PERTHQUAKE
The countdown is on for the second installment of The Like of You (event info here, tickets here), featuring Stephan Bodzin and Hugo, to blow the roof off Villa Nightclub this weekend. For those who are uneducated in the Techno scene, or who are just seeking something to read, here is a small feature dedicated to providing some basic information about each artist, and what you can expect in-store this Saturday night.
If you are a true fan of techno music, there should be no reason what-so-ever for you not to be at Geisha last Friday night to celebrate the Democracy team bringing in one of techno’s most influential legends of the scene – Robert Hood – for a mind blowing two hour set.
Fans of adventurous, progressive electronic sounds, the British techno sorcerer and psychedelic shaman, James Holden is renowned as a genius. So revered are his talents that he’s been tapped to remix some of pop music most eminent stars, including Madonna, Depeche Mode, & Britney Spears.
Head of the zeitgeist-defining label Border Community which boasts fellow forward thinkers Nathan Fake & Extrawelt on its roster, Holden can count himself amongst that very modern breed of DJ with a special knack for layering the most surprising of records with an unparalleled musical ear. His status as a free-spirit unconstrained by genre or scene is now championed by independent stalwart !K7, who have called up Holden to deliver the next installment in their definitive mix series DJ-KiCKS. The DJ-Kicks series has been called “the most important DJ-mix series ever” by Mixmag.
Holden’s masterfully eclectic mix includes the first solo Holden single in four years ‘Triangle Folds’, and his exclusive previously unreleased remix of Mogwai’s ‘The Sun Smells Too Loud’.
James Holden’s latest mix CD missive is a musical manifesto that seems particularly well-timed, as the dominance of the minimal monolith finally starts to dwindle and the scenes of those previously neglected countries that have been out-of-shot for the past few years are bearing ripe fruit once again.
Robert Hood needs little introduction. Founding member of the legendary group Underground Resistance as a ‘Minister Of Information’ with ‘Mad’ Mike Banks & Jeff Mills, his seminal works on Jeff Mill’s Axis and his very own M-Plant imprint paved the way for a wave of stripped-down dancefloor minimalism that directed much of techno’s path throughout the late Nineties. As Birmingham’s Surgeon once remarked, ‘When Hood released his pivotal ‘Minimal Nation’ EP in 1993, it was like a bomb went off.’
Robert Hood makes minimal Detroit techno with an emphasis on soul and experimentation over flash and popularity. Having recorded for Metroplex, as well as the Austrian Cheap label and Jeff Mills’ Axis label, Hood also owns and operates the M-Plant imprint, through which he’s released the bulk of his solo material. As part of the original UR line up whose influential releases throughout the early and mid ’90s helped change the face of modern Detroit techno and sparked a creative renaissance. Infusing elements of acid and industrial into a potent blend of Chicago house and Detroit techno, UR’s aesthetic project and militant business philosophy were (and remain) singular commitments in underground techno. Hood left Detroit (and UR) with Jeff Mills in 1992, setting up shop in New York and recording a series of 12-inch Eps. He began to concentrate on his own production ‘Vision EP’, the ‘Riot EP’ and X-103 were big stepping-stones for him as they were the first releases he worked 100% on his own. The X-101 to X-102, were Waveform Transmission projects with Mills for Tresor. He slowly progressed to work more and more on his own, but collaberated on some of the first Axis releases with label owner Jeff Mills as H&M (Hood & Mills) with ‘Tranquilizer EP’ and ‘Drama’.
He soon decided it was time for him to start his own label to focus on what was in his soul musically.and set up M-Plant in 1994 releasing singles such as “Internal Empire,”, “The Protein Valve” “Music Data,” and “Moveable Parts. “M-Plant is what I’ve always wanted to hear: the basic stripped down, raw sound. Just drums, basslines and funky grooves and only what’s essential. Only what is essential to make people move. I started to look at it as a science, the art of making people move their butts, speaking to their heart, mind and soul. “It’s a heart-felt rhythmic techno sound. M-Plant is just M. minimal”
As Summer is slowly making way for the Winter season, so is the shift from outdoor parties, progressing into the club atmosphere. Last Friday was the Democracy installment at Geisha, proudly hosting one half of Peace Division’s members – Clive Henry.
The Democracy Sunday’s have had a great success in Perth with the last instalment featuring Gui Boratto at a packed out Geisha. Over the Anzac day long weekend, it would just be logical that this edition of Democracy Sunday’s would follow in the former’s footsteps – and that it did.
It was the long coming anticipated wait for the east coast brand – The Likes Of You – to finally come to Perth and grace one of our lucky clubs. With such a big scale event stampeding its way to the west, hosting not one, not two, but three high calibre international techno DJ’s – one would only presume that it would be hosted by no other than Perth’s very own infamous event venue, Villa. Full interview after the jump…
The Likes Of You is growing up, and like a teenager in the throes of puberty, it is largely misunderstood, frustrated at the world and trying to be seen and heard. At the tender age of 3 years, The Likes Of You is packing its rucksack and venturing into the vast unknown. Is Australia ready to be shifted from its comfortable bed of commercialism and electro?
Greetings from Australia! How are you?
I’m good, I’m just about to get started in my studio today, I have it all rewired and set up really well, so excited on getting to work on new material
Democracy Sunday’s are fast becoming the most anticipated nights of the year, huge acts in intimate rooms, with an educated and up for it crowd, join us as one of the Icons of the EDM world takes us on a 3 hour journey through deep, tribal and progressive.
In early 2006 Techno’s own masked man Redshape appeared for the first time on infamous Dutch imprint Delsin records. This initial release “Shapedworld EP” kicked him into the international techno scene, getting support from all major DJ from day one.
Redshape soon developed his own individual view on modern dance music and set to leave a mark in Techno.
Since coming to prominence over the last few years, very few producers (with the exception of Carl Craig and a few others) have come close to matching his technofied mission, meaning each and every Redshape 12″ is held in high regard by the more discerning techno heads. His music brought him into the yearly toplists of German’s groove & De-bug as well as a lot of other magazines.
Trying to describe his sound is kind of a hard task, sitting somewhere between everything in dance music and Redshape’s own imagination you get a direct extract – not minimal, not maximal and always historical respecting the vibe of detroit.
Resident Advisor’s Pete Chambers once said “The future of the past never sounded more contemporary.” which perfectly surrounds redshapes musical vision.
Repeating is definitaly a thing Redshape works hard to prevent, so his live shows,which brought him to nearly every known European club, morph and developeverytime to never play the same show a second time.
As a DJ Redshape is still very inspired by the good old school of mixing and trying tomake tracks speak to tracks, making music out of music.
Redshape’s music and remixes have been released on labels like Styrax Leaves, Delsin, Music Man, R&S etc. not forgetting his own imprint “Present Recordings”.
Working together with Delsin Records he will release his debut “The Dance Paradox” in October 2009, April 2010 the masked man of Techno makes his first visit to Australia and plays @ Geisha Bar on Friday 23rd April for Democracy.
