Mix: RA 147 DJ Pete [Scion]

Wow! This latest one from the RA lot looks pretty exciting! Coming from long time Hardwax worker and one of Berlin's 'faces' over the years, DJ Pete [Kuschnereit]. Pete never disappoints either in his excellent DJ sets, his Scion sets alongside Rene Lowe [aka Vainqueur] or his live collaborations with Sleeparchive. And he's also one of the nicest artists I've ever had the pleasure of chatting with to boot! Grab this now!

Tracklist
01. Appleblim and Peverelist - Circling
02. Scuba - Ruptured (Surgeon remix)
03. Trolley Route - Tempura (Sterac Mix)
04. Mala - Bury Da Bwoy
05. Ben Klock - Before One
06. Jichael Mackson - Snuff
07. Burial - South London Boroughs
08. Tayo - March Of The Soundbwoyz (TRG Remix)
09. Aphrohead - In The Dark We Live (Dave Clarke's 312 Mix)
10. Loefah - Twisup Vip (Youngsta & Task Remix)
11. Redshape - Species
12. Shed - Solitude Straight

13. Scuba - Tense

http://www.residentadvisor.net/podcast-episode.aspx?id=147

Interview: Sleeparchive.

I recently had the pleasure of asking Roger Semsroth aka Sleeparchive a few questions just before he jetted off to Japan to play a couple of gigs. This was what he had to say!

1. First off, I heard a rumour that Sleeparchive is actually two people, not necessarily working together, but both putting things out as Sleeparchive. Any truth in this?

at the moment sleeparchive is only me. i released music by other people a while ago. "infrared glow" was produced by a friend of mine and on "research" is an edit made by another good friend. i asked both to release the music under their regular artist names but both wanted me to release the tracks as sleeparchive.

2. Are you a native Berliner?

yes, i was born in east berlin in 1976. i lived near dusseldorf from 2001-2004 but apart from that time i lived in berlin all my live.

3. What was the first album you ever bought?

i can`t remember my first album. i grew up in the GDR so i was not able to buy most of the music i liked as a kid.when the wall fell in 1989 every east german citizen got 100 marks. from that money i bought "front by front" by "front 242" and 3 "the cure" albums. all 4 records are still in my record collection and i still love all 4 albums. it`s really strange if i think that i have had those albums for 20 years in november this year.

4. How long have you been producing?

i`ve got my first synth in 1990. my mother bought me a yamaha sy55. the first ok track i ever recorded was in 1993 i guess. all before is simply terrible. i really wanted to do music like "front 242" or "leaether strip" but i was not able to do it. so all i recorded was really terrible wave made by an 15 years old kid.

5. Whats your favourite machine/program for producing?

my favourites are still the kr55 and the sh101. i can`t get enough of both machines.

6. Do you produce full time or do you work as well?

i started working again last year. after some years of making music only i was really in the mood to go to work again. it feels great to do something normal for normal money. really often when i play a gig i think to myself that it is a bit strange that i get the same money my dad gets when he works a whole month + my dad works hard and i get money for what i do as hobby.

7. What is your favourite club and/or city in the world to play at?

i don`t have a favourite city or club. playing in the UK is always great. i like the beer the food and the people. also france is always really good. but only for the people not for anything else. when i played the UK the first time i really expected the people to hate what i do. i thought the UK is always about banging techno all time. but i was wrong.

8. And where would you really like to play but as of yet, have not?

no idea.....perhaps the old so36 in the early eighties.

9. Where did the Hardwax connection come from?

i've bought my records at hardwax since 1995. over the years some of the guys became good friends. they also distributed my skanfrom releases before i started working on my first sleeparchive tracks. for techno music it`s still my favourite shop.

10. Are you still doing shows with Pete Kuschnereit?

yes, from time to time. it`s so much more fun to travel together. i think this is one of the things i really hate about travelling. i always travel by myself and really often it is so boring. pete is a good friend of mine and we always have big fun when we share the stage.

11. What do those shows consist of? Are they any different from a normal Sleeparchive set?

it`s different because pete brings his 909 and some records.often he is djing after our live set. so it`s sleeparchive + 909. the sets we play together are more for the dancefloor than a regular sleeparchive gig. and it`s more improvisational.

12. What do you think of the current 'minimal' scene?

i don`t follow it. i don`t like it as much as other music.

13. Why have you never gone down the easy money route of DJ'ing as well as playing live?

easy money? i don`t think so. everytime i talk to a dj they tell me that they play music for the people. so i would be a terrible dj because i would play only the tracks i like. and this can get on people nerves really fast in a techno context. so i think i wouldn`t get any bookings after playing out 3 times :)

14. What artists are impressing you at the moment or over the last year?

i`m more and more back into the music i come from and i like guitar and noise more and more. "sudden infant" was my favourite concert last year. my favourite band is "a place to bury strangers". some weeks ago i saw "wavves". really good concert.

15. Jeff Mills is obviously a fan, seen as how he asked you to be one of his guests at his Womb [Tokyo] residency. How was that experience?

that was amazing. i really like the music jeff mills makes. more the newer than the older stuff. he is a great guy and i have a lot of respect for what he is doing. he dj`d after me and when his set was over after 3 hours i thought "what??". for me it felt like 10 minutes. so i think i was really into it.

16. What inspires you to make the music you do?

not much. i just play with the machines until i get something i like. i don`t think much when i do music.

17. How do you relax away from music?

playing with my cat while watching tv is very relaxing. also cooking is great fun. but however, making music is the most relaxing thing for me. so there is not really a need to relex because i make music in every free minute.

18. What have you got lined up for 2009?

a 10" is coming in 2 weeks and i did zzz010 last month. it was a tape limited to 10 copies i gave only to friends or people i know. i don`t have any further plans. i work on some other projects again. perhaps i work on some new skanfrom tracks... or something under a completly new name. just last week i finished a track for a hungarien fanzine limited to 30 copies.

19. Finally, give me some of your guilty pleasures.

my favourite actor is james stewart and my favourite movie is "it`s a wonderful life". THE christmas movie.......

Many thanks to Roger for taking the time to answer these questions. As Roger stated there will be a new 10" coming soon and I'll just say good luck on finding zzz010! Roger can also be found playing live at Tresor in Berlin on Sat 21st March, and a little further in the future on Thu 7th May, alongside good friend, DJ Pete & Mark Ernestus at Honest Jons in London. So if you're in the area, go see him!

Music: Berghain 03 mixed by Len Faki.

The latest installment in the quality Berghain series is mixed by resident , Len Faki.  Its out in April and will no doubt be typically great.  

01. John Beltran – Vienna
02. Edit-Select – Bauer (Exclusive Track)
03. Roman Lindau – Raumgestaltung
04. Collabs feat. Speedy J & Chris Liebing – Magnit Express
05. Gez Varley pres. Tony Montana – The World Is Yours
06. Someone Else – Lowdown Brittle (Wink’s Profound Sound Interpretation)
07. Pfirter – Mi Chica
08. Eric Johnston – Waiting For Weird
09. JP Montesino – Viaje Numero Uno
10. Planetary Assault Systems – Surface Noise
11. Len Faki – BX 3 (Exclusive Track)
12. Radio Slave - Neverending (Exclusive Track)
13. Radio Slave w/ Dennis Ferrer – Neverending w/ Jero a cappella
14. Koljah & Oliver Deutschmann - Eaten Back To Life (Ed Davenport's Stripped Mix)
15. Tony Lionni – Found A Place (Exclusive Track)
16. Basement Jaxx – Fly Life (Xtra Mix)
17. Nick Holder & Kaje pres. Trackheadz – Feel (Instrumental Mix)
18. Laurent Garnier – The Man With The Red Face
19. Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. - Timbuktu
20. Bloc Party - Where is Home? (Burial Remix)

Ostgut will release Len Faki's Berghain 03 on April 20, 2009.

Mix & Event: Cassy. Save the Cannibals Podcast 004.

So this Saturdays special guest at New Yorks 'Save the Cannibals', is Cassy, all the way from Berlin. And as usual there is a podcast from the weeks guest.  The only information I have on it is that it was recorded last month.

Episode_4__Cassy.mp3

Video: Dima feat Sunday - Duolog [Bar 25]

Check out this video from Dima featuring Sunday - Duolog.  The track is from the Bar 25 stable and the accompanying video is typically Berlin!  Nice to see the occasional weird video to accompany this kind of music!

Wismix 001 - Samuli Kemppi - January 2009.

Length: 78:42 minutes (144.11MB)

Format: MP3 Stereo 44kHz 256Kbps (CBR)

Wismix 001 - Samuli Kemppi - January 2009

Tracklisting:

Samuli Kemppi - Live January 2009

Daniel Stefanik - Reactivity 1 - Statik Entertainment

JPLS - Program 3 - M_nus

Hundarna Från Söder - Burning Bush - Flora & Fauna

Convextion - Solum Ferrum - Down Low

Syncom Data - Horse - SD Records

Syncom Data - Beyond The Stars (Speedy J remix) - SD Records

Donato Dozzy - Time Out The Gap - Railyard Recordings

Function - F4 - Synewave

CJ Bolland - It's All In The Mind - R&S

Dasha Rush - Floating (Bells Storm mix) - Fullpanda Records

Nicuri - A Thousand Points Of Light - Strength Music

Mike Parker - Hiss - Dozzy Records

Gez Varley - Nemesis - Keys Of Life

Peter Van Hoesen - Empire In Decline - Time To Express

Steve Stoll - Foot Prints - Proper N.Y.C.

Club Heroes - Dum Dum (Green Velvet remix) - Relief

X-101 - G-Force - Underground Resistance

G-Man - Enforcer - i220

Ben Klock - Pulse - Klockworks

Silent Servant - Doom Deferred - Sandwell District

Marco Carola - 1st Question - Question

Right, so here it is.  The first installment of hopefully many in this blog's exclusive new mix series.  And I've been lucky enough to secure the quite considerable talents one Mr Samuli Kemppi, from Helsinki, Finland.  

I've been following Samuli's output for a couple of years now and he simply never fails to impress me with either his production or his live sets.  He's one of those 'always on form' kinda guys where you're always guaranteed top quality.  And thats exactly what I wanted to start this new mix series.  So who better to go to?

Samuli is well known for his very 'Berghain' style of sound.  So much so that his track 'Vangel', was one of the tracks Marcel Dettmann included on one of the best DJ mixes of last year, Berghain 2 on Ostgut Tonträger

This mix is a veritable who's who of vital, currently relative artists like Peter Van Hoesen, Donato Dozzy, Mike Parker & Ben Klock.  But Samuli doesn't forget the past and picks out some absolute stone cold classics by CJ Bolland (remember him?!) from 1991, a Green Velvet remix from 1996, a couple from LFO original, Gez Varley and some fella called Jeff Mills in X101 mode, also from way back in 1991!

Put your headphones on.  Turn them up.  And listen to this superb mix by a producer you are sure to hear a LOT more of in the future!

Samuli also very kindly answered a few questions:

1. Whats the scene like in Finland?

Couple interesting things going on here, but in general it's quite boring. All the interesting domestic names don't get to play here; good thing is that they get to play abroad every now and then. Since Finland is a small country and scene is small, it seems to be in hands of too few people. You know, only friends get to play. Really bored of that shit. I don't think that Finland is anyway target for me and my music. If my record sells 30 copies in Finland, that means somebody has already bought double copies.. Electrohouse and trance are still big here, which is pretty sad in a way.

2. Do you make music fulltime or do you work as well?

At the moment, I can't think of doing music as a full time profession. I'm a graphic and industrial designer. That pays the loans and bills. That also gives me the freedom to do music that has not so high commercial potential. We'll see what the future brings along. If I get to play more often abroad, I might think of doing music full time for couple years.

3. What have you got upcoming releasewise/gigwise?

Lots of new stuff coming this spring! New 12" edition of Kaapo series on Pakkas Levyt titled 'Ultrakaapo EP' with remixes from Marcel Dettmann and Monoder (aka Jussi-Pekka). Then 12" EP from new label named Pond and also 12" EP from Richard Brophys new label Komisch. My remix for Donor/Truss on Synewave is already out in digital sales, 12" should be out soon.

Gigwise nothing special. Hopefully by new releases I get to play abroad more often. One thing I have to mention though. I'm doing a one off event in Finland tiled "Domestic Techno Inspection". I've had this "Domestic Techno Inspection" thing as a part of my radio show for quite a long time now; point is to play fresh domestic stuff, unreleased and upcoming tracks from future stars and house hold names. So, I wanted to go bit further with the idea and on April 3rd there's first DTI night with 10 live PA's on the same night. The line-up is quite brilliant and if you need to catch up with finnish techno, DTI is the party to go to!

4. How long have you been producing/Dj'ing?

I started dj'ing in the late 80's, so, this is my 20th anniversary year as a dj. I started producing in late 90's. First releases were under name Sam & Gigi and it was house. That's probably something that people who like my solo releases don't know. Sam & Gigi tracks are still being licensed, which is quite bizarre in my opinion. Totally different direction than in my own more recent stuff. Also did couple 12"'s under name A.M. Specialists with couple friends back then.

5. What is your favourite production tool or machine?

Mac Book Pro & Logic Pro. Solid! I do all producing with Logic and live PA's with Ableton. Sold all my hardware some years ago. Much easier for me this way.

6. Who has influenced you musically?

Ahh, soooo many people. Just played 5,5 hours gig last friday and it was all about influences and inspiration. Maybe instead if doing name dropping, people should check that out since I happened to record the set! Here's link to the Boogie Monster: 

          

http://www.samulikemppi.com/mixes/Samuli%20Kemppi%20-%20Boogiemonster%201.mp3

7. Any plans on moving where everyone goes these days?  Berlin!  Or anywhere else?

Nope, we just bought a new flat (which isn't ready until Aug 2010 though) and quite happy here in Helsinki. If I was a single and not father, then Berlin might be good idea.. Finland is my home and probably will always be.

8. How did you record the mix?

Stack of proper 12"'s, pair of Technics and my trustworthy Ecler Nuo mixer. No edits, just live mixing. Recorded with Logic and used light compression and limiter to the final mix.

Thankyou Sam!

For more information on Samuli, as well as being able to listen to clips of his fucking great music, visit his Myspace page:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=125212942

or his official site which you'll find in my 'friends' links on the left.

News: New club for Berlin. Like they need it!!

Berlin already has the world’s best club scene with Berghain, Watergate, Weekend and countless other dancing holes, but on 14th February the city will get a plush new club in an abandoned electricity station (after all a club wouldn’t be Berlin club, without post-industrial decor and the threat of electrocution on the dancefloor).
Dice in Mitte is being touted as 2000 square metres of “state-of-the-art sound and lighting and cutting edge electronic sounds” with a large roof terrace that’s “perfect for after hours Sunday sessions.”Who wants to move to Berlin?With three rooms, 26 foot high ceilings and another state-of-the-art Funktion One soundsystem (the most expensive PA they’ve ever built apparently) and lighting built by the same crew that gave us ‘that’ famous Watergate lightway, Dice is set to take Berlin by storm.What’s more, the music programming of Dice is in collaboration with Minus’ booking agency Clonk, Get Physical’s Wilde Bookings and Backroom Entertainment.

DiceVoltairestr 5
10179
Berlin, Germany

dice-club.de

Mix: The Bunker Podcast - Shed

Another superb Bunker podcast, this time from Berlin's Panorama Bar resident, Shed.
160 minutes long and brilliant all the way!

Recorded live at The Bunker in Brooklyn on September 26, 2008. Shed is a producer and DJ from Berlin who recently released his debut album on Ostgut. He also runs the Soloaction label, is a resident DJ at Berghain, and works at Hardwax. This was his first appearance in North America.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=6KP32FNB