Posts

Q&A: Matt Tolfrey and Lee Curtiss Dive Into Each Other’s Minds

/in , /by

It felt almost destined for Matt Tolfrey and Lee Curtiss to cross paths, and end up forging a close musical relationship.

They’re both forward-thinkers in their home regions, responsible for a couple of the finest imprints in house music today: Leftroom and Visionquest. Both are known for their non-conformist approach to dance music, and their often off-kilter productions in house, techno, electronica, and beyond.

Having met on the party circuit throughout the years, their first musical meeting came from Lee Curtiss remixing Tolfrey’s 2010 “Hollywood.” A 2011 collaboration, “Candy,” followed, and “Who’s Ya Daddy” came a couple years later. Clearly, the two share a deep chemistry in the studio. Their most recent collaboration now comes as a full EP: For Your Mind, which lands on Desert Hearts and introduces Lee Curtiss to the label family. Both tracks show their collective adoration toward gargantuan sounds, with the title track built to explode in an open-air setting and its closer taking on a more eclectic, quirky note that feels fit for the day time.

Curious to dive deeper into their partnership, we sat Tolfrey and Curtiss down for a brief chat with one another. What they came up with was quite cheeky — and insightful.

Read more

In Interview with Silverlining

/in , /by

The ninth installment in the Silverlining Dubs series sees London-based Silverlining taking a turn toward his techno side, with three cuts that span more than 20 years.

First up, ‘Groundhog Rave’ is a brand new uptempo stromper with metallic, Detroit-inspired stabs and clicky fx, that combine together to ooze with groove. On the second cut is the highly sought after ‘Stolen Baggage’ that first came out on Eukahouse in 1997. The B1 is a fresh rework of an emotive melodic techno number entitled, ‘Spinach, Mystery and Insult’. As a bonus, a short downtempo workout called ‘Stick Snails’, which features Chris Pascoe on bass and guitar, has been added to round things off.

Like all releases on the label, the tracks have been mastered to tape, and cut onto deliciously chunky 180g vinyl.

We had a chat with Asad Rizvi (aka Silverlining) about his latest release, his 2018 and plans for the future. Check out what he had to say below.

Read more

Digging Deeper with 999999999

/in , /by

999999999, which reads as “Nine Times Nine,” is an abstract concept from the minds of two people who do not feel the need to define it.

It is spontaneous, random, unlimited. This project, officially started in July 2016, has already affected several important Clubs and Parties in different cities in Europe and aroused much interest even outside the continent.

Read more

Q&A and Global Vibe Radio 144 Feat. Hungry Music (Worakls, N’to & Joachim Pastor)

/in , , , , , , /by

In honor of Hungry Music’s recent 5th Anniversary Compilation, we invited Worakls, N’to & Joachim Pastor to provide an exclusive one-hour mix of their own material for this week’s Global Vibe Radio episode.

At the end of 2018 Worakls, N’to and Joachim Pastor marked the fifth anniversary of their Hungry Music label with Hungry 5 – an extended compilation, detailing the French collective’s journey through melody.

To celebrate the occasion, the trio presented a limited edition box set, equipped with high-quality triple Vinyl and CD, which also featured a 2018 rework of N’to’s cult-classic cut, “Trauma”, including Worakls’ cherished rendition, as well as a new remix by Joachim Pastor.

On top of the exclusive mix for 6AM, the three artists sat down with a chat to discuss the world of Hungry Music. Enjoy the mix and interview below, with full mix track listing at the end of the article.

Read more

Q&A and Global Vibe Radio 143 Feat. Daniel Boon

/in , , , , , /by

Born and raised in Berlin, Daniel Boon is like his namesake, the American pioneer: never afraid of new pathways and ideas.

Daniel first began DJing back in 1997, a career that saw him perform regularly at Berlin’s Matrix nightclub before he began promoting his own “Electrosex” events in the glass house of the Arena Berlin, which subsequently took place in different locations. In winter of 2003 he organized the first “OstfunkBerlin” party in Berlin alongside his partner Oliver Tatsch. The following year he launched the “Backstage” party series at the celebrated Tresor before returning back to the club to run the “IncognitoBerlin” series until the spring of 2005.

That very year Boon and Tatsch launched Ostfunk Records, which has become one of Berlin’s leading techno labels to date. When Daniel Boon is not spinning the decks or organizing parties, he is producing new tracks. He has been releasing his own music since 2008, with work now out on Neuhain Recordings, Redrum Music, Riot Recordings, DSR Digital, Organism!, Style Rockets and of course his very own Ostfunk Records.

Read more

In Interview with Subsonic’s Dylan Griffin

/in , /by

Australia is enjoying an electronic music renaissance like few other places on the planet right now. From Mall Grab to Francis Inferno Orchestra to Fantastic Man and Harvey Sutherland, it’s safe to say the country’s many talents are representing the country with some esteem on a global level right now.

But it’s not simply Australian artists going international for which the country should be proud. Whereas three-day electronic music festivals were, in-the-main at least, generally confined to Europe, these days Australia has a plethora of quality festivals that can rival even the best that Europe has to offer. At the forefront of this is relatively new movement is Subsonic.

Having recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary (this year’s edition took place from November 30th – December 2nd), the festival, located some 200km from Sydney, featured a stunning array of local and international talent, including Zip, Fumiya Tanaka and Sammy Dee. Australian artists meanwhile, were equally well represented, with the likes of Monika Ross, Claire Morgan and Kerry Wallace all playing starring roles.

Now a label as well as a festival, we thought it a good time to put some questions the way of , the label manager at the festival-affiliated label of the same name and a man who recently contributed himself in stunning fashion with the brilliant sounds of the Cotie Rotie EP, which came backed with a brilliant remix by French live act, DoubtingThomas. So with the dust finally settling on this year’s festival and with much more in the pipeline, we caught up with Dylan briefly for a quick natter…

Read more

Q&A and Global Vibe Radio 142 Feat. Linear Straight

/in , , , , , /by

Since 2002 Brussels-based Glenn Keteleer, known as Radical G and more recently as Linear Straight, has been a regular fixture behind the decks all over the Belgian techno scene, and can often be found filling Berlin institutions such as Tresor and GriesmĂŒhle with his own particular brand of underground techno and dark soundscapes.

As Radical G, Keteleer was at the forefront of the underground EBM and electropop scene, and with his first record under his new Linear Straight alias, he dives into a world of dark spaces, leftfield modular techno and industrial soundscapes.

His recent Roscosmos LP delves into this murky and uncompromising sound over 13 songs, resulting in an intense and noisy journey through the grittiest side of techno music. The variety of genres that Keteleer has as part of his musical background clearly shine through on this latest record, displaying obvious influences from all across the wide spectrum of electronic music. One of the stand-out features of this album is the innovative and varied drum patterns that are used throughout, seemingly taking influence from sources spread as far apart as IDM and military marches, and rarely falling back to the classic four on the floor techno trope. This unsurprisingly cultivates a far more rhythmic and diverse approach than would ordinarily be expected from such a heavy release.

We invited Linear Straight to deliver this week’s episode of Global Vibe Radio, and took the opportunity to have a chat with him while we were at it.

Read more

In Interview with Brian Cid

/in /by

Arriving via Balance Music, home of the revered Balance compilation series (Joris Voorn, Danny Tenaglia, Patrice BĂ€umel), Brian Cid’s Meteorite Man ten-track LP comes as the label’s second artist album release ever.

With years of studio experience under his belt as producer as well as a mixing and mastering engineering for today’s top pop acts including Lady Gaga, BeyonceĂ©, and Bruno Mars, Brian Cid looks to make his mark on the melodic, progressive side of techno with Meteorite Man. Going further than ever before, the album offers a stunning ten-track masterpiece that takes listeners on an immersive musical journey filled with his lush and signature melodic style.

Stream Brian Cid’s Meteorite Man album before catching his massive upcoming performance at The Cityfox Odyssey in New York City for NYE/NYD!


Read more

In Interview with Sophia Saze

/in , /by

Beginning her creative journey in her formative years with classical music and dance training, Sophia Saze later became engulfed by electronic dance music.

Getting to know this artist, it is easy to understand that she comes from a solid and natural musical foundation. Tbilisi, Georgia born and internationally bred, she’s now based in Brooklyn, New York. DJing and producing for 8 years, Saze launched her record label Dusk & Haze in 2017, with the first installment coming in the form of her own ‘Solace’ EP [D&H001], which included remixes from Benjamin Damage & Umwelt. The productions stem from techno, yet her musical versatility draws from a variety of genre influences, ranging electro to krautrock, ambient to industrial, acid to garage, showing her complete range and fluidity as a musician. 2017 also saw Sophia being signed to renowned label Get Physical where her track ‘Fall’ appears on their Words Don’t Come Easy Compilation [GPMCD112], showcasing a more soulful downtempo side of the producer. These two fresh releases have gained attention in the print versions of both DJ Mag, Groove-Magazin, & MixMag, as well as two airplays on BBC Radio 1 & NTS Radio, amongst many others.

Equally as much as she is a producer, she’s also a DJ. Sophia Saze shapes the records she chooses for her sets into a carefully sculpted and characteristic groove. Keeping the journey on the border of house and techno, including electro and more spaced-out broken beat moments, she keeps the beat, the floor, and the dancers intact, always heading forward. Sophia is currently between her studio, touring schedule, and working on a new live show, with forthcoming releases including a remix on esteemed imprint Ghostly International (July 13), whilst she will also display her innate ability as an A&R as she welcomes SDX to Dusk & Haze to deliver the second release on the imprint this summer.

We catch up with Sophia Saze as she readies to close out her year with gigs in San Francisco, alongside Takaaki Itoh, as well as Esquivel in Tijuana and Hardpop in Juarez, Mexico, before she flies out to Europe for a Tresor Berlin performance on January 4th alongside Ansome, Ayarcana, Keepsakes and Ossian.

Read more

Digging Deeper with H.I.M.W.O.L.

/in /by

Having released numerous singles on DJ Spen’s Quantize and Unquantize labels previously, Australian producer H.I.M.W.O.L. gets set to unleash his brilliant self titled debut album with the camp, now available on Traxsource.

House Is My Way of Life is a whopping 17 track album jam-packed with new releases alongside some of his chart-topping tracks, showcasing his versatility as he joins the musical dots between soulful, Jackin’ and Deep House. The album sampler features 5 cherry picked gems, kicking off the party with a catchy soulful outing, ‘He’s My Baby’, featuring the brassy vocals of songbird Raye Cole, which also comes with a tasty remix from Spen & Thommy Davis. ‘Keys’ is a lush Deep House cut, teased with heartfelt sweeping stings and emotive piano melodies; ‘Off Beat’ comes loaded with a quirky urban house groove that’s beautifully drizzled with a sensual vocal; and ‘I Need You’ is a classy slab of feel good piano house, loaded with a hot vocal hook. H.I.M.W.O.L.’s productions vary in style boasting beautifully penned vocal melodies to innovative rhythmic compositions all aimed squarely bat the dance floor.

H.I.M.W.O.L hails from Australia where he was exposed to music from a young age and was influenced by various artists such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind & Fire, Cymande, Miles Davis, Danny J Lewis, Frankie Knuckles, Jamie Lewis and Masters at Work, to name a few. His musical journey started with playing piano at the tender age of 5, which is still one of his first choice instruments when producing new music. Having honed his craft as a DJ and dabbling with production in the ’90s, 2009 was the year H.I.M.W.O.L started to take his music production to another level, meticulously manipulating beats and samples until he was satisfied with the distinguished and unique sound he has today. To date he has had much success with numerous releases on prestigious labels such as Quantize Recordings, Peppermint Jam, King Street Sounds and Defected Records.

We dig deeper with H.I.M.W.O.L. in our latest exclusive interview.

Read more