Anonymous Techno - Faceless Bullocks

Resident Advisor & Juno Plus scribe Richard Brophy has addressed the old but new caprice of anonymity in techno. His feature for PlayGround mag features insights from techno's current John Doe's 19.26.1.18.5, Skudge and Adam X.

Brophy also showcases his own mix which is full of techno at its most anonymous. Acts and labels Sandwell District, Frozen Border, Pom Pom, Lost Trax, Wax, Sleeparchive, Redshape, Traversable Wormhole and Basic Channel all get a mention.

A must and read of the year for any techno purist.

Read and download here.

JUG - Slug EP

TEA resident JUG has just released his Slug EP on London imprint autoreply!

Words by Juno Plus writer Richard Brophy.

JUG's 3 track EP kicks off with 'Hymn for Him' a lovely house jam full of dubby drums promising before a shimmering, deeply evocative chord sequence with sensuous strings to boot. These elements provide the basis for a beautiful vocal that will melt the heart of even the hardest techno cynic.

In contrast, the bouncy acid of 'Eeehh' is more stripped back, but JUG aka Adrian Nicholson ensures that it will not be consigned to the DJ tool bargain bin thanks to the inclusion of some cut up, quirky vocals and the prominent driving percussion.

Finally, the title track attempts to straddle his musical and dance floor leanings. The beats are stripped back and the rhythm less direct, alternating between straight 4/4s and off-centre patterns, whilst the gradual introduction of atmospheric chords guarantee it and its author a high placing in the league of spine-tingling, ethereal techno.

You can next catch JUG playing at TEA with Jay Shepheard at Melbourne's Croft Institute 27th Nov.

Follow JUG here

Follow autoreply here

Space Dimension Controller - Temporary Thrillz

Belfast's Space Dimension Controller aka Jack Hamill has done it again and this time it's for legendary Belgian imprint R & S. The 6 track Temporary Thrillz EP is full of bubbly pads, beautiful melodies and a pre-teen playfulness that washes over you like a warm summer holiday's breeze.

Tracks Kaleidoscope Ecstasy and 2EZ (Autopilot's Lament) will have you bursting from the inside and kissing the person next to you, you'll be promising never to do anything wrong again after hearing Transatlantic Landing Bay and Simmering Motion whilst Mercurial Attraction and Temporary Thrillz will reinforce that everything is going to be aaaalllllriiiight.

At age 20 SDC's analogue productions are head and shoulders above the rest. Not be missed.

Follow SDC on Soundcloud here and buy it here.

TEA Podcast #5 TEA [Prince Of Wales]

Each of TEA's own podcasts are dedicated to a particular blend of tea most suited to the mix itself. TEA's second podcast and 5th in it's series pays homage to Twinnings Prince Of Wales. This exquisite infusion was specially blended for HRH Prince of Wales in 1921, who later went on to become King Edward VIII.

TEA's Prince Of Wales mix is a royal blend of varying styles of house best served with scones in the warm afternoon sun. A beautifully mild, yet full bodied mix in preparation for a southern hemisphere'd summer.

Download here

1. Prosumer & Murat Tepeli- Lov [Ostgut Ton]

2. Ethyl & Flori - Lennox Ave [Quintessentials]

3. Tony Lionni - As One [Freerange]

4. San Soda - Lets Go [We Play House]

5. Lee Curtis - Life Lessons [Spectral Sound]

6. Efdemin - Night Train [Dial]

7. JUG - eeehh [autoreply]

8. Motorcitysoul - Deliver Me (Kruse & Nuernberg Remix)[Simple Records]

9. Alessandro Crimi - Machines [Broque]

10.Bengoa - Make This Happen feat Brothers Vibe [Moscow Records]

11.Kenny Larkin - Glob (Ben Klock remix 2) [Planet E]

12.Deep Child - Pretty [Future Classic]

13.Martyn - Elden St. [3024]

14.DJ Sprinkles - Reverse Rotation [Mule Musiq]

15.M.in - Work That Body [OFF Recordings]

16.René Breitbarth - Widescreen [Deep Data]

17.Prosumer & Murat Tapeli - Serenity [Ostgut Ton]

Darko Esser at Berghain - 5 Hour Set - 09/10/10

Darko Esser @ Berghain 09-10-2010 by Darko Esser

A real treat from Wolfskuil's Darko Esser. Recorded live from deep in the bowels of techno's Mecca, Berghain.

This is more than 5 hours of associated 4x4's and cyclic fashions, but 300 minutes of beautifully laden musical styles.

"Full 5 hour recording of my set at Berghain from 0:00-5:00 last saturday. It was an absolutely AMAZING night, B'hain is one of my fav clubs to play and this time it was no exception off course. I feel like a fish in the water there. Crew, people, atmosphere, sound: it's all BRILLIANT!!

Since it's a 'warm-up' set I start of at a very slow pace with ambient/electronica/electro/dubstep slowly working from the deeper forms of house and techno to some banging freaky shit at the end. Hope you like it!"

- Darko Esser

TEA with Surgeon

It's been over a decade of patients since Surgeon aka Anthony Child made his last incision into Australia's club scene and late October will see the techno's favourite Brummie play a slew of Australian dates.

With other forms of techno "down under" taking a noticeable back seat to the sound of Detroit, it's with excited ears and open arms that Surgeon's antipodal other Australia, prepares for Jacobin terror and British Murder....on the dance floor.

Off the back of his hailed Fabric 53 mix TEA caught up with the Counterbalance and Dynamic Tension doc to discuss some of Japan's best kept secrets, numerology, that dubstep thing and Taiwanese Oolong tea.

Your latest release Compliance Momentum featured the track 'The Crawling Frog Is Torn and Smiles’. Can you tell us a bit about the title and how it found its way to one of your tracks?

It's a literal English translation of the title of an obscure Japanese fetish movie. I love the way that Japanese directly translated into English can become strangely poetic and slightly wonky.

You were last in Australia over 10 years ago. Can you tell us a bit about your experiences when you were here last?

I remember being treated like a criminal by the Customs staff when I entered the country, to a degree that I've never experienced before or since. Once in the country, I found everyone to be very warm and friendly. I'm looking forward to returning at the end of October.

Your Frequency 7 collaboration with Ben Sims is primarily a live/DJ show. Can we expect any Frequency 7 productions in the near future?

If there are any Frequency 7 productions, they will occur quite naturally; nothing will be forced. That's the way the whole project works.


Earlier this year you played a 7-hour set with Ben Sims as Frequency 7 for Unit in Tokyo. How was it and are extended sets something you enjoy?

It was the 7th birthday of the party we were playing at, on May 7th, and of course we're called Frequency 7 so we decided to play for 7 hours. 7777 = numerologists' dream (or nightmare). It was very hard work, mainly because we were both suffering really badly from jetlag at the time. I felt like a empty shell at the end of it. I've done 6-7 hour sets before and they can work, but only in very specific situations and only when I set the tone and pace from the beginning of the evening. In a typical setting I can make a good connection and communicate everything I want to in a 2-hour set.

Your affiliation with Japan has been well-documented since first you first visited in 1996. You speak the language and with regular gigs and holidays you must have the inside word on some of Japan's secret eats and escapes, care to share any of your favorites with us?

My favourite ramen shop is 'Santoka Ramen' located at Gojo bldg 1F, 3-13-7, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Great sushi can be found at Sushizanmai at several Tokyo locations, but the one at Tsukiji fish market is best. For the outdoors, Yokokan Garden, Fukui is very peaceful. There is some great mountain hiking at both Mount Eniwa near Lake Toya, Hokkaido and Mount Nantai near Lake Chuzenji. Nikko Hoshino Yado (Ryokan/Onsen ) Traditional Inn is a great place to visit too.

In 2007 you mixed ‘This Is For You Shits’ as well as this year's Fabric 53 mix. The mix CD is somewhat a dying trend. Can you tell us a bit about your approach and process of finding and putting tracks together for mixes such as these?

They were very different projects, each with a very different personality. Each had a range of emotions and sensations that I wanted to communicate to the listener. I just followed that and the mixes came out the way they did. Very natural.




Industrial, new wave & post punk music seems to play a strong role in the development of music in the techno-ed cities of Detroit, Berlin and Birmingham. British bands such as Throbbing Gristle, Cabaret Voltaire and Depeche Mode are often cited as influences among many techno producers. How important do you think these styles of music have played on producers such as yourself?

Yes, they are a part of it, but just as much as, say, a book about composing music with tape recorders that I read at school.

After moving to Birmingham and starting up 'House of God' you went to playing parties across the UK and further. What was the transition like from playing your own city, to other cities, to the international touring schedule you have today?

Up until 1994 I played regularly in and around Birmingham and occasionally in other parts of the UK. After the release of my first record that all changed, and I was being asked to play in Munich and Berlin then Tokyo and New York. It really was quite a shock as I'd not travelled much before then. I still find it bizarre that I travel so much to play music. It's wonderful to be able to connect with people all over the world in such a deep way.

Tell us a bit about your current sets at House of God. How important are they to you, and do you prepare for these differently than other shows?

Nothing is ever set in stone before any of my sets. I always attempt to connect to the vibe of the people I'm playing too and go wherever that takes us. My sets at HOG often have a few more oddball selections and often reference older music I've played there over the last 18 years.

You were a resident a Berlin's Tresor between 1997 and 1999. This was an amazing and different time to the Berlin of today. Has being a resident at a club like Tresor during the late 90's influenced and defined you as an artist?

I learned so much as a DJ during my residency at Tresor, I find it impossible to put into words. After House Of God, it was my second DJ apprenticeship. In terms of my productions, I was very fortunate to have Christoph from Dubplates & Mastering who cuts all my music come to Tresor every time I played there to check out how the music he cut sounded and come up with new ways to make it sound even heavier.

Location permitting, techno played amongst a dubstep crowd can receive a mixed reaction. It is common today to see techno producers dabbling in dubstep productions, but even more so incorporating it within their DJ sets. Has this become more prevalent for you being British?

Some people need to get their heads out of their arses and clean out their ears! Whenever I hear music that excites me, I want to share that with other people, simple as that.

Whose productions have you been feeling of late?

Oneohtrix Point Never, Emeralds, La Monte Young




What's next for Counterbalance and Dynamic Tension?

I am currently recording new material, possibly for a more "expanded" release than a 12". Both labels will continue to release at their glacial rate.

It's always nice to ask an Englishman what his favourite blend of tea is. Whats yours?

Taiwanese Nai Xiang - Oolong tea with a wonderfully milky fragrance.

Surgeon will be playing 3 dates in Aus

Brisbane - White Rhino - 21st Oct
Melbourne - The Likes Of You - 22nd Oct
Sydney - Void Sound - 23rd Oct

Book some time at Nikko Hoshino Yado here

Get lost with Oneohtrix Point Never here
Drone Out to Emeralds here
Learn more on minimalist pioneer La Monte Young here & listen here

Back By Popular Demand!

Marcel Dettmann Promo - Electric Circus Sep 16th 2010 by TEA Music

1000 plus plays, exceeding the download limit twice and multiple requests was enough for me to make Clyde Drexler's promo mix for TEA with Marcel Dettmann (16/09/10) available for download once again.

Soundcloud has reached it limit so here is the alternative link DOWNLOAD

Thanks for all the support and see you at at Jay Shepheard & Tornado Wallace on the 20/27th of November!

1.Lucy & Ercolino - So The Nothing Grows Stronger (Dadub Tool) [Stroboscopic Artefacts]

2.Marcel Dettmann - Silex [Ostgut Ton]
3.Cio D'or - Brokat [Prologue]
4.Mark Broom & James Ruskin - The Metal Man [Blueprint]
5.Ben Klock - Check For Pulse [Ostgut Ton]
6.Xhin - Link [Stroboscopic Artefacts]
7.Mike Denhert - Take Me To (part 2) [Fachwerk]
8.Pattern Repeat 03 (A) [Pattern Repeat]
9.Function & Jerome Sydenham - The Drift [Ibadan]
10.Marcel Dettmann - Unrest (Norman Nodge remix) [MDR]
11.Funtion & Jerome Sydenham -Two Ninety One (Chris Leibing edit) [CLR]
12.Moderat - Seamonkey [BPitch Control]

TEA Presents Jay Shepheard & Tornado Wallace

Jay Shepheard CBLS 036 by compost

TEA's blossoming love affair with Adelaide's Cuckoo Bar and newly established friendship with Melbourne's Croft Institute hits first and third base with TEA's 4th Adelaide party and 1st Melbourne party. TEA presents UK's Jay Shepheard with Tornado Wallace (Adelaide show) JUG (Melbourne show) and Francis Inferno Orchestra (Melbourne show)

Jay Shepheard has seen his star rise in recent times, having found a nice little niche with Munich-based imprint Compost back in 2006 (and their Black Label series in particular). His early productions, which touched on the deeper fringes of house and tech house, drew plaudits from all directions and secured him remix work for the likes of Buzzin’ Fly and Dirt Crew.

Tornado Wallace - Always Twirling by Tornado Wallace

Tornado Walace aka Lewie Day is already known for some rhythmic impressions thanks to LD releases on Murmur, 8bit and Herzlich, but its Tornado Wallace and his Paddlin ep on Delusions of Grandeur that has been whipping up a storm amongst the house and disco purist world wide.

With a tantalising Linkwood remix to his name it's Tornado's sloe moe, compression sucking funk that makes for underpinning floor fillers championed by the likes of Jimpster, The Revenge, Ethyl, Mark E, Greg Wilson, Tony Lionni, Fudge Fingers and Eddie C.

Jay & Tornado will bringing some hot tub warmth to Cuckoo Bar Saturday November 20th with support from TEAs resident Clyde Drexler a special guest from the ACT (via London) Rubicon.

Melbournes Croft show on the 27th will see support from autoreply's JUG and building disco sensation Francis Inferno Orchestra.

TEA likes this #15

The latest trend of nostalgic showreels over dubbed to the latest thumping 12" continues. (now removed by Youtube)

This time around its Ostgut Ton's Enigma Marcel Fengler with Razkaz. Over pitching chords and under pitched strings rise and fall to create a sea sickening western loop with a oriental feel. Dissonance is in the air.

After his hailed 2009 release Twisted Bleach (Ostgut Ton) and this years Thwack EP (Mote-Evolver), Fengler is starting to turn some serious heads and prove that Berghain is big enough for 2 Marcel's, just wait for those hats.

Dont miss out on Fengler's remix to Covolution by mysterious Scandinavian outfit Skudge.

Sideshow - Fink Dubs EP

Ninja Tune's dubbed and delaying Fin Greenall aka Fink is set for another Sideshow release on Will Sauls Aus Music imprint.

In keeping with his relentlessly dubby outlook, Sideshow’s latest offering comes with the guarantee of live instrumentation and delays, no quantization here folks.

The release will feature some deep, low-freq-y interpretations of the latest Fink album "Sort Of Revolution".

For all you fat freddys out there Sideshow's walking bass lines, subtle melodies, angular stabs and Nina Cherry-esque vocals will have you dreaming the moments away.

Fink Dubs will be seeing a release on Aus Music the 10th Oct.

Check out some more of Simple Music & Aus Music

Musikzimmer - DJs and their Living Rooms

Think 'Better Homes & Gardens' for the DJ.

Thanks to the voyeurism of Musikzimmer we've been given a sneak peek into some of electronic music's most influential characters living rooms and studios.

Equipment, hording, mess and tidiness all grace Musikzimmer's shots sending any budding producer or DJ green eyed with envy.

See the the rest of Musikzimmer's shots here

DJ Koze

Four Tet

Dixon

Marcel Dettmann

Luke Slater