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Q&A and GVR: An Inside Look at Tzinah Records

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Tzinah Live

There’s been a consistent topic brewing recently in the international dance community – “The Romanian Sound”. While it may be easy to generalize the warm bubbly tech grooves by the artist’s origin, it certainly extends further into the realms of minimal, house, and techno, and even experimental electronic music.

One label that prides itself on this high quality sound is Tzinah Records. Starting in 2010 under the guidance of Primarie and Adrianho, the two Romanians set out to deliver and create their musical interpretations to the world. Both were involved with the A&R process when establishing the sound of the label, but Primarie continued to develop the brand and larger creative vision for what would become Tzinah Records. Both climbing the ranks as DJ’s in the Romanian scene, it was a natural progression to start making music, eventually leading to where they are today with Tzinah Records, one of the most respected minimal labels in Romania.

In speaking with Primarie, his enthusiasm and sincerity is clearly evident, which is the only necessary explanation needed when understanding how the label has come to fruition.

“The best part of being involved with this is meeting people that are in the same frequency with us – Meeting people that we follow and that we respect as artists and starting to work with these people…Tzinah really changed my life for the best” – Primarie (Founder of Tzinah Records)  Read more

Global Vibe Radio: Mix and Q&A with Finley

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Finley

Growing up on the East Coast, and receiving a well-rounded education in audio engineering, Finley prepared himself well for a life in music. His upbringing and musical tastes from his early life clearly shine through in his recent productions. With an affinity for “sexy music with swing”, Finley has locked in his sound and knows exactly the right way to service a dance floor.

The talented Brooklyn based producer recently stepped up for our recent edition of Global Vibe Radio, and brings forth an eclectic mix of smooth grooves, lush house music, and hypnotic club burners. You can stream the episode of GVR below, and take a look at our Q&A with Finley where he touches upon his process for the mix, his ideal studio, as well as an explanation as to why he considers himself the Bastard Son of SONA. Read more

Mix of the Week: Global Vibe Radio with Russell Trent

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RTThe next installment of our Global Vibe Radio series comes courtesy of Asylum Afterhours resident, Russell Trent. Asylum Afterhours in Hawaii remains one of the most esteemed parties around the globe; from their expansive and talented roster of residents, to the A-list talent such as Sasha, Nina Kraviz, and Matt Tolfrey, Asylum has everything it takes to provide an immersive experience.

This edition of Global Vibe Radio with Russell Trent shows just that. With an intriguing 8 bit and lo-fi style intro, the mix progresses into melodic grooves and dance floor hypnotism that brings serious island vibes to the mix. For the next hour, sit back and enjoy this edition of GVR with Russell Trent.

Russell Trent: Facebook | Soundcloud | Beatport
Asylum Confidential: Facebook | Soundcloud | Beatport

TBT: Global Vibe Radio 003 with Justin Jay

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Justin Jay

At the tender age of 18, and as a freshman at the University of Southern California, Justin Jay released his first EP on Claude Von Stroke’s label, Dirtybird. That was several years ago, and since then the young Californian has went on to be one of the prominent rising stars within the dance industry.

Since his rise to underground stardom there’s been ample coverage on his music career and unique story as a young scholar walking the halls of USC. From sleepless nights and even rejected demos from Claude Von Stroke, Justin Jay has shown relentless grit to follow his passion and express himself so well through music.

Here at 6AM Group we’ve always been very fond of Justin Jay as an artist, obviously, but also as an overall great human being. As we look through the archives of our Global Vibe Radio series, we couldn’t help but reminisce on one of our first few episodes with Justin Jay himself.

Enjoy this thirty minute throwback mix from the young Dirtybird, and make sure to stay up to date with Justin Jay for more musical satisfaction

Justin Jay: Facebook | Soundcloud | Resident Advisor

Tracklist:
1. Justin Jay – Escape Velocity
2. Mario Basanov – Skywalker (Beckwith Remix)
3. Parallel Dance Ensemble – Shopping Cart (Maxxi Soundsystem Remix)
4. Robosonic – The Edge
5. Justin Martin – Hood Rich
6. Amine Edge and Dance – Gimme Tha Fonky Ass
7. Hot Since 82 – Hit and Run
8. High Powered Boys – Udon (Julio Bashmore Sax-Dub)

Global Vibe Radio and Q&A with Ben Teufel

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Ben Teufel

“It’s about the music, man!” That’s the vocal snippet that comes blaring through the speakers with a heavy breaks and house influence on the first track of this Global Vibe Radio, and it is a prefect representation of Ben Teufel’s outlook on house music.

Hailing from Germany, Ben Teufel has been putting his spin on classic house music for several years releasing on labels such as Innocent Music, Smiley Fingers, Natural Rhythm, BWO Records, Pacha Recordings, and Monique Musique to name a few. With a firm grasp at the controls, both in the studio and DJ booth, Ben Teufel knows exactly how to make the dance floors sway to the groove.

In this edition of Global Vibe Radio, Ben Teufel flexes his sonic taste effortlessly moving between house cuts ranging from the massive garage basslines and jackin’ house rhythms that would seem right at home on the basement floor of Sankeys.

Enjoy this edition of Global Vibe Radio with Ben Teufel, and make sure to check out his recent release on BWO Records

Ben Teufel: Official Site | Facebook | Soundcloud | Resident Advisor | Beatport

Q&A with Ben Teufel

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Global Vibe Radio + Q&A with Roberto Apodaca

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At the tender age of 21, Roberto Apodaca from El Paso, Texas started Draft Records. That was four years ago, and since then Draft Records has become a prominent record label honing in on the underground sounds of minimal and tech house. With Apodaca at the helm, Draft Records has released EP’s from rising minimal artists such as David Gtronic, Emiliano Ferreyra, Neverdogs, Martinez, and countless others, while acting as a major influence for the underground scene in El Paso.

Starting a record label is one thing, but maintaining the brand and musical vision takes things to a new level. Roberto Apodaca has stayed locked in on his vision for underground dance music, and continues to strive for excellence both in his music and record label.

Roberto has put together a recent mix for our Global Vibe Radio Series, and has taken the time to answer some questions regarding the music scene in Texas, his vision with Draft Records, and tells us about his first time going to Space to see Loco Dice.

Enjoy the mix and Q&A, and make sure to stay up to date with Roberto and Draft Records.

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Conversations with Grass is Greener + Global Vibe Radio 026

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GVR-EP-26-2014-Cover
New York City based DJ/Producer duo, Grass is Greener, is coming off a busy year touring and producing. They were kind enough to deliver us an exclusive mix for our latest episode of Global Vibe Radio. We caught up with them recently for a quick Q&A to discuss everything from Sullivan Room, what to expect this year, and their studio process when the two sit and collaborate. Be sure to stream and download the episode below and subscribe to our iTunes Channel for monthly guest mixes showcasing the best in house & techno.

How have things been after the closing of Sullivan Room?

EBAR>>We started our first residency there as a duo, so it will be missed, but one door closes and another opens.  It has pushed us out of the comfort zone locally in NYC as DJs.

SR SERGE (aka Sergei Sklyarenko)>>It gave me more time to spend in the studio, focused on production for the Grass Is Greener project.  After making it to the top 10 charts and gaining recognition, we’ve been fortunate to travel the world and showcase our sound in many major cities and clubs

The location at 218 Sullivan will surely be missed. How was your recent Sullivan Room party at Tribeca Studios?  

SR SERGE>>I started these 5 months ago, so 5 successful events later, I’m happy to say that we’ve maintained a similar intimate setting as we had at 218 Sullivan.  Good sound, good people, but it will never be the same as the original 218 vibe.  But you never know where the Sullivan Room brand may resurface…

What are you both looking forward to this year?

EBAR>>Looking to play more varied events.  We really have a sound that works equally well for bottle service as it does for the summer festival.

SR SERGE>>More original production, I may even try to do something random with some Russian vocals!

Can you give us some insight to your studio process when you two are together?  

EBAR>>Listening to a lot of music to get inspired, then looking through notes of music ideas that we’ve taken over time, full of references to older music (mainly obscure 80s tracks), and then laying down some melodic patterns. The best ideas come up in the subway, on the plane, jazz concerts, in the middle of nowhere – so noting thoughts when they occur is important.

What’s on the horizon for Grass is Greener? 

SR SERGE>>Getting quality music out there and sticking to our guns, our musical identity as Grass Is Greener.

Any new releases to look forward to?

EBAR>>We’re currently working on a new EP, a bit tech-house inflected.  Some familiar samples that we think will be floorfillers.  Remixes here and there if we’re feeling the tracks and have the bandwidth.  Our Beatport page is filling up nicely!

‹Follow GRASS IS GREENER:
Facebook | Resident Advisor | SoundCloud | Beatport

Global Vibe Radio 025: Sugiurumn (Bass Works Recordings)

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GVR-EP-25-2014-CoverOur monthly podcast, Global Vibe Radio, is out with the 25th episode featuring Sugiurumn. The one hour selection showcases all of his productions, remixes, and collaborations which most are on the Bass Works Recordings catalogue. The Tokyo based DJ/Producer/Label Owner has had a busy year cranking massive EP such as 20XX which is a full length 12 track album inspired by the spirit and sounds of Detroit techno. As much as he was busy in the studio, his impressive weekly gigs and residencies at WOMB, Ageha, and AIR has given him opportunities to share the stage with some of the best such as Paul Ritch, Takkyu Ishino, Jeff Mills, Derrick May, Ken Ishii, DVS1, Butch, and countless others that further pushes his vision and sound. His label, Bass Works Recordings, have been signing and gaining support from the global industry most notably Richie Hawtin, Hernan Cattaneo, A.Mochi, Satoshi Fumi, HITO, Ken Ishii, Pav Parrotte, and countless others.Enjoy the bass-heavy mix by this prolific Japanese DJ/Producer as he takes you on that techno journey.

About Sugiurumn: Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloud

Global Vibe Radio 023: Philipp Ort

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GVR-EP-23-2014-CoverGlobal Vibe Radio 023 comes courtesy of London based artist Philipp Ort. The DJ/Producer/Label manager has had quite a busy year between touring and producing in the studio. Philipp has released his music on labels such as Roots & Wings,Wiggle Records, Fabric London, Global Underground, Alive Recordings and Inmotion Music as well as on his own imprints Black&White Orange Records and Pins and Needles. Several of his tracks have been played and supported by the likes of Carl Cox, Sasha, Hot Since 82, DJ Sneak, Francesca Lombardo, Pig & Dan and more. We recently caught up with him to discuss details on his recent North America tour and music we can expect to hear soon.

Your most recent tour to North America last month saw you traveling from London to Canada, California, and Mexico. What was the experience like and what were some of the highlights from the trip?

The whole tour was an incredible experience with three great gigs, really cool crowds and on top of it I’ve met some amazing people on the way. Each city was a different experience but it’s great to see how music connects people wherever you are! It was very cool to visit these three places in one weekend and see more than just the clubs, I definitely want to go back to all of them, there is so much more to see!

It’s hard to pick out highlights as each gig was a highlight on its own but playing at renowned venues such as Salon Daome in Montreal and Avalon in LA definitely made a few dreams come true, no doubt!

You have quite the release catalogue over the past few years, what would you say drives your creativity and inspiration in the studio?

I usually get my creativity and inspiration from daily life, especially when I travel and play in different venues I always come back with a head full of new ideas from the experience I gained in the clubs, on the road and meeting new people or see new places. I have never been a person to mimic others’ style or music so I just always produced what I found is creative and unique to myself. Of course I get ideas and inspiration from listening to artists of different kinds of music as well and to cross this over into my productions is the challenge I really like. There are times where the inspiration just flows naturally and if that isn’t the case I just take a step back from the studio work until I can’t wait to get back on it. It’s usually not a long break though! :)

London is considered one of the major global destinations for electronic music; how has living in the city influence your overall music direction and did it give you a new perspective on things?

The reason I moved to London 10 years ago was because of the Drum n Bass scene and it all developed to Techno and House music from there. London is a great place for inspiration and it’s very vibrant here. The people are full of ideas in business as well as music and this definitely influenced me personally and musically from the beginning. It gave me a new perspective on many things in life, not just music, but it just thrives me forward every day and helps me to achieve the things I want most in life.

Who are some of the artists right now that you’ve been listening to a lot of? Are there any up and comers that have recently caught your attention?

Some of the artists I currently really like are Alex Niggemann, Ross Evans, Francesca Lombardo and Francys. Each of them have an amazing sound which suits perfectly to what I’m doing myself and their tracks are usually on most of my playlists at the moment. As for any up and comers, it is definitely my good friend Cur.l from Berlin who deserves a lot of praise for what he’s doing. I have been releasing his music on my label Pins and Needles since a while now and he just breaks about any musical barrier and always comes up with amazing new ideas and music that blows me away every time I listen to something new from him. Definitely look out for this name!

Between your own music production and running/managing a label, what can we expect to hear in the coming months from both ends? And how do you often find balance between the two tasks?

I am currently working on a new EP for Wiggle and I have a track coming out on KMS Records in November. Next to that I have an EP planned on my other label Black&White Orange Records which will be released early 2015. On Pins and Needles we have a massive new EP coming out on vinyl & digital from Cur.l including a bonus track for the digital release only.

At the moment I am also very busy with my other project I am running with Scott D’Souza called taMe where we run our own label taMe Music and we are currently working on some very cool projects which unfortunately I can’t reveal too much about at the moment. But our next release will be on taMe Music at the end of November this year with our two track EP ‘Skin & Bone’, so we are very excited about this!

Finding the balance between all these projects has never really been a difficult task for me as for some reason they just work very well together and usually my inspiration pushes me from one project to the other automatically. I like multitasking, so this definitely helps too! :)

Follow Philipp Ort:
http://www.philipport.com
http://www.bworecords.com
http://www.pinsandneedlesrec.com
http://www.taMeMusic.com