstruct its origins, what was the underlying sentient behind starting the project and what have you learnt along the way?  Plans for it’s future?

MF:  The Tonal Path project was set in motion after much talking between me and Glenn.  We wanted to have a platform for our collaborations and Glenn felt that his other labels didn’t fit the style & direction we wanted to focus on.  He had a nice logo formed as a T from a former live-project with Dean Rodell and we decided to use that one for the label.  Also the name Tonal Path comes from an old track by Glenn on Planet Rhythm that made a huge impact on my work and its also one of Glenn’s personal favorite tracks from himself.  We figured that was a nice name to use especially since the musical output on the label was gonna take a different “path” or “bridge” then our previous work.  We worked fairly hard to form the musical concept and discarded many ideas along the way & the first release “The Bridge” is something we’re really proud of.  We got some nice demo submissions and felt we wanted to let a selected bunch of artists hop on the vision of the label.

For 2012, Tonal Path will release more records from producers we really like and share the same mentality and ideas with.

Kn:  On the subject of recent releases, your own EP Pataphysics on Labyrinth not so long ago is one of the stand out pieces of work this year as far as we’re concerned.  How did you approach the record and what kind of strategies and tactics do you incorporate in the studio, generally, to communicate the ideas from your head space to the final product?

MF:  Thanks!  I’m really happy about the reactions to that EP. I’ve always been into mysterious music and music with a certain science-fiction approach. Previously I have released tracks like this on Teskoba and Sub sequent but with this EP I went a bit deeper, atmospheric and slower.  I have always liked science.

I made “Column of Gas” first and it really started out as a simple jam session in the studio while I was following the Kepler telescope and its journey to find new exoplanets.  The melody sequence was setting the mood and I figured it would sound nice with some sweeping eerie atmosphere clusters in the background.  The drums are the obvious 909 sounds, processed with tubes, reverbs & delays.  It feels like when making this sort of Techno there is a frame you have to stay within to keep the consistency.  I like this, limiting yourself is inspiring.  I wanted to have a movement in the rhythm sections as well as the synths so that was what I focused on.  The other tracks on the EP follows these directions as well but the “Solar Nebula” track is more dreamy.

Back in the days it used to be so much harder for me to translate what I had in my mind to the machines and the music, but today it’s kind of a 6th sense really.  I like to work with a concept, an idea very often.  Though in most cases I just sit down and start with something and see where it’s leading and I go from there.  I use lots of effects processing when I work.  I like to build huge chains of effects and experiment with them.

Something I use very little of is, surprise, compression.  I used to smash the compressors like crazy in my productions but the recent years I’ve been leaning away from it, its a maturity thing I think… To not use compression at all.  I am aware that it sounds really odd, haha.  There are many other nice ways to get punch and bite in the music, like saturation, filtering & balancing. A friend to me used to say this “First you need to learn everything the right way, then you know how to exploit the faults”.  That also applies to music production!

A trick I can share is to side-chain a reverb with a kick, make the reverb mono and low-pass filter it, mix it a little with the kick and suddenly you have a nice warm bass-line playing along with the kick.  Experiment with different time & decay values and different filtering to suit your needs.

Kn: …similarly, recycling and rebuilding ideas is always an ongoing process.  Does reflecting on your own previous constructions aid in your push forwards, and what does it mean to you at a personal level?

MF:  Yes definitely.  Reflecting on my own material is really pushing me forwards.  Sure sometimes I can sit and listen to an old track I made and wonder what I was thinking but not that often anymore.  I have lots of very old unreleased tracks that I still like a lot.  There is a special charm about listening & analyzing older tracks and production wise I’m often happy with my old stuff even today.  When it comes to sound quality… let’s say I just know so much more today but of course its an experience that I’ve gained through the years.  Experience is really important.  In todays modern age I find that many young producers complain if they can’t get a record out after just 3-4 months of music-production experience.  Why stress?  There is no need to do that, it’s not good to be impatient.  Better to take the time needed to really learn and explore and research!

Kn:  The mix you’ve done for us is something you should be proud if, it’s a killer journey, so many thanks at our end.  Is there anything we should be aware of as we move ever closer to 2012?  Anything in particular that’ll ensure you’ll be content knowing everything is in it’s right place?

MF:  Thanks, glad you mention “journey” this is something I often try to accomplish with my mixes.  Happy to deliver a mix to Kana! Regarding 2012… I have much stuff coming up that year & many nice projects I’m happy to be part of.  I’ve signed with a couple of very interesting labels which I’m honoured to work with so 2012 will definitely be good!  Something people will see more of is that I will use more aliases for different styles of music, I started this already this year.  It feels like I managed to cause confusion with my many varied styles under my own name so I’m going back to use more aliases again.  Beside this I have remixes and music coming out on Gynoid Audio, Reform, Eshu, Sonntag Morgen and other nice labels.  I’m really looking forward to 2012.

–

Links:  Facebook  /  Myspace  /  Soundcloud

Buy:  Juno  /  Beatport

Bookings:  8bit Bookings

Finding peace and encouraging solidarity isn’t a trait that’s omnipresent in the world of electronic music as far as we’re concerned, but it certainly does exist in those who are still dreaming, and it’s this allurement that brings us to this weeks guest.  His presence on the global techno stage over the years is a result of a relentless and solitary crusade that’s manufactured the creation of his own imprint, Asymmetric, which now plays host to an alternative view on not just the music itself, but the way it’s distributed and the psychology behind its consumption.  These varying ideals challenge the foundations of the industry.

Having already concluded that a path least travelled presents itself with countless opportunities to progress that would otherwise be missed, he’s enforced a firm cooperative relationship between reengineering hardware and developing customised software – a redefining creative voyage that isn’t often undertaken.  Now, if you were irresolute as to whether or not it’s feasible to harbour conceptual mercenaries, this will dissolve any skepticism.  

This weeks broadcast is in the form of Inigo Kennedy.

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Track List:

Drugstore – The Birth [cicuta002]
Inigo Kennedy – Resist [unreleased]
Xhin – Vent (Pfirter Remix) [sa011]
Mike Parker – Fwd (Donato Dozzy Remix) [prg017]
Makaton – Paradise Lost [token013]
Inigo Kennedy – Yellow Leaf (v3) [unreleased]
Walker Kennedy – Untitled 02 [unreleased]
Death Abyss – The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste [mak032]
Exium – Frontline (Inigo Kennedy Remix) [nheoma011]
Inigo Kennedy – Nothing But Sun [unreleased]
Allan Nonamaka – Most Wrong [fvtd003]
Inigo Kennedy – Revenge (Blawan Remix) [token019]
Death Abyss – Love Is A Weakness [mak032]
Inigo Kennedy – Quagmire [token017]
Allan Nonamaka – The Essence [unreleased]
Donor – Em1 (Forward Strategy Group Remix) [pp033]
Stanislav Tolkachev – Negative Space [tua001]
Inigo Kennedy – The Map [token001]
Elektrabel – Hraju09 [poh007]
Lucy – Pentad [sma010]
Inigo Kennedy – Scatter [token019]
Inigo Kennedy – Untitled (2011_08_05) [unreleased]
Steve Bicknell – Why + For Whom (a1) [cos10]
Inigo Kennedy – Aldebaran [unreleased]

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Kn:  Your label Asymmetric hosted some of your best work.  Is it an avenue you think you’ll reinvent, or are there deeper projects that you’d like to intertwine into your own ideals?

IK:  In many ways Asymmetric was developed specifically to release work that I was very happy with but that was otherwise considered too risky or not commercially viable for other labels or organisations.  I’ve always adopted the position of that being nothing but a compliment even if that might be misguided!  This goes back more to the vinyl days when of course there are commercial pressures to take into account; vinyl is not cheap to manufacture or distribute.  Asymmetric is a much more personal outlet too.  If there’s one thing I want to achieve as a ‘brand’ it’s that Asymmetric is very personal music and quite distinctive.

For various reasons I adopted the digital avenue very early on and evolved Asymmetric the vinyl label to become Asymmetric|MP3.  To me it was clear that this was the way things would go and I doubted then, as much as now, that the right business or commercial models would ever exist for the digital medium.  For years there seemed to be people flailing around in the dark and, in my opinion, also adopting technology for the sake of it; the actual music suffered a lot.  Historically too there were a whole lot of people in the middle that made far more (money) than I ever would from my music.  Not necessarily the primary motivation but definitely unfair and unnecessary.  Now I release the music for free via Asymmetric|MP3 and that’s something I feel reasonably strongly about.  Many people still, although less so now, hold the opinion that this in some way devalues the ‘product’ and I think it’s a pity that that is the way things are.  It’s been interesting to see people realise the inevitable over the last five to 10 years though.

Kn:  On top of your consistent monthly podcasts, the pseudo-recent release of Trust – Acceptance involved yourself and other artists.  A sign of solidarity between those involved no doubt as it’s a free release.  What are your thoughts on it being something that should be incorporated more often?

IK:  Oh yes!  It’s been quite a commitment to produce 90 minute mix every month this year!  Now that the latest TS0011 is done and there’s one more to go this year I haven’t yet decided which way things will go in 2012!

There’s an increasing amount of music made available for free and the quality is shooting up too.  There are actually quite a lot of compilations and net labels around that have adopted a free distribution model.  I’m not really sure if it’s a mark of solidarity or just a commercial reality; it wouldn’t be possible to do projects like that if there was a commercial angle; if there was one it would be basically pointless as everyone involved would take home about enough for half a beer.  I think it’s good to encourage an attitude of generosity with people’s creativity.  It’s also a way of moving away from constraints and let’s people release music that maybe they are really pleased with or that means a lot.

photo by k4

Kn:  Your Asymmetric releases introduced quite a unique techno sound to the world right from the beginning.  A sound that would distinctly become ‘Inigo Kennedy’.  It was documented early on that you achieved this by rewiring the internals of your synthesizers in order to create unique textures.  What fascinated you to get inside these machines to begin with?  Do you still practice these techniques?

IK:  I’ve certainly spent a fair but of time with a soldering iron in my hand!  My early records were basically recorded to cassette through a mixer I built and part of my early sound was more or less down to a brutal filter unit I designed (it’s in the attic these days).  I hacked together all sorts of guitar pedals, oscillators and so on back then as well (there are boxes of all sorts of electronic bits and bobs in the attic too).  Thanks to my dad I’ve got a very inquisitive attitude to technology that has followed me all the way through life.  I suppose it’s contributed to me having a signature sound but I think that that’s also got a lot to do with attitude in general.  Rather than fall back onto the staple techno hardware I’ve always sought out more unusual and digital synths; things that you really have to get under the skin of but that to me is where the gold dust lies.  The same goes for software, I’ve avoided a lot of the big players and like software that encourages accidents or feels more like sculpting than simply filling in squares and joining dots.  There’s no denying I like technology and I’m very happy to feel like in the last few years finally the software revolution has started to allow things to get back to the organic and emotional side of creativity.

Kn:  Leading on from your eclectic production techniques, what are your thoughts on “random generation” VST’s and the like?

IK:  I’ve developed a fair few of my own things in this area; VST plugins to process midi, Reaktor, Max/MSP and so on.  I’m not an advocate of truly random techniques (they’re contrary to how our brains operate so are generally unsatisfactory) but I am very interested in controlled randomness or allowing accidents to happen in subtle ways.  I think some of my best music has come about but letting the machines do unplanned or unpredictable things and then, if necessary, taming the result.  In a hardware studio to some extent this is easier as it’s more about moving faders and controls.  In the software world the concept is perpendicular, there’s less immediate control but there are almost infinite options.  I’m a big fan of a modular sequencer called EnergyXT (the original masterpiece v1.4.1) which I still use religiously.  It’s an inspiring and very transparent way to work to me; allowing you to connect elements in a very organic way.  I don’t like to feel like I’m making music in a linear way and the process of recording a track for me is much more like a one-off performance than a premeditated repeatable thing that has been designed to the smallest detail.

Kn:  Do you have any stand out influences as to why you got into electronic music? What do you like/dislike about the current state of EDM?

IK:  My road to electronic music was through 80′s synth pop and proper early electro into Depeche Mode, etc.  My local library played a big part – the original 80′s “home taping is killing the music industry” era!  What a great way to discover all sorts of otherwise unknown music.  Several very influential radio DJ’s like John Peel and Colin Faver (a London radio legend) pushed me along as I got into techno and Dave Clarke and Jeff Mills opened my ears to the art of vinyl manipulation in the early 90′s.  Without a doubt Aphex Twin is the genius at the top of my inspiration tower.  I’m pretty gob-smacked when I occasionally read comparisons between my music and his.

I think the current state of music is actually pretty exciting.  It’s been through a bad patch as I mentioned above but there’s some fantastic talent around at the moment and there are people doing genuinely interesting things.  There’s a really nice cross-fertilisation of styles happening at the moment – abstract, industrial, techno, experimental.

Kn:  In house sound guys… do you see them as an expectation, a big help, or just a waste of time?  Tell us about your funniest and worst experience with them?

IK:  I suppose I’m fairly agnostic.  Sometimes things are excellent and sometimes they’re a shambles.  Everyone’s got a job to do in a club environment.  There’s a lot going on and a lot of people trying to do a job without knowing anything about each other; that’s not easy.  There have been times when an over enthusiastic sound engineer is tweaking the levels down all the time but it’s only ever really a frustration when the equipment simply isn’t up to the task or is set up badly in the first place!  To be honest the worst (and sometimes best) experiences come from inebriated random people jumping on the stage, picking up needles, stopping records but that’s all part of the fun!  

Usually when there are technical problems it’s when there’s nobody in sight to sort anything out; bad organisation more than anything else.  That said, nothing is quite as embarrassing as picking up the wrong needle during a set!  All too easy with four decks on the go, especially if they’ve for some reason been connected up in a totally confusing order – which happens surprisingly often in itself!

I’m sure when I get to Sydney in December after 24 hours of flying everything will be awesome at the club there! This time I’ll just have to battle with the unpredictable jet-lag!

Links:

Inigo Kennedy  /  Facebook  /  Discogs  /  Asymmetric  /  Discogs – Asymmetric

News:

Saturday 3rd December 2011, Swarm & Fervent presents Inigo Kennedy @ The Valve Bar, Sydney, Australia

Inigo Kennedy ‘TS0011′ mix available for download now!

Out Now:

Inigo Kennedy ‘Revenge’ [TOKEN019] featuring a remix by Blawan
Exium ‘Roots Of Time (Remixes)’ [NHEOMA011] featuring a remix by Inigo Kennedy

Coming Soon:

Joint release between Inigo Kennedy and Allan Nonamaka on Fervent
New Asymmetric|MP3 release [ASYMP321]

An intense booking schedule over the course of the European summer didn’t come as any surprise which was augmented by the full length album release of ‘Grey Fades to Green’.  It’s inspired a fresh project that’s heavily focussed on incorporating visual media, though it’s domicile will be more aligned with theatres, distanced from the habitual club space.

Unifying what we’ve already already ascertained with a clandestine raid on your own perception of comfort summarises this weeks broadcast in an invigorating intonation.

Your host – Oscar Mulero.

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Kn:  It’s been some 20 years since you first moved into electronic life.  From the days of THE OMEN to some of the most respected releases on the likes of Tresor and your own, POLE, and to touring globally, you’ve maintained more than a presence.  How have you adapted, and what’s an example or two of a battle, conceptual or otherwise, that’s driven your persistence?

OM:  Well, one of the most important things to me is to be motivated, and in my case the way to keep my motivation in a good level is to be involved in new projects always.  Keep on doing the same thing over the years is something that makes me feel tired and bored…, so this why I like, and some years ago has become a need, to do different things in terms of productions and djin’.  Playing different types of dj sets, producing different music under a different alias or work on a live set could be some examples.

Kn: On the subject of THE OMEN, it certainly would have played a part in crafting your path.  What were some of the earlier lessons you learnt, and are they ones you’re still reminded of, whether you’re in the studio or playing out or just generally in life?

OM:  In some ways, everything that I’ve learnt playing in clubs or festivals over the years is always reminded; technique, new skills on the mix and also, it’s very important to me to try to find out how is the vibe in the club before I start my dj set.  All these things are important, and of course all of them make a difference between the way I played in those early years and the way I do it now.  I remember when I started to dj I was really focusing all my concentration on technique, but now that’s something that isn’t that important anymore.  What I mean is that I’m paying more attention to the programming and selection of the tracks that I’m gonna play.

Kn:  Pushing the clock onwards, during the past decade we witnessed a strong representation in Spanish techno with artists like Reeko, Exium and Christian Wunsch coming to the forefront alongside yourself.  In turn it led to a worldwide cult following for the offbeat Spanish techno sound.  How do you see the Spanish scene developing as we move forwards?

OM:  Our relation with the offbeat techno started around 2004 I would say.  Definitely it has been a change in a musical way and in a technical way to work in the studio too.  Our music has changed also, it’s not all about offbeats these days.  If you have a listen to the techno tracks we made in that time and compare them with the stuff we’re making now there’s a difference, but still the same dark and heavy beat flavour and the idea of keeping our music far from the commercial or trendy sounds.

Kn:  Trolley Route was an alias set up to explore styles like deep techno, pure electro and down tempo breaks and to move away from the harder edged productions you’re usually associated with.  We only saw one Trolley Route release in 2010.  Is this deliberate?  Or is it something you’d like to revisit and are there any other projects that you’ve entertained that portray different inner ideals?

OM:  Well it is not exactly like this…, actually there are two trolley Route Albums.  The first one was released on Pure Plastic ( Mark Broom’s label ) in 2003 and six Trolley Route EP’s on different labels between 2003 and 2010…, so it wasn’t deliberate to release it as a unique work for the Trolley Route project.  Apart from Trolley Route stuff there are no different projects or music released under other alias’.  I’m releasing some music that has nothing to do with techno but it is also signed as Oscar Mulero, like a new EP on the IDM oriented label Detroit Underground.

Kn:  A lot of artists work differently in the studio.  How do you employ the ideas that are fixed in your own headspace to the music that’s eventually produced?

OM:  I don’t have a specific method if you mean that, it really depends how I feel in the moment that I sit in my studio and start to work…, so most of the time the ideas come to me when I’m in my studio.  Sometimes I start on the track with a main riff, other times I just start to work with some beats.  Even sometimes first ideas of a track comes from experimentation and testing new synths or another machines.

Kn: …on the same note, is there any process that’s not incorporated enough, or too often, that’s led to a sub-standard approach regarding the final product?

OM:  Maybe the fact of not having the ideas first in my head and then going to the studio to make them happen is one process that I don’t do often.  As I told you before, most of the time the ideas come only when I’m sat down in my studio.

Kn:  We’re rolling out of what’s been a busy summer for you, Oscar.  An Asian/Australian tour is not out of the question we hope, is there any other news or thoughts you’d like to share, whether it be electronica or personal furtherance?

OM:  Apart from keeping on releasing music and djing we are working on a live set that is gonna be an audio and visual show.  The idea is playing some of the second part of my album “Grey fades to green” which is more oriented on the listening, IDM and ambient stuff, the more melodic or musical side of the album.  We’re planing to represent this in no clubs or places that have something to do with the dance scene.  So our wish is to do this live in places such a theatres or auditoriums where you can enjoy the visuals and the music while you are sat down.., like you do when you go to watch a movie.

–

His appearances at the infamous Club der Visionaere have embodied prolonged and articulate journeys that demand attention without abrasive interjections – it’s this assault that has contributed to and redefined Berlin’s scene. We have to make this clear, this special broadcast isn’t from an artist, it’s a derivative of the works from a story teller – Giuseppe Marchegiano, aka: Hubble.
–

Track List:

1. Deepchord – First Point Of Aries
2. Brian Eno – Lantern Marsh
3. Deepchord – Abraxas
4. Deepchord – Ocean Of Emptiness
5. Hubble – Zeta Orionis (Claudio PRC Remix)
6. Dino Sabatini – Modulation B
7. Marko Fuerstenberg – Fluessige Reise
8. Deepchord – Firefly
9. Hubble – Seq8 (Unreleased)
10. Frederic Galliano – Waref
11. Deepchord – Burnt Stage
12. Hakimonu – Cadence 1 (Dependency)

–

Kn:  Every innovative artists’ early life has always defined their ascension to their work that the world’s being exposed to.  Can you tell us about your own upbringing and what role it played regarding where you find yourself today in every respect?

H:  I’ve been lucky enough to have a Technics sl2000 turntable with pitch control at home since i was a kid.  I used to love to modify the speed of tracks and constantly play with the amp’s eq or switch the input from phono to tape, undoubtedly amusing stuff but that would often disturb my friends and family when we were listening to music.  There was no car stereo or radio or whatever sound producing device I would not stick my hands in.  The favourites in my parents’ vinyl collection were definitely the Zabriskie Point soundtrack with music from Pink Floyd, Gerry Garcia, Greatful Dead, Kaleidoskope, The Youngbloods.  Some John Lennon’s 45rpm, and other classical, ambient compositions and soundtracks.  I perfectly remember a Jan Luc Ponty’s performance of Frank Zappa’s King Kong that used to drive me nuts, and a furious album, “Pictures at an exhibition” by Japanese composer Isao Tomita, one of the precursors of electronic music, entirely produced with analogic synthesizers.  Thinking about it, I can easily recognize the influence that those first albums still have on what I listen, play and enjoy creating today.

Friday I was at DeepChord’s gig in a Berlin club and listening to some of his records back home, I decided to record the session for you including some of his tracks.  This is what happens today in my reality.  So many artists and events influencing my daily life, not only in what I play in clubs but in what sticks to my everyday life.  Or some weeks ago, flipping through a magazine produced by a friend (Lazlo)… it gave me some inputs for a new work spinning around the same theme.

Kn:  You’ve mentioned in the past that some of your own productions are often used as tools for not only yourself, but close friends, with the aim of constructing prolonged and hypnotising pieces.  What’s your cognitive drive behind that approach from your own perspective and what’s the importance of the subtle shifts?

H:  I like the journey a track can take us through.  Doesn’t matter the genre.  I love long tracks, as I love playing for several hours.  Unluckily there aren’t many clubs in this world where that’s possible, where you can feel the same freedom you have at home or in the studio or in those small bars and clubs where the acoustics are hot enough to recognize every detail of a track.  Club der Visionaere is, in my opinion, one of the best spaces to live this introspectivities and share it with others.  That journey dimension is quite always reachable over there.  I think it happened to everyone at some stage to fall in love with some moments of some tracks that would maybe last only three seconds, but minutes, hours for us.  Loops today help to enlarge those moments.
Many of those among my favourite artists today are friends with whom I have the luck to collaborate, with others I simply have a relationship where music is our main language and tool for communication, so, often, being physically far apart from each other, sharing our work is our meeting point and dialogue.  Therefore stories to be told are long.  Some friends and some important names of the Techno scene have always supported me since my first productions and I feel now right n good to share my new demo or edits that I use in my sets with them.

Kn:  2009 saw your first appearance and the conception of a strong relationship with Sleep Is Commercial – a well established and successful label irrespective of who you speak to.  How did it commence and can you tell us a little more about the journey you’ve undertaken with the SIC family?

H:  The Journey with Andrea Ferlin started around 1990 in a small shop in Cagliari called MasterDJ where we would spend days listening to vinyls instead of going to school.  There we could find great stuff, great quality vinyls that I still pull out and spin nowadays every now and then.  With him I discovered the first Techno and House labels.  After many years and many experiences, some of them different and far apart, The Sleep Is Commercial label and moving to Berlin has brought us together again and through him I met Frank and the rest of the family.  I think what bonds us together today, as back then, is a deep sickness for underground parties and quality electronic music.  I’m happy to work today with the label and produce my works on SIC ltd, feeling free and able to avoid the mechanisms of some majors too slave of the market’s rules.  Freedom is the most important thing you can breath within the family.

Kn:  On a similar note, you’re currently in the progress of working on a new full length album to be released on SIC titled ‘Reverse’.  How’s it coming along and what have you learnt in the past that’s pushing the release in a challenging direction?

H:  Reverse since the way this world revolves these days is simply backwards from what it should be to answer to the necessities of men and the nature they live surrounded by.  It’s a Techno album.

Kn:  Is there any other thoughts you’d like to share with us not that’s not just related to your own musical ventures, but life in general?

H:  I would never refer to myself as an artist.  I don’t feel like an artist.  I’m just a story teller.

Links:  Soundcloud  /  Resident Advisor  /  Myspace  /  Sleep Is Commercial  /  Buy on Juno

Displace what we’ve envisaged with an abundance of science and cosmological cerebration and allow the dim lights that traverse the early morning streets of Madrid to dismiss any misconceptions that may arise – imminent projects that encompass alien concepts as well as art based installations across galleries in Europe will redefine our own inspirations.  

Our guest – Miguel Sar, Aka: Tadeo.

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Kn:  Over the last two years we have witnessed the evolution of a newly developed Tadeo sound.  Series 03 saw a step away from the groove based techno you were releasing and into a darker, deeper sound, more synonymous with the space bending sounds of Detroit.  Was this a natural shift or was there an influencing moment that inspired this new production direction?

T:  In fact, it was always my objective!  It’s difficult to have enough experience to realize the ideas in your head.  Little by little I have obtained this experience and I go slow making new records that represent my ideas much better.  There was a time when I didn’t know about artists and labels.  I heard very little music because I was very young, had no money to buy it and did not know where to get it.  Here in Spain, there has always been a strong commercial music scene and it is easy to miss and not find what you want when you’re young and inexperienced.  At that time I already had the music of the space around my head, so the first time that I heard the space sound of Detroit, I said “Hey!! that’s familiar for me, that’s what I have in my head!”.  Two years ago I made the decision to forget everything I had done so far and dedicate myself to making music that really defines me.

Kn:  The recently released Signal EP on Cyclical Tracks is consistent with you current sound and continues to amalgamate fresh sounds together with cosmic ideals.  What important moments influenced the evolution of the label since its inception in 2004?  What’s coming up next for the label?

T:  When I started the label in 2004 everything was very different, I rediscovered the classic dub sound of Berlin and was very influenced by it.  Just then I was fired from my job and my compensation money went directly to make the first reference.  It began as an experiment, more or less worked, and this made me go on.  I was curious to show several different types of sound and this is why the label is changing in terms of styles and artists.  I published many friends, and for many of them was the first experience on vinyl.  This made the label somewhat unstable until, finally, I decided that the label would be just for me and other artists that match 100% with my view of music, inspired by the space and the novels and science fiction films.  Future releases will follow this path – my next release will be called “futurism” and describes a hypothetical trip to the future and impressions of it.  I have also planned out a release of remixes for my series “series” and a new album that mixes techno and classic music.

Kn:  Alex Under, Damien Schwartz and yourself, have collectively influenced the current Spanish techno sound by placing diversity and an element of groove back into the Spanish techno sound and local scene.  A step away from the more traditional industrial edged take which the country was known for.  Tell us about the earlier years when you all broke out onto the circuit together and what it meant to you?

T:  Well, it is true that, along with Damian and the other guys, we gave a twist to the Spanish electronic music scene.  We all agreed on one particular sound and at first everything was easy and fun, it was like a natural thing. This worked really well for us, we travelled several times around the world playing together and separately, we had many good experiences (bad also) and everyone wanted to have a net28 party in their clubs.  But there comes a time when we do not coincide in our message, and one of us could not bear that we had other concerns.  This began to create envy and we had to separate.  Just at that moment was when I changed my musical message, as I said in the previous question. This change meant both good and bad things.  The good news is that now I make the music that really defines me as an artist and I feel very at ease every time I finish a new track, the production rate is great and I’ve accumulated more than 100 new tracks that I use in my sets.  The bad news is that most promoters do not like my music because it’s not very commercial, it’s not like the music from the time of net28. Many people tell me “hey, make a record like ‘garnate granada’!!” and things like that.  They want a Tadeo closer to the fashion sound of the moment, but that can’t be, so my number of gigs has lowered drastically – I miss waiting in airports.

Kn:  For a well respected artist with well over ten years of exposure in the global scene, there hasn’t been a great deal of direct media contact.  Has that been a consciousness decision to maintain a sense of enigma or has it just played out like this for you?

T:  Never been my intention to stay away nor be within a mystery… simply, I’m not interesting for the media.  Perhaps because my music is not easy and for quick consumption, you must take a little time to understand [the music] and that’s hard living in the society we live – fast consumption and little reflection.  I think this answer must really come from the media. They know why I’m not interesting to them.  It may look easy to use and throw around idols, looking for the cool.  Some people have no life and need something to want to be that they are not or can not get.  I have the respect of many artists and small media, for now I’m content with that.  Gradually, without haste, the more solid mineral formation takes a long time, but when it does it is a gem.

Kn:  What’s on the horizon for yourself and what goals have you set in place so when you look back you can say you’re happy with how things eventuated?

T:  The future is always a good thing because it represents a time when things are coming true and for my future I have several plans.  The first is a new label called “Another Intelligence” based on a hypothetical options meeting with an extraterrestrial intelligence, the wisdom that we can bring us, and the knowledge they can share.  I am also working on a new installation of Luis Buñuel’s classic film “le chain andalou” creating new and unique music in 5.1 format, the video will be based on three-dimensional mapping and all will be aimed to festivals, museums and art galleries.  The last thing I have in hand is to join to another big name of the Spanish scene, a DJ named “Angel Molina”, to make a couple of records together and do a world tour featuring a new type of DJ performance.  He is one of the people with more respect and musically I feel more affinity.  I guess I can also mention the future plans for all the new music that will be published on my label “cyclical tracks” of which I am very proud.

Links:  Facebook  /  Discogs  /  Cyclical Tracks  / Soundcloud /  Myspace  /  B4Bookings  /  on Facebook

Drawing parallels between the worlds of philosophy, science and electronic music is always cause for attention, and our guest this week doesn’t just sever the abstract alternation at this point – redefinition and exploration proceed it.   With over 14 EP’s to his name spread across labels such as Little Helpers and Crosstown Rebels to Foundsound Records, as well as two full albums and counting, Alphahouse’s founder has morphed himself and said label into one of the most respected base camps in the techno and house world.

We’ll pause for a moment as the unpredictable frequencies of a drug induced coma affirming itself would normally generate a sentient of alarm, though this weeks broadcast envelopes the concept into an effulgent yet distorted space.   This 2 hour instalment is more than special, we’re live from Treehouse Miami hosted by the LINK crew.   The event was one of the of the most successul on the recent clubbing calendar and your host is in the form Andrew Rasse, aka: Butane.

Nothing but support and respect from our end.

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Kn:   As a literary student of some of histories most influential philosophical thinkers you’ve surely invested quite some time discerning the intricacies of life and the evolutionary process.   How has this influenced your work and production process over the years?

B:   Good question.   I read incessantly in Philosophy, Economics, Politics, Evolutionary Psychology, Biology, Neuroscience, Game Theory, and similar disciplines.   In a Socratean way, I understand that the only thing that I can truly know is that I know nothing.   Thanks Socrates, glad we’ve got that out of the way.   Okay, so I’m 31 years old and I’ve traveled all over the world non-stop for the last 6 years of my life, and I feel like I have a decent understanding of some of the ways in which the world works.   And that’s what I’m mostly obsessed with: finding out how things work.   Wanting to find out how it works is what got me into making electronic music, so I guess you could say that’s one of the drives that motivates me above all others.

In case you haven’t noticed, there’s a big culture war raging in the Western world about the role of government, and whether people are Randian rational utility-maximizers who are better left to settle their business in unencumbered markets, or whether we’re imperfect emotional primates that need government to ensure social order.   As an artsy liberal educated in Evolution I tend to believe the latter, but I have very close and smart friends who swear the former.   What does any of this have to do with my music?   Well, I used to think that I garnered some artistic inspiration from my time pondering these subjects.   Now I’m not so sure.   I think at best, contemplating philosophy acts as a mental sharpening tool for me.   It’s an escape from my artwork.   A reset.   The same can be said in reverse:  doing art is a way to escape from the average machinations of the world.   I’ve always loved techno music for it’s ability to transport me toward the abstract.   Deep theorizing in Evolution, Cosmology, and Philosophy is also very abstract, just in a different way.   Surely becoming better-read in general has some effect on the music that I make.   Does it mean that I make smarter music?   I don’t even know what that means!

In my private life I’m interested in science, knowledge, and information, and I support myself by making and playing weird hypnotic dance music that lends itself to psychedelic drug use.   Surely these things aren’t such strange bedfellows, right?   I mean, I can see the connection pretty clearly.   By the way, I’m working on a “theory of everything” but I don’t think it’ll be ready for another ten or twenty years.   Keep an eye out.

Kn:   Your newest imprint Little Helpers was essentially set up alongside Someone Else (Sean O’Neal) as a vehicle to release DJ tools that can also hold their own as individual tracks, and has featured the productions of some of the scenes big hitters with impressive reviews.   What was the motivation behind starting the imprint?

B:   Sean and I both come from the old vinyl DJ scene, and share a love for some of the more unsung parts of DJ culture;  namely, warm-up sets and afterhours parties.   We were also early adopters of and have become ardent supporters of digital DJ technology.   We feel that with this technology boom and ensuing natural demise of vinyl culture, there is a widening hole in the market for b-side-type tracks, just solid groovy stuff, without all the over-produced whooshing breakdowns that drive so much of the digital market these days.

There’s an escalating arms race between labels to get exposure on sites like Beatport, everyone looking for tracks with big hooks, and chart-topping potential.   We’re kind of moving meaningfully in the opposite direction.   We want to be the go-to label for DJs around the world who are doing warm-up sets, or when you’re playing afterhours and need more deep grooves and less tricky production.   My experience traveling tells me we’re succeeding.   I meet resident DJs at clubs all over the world and Little Helpers is often a topic of discussion.   This is not to say we don’t release the occasional stormer that will rock the club, but the core principle of the label is to release simple, solid tools that are suitable for many different situations.   Being a good DJ is all about playing appropriate music that enhances your environment, so there’s a need for this stuff;  it behooves one to carry around a wide range of material, and you need to know where to look to find it.   We feel like we’re filling an important niche with Little Helpers by providing this type of music.   Let us not forget our roots, after all.

I’m currently compiling and mixing a compilation CD for the label, comprised of 40-50 tracks from the catalog, all broken up and re-envisioned as a 70-minute original piece.   I guess you could say it’s a cross between a DJ set and an original composition, similar to Richie Hawtin’s DE9 experiments.   It should be released in the early part of 2012, and is a personal statement about the creative possibilities of digital DJing.

Kn:   You’ve recently signed Andras Toth to Alphahouse, a very talented young producer from Hungry producing some groove based cerebral house and we’ve also seen an impressive split EP that was released in may this year.   What’s on the horizon for the label?

B:   Andras is a crazy-talented young man with an old soul, and I’m proud to have him releasing for Alphahouse.   Alphahouse Records has always been my baby, and I only release about 3 records a year, so it’s something that I curate with extreme care.   Andras has been sending me demos for years, and always did it in such a tasteful way that I paid attention.   He’s also a remarkably talented solo pianist who composes and performs beautiful original piano works, so when he finally nailed his house/techno sound, I was very pleased to sign him to the label.   Not to mention his hybrid live/DJ sets absolutely burn the club down.   He’s just wrapped up his next EP, called “Would U?” to be released before the end of this year.   Needless to say, I think it’s great.

But first, up next for Alphahouse coming in late October is an EP by another young talent with a slightly more recognizable name, Ilario Alicante of Cocoon Records fame.   He’s done a really versatile techno 4-tracker that I’m very happy to have as part of the catalog.   It’s two big-club techno cuts with an old-school feel, and two thick, musical, slow groovers.. the techno cuts are a slight departure from the last few Alphahouse releases, but that’s the beauty of the label, there’s no mould.   I pay no attention to trends.   If it’s music with integrity, I’m interested in it.   This one has it in spades.

Then tentatively scheduled for the first release of 2012 is a 3-track collaboration I recently completed with Kris Wadsworth, but there’s still a small chance that it will be released on a different label, so don’t write that one in stone.   I guess If I had to pick one word to describe it, it would be: uncompromising.

Kn:   Productions are one world, performances are another.   The gig at Treehouse was something else, so can you tell us how you approach a club space like that?

B:   Miami has a very strong scene for this music.. easily one of the best in the United States, thanks to crews like LINK, who invited me for this party.   This was my first time playing at Treehouse, and I hope it won’t be my last.. it’s a very beautiful club, with atmosphere to spare.   (It’s the old Groove Jet space, for any old-school WMC veterans reading this).

The crowd in Miami is very well-educated musically, stylish, sexy, “Latin-centric”, and always up for a party, so you know you can take some chances with the music, which is always refreshing.   Contrast that with a lot of clubs in Berlin, where because of the long opening hours and general over-exposure to dance music, you’re expected to play flat, plodding deep house that goes nowhere lest the people actually experience some emotion for a few minutes.   Oh shit, did I just say that?   Sorry Berliners, I love your “keep it between the lines” DJ culture too, don’t worry.   That’s a special skill in itself after all, to play for 4 hours ensuring that just enough happens to keep people interested, while nothing really happens.

In other words, my approach to playing at a club like Treehouse is to pull out some party jams, put a smile on my face, and try to rock the place.   People should leave the party with some good memories of musical peaks and valleys over the course of the night, and maybe a new boyfriend or girlfriend.

Kn:   Let’s kick everything forwards 20 years and have a similar discussion, what would you like to have achieved irrespective of the medium?

B:   Well, my genes would like that I had fathered several multiracial babies by then, but as a conscious human being I’m struggling with that.   I think I’d rather contribute a -1 to the net population of the planet, but ask me again in a few years.   Speaking of being conscious, by then I would like to have uploaded my consciousness into a private spaceship with all of my friends, leaving our physical bodies behind to go on an epic interstellar booze cruise. I already have the perfect soundtrack in mind.

Label Links:   Alpha House Music  /  Little Helpers Facebook  /  Little Helpers Soundcloud

Butane Links:   Facebook  /  Soundcloud  /  Discogs  /  Resident Advisor  /  Myspace

Photo Credit:   Michal Ignition Imaging

Subtle tension, intricate sonic passages and minimal terrorism lay the foundations for this weeks guest.   From the origins of Montreal, he began experimenting and immersing himself in electronica from the early 1990′s which paved the way for two full length album releases after debuting on Hautec Recordings with Mateo Murphy only a few years prior.   As the timeline shifted over the years, his releases found their way on labels such a M_nus as well his own label Archipel, whilst at the same time he’s maintained heavy bookings across the globe.

Whether the medium is the studio or a live performance, he’s insisted, without compromise, that every piece of work participates in a hypnotising parade of illusive moods and evolving kinetic structure.   It’s this take on music that segregates his work from his peers so make no mistake, this weeks broadcast doubles as a sentry for a warm territorial outpost.

You’re with Jean-Patrice Remillard, aka: Pheek.

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Kn:   It has been some time since you have released a mix quite like this.   True to form, the mix is very elegant and intricate, weaving in and out of textures to create a collection of key moments.   Tell us about your approach toward a project like this and how such an aesthetic is musically achieved?

Ph:   Your appreciation is very appreciated!   This mix was made effortlessly, which is very important in my way to make music.   I try to keep in mind that dancing has to come from an itch to move and most of the time, that occurs from the most simple idea.   It was recorded in one shot and ironically, in my moment of searching for tracks I would use.   Usually, I do one rehearsal mix and then attack the work with what seems right but this time, the rehearsal became the mix itself.   It is quite a good feeling.

The aesthetic was to play with the evolution of textures and mood while trying to keep the listener off guard and hypnotized at the same time.   I have my own technique to do this but I rely on keeping things flowing.

Kn:   Did you begin the process with a concept in mind for the mix, or did you start with a completely blank slate?   What did you set out to capture when you started the process early on, choosing music for the mix and developing the idea?

Ph:   Playing music that inspires me was the main idea and keep it as repetitive as possible.   I like to stretch some ideas to the limit of what I can tolerate.   It then creates a subtle tension that makes the next change, really welcomed.   I always like to appropriate each track, layer them and make them personal in a specific context.   Throughout the mix, there’s always several layers so it is possible to go back, give it a few listens and discover different subtle details.

I really felt I needed to play music from people who aren’t known much yet.   I feel like the most interesting music at the moment is not in digital stores and are mostly unknown from people.   It’s the beauty of Soundcloud I would say.

Kn:   And what does it mean to you personally, to release such a special mix after some time?

Ph:   Yes, I’ve been asked many times to do podcasts but wasn’t inspired.   This one worked and it’s great indeed!   I have to say that I almost felt like I couldn’t do one again so it felt really much of a relief.   I just hope people will live an experience of their own by taking the time to listen to it in various contexts.

Kn:   On the mix you have featured a new collab with yourself and Hubble under the name of EEBB.   Is this something recent and can we anticipate any upcoming releases?

Ph:   There’s one release coming out on Sleep is Commercial but we take it easy.   It’s a really simple and fun project I do with my friend Giuseppe and we like to do long mystical songs.   It’s mainly him and I do percussions.   I guess the upcoming things are in the same perspective: we go with the flow.

Kn:   You mentioned Soundcloud as an inspiring source of new unreleased music by talented, relatively unknown artists.   As someone who influentially shaped the net label market with your own imprint Archipel, how do you see mediums such as Soundcloud impacting on the industry and the importance they play for a whole new generation of young producers?

Ph:   To envision the future, you need to capture a bit of what’s happening now which is a part I’m a bit disconnected with at the moment.   But I’ve been having a lot of fun hanging out on Soundcloud lately, where I can hear music that touches me as well as meeting talented artists.   Soundcloud brings people together and is an open space to network.   There’s still a gap for the average music consumer to discover new artists or music of their tastes because of the numerous options.   So, I have the impression that is the next important step and perhaps a site like Spotify will answer that need.   One exciting this is, there’s more tools for music democratization as well as ways for the unknown artists to reach markets, it can only get better as we find ways to make things work.

I have the impression we’re really close to some new technology that will help people get the music easier.   I already am quite happy with the Soundcloud app on OSX that is a nice complement to iTunes.

Kn:   How do you see the industry evolving in the future, in terms of the way we interact, source and consume electronic music?

Ph:   It’s hard to say.   I have the impression the average consumer is struggling to find the music he wants while the people who are relatively tech savvy can get everything, perhaps too easily.   In both scenarios, who pays for that are musicians who have a problem reaching people and get some sort of support for it.   You’ll see a lot of artists raging about this on social medias but that’s not going to change anything.   Ironically, digital shops are trying to make things easier but still, I see family members not understanding iTunes, while myself, get completely overwhelmed after 10 minutes spent on Beatport due to a flood of similar music and new labels added daily.

A site like Spotify could really help.   I haven’t been really in touch with that trend yet but it seems new generations are more interested in streaming than possessing mp3s.   They also prefer intelligent phones to personal computers.   That’s a market that is relatively clear about their needs and tastes.   Will our generation follow that way of doing?

If downloads become less important, then this really changes things as Spotify gives money each time a track is played.   Artists get supported, at last.   Anyway, if that picks up, the business will change a lot in the next 5 years based around that approach, no doubt.

Besides that, I’m also really interested in those artists who don’t want to release their music and prefer giving it to a few DJs only.   If some people really are attracted to stardom, some have the opposite feeling and want to be as mysterious as possible, which is hard with digital.   But I find the concept fascinating and refreshing.

Kn:   What are your plans for the near future?

Ph:   I really have no idea!   I have pretty much accomplished all my goals I have set when I created my Pheek moniker (1998).   I could have decided to try to become a full time touring artist but a few years ago, I decided to abandon that idea.   Changing my music to always fit people’s tastes (in order to be hot enough to have booking requests) and playing multiple gigs per week is not for me.   The gigs I really love are the few ones I get, in front of 100 really music dedicated people who want to dive in a sound exploration experience.   But that is rare nowadays, I find, so it sort of comes down to play 1-2 times per year.   Perhaps in the years to come, I will get more invites of that genre and be able to carry my sound safari around.

Links:   Pheek.com  /  Archipel  /  Facebook

Photo Credits:   Tyna Phaneuf

Not a lot has been known about this weeks guest from a personal perspective, but his work is far from secluded.   Having moved with the waves of Berlin’s ever changing scene from the days of acid house, he co-founded the label Do Not Resist The Beat! with DJ Zeal which in turn plays host to the sub-label ‘The End Of All Existence’.

A true enigmatic insurgent, his heavy and atmospheric productions aid in the construction of complex promenades and have been hosted on not just his own label, but also on the likes of Perc Trax and Prologue.   Coming off the back of a hectic European schedule whilst maintaining consistent quality releases isn’t an easy accomplishment, however it does lead us to this weeks special broadcast.

You could easily confuse it with a serenade of dark austerity – you’re with Milton Bradley.

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Track list:

mainframe – a1 – [unknown whitelabel]
Dino Sabatini – Perseus – [prologue]
mainframe – a2 – [unknown whitelabel]
LMNO – Silcock Express [The Sabres Of Paradise] – [Vivatonal]
Function – Device – [Infrastructure New York]
KS – Waves – [Stratosphere Records]
Smear – Transect – [Forward Strategy Group]
Samuli Kemppi – Neliöavaruus – [Pakkas-levyt]
Iori – Lapis 1 – [prologue]
Sandwell District – Feed Forward Test Session – [Sandwell District]
Claudio PRC – Clear Depths [Silent Servant Remix] – [prologue]
Giorgio Gigli & Obtane – You Can’t Hide Yourself – [zooloft]
Giorgio Gigli – Indifferent Sight – [M_REC LTD]
Shadow Runner – Emitter – [Tesla Electronics]
Fabrizio Lapiana – White Lines – [Attic Music]
Robotron – 2 – [Mumu]

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Links:   Miltonbradley.de / DoNotResistTheBeat / Facebook

Buy:   Hardwax / Beatport

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Links:    Claudio PRC / Prologue