On July 17, 2023, it was sadly announced on DJ Deeon‘s facebook page that he had passed. The artist, label owner, and “ghetto house” music pioneer is cherished by many. Although he was credited for being a pillar of the 90’s house music scene, his impact on modern dance music is undeniable with such collaborations with artists such as Wehbba, Hi-Lo, and more. With the passing of this titan, here are just a handful of many tributes paid to DJ Deeon.
Artists will never come unprepared to a party. They always bring a toolbox packed with tracks that are truly dance floor destroyers. “Whatâs in Your Toolbox” features artistsâ secret weapons, aka, the tracks they donât leave out of their USB. In this installment, thriving techno star Wehbba gives us his 6 choice picks.
It’s Valentine’s Day and love is in the air… and in the DJ booth. The techno scene has several couples who are all successful on their own before meeting and teaming up to become their own forces. For techno fans, these powerhouse techno couples teaming up romantically introduce the added bonus of, collab projects and delicious B2B sets. Who says being an artist has to be all work and no play? These techno couples prove you can successfully mix work and pleasure.
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Landing 10 years after his first concept album Full Circle, Wehbba announces the March release of his upcoming Straight Lines and Sharp Corners LP, marking his debut album on Drumcode.
Following a series of globally adored EPs and inclusions within the imprintâs esteemed A-Sides compilation series, the chart-dominating SĂŁo Paulo native now reflects upon his life as âthe artistâ, offering an immersive montage of stories that echo a tenacious dedication to his craft. Enlisting the talents of multi-instrumentalist Thomas Gandey, Electroclash pioneer David Carretta and fellow Brazilian L-cio, with his unparalleled flute mastery, Wehbbaâs synergetic cuts span the breadth of electronic musicâs sonic landscape, as he challenges the notion of genres with seasoned voices.
Brazilian producer/DJ Wehbba has been a hugely popular asset to the scene in recent years and is somebody whoâs been considered as one of South Americaâs most prominent electronic music producers to play a pivotal role in the continuous growth of the techno scene in his home country and beyond.
Drumcode mainstay Wehbba hails from Brazilâs main techno hub, SĂŁo Paulo. Breaking onto the international scene as early as 2006 with his release on German imprint Killa Beat, Wehbbaâs status in the industry has since only grown. Heâs known as a wizard in the studio, with dozens of singles and EPs to his name, along with two solo albumsâ2010âs Full Circle and 2013âs Square Two.
Following his popular appearance at Boiler Room SĂŁo Paulo in late 2014, Wehbba headed in 2015 for Barcelona. The move only catapulted his star further, as he established himself into the European techno scene with regular appearances on labels like Drumcode, Kompakt, Soma, Bedrock, Second State, Systematic, 2020Vision, Knee Deep In Sound and Tronic.
Ahead of his forthcoming LXM Festival set, with the festival taking place December 13-15 2019, we asked Wehbba to share 10 of his favorite tracks from fellow South American producers. Enjoy his selections below.
Wehbba has just dropped an inspiring five-track EP on Drumcode titled We Have Bass, the lead track being a collaboration with ghetto house icon DJ Deeon.
A true master craftsman in the studio, his first contribution for 2019 is typically impressive. A huge inspiration to Wehbba since his nascent raver days, ghetto tech icon DJ Deeon contributes a fierce vocal to âWe Have Bassâ, after a serendipitous hook up in SĂŁo Paulo. A peak career moment collaborating with one of his original heroes and the artist responsible for the classic âFreak Like Meâ, the resulting percussive-heavy cut kicks like a rodeo bull. âThird Waveâ is coffee geek Wehbbaâs homage to his favourite brew, constructing the production to mirror the experience of a caffeine fix, as a loopy trance-inducing groove leads to powerful synth stabs that are heavy on impact. âSteamrollerâ is a stripped back slice of techno driven by the Brazilianâs Korg MS-20 and found form after it initially begun as a studio jam inspired by Richie Hawtinâs âMinus Orangeâ.
A Jean-Michel Jarre fan stretching back to his childhood, âAnother Mistakeâ was conceived after Wehbba saw the French legend in concert last year and was subsequently able to meet him backstage through a mutual friend. While creating the track, the producer imagined Jarre playing the main layers of the hook on his famous Laser-harp, eliciting an almost celestial quality with the melody. This is a stirring slice of techno fit for stadiums. The EP ends with âPurgeâ, the artistâs stream-of-consciousness expression recorded in one-take and a beautiful beat-less way to conclude the work.
To coincide with the release 6AM got a behind-the-scenes insight into how the studio session went down, plus half a dozen DJ Deeon classics to dive into for the uninitiated.
In many ways, itâs difficult to believe Wehbba only dropped his first full-length EP on Drumcode this year. Released in February, the four-tracker Eclipse was a monster statement piece of the Brazilianâs talents and followed on superbly from âFakeâ, his contribution to last yearâs A-Sides Vol.6 â inarguably one of the biggest tracks on the compilation.
With the confirmation that Wehbba would take part in Drumcodeâs Off Week party in Barcelona, followed by the brandâs takeover of Resistance in Ibiza, itâs indisputable proof that his crisp, chord-driven take on techno has become a vital component to the expansive palette of sound Adam Beyer has drawn for the label in 2018 and beyond.
His latest EP on Drumcode, Catarse, marks the rapid-fire follow-up from the prolific producer. Opening with the eerie âShe Lost Controlâ, Wehbba says he took inspiration from the Joy Division track of almost the same name (âSheâs Lost Controlâ), but instead of crafting the dense sonic atmosphere with vocals, he employs an analogue kick drum and stealth-like moog bass with dramatic results. âProcessâ follows, a cut which begun as a cover jam of Laurent Garnierâs âCrispy Baconâ and ends up incorporating the cut-up vocals of legendary minimal composer Steve Reich, who is one of Wehbbaâs chief inspirators. The resulting track is an ice-cool percussive work thatâs rich in dancefloor functionalism. The title track will be familiar to many who follow Drumcode Radio, a goose-bump inducing highlight of Beyerâs DCR392 at Awakenings in Eindhoven, âCatarseâ is driven by a memorable melodic riff resplendent in 90âs techno euphoria. The EP concludes with the terrific âMind Awakeâ, a powerful concoction of reverb heavy basslines and glitchy effects, thatâs been thoroughly road tested by both Beyer and Wehbba and kicks like a rodeo bull.
With a Los Angeles gig coming up as part of his North American tour and this massive EP now out, we took the time to chat with Wehbba and ask him one simple question: “What are five things you like to do when not touring or working in the studio?”Â
Enjoy his answers below.
