TEA Podcast: Area

The world of electronic music is fathomless. Collecting records is never ending. That’s where producers like the Chicago-based Max Phifty, aka Area, come in. A purveyor of dubbier electronic sounds, Area has been releasing records since the later stages of the 2000s with EPs on Ethereal Sound and Steadfast, while others have came through Lefthouse Recordings, Mindshift and Fullbar, before releasing an album in 2012 on François Kevorkian’s Wave Music.

Area established his own stencil sprayed Kimochi Records in 2011 with two self-produced 12"s and then gave Airliner Series a place to debut that same year with the Muisto EP. Kimochi has since released a steady stream of music from lesser known names Dreamlogicc and Lubin, while hooking up with Russian producer Myown through a connection with Anton Zap and the Ethereal Sound imprint.

Remaining relatively low key, Area isn’t an instantly recognisable name, but he’s a producer whose music appears in more record collections than some may think. During recent years Area’s music has made various compilations, including one for DJ Spider’s Plan B Recordings and another for French dub techno imprint Entropy, while this year Terre Themalitz included his remix of Area’s “Bourban Skies” for Mule Musiq’s testimonial: Queerifications & Ruins - Collected Remixes By DJ Sprinkles.

Revisiting our record collection, TEA decided to approach Area after discovering how many 12"s of his we actually own. The Chicagoan turns in a podcast that moves into the deeper echelons of house and techno, while surfacing for air with passages of lighter ambience and melody. Over email we spoke with Max Phifty, discussing the windy city as a natural spring reverb, a memorable Kevorkian DJ set at Berlin’s Tape club and the infamous spectre of 'visa issues'.



First up, tell us about the mix. How and where was it recorded? 

It was recorded using: Technics SL-1200MK2, Technics SL-1200MK3D, Ecler Nuo 3.0, Edirol R-09, in a 15'x12' room in Roger's Park. It was recorded using Tea and Techno as inspiration.

You're based in Chicago? How are things going there? 

Roof burned off the flat. Latin Kings tagging up the neighbourhood a bit. Otherwise fine.

Lot's of dubbier producers tend to draw inspiration from their surroundings. Is this the case with you and Chicago? 

The windy city is a natural geographic spring reverb, resonating with each changing season - from the tinny humid gasps of summer to the frigid metallic weight of lake-effect snow. Meanwhile, the iconic pitch antennas emanating from the peaks of the Hancock towe are a cosmic reminder of the curving volume antenna of LSD, realising a city-spanning Theremin.

How are things going at your Komichi label? So far this year there has been the one release by Myown. 

I'm happy with how the label is going right now. There are some exciting projects lined up and it comes around in its own time. Aaron (Myown) is continuing to create gorgeous, imaginative artwork; the release series seems to be developing a life and personality of its own, I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had to work with each of the artists involved. I spoke with with Myown via Soundcloud - found what would become the A2 track on Bubble - and then we developed a connection through there.

Do you stencil spray each Komichi record yourself? 

I do. My process is a bit dainty I guess - I think that I'll be adapting a bit going forward to change the flow of this, as it's sometimes a stretch to try and complete the visual art for an entire release over a short period. 

You have released music with various labels. How do you decide what's best suited to each label? 

It's always been a collaborative process.

Do you produce EPs for labels specifically? Or do call upon old tracks? 

Depends on the release.

Your album was released on François Kevorkian's Wave Music. What went into the decision to release it there? 

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Having guys like Brendon Moeller, XDB and John Daly involved at the label when I was signed didn't hurt. It's been a special opportunity to work with François, with regards to his experience and insights.

How did you first hook up with Ethereal Sound and Anton Zap? 

I was inspired by his set at Tape Club on their Underground Quality night, he's an adventurous and undaunted selector. We met sometime around there and I think it was his idea to release some of my music; it would've been unexpected for me, since up until that point the young label had just been a platform for his solo works.

The Innate Obscurity was the first EP after a three year gap from releasing your debut. What happened in that three years? Were you stock piling tracks? Fine tuning your production? 

I see how you could have that impression. Actually, it was a busy period for me. Innate Obscurity came out in the summer of 2010, along with the Burning Mercury 12"; the Absence and Cellicos 12"s had come out at the beginning of the year. That cluster was a bit of a shift since I hadn't put out as much solo work prior. In the years prior, I released a remix for Soultek that I've since heard at the world famous Panorama Bar, and a remix for Steve Poindexter that is almost always stocked at the very exclusive Hard Wax shop.

More recently you released on Until My Heart Stops and the Russian label Arma. How did they come about? 

Until My Heart Stops are good folks and some of my material matched with their vibe. I'm hoping we can collaborate again very soon.The ARMA release was loosely connected with a gig out there that fell through due to visa issues (oh, the infamous spectre of 'visa issues'). It was a unique release that I think received some well-deserved attention for Keter Darker's lyricism and vocal talent - he's been really making a big impression this year and we have another project together in the works. It was also humbling to share the 12" with Vakula and DJ Sprinkles. 

What are you working on at the moment? 

It's a surprise.

What is your favourite tea? 

I'm pretty bad with names. Rooibos is always something special though.

TEA

Tracklist:

No tracklist provided

TEA Podcast: Area Duration: 1:01:22

Fresh TEA - Reno Wurzbacher

Is the Fachwerk family misunderstood? Are press shots of three topless German males greased up to the chiselled jaw-line really a narrative for house music? Were we wrong about linear and rugged machine funk?

Well, kind of. Mike Dehnert’s extensive back catalogue has proved beyond reasonable doubt that he is in fact as much a house honcho as he is a bulwark of German functionalism. Sascha Rydell’s lusty productions glow with the kind of sensuality that has you seductively biting your bottom lip like Angelina Jolie, not screwing up your face with a look that says “tune”. Roman Lindau also suggests he is more about da funk and shaking his ass like a “fitness DJ” rather than manufacturing conveyor belt fist pumps for dancefloors. On top of all this, Fachwerk’s production titles are laced in French suggestion, not unequivocal Deutsch.  

So creating the label Colombage for their house-mate cousin Reno Wurzbacher isn’t as left-field as one might think, if anything it’s a vote of confidence for Wurzbacher and a giggly new outlet for Fachwerk’s thrust into house music.

Last year Wurzbacher released his debut opus, "Julischkaa", alongside yet another trusty Dehnert cut for the launch of the Colombage label. It’s now obvious as to why MD dedicated an entire platform to Wurzbacher, as his introductory oeuvre is majestic house music at its purest and a serene set opener. Wurzbacher followed up with "Mode One" earlier this year for Colombage’s second missive Raw Mode, which also gave Roman Lindau his debut on the Fachwerk sub.

Wurzbacher opened up the doors to “the huge Fachwerk-apartment” to let us in on Sachas Rydell’s record collection, his relationship with Roman Lindau and hip hop, his supposed stubbornness and attuned taste for turkish tea.

How and where was the mix recorded? 

I did the mix with two Technics SL-1200 MK2, an Allen & Heath Xone 92 and a Bose Soundsystem. I only DJ with vinyl. Digital stuff like Traktor hasn’t done anything for me so far. I guess I am really old school and very stubborn. In Germany we have an old saying which fits perfectly: "Was der Bauer nicht kennt, dass frisst er nicht" which means “some people won't eat anything they've never seen before”.

Explain the type of house music you are into, how you discovered it and how long you have been DJing for?

I see myself as an advocate of good old deep house. Vinyl records have a special groove, they should show emotion and evoke feeling and they’re can be a bit scruffy. There is nothing worse than an overloaded and perfectly shaped production where the focus is only on the sound. At its best a production is balanced and for me the “idea” behind any track is the most important thing.

In 1997 I started DJing and back then I only spun hip hop records. In 1999 I went to a party where Dixon and Mitja Prinz were playing at WMF. I was completely blown away by them and their style. From there I knew this was the the music had been impatiently waiting for - for so long. So, I sold all my hip hop records and started spinning and collecting house music. Of course I still like to listen to hip hop, mainly the old stuff by BootCampClik and Mobb Deep, but my musical life is mostly affected by deep house sounds.

You recently played for the first time at Panoramabar with the Fachwerk crew. How was it? 

Oh yeah, that was an awesome night, I played from 3-5am. Mike got the party started and the crowd was full of enough energy, literally soaking up the music and partying hard. The Fachwerk guys and John Tejada’s live set kept to a much straighter sound, so I think my house set was a really good contrast and the people enjoyed it and got their money's worth. We all had a lot of fun and hope we can do it again pretty soon.

Roman Lindau said you first meet eight years ago. How did you first become involved with the Fachwerk crew and how close are you know with them?

It’s actually nine years now but Mr. Lindau has trouble remembering things (laughs). We accidentally played a show together called “Deep Impressions”. We were booked separately. From then onwards we became really good friends. After that Roman introduced me to Mike and Sascha and we met up regularly, went to parties and we shared a studio for a while. Right now we are all doing our own thing, but of course we are still hook up, talk about music or just have a beer and enjoy the good times.

How long have you been producing for? 

As I mentioned before I started DJing in 1997. Five years later, in 2002, I started producing on my own. Basically it’s like what Roman said: if you always deal with music, buy listen and spin records, your own ideas automatically begin to evolve and you want to put your ideas into practice. You want to know how it works and obviously you want to make something that people will say “Wow, I like that. That's the groove. It affects me”. 

But it takes a while to reveal something that you are convinced is good enough to be released. At least I think that’s the best way, because with music, it’s like everything else in life; you have work on it intensely, learn about it and work on it. Then you’ll master it and have something of value that will mean something to you and others.

It seems as if the Fachwerk guys are really enjoying house at the moment. Sascha Rydell’s new EP is the very “housey”?

It' may appear like that but I wouldn't say that this is just a period for the guys. All of them, even Mike, test the waters outside of techno and they toy with house music all the time. Sascha’s record shelves are full to the brim with terrific house records from all kinds of decades. Mikes "Deep Route", released on Deeply Rooted House is now two years old and for me is still one of the best house tracks of the last few years. Roman in person, I got to know through deep house and I know that he is a huge fan of funk and soul.

I think Fachwerk stands out from the techno-crowd as a label because of their passion for house music. They produce techno music with soul and drive. They have the energy to give something back to the people who may have missed it previously: The spirit of techno music. Frankly, it isn't about clumsy, fast beating kick drums and some arty, abstract industrial sounds thrown in the mix, it’s more about the depth and the groove that catches you, something that literally picks you up and won't let you go. People should feel the music and I believe they do with any Fachwerk record.

How much do you think you have influenced the Fachwerk sound since you have been involved with them?

I don't think that I have a big effect on their productions, or maybe I just can’t tell. Somehow I don't want to affect them. Each of them do their own thing and that’s fine. Sure, I tell them what I think about their tracks, what I like and of course what I don't like, but in the end they release stuff on Fachwerk that is Fachwerk - Mike Dehnert, Sascha Rydell and Roman Lindau.

Explain the Colombage label. Was this created for you to be able to release your music on, as well as Fachwerk's “housier” tracks?

Yes, definitely. It’s as if they all loved my stuff, well most of it (laughs). My tracks didn't match the label (Fachwerk) so Mike offered me the chance to launch a label I could release my own tracks on instead. My track Julischkaa was the decisive factor behind the decision. It’s more of a calm and long house track rather than a techno anthem, but they liked it so much that they wanted to release it on vinyl. Therefore Mike launched Colombage. So what can I say, I give Mike huge props because he has given me the opportunity to release my music the way I want.

Would there be a Colombage label without Reno Wurzbacher?

No, I don't think that Colombage would exist without me. With the sub-label (Colombage) Mike essentially built a little empire just for me. The guys have their own home-base with Fachwerk, so they don’t need another label. However, each of us is free to release on Colombage. Mike and Roman already have and I am sure that Sascha will also release something on Colombage.

What productions are you working on at the moment?

Currently I’m working on my third Colombage record. This time it will just be a Reno Wurzbacher record. I’ll release three tracks with the chance of a remix by one of the other guys, but we’re not sure yet.

Do you consider Colombage to be your home label? Would you release music with other labels?

Oh yes, Colombage is my homestead. It's like my own room in the huge Fachwerk-apartment. Here I can carry on and make a mess, until the man of the house - Mike - comes home, gives me a wrap across the fingers and tells me to clean up and release more music.

For sure I would release on other labels, but it has to be on good terms. I don't mean financial terms, but rather being given the freedom to create and being given time. I am not a machine, I want to take the time to produce music and need to be given as much time as I need to make a good production.

What’s coming up for Reno Wurzbacher?

I hope just good things (laughs). Firstly I am looking forward to Colombage 03. At the moment it’s the most important thing for me. Apart from that I hope to spin some records with the guys soon, whether it’s in Berlin or abroad, we’ll have to wait and see. Music will continuously play a major role in my life. That’s guaranteed.  

What is your favourite tea?

Turkish apple tea.

TEA Podcast #18 - Isolated Lines

Swiss duo Isolated Lines made up of Gwenael Magnenat and Simon Sol last year released their first and so far only EP on Greg Schappert aka Donor’s free net label Miniscule, with their track "Macer" receiving a strong remix from the New Yorkian (free to download along with every other release via Minsicule’s soundcloud). After a semi reluctant move back to Zurich from Berlin, Sol hooked up with Magnenat to form Isolated Lines, a name deriving from their experimentations with synthesis.

Isolated Lines dead paced style of production attaches itself to the legacy of dub techno, with clear influences of Rod Modell and DeepChord to Sascha Rydell and Fachwerk. Magnenat, a media engineering student recounts the days before his productions were geared toward the dance floor and says ‘I used to produce music that was a bit more experimental. I used to work at a lot of clubs and festivals as the guy who set up all the turntables. It was through that, that I really started getting into deep house and techno.’ Like many DJ’s before him Sol found house music through hip hop ‘I had a friend who was a hip-hop DJ and he taught me how to mix, it was about two years after that we started getting into house music. We would buy deep house records and play them after school.’

Since their "Pannonia Superior" EP the two have remixed local swiss band Casque (translates to Helmet in English.) ‘We really liked their track "Edgar" and asked if we could do a remix, which they were cool with.’ says Magnenat. ‘I think we will have one, maybe two EPs released later this year. Our second release should be out in a matter of weeks as well as another remix we have been working on’ adds Sol. Isolated Lines also launched their live show in late 2011 debuting at a local Swiss festival Les Digitales.

Magnenat and Sol remain modest about the clubbing situation in Zurich but name tag Hive Club, Zukunft and Cabaret as some of the cities better represented venues and the two are supporting Jeroen Search’s live show at a Motoguzzi release party on the 10th of February. As a precursor the two have compiled TEA's 18th podcast which features some healthy techno cuts from Mike Dehnert, Redshape, Adam Rivet and Skudge as well as their remix of Casque's "Edgar". This Swiss have made a strong name for themselves through house acts Deetron, Ripperton and Quarion as well as labels Drumpoet Community and Morris / Audio, whereas the Swiss techno fold has been a little underrepresented. It may only be their first baby steps but Isolated lines see themselves in a good stead to boost the profile of techno in Switzerland.

1.Nuel – A-Side [Aquaplano]
2.Mary Velo – Random [Coincidence Records]
3.Redshape – Plonk (Dub) [Present]
4.Mike Dehnert – RGS (Roman Lindau Remix) [Echocord Colour]
5.Martyn – Masks [Brainfeeder]
6.Shed – Well Done (030-Edit) [Soloaction Records]
7.Casque – Edgar (Isolated Lines Remix) [Unreleased]
8.Rivet – Slant [Naked Index]
9.Unbalance – 1#001 [Unbalance]
10.2562 – Wasteland (Head High Remix) [When In Doubt]
11.Marcel Dettmann – Translation Two [Ostgut Ton]
12.Mondo – Work Me Baby (Marcelus Interpretation) [Deeply Rooted House]
13.Skudge – Overture (Substance Remix) [Skudge Records]

TEA Podcast #14 - Dolan Bergin

At the moment in London, booking a big name act, securing a reputable venue and slapping together an aesthetically pleasing flyer just won't cut it for the average London reveller. House is a feeling and so should to the party it's being played in.

Avoiding the cliche of the bigger the better, Dolan Bergin's Electric Minds loft parties offer a smaller crowd the chance to carouse amid a cosy party atmosphere. Loft warmers so far included Session Victim, Move D, Jay Shepheard, Kassem Mosse and San Soda & Red D. On the record label side of things Electric Minds disco tip has seen releases from Yam Who?, Gatto Fritto, Max Essa and Ilija Rudman. More recently the label has shifted to a deeper sound with 4 lovely cuts from the mysterious GHL/Endian.

If Dolan Bergin was to come across as a shady east end promoter chances are he'd be driving around with a number plate reading "FINGERZPIEZ", but he is far to modest for that. From his inner north-east London warehouse beginnings in 2005, to his revered Electric Minds loft parties of today, Bergin's roving club night/record label has promoted itself through the cities divisions as would a sleep deprived Championship Manager gamer.

In a rare chance for Dolan Bergin to get a little heavier in the mix, TEA caught up with Mr Busy talk Arthur Russell, Halloween and his bedtime favourite.

So where and how was the mix recorded?The mix was recorded in one sitting at home using records and cds. It was recorded in August and I wanted to use some tracks that I’d been sent recently. Two U.K. Artists in the form of Shifted and Furesshu feature quite heavily, I really like their tracks and while its not every day I get to play techno out it made for a nice change to do that with this

mix.

Tell us about the story behind Electric Minds. It started as party in 2005 and became a label with its first release in 2009. What spawned the first Electric Minds party’s and who where they with?

The party came to life from living in a warehouse in Dalston during 2005 with 10 others. It was a really unique place to be in that there were a lot of creative’s from the world of art, music and fashion so I was exposed to a lot of different tastes. We all liked to party so when a birthday came up we used to strip the warehouse of our belongings and set up a sound system downstairs and on the 1st floor we’d put in a bar and the guys who lived up there would organise live music. We’d cover the cost from the bar so with free entrance we’d simply send out an email to friends with the date of the party and they’d run until the last man standing. We also had a roof that ran the length of the building so the nights would quite often finish off there trying not to think about the mess that waited for us downstairs. There were only so many of these parties you could throw in your home though so towards the end of 2005 we moved the party to a Russian snooker club a couple of doors down the road. I had been putting on parties before 2005 but mostly in traditional clubs so producing them from scratch was new to me then.

Tell us about running a night in London and working alongside so many of the other party's, clubs and events the city has. How has Electric Minds made it to where it is today?

There is a lot of competition in London, but whether its running a party or any other type of business, competition keeps things healthy. It provides choice for those wanting to find a party and also helps keep the standards high. Of course you want to be ahead of the competition and I think to do that you need to have a bit of imagination when it comes to seeing how spaces can work and then plenty of work to bring it all together. The competition is also made up of friends and working with the people behind secretsundaze, mulletover, Warm etc they’ve provided help and support in the past which is invaluable.

What then lead to the idea of starting a label and how long did it take to establish it once the idea was conceived?

I think the main reason the label was started is that the DJs playing at the parties had music to release so it seemed to make sense to try and combine the two. Id worked for record labels since I was 21 but they were mostly the major corporations so I wasn’t particularly passionate about the output. As a result I wanted to try my hand at helping to put out tracks that I was into.

Do you consider Electric Minds to be more of a platform as opposed to a label?

The label is really just a small operation; I put out a release here and there when I discover tracks that I like. So I think mostly events is what we do as its hard to find the time to concentrate on both things properly.

Have either the parties or label suffered or gained as a result of running both?

Id really like to spend more time discovering new music to release and have a consistent output but it’s just not realistic to do that and run events at the rate they have been happening this year. Releasing music for most people is a labour of love and unfortunately it’s very difficult to support yourself financially from that. Luckily I’m able to do both by throwing the parties, which is something I equally enjoy doing.

When the label first started its first few releases were very disco orientated and were somewhat capped off by your tribute to Arthur Russell. Tell us about that?

The parties have always been quite eclectic in terms of what we play, well eclectic in terms of the dance world in that it moves between disco, house, techno and perhaps a few other bits thrown in. So I think the label reflected that at a time when I was working with producers who moved between those genres. Listening back I think there is some inspiration from disco but they are all modern productions and certainly the first Arthur Russell covers from Lil Tony and Yam Who were very much house based tracks. The releases from Max Essa & Stevie Kotey blew my mind when I first heard them, dubbed out and atmospheric. I didn’t really know what genre they’d sit under, I just really liked them so asked if I could release them. After the first 12” that covered Arthur Russell’s tracks, the artists that featured and myself came up with the idea of producing a full-length album. Looking back it was a very ambitious project to take on and it took a huge amount of work to pull it off. The album definitely delved into the field of disco and I think on the whole it went down well although covering Arthur Russell’s work was always going to draw some criticisms. It was simply done though out of respect as everyone that worked on the album was fascinated by his output.

More recently Electric Minds seems to have taken on a very deep house/techno sound. Tell us about this shift and future plans for the label.

I guess it’s a reflection of the parties and the bookings that I make. I like disco and I still collect plenty of records and play them but for me when im at a party if Im going to stay there until the early hours I prefer to hear something a little edgier. I like the subtlety and depth from the house / techno tracks that I buy so I want to learn more about that side of things and if I can, release that type of music on the label.

GHL and Endian are the two latest artists to release on EM. Tell us about those two as they are both new names.

Its actually the same person, its an alias he uses to put out his house based productions as his background sits in another side of electronic music. He’s very talented and I was really into releasing these tracks as myself and a few others had the demos for a while and they always got great reactions when played out.

What’s next for Dolan Bergin?

The last of this years loft parties is coming up with Prosumer, which should be a great way to close the venue for the year. For Halloween, James & Giles from secretsundaze and myself are producing a warehouse party in Shoreditch and from there it will be NYE to see out the year. This year I’ve worked with Warm producing the Ostgut Ton events in London which went really well so we’re starting to put some plans in place for those to continue throughout 2012 as well speaking to some other labels to help them bring their acts to London. I’m also hoping to make it back out to Australia and Japan sometime next year so starting to look into that now.

What is your favourite tea?

The kind that is brought to you in bed.

1. Endian - Two Chords Deep [Electric Minds]
2. Essa & Ervin Granger - Verloore [Fina]
3. K2VX - Sequential [Field]
4. 19.26.1.18.5 - Horizontal Ground [Horizontal Ground]
5. Furesshu - Untitled (demo / not mastered)
6. Relay - Untitled [Naked Index]
7. Dettmann & Klock - Dawning [Ostgut Ton]
8. Shifted - B2 [Avian]
9. Gonno - Acdise (Skudge Remix) [International Feel]
10. Skudge - Senocular [Karat]
11. Shed - It's A Love Thing" (Island mix) [H2]
12. Furesshu - Lucid (Shifted Remix) [Project Squared]
13. Shifted - Drifting Over [Mote Evolver]
14. Mondo - Work Me Baby [Deeply Rooted House]
15. Rhythm & Sound - Why [Burial]

Pic Credit - Heather Shukar

TEA Podcast #12 - Zadig

It's said the most exciting time in an artists' career is when they is about to break. Zadig aka Sylvain Peltier may be known to the net crawling bloggers, dusty knuckled DJ's and his fellow electronic music producers, but it's the broader techno community that Zadig is about to breach.

2010 saw Kenny Larkin's remix of Zadig's Dark Nebular tilt a few heads in the the Parisian's direction, but it has been his most recent release on Technasia's Sino and the launch of his own CONSTRUCT-RE-FORM imprint that has fast tracked the Frenchman as a one to watch. Zadig's 'new classic' sound is a traditional yet engaging approach to producing techno and one inspired by such luminaries as Surgeon, Luke Slater and Robert Hood.

Ahead of TEA's 12th Podcast Zadig shared with us how the mix was recorded, his Voltaire inspired alias, plans for the future and love for a Chinese classic.

How and where was the mix recorded?

I recorded the mix at home using two Technics SL 1200 Mk2 and Allen & Heath Xone 62. I recorded the mix directly into my sound card in one shot, no digital editing. I then put the mix through my tube amplifier to give it a bit more power and heavier sound. It was a very spontaneous mix with a range of tracks from recent releases to some older favourites. I tried to create an atmosphere within the mix that was introspective and sometimes explosive.

Tell us a little about the name Zadig. Does it share any relevance to Voltaire's famous Book of Fate?

Yeah for sure. When I was very young I saw an adaptation of the tale of Voltaire. I later read the book and when the moment came to to choose my alias, the name of Zadig came naturally. I feel very close to the character and to the notion of fate.

You used Mathew Jonson's - Learn To Fly in the podcast which is very Jean Michel Jarre sounding. Has Jarre influenced you in anyway being French?

Jean Michel Jarre was not a huge inspiration of mine. I find some of his tracks interesting but his work isn't quite abstract enough for me. Mathew Jonson on the other hand is one of my favorite producers and live acts, 'Learn to fly' is very close to his best work yet. My revelation of electronic music came when I saw Belgian EBM band Front 242 live, I was totally blown away. After that I discovered labels like Harthouse, Drop Bass Network, Generator and Axis which furthered my liking of Techno and Hardcore but I was also into US Hip Hop, Jazz, House, and Ambient styles. I was really into guys like Joey Beltram, Luke Slater, Jeff Mills, Daniel Bell, Robert Hood, James Ruskin and Surgeon. Not long after was I inspired to make music of my own. Naturally I turned to the legendary machines of this sound, the TR 909, 808, Juno 106 and so on. I decided to make my own tracks and looked at making what I call "new classics". A sound's texture is very important to me and plays a big role in my production. I always try to be somewhere between the old school and something more modern.

You also just launched CONSTRUCT-RE-FORM. Tell us about the lead up to you starting the label and what plans do you have for the future?

I had thought for a long time about creating a label but I never felt ready artistically or technically until now. My dealings with other labels as such as Syncrophone and Sino helped me recognise what was needed to start a label. I don't think it would have gone very far without the help from John and Didier from Syncrophone and Charles Siegling aka Technasia. I work very closely with my engineer Mathieu Berthet, he takes care of the mastering and cutting and helps me a lot technically. I often ask my friends for their opinion, especially Maxime aka 'S3A' and Simon aka 'Birth of Frequency'. For the label's upcoming releases, CRF002 is some very sharp, metallic and industrial sounding techno from Antigone, a young Parisian artist. It will feature a remix of mine which will be a bit deeper and dubbier to balance out the EP. CRF003 will be another Zadig release with a remix from a famous Berlin artist and CRF004 is from another young artist 'Birth of Frequency' with a track fully charged and powerful techno.

Tell us about your relationship with S3A and Birth of Frequency.

Maxine is one of my best friends, he has been prodcuing and DJing for quite a few years now. We enjoy sharing with each other our ideas and points of view, not only on music but also on life. Last year we shared a studio and launched the ‘Friendship Connection" project. We brought both of our worlds together and released some tracks through a new Parisian label called Panam. It received a warm welcome and rasied support from artists like Marcel Dettmann, Delta Funktionen and Smear, so that was great. At the moment we are working on a follow up and Maxine is preparing for his next release as S3A which will be a bit more housey. Simon aka Birth of Frequency is my younger cousin, he discovered Techno a few years ago and I can see the same passion and enthusiasm in him that I had in my younger years. His music is already telling a story whilst remaining full of charm naivety.

What's coming up next for Zadig?

Right now I am working on various projects. I have a few collaborations with other artists, the first being for Sino,

and the second is with 'S3A' on Panam. I also have a remix coming out for the label P & D as well as another release on Arnaud Le Texier's label - Children of tomorrow. In short, a lot of work ahead.

What is you favourite tea?

Jasmine tea

1. Versalife - Solenoids Of Insomnia [Clone West Coast Series]

2. Stefan Lohse - Fog Patches [Uncanny Valley]

3. Unit Moebius - Dolfinarium [Clone Classic Cuts]

4. Developer - Edificio (Silent Servant remix) [Modularz 4]

5. Mathew Jonson - Learn To Fly [Minus 108]

6. Fanon Flower - Prado Oscuro [ Modularz 4]

7. Shed - Well Done (030 edit) [Solocation 1208]

8. Zadig - Re-Form [CONSTRUCT RE-FORM]

9. Aaron Carl - Wallshaker [Millions Of Moments]

10.Zadig - Dark Nebular [Syncrophone]

11.Johannes Volk - Supersymmetric [Exploration]

12.Trucate - Jack - [Truncate]

13.Samuel L Session - Part 7 [Figure]

14.Anthony Shake Shair - Frictionalism (Skudge floor remix) [Rush Hour]

15.Splice - Trouble [Farden]

16.Developer - Revisiter [Modularz]

17.Levon Vincent - Invisible Bitchslap [Deconstruct]

18.Johannes Volk - Energy Field [Exploration]

19.Unknown - A1 [Manzel]

20.Shutter - B1 [Hem]

21.Cosmin TRG - De Dans [50 Weapons]

22.Voyager - The Third Planet From The Sun

23.Truncate - Focus v2

24.Splice - Cobra [Farden]

25.Roman Lindau - Sub Suggestion [Fachwerk]

26.Surgeon - Sleep (Ultra Violet) [Dynamic Tension]

27.Vakula - Theo Sun [Archipel]