JOSH WINK - Sprung Minimism

End your year with a bang. End your year with "Sprung Minimism". It's the biggest bang that I've ever heard. It's so big that Josh Wink almost self-destructs it after three minutes.

MY #3 TRACK FOR 2013

Makson's "Oeuvre" is a masterpiece. One of the most impressive tracks I've heard this year. Nine minutes of experimental electronic music with crazy synthesizers and some Max Cooper-like glitches. 

This is what a modern-day Beethoven would sound like. 

The other tracks of my list:
- #4
- #5

ROD - Hux

ROD has a keen eye for techno. His dj-sets are filled with literally anything. Whether it's deep and more dubby or droning and dark as hell. ROD has a wicked taste for music. 

"Hux" is a more deep and slow acid techno track then "Anindica" which is the other tune by ROD on Klockworks 11. The acid groove isn't very present and just lurks in the background for quite a while. If you listen to "Anindica" you'll notice these tracks are complete opposites of one another. I really like the sharp hihats and loud snares with their ever-changing rhythms. They never interfere with anything else on the track. It's all perfectly balanced. 

You can listen to the other track on Klockworks 11 here.

ROD - Anindica

ROD has been using "Anindica" in his sets for quite some time before finally releasing it to the public. Both tracks on Klockworks 11 are strong acid tracks, but "Anindica" is one you can use to peak for on the dance floor. Its acid groove is volatile and heavy but in combination with the bassline it sounds a lot more playful and groovy. When ROD uses it in his latest Boiler Room set the room explodes. 

You can find "Hux" the second track on Klockworks 11 here.

MARCUS WORGULL & PETER PARDEIKE - Blythe

Daunting and challenging is what this is. "Blythe" is the newest release from Innervisions, which is one of the best labels at this moment. If you like slightly weird and incredibly deep house music of course. Deejays who spin this will have their nasty-face on and head bang like a true gangster. Because holy fuck is this epic or what?

MY #4 TRACK FOR 2013

Holden changed the way I listen to music when he released his album, The Inheritors, in 2013. If you've read my blog it's no secret that I'm a huge fan of James Holden. I am positive Holden could fill this list by himself and it's not easy picking just one track. Listening to "Gone Feral", "The Inheritors", "The Caterpillar's Intervention" and "Renata" made me realize that James can do anything when making music and he's the only musician that gives me that feeling. 

I gave his album another listen and realized that "Blackpool Late Eighties" is where The Inheritors all come together. The entire album builds up to this one track. "Blackpool Late Eighties" is peaceful, majestic and intriguing. With eight-and-a-half minutes in length it is also the longest track on the record and that means something coming from James Holden. 

Holden doesn't only make very special music. He is also an inspiration to others. If I'd do a quick summary of Holden I would say he's an influencer, an innovator and a guide for other deejays. Whenever he releases an album people start to think different about music and the way they produce music. James Holden changes the way people listen to music. 

You can find my #5 track for 2013 here.

MY #5 TRACK FOR 2013

If I look back at 2013 I'd say the deep side of house is getting more and more sophisticated. That's a good thing, because it sure as hell needed to get more sophisticated. Players like Tale Of Us, Dixon, Âme and Mano Le Tough are paving a path for other deejays to follow. The strength of their dj-sets and releases made them top of the food chain in 2013. Dixon was voted no. 1 DJ on Resident Advisor, everything Âme and him released on their label Innervisions turns into gold and Tale Of Us has released some spectacular tracks like "Concor" and "Primative People" this year. 

One of the tracks they all play is "Wek" from Fango. Fango combines samples of the Peruvian jungle with loud percussion and hard-hitting drums. He doesn't have a lot of followers on Soundcloud or plays on Youtube but there's something about his tracks that I haven't heard before. It sounds playful and yet it would smash a dance floor right open. Keep an eye on Fango for 2014.

BEARLY SESSION #2 - DENNIS WILLIAMS

Dennis Williams was high on my list to do one of the BEARLY SESSIONS because I love watching him play live and listening to his sets at home. I believe that because Dennis is a little older then most DJs, his taste in music is more refined. When you talk to Dennis about music you clearly hear that he's got a huge passion for it which transfers to his sets. The tracks he picks have something special, but sometimes you have to listen closely to be able to hear it. Lucky for Dennis, I love to listen a little more closely. 

Take the track with the African vocal at 17:45 mins called Adesse - Baayi for example. It's incredibly deep and soulful and is one of the highlights in the entire podcast for me. 

The other highlight (read: jaw dropping moment) was Mano Le Tough - Inside Animal Minds. Because it's played this late into the set it feels like a reward just listening to it. It's played after 54 minutes and I rewinded the set three times just to listen to it again. I just couldn't figure out the melody, it's insanely powerful, sinister and unpredictable. 

Dennis' closing track, Rebelski - The Rift Valley (Luciano remix), is such a sunny and joyful tracks, the vocal is incredibly powerful and enchanting. The perfect pick to close a two hour musical journey with. It made me realise that I had so much fun listening to this podcast that I can't even imagine how much fun Dennis must have had while making it. 

LENGTHY MASTERPIECE 1 // FAIRMONT - UNUNOCTIUM

LENGTHY MASTERPIECE will be a new series that contains lengthy electronic masterpieces of music. Tracks that are out of the ordinary and you can't listen to everyday because they blow your mind every time you listen to it.

I had to look up what an ununoctium is exactly but apparently it has the highest atomic number and highest atomic mass of all the elements discovered so far. I'm not sure what that means. But what I am sure of, is that you rarely ever listen to something that builds up energy and anticipation as smooth as this and feels unstoppable at the same time. You will not even notice "Ununoctium" building its way up. This is pure silk pouring from Fairmont his hands. 

MIC MILLS - Moretti

Tough rolling house banger with lots of whacks, claps and smacks. 

LEMON 8 - Model 8 (Lemon 8 remix)

I can't believe how much power this track has. "Model 8" is almost beaten to death by the percussion there's just so much strength and fierceness in them. You could qualify the track as techno or house but that doesn't matter. It was released in 1993. Back then house was only played at raves and acid sounded cheesy. And I love how cheesy the acid sounds in "Model 8".


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MOLOKO - Sing It Back (Herbert's tasteful dub)

Accidentally stumbled upon this when I was listening to classics from the 90s. Do you remember Moloko's "Sing It Back"? It was a pretty cool dance track released in '99. Mathew Herbert made a tasteful dub version which is so much more then tasteful. It's classy and sexy. 

The murky grooves in Herbert's version are delicate, deep and the vocal is not as present as it is in the original. I like it a lot.

MARK DEUTSCHE & MUSOE - Push

At first you'll think "Push" is a pretty standard tech house track. Which it is, but Deutsche and Musoe added an unpredictable and vague groove that feels grim and cryptic at the same time. 

"Push" reminds me of Nicolas Masseyeff - Mugen because that track also sounds pretty basic at first. But when you give it a couple more plays the track goes a lot deeper then you think.

HOLDEN - The Caterpillar's Intervention

Lately I've been listening to James Holden again. Maybe it's because of ADE, but it made me realise that all of my personal heroes are together in one city for one week playing at their best. Except for Holden. 

After ADE I always want to listen to the best or most intense music I have. You can listen to house, techno or whatever but there's nothing quite as intense as Holden's latest album The Inheritors. I've posted two tracks from his album already here and here. 

The album is 75 minutes in length and if you've never had a listening experience before and you're curious, you should definitely give it a go. Just press play and try to do as little as possible. Holden really demands your full attention and if you give it to him I guarantee you, it'll be something special.

"The Caterpillar's Intervention" is the fourth track on the album and it sounds to me like an epic introduction of what's about to come. The way the saxophone joins the party adds to the buildup perfectly. It gave me goosebumps the first time. But what really blew my mind was that free jazz solo near the ending. It just walks the thin line called sanity and yet it never sounds like it's out of control. 

JULIE MCKNIGHT - Home (Knee Deep Club mix)

At first I thought this was just another cheesy house track with lyrics that you've heard a thousand times before, but I was wrong. Julie McKnight is actually singing something that has meaning, she's not repeating the same three lines for over eight minutes. Knee Deep added a great piano riff. I love the cheerful touch the track gets because of that. 

There's so many tracks with lyrics that just try to hard and claim to be something in a cheesy way with cheap lyrics. Tracks like that just don't convince me but this one does. I just can't stop singing when it's on.

MAX COOPER Live at ADE 19.10.13

You never know what you might expect from Max Cooper a.k.a. King of the electronic jungle. He's been breaking boundaries the minute he stepped into the electronic music scene and his sound is at the verge of what people are accustomed to.

I saw him play at Amsterdam Dance Event last week and I thought Max was going to give us a set filled with electronic bangers and make us break the house down. Instead, his set was more focussed on the experience and feeling his music rather then dancing to it and I loved it. You really never know what you might expect from Cooper but it's always something special. 

GABRIEL ANANDA - Let It In Let It Out

I saw Gabriel Ananda live last week at Amsterdam Dance Event and he really surprised me, in a positive way. He played a liveset for one and a half hours which contained so many amazing tracks and "Let It In Let It Out" is one of them.

The dreamy synthesizers fly all over the place and the bassline is solid. But that short, powerful and most of all unexpected solo in the end did it  for me. Certainly when Gabriel played it live with crazy volume. It's just beautiful.

DENNIS WILLIAMS - Left In The Leaves

I'm really digging these tech and progressive vibes. Especially early in the morning, because it wakes me up nice and slow and puts a smile on my face. 

STARDUST - Music Sounds Better With You

For me, this is one of the finest tracks in electronic music there is, it's timeless and makes you feel good every single time you play it. "Music Sounds Better With You" was released in 1998 and you can still play it in a club or at a festival if the timing is right. It was produced by Thomas Bangalter who is best known for being one half of Daft Punk.

Do you remember that video?

TIGERSKIN - This Place Is Empty Without You

The track is beautifully slow paced and embodies a soundscape so captivating you could almost fall asleep to it.

DE SLUWE VOS At Higgs Live

De Sluwe Vos is always fun to watch. He plays with a lot of energy and mixes quickly. Expect huge kicks, loud snares and razor-sharp hi-hats. He pretty much wrecks the living room in barely one hour.

Vos has just released a new EP titled Vibe Over Money on the Dutch label Soulfood, which sounds great. Only 300 copies were made and it's a vinyl exclusive release. 

MAX COOPER - Frank

I thought I was a Max Cooper fan and know almost every track. Apparently there's always a bigger fan, since friend R. sent me this and I never heard of it. 

"Frank" sounds a lot like Cooper's older tracks and was released in 2008, it contains a heavy groove and barely any glitchy soundscapes. I'm hooked on that loud hi-hat that peeks his head around the corner sporadically. 

MICHAEL MAY - BEARLY SESSION #1

Michael May has been my go-to guy for a long time when it comes to techno. I love his unique productions and the way he perceives music. You could call him a producer, DJ or live act but he'd rather call himself a music enthusiast. He almost always performs as a live act with exclusively his own tracks but for the first Bearly Session he wanted to do something different. Expect one hour filled with techno and four of Michael May's own tracks. Can you guess which one's are his? 

Michael May: "I wanted to start with a detroit groovy touch and sort of ride that vibe towards dub techno. It stays dusty and groovy for a while and for the end I wanted to give it a Berlin techno kind of finish. Throughout the set you can hear four of my own tracks which have not seen a release yet."

PSYK - Distane

I love those two small breaks. As soon as the beat starts to roll again you realise that the continuously echoing synth and the tiny hi-hat is enough to keep you going.

ERIC VOLTA & SEBASTIAN VOIGT FT. FORREST - Words And Chance

Deep, dark and slow. I'm hooked on the playfulness of the synthesiser and that haunting vocal. 

DEEP DISH - The Dream (Sharam's Deep Dish)

House from '94. Amazingly sharp hi-hats that constantly stab away on a cool and mellow rhythm. Excellent piano that compliments the vibe perfectly throughout the track.

ROMAN PONCET - Route Of Pain

I almost fell of my chair when I first heard "Route Of Pain". Wow, what a banger this is. Those kicks can definitely be described as agressive. It's played at 131 beats per minute which is pretty fast. In my opinion it sounds better when the BPM is slightly lower. That worked for me at least. It made me more aware of how outrageous the kicks are. 

BENJAMIN DAMAGE - 010x (Truncate remix)

Hypnotics loops, groovy claps and a steady bassline. Truncate's productions are hot. He's not, what girls might call, hot but we can't judge someone by his looks.

PVS - Fuckin' Society

Noticed this track because Marcel Dettmann closed his latest performance in the Boiler Room with it. I love the mystic feeling and huge bassline "Fuckin' Society" has.

RECONDITE - Cleric

I love how naked Recondite's tracks feel. He always shows you how raw techno sounds and hypnotises you with just a bassline. 

MIND AGAINST - Oracle

"Atlant" definitely got most of the attention when Atlant EP came out, but there's another huge track on it titled "Oracle".

At first, the track feels pretty cool and fresh. But then there's this game-changing monstrous break which gives the track a new dimension. 

ARNAUD LE TEXIER - Ingredients

The original has a merciful and slow build up which you're always moving to. I love the seductive and sexy bassline.

A bonus is the remix done by Jonas Kopp. What a colossal track that is. 

Tell me, which one do you like more?

SHIFTED - SSS Podcast #32

Shifted showing you what it means to play a two hour set. His mixing skills are so fluent. The entire set feels like an experience, it's not just a collection of tracks. There aren't many DJ's that can make their set feel like an experience. You see a lot of people claiming it to be, but it often doesn't hold up. Shifted builds up his set like it's the Great Wall of China, but he also holds the Wall together with phenomenal techno. 

ROD live at Boiler Room

This Boiler Room set is already one of my favorites. Don't you just want to dance when you see ROD play those tracks like a crazy wizard? He soothes you into it with sexy snares and gentle basslines. His third track (Oni Ayhun-OAR 004A) completely takes over with its mental atmosphere, psychotic gun shots and loud bangs. In order for someone to understand and appreciate the beauty of music like Ayhun's track you have to be mad or genius. I'm pretty sure ROD is both. You should be pretty sure as well after watching the video.

RECONDITE - EC10

Recondite created a tense atmosphere with those clangs. What goes on in the background feels like ebbing and flowing of the tide. 

Recondite also made some deep house tracks not too long ago but I'm delighted he's not exploring that aspect of electronic music anymore. Stick to murky and dark techno Recondite. Murky and dark techno. 

JON HOPKINS - How I Live Now

I know this is something completely different from the last couple of posts I made, but I cant help it when it comes to Hopkins. 

Absolutely stunning.

LUCY - Beautiful People

Three years old but still a very powerful track. "Beautiful People" reminds me of a ticking time bomb. Estimated time of destruction 4:48 mins.

MR JONES - Apogeum (Tim Wolff remix)

Excellent remix by Tim Wolff. 

There's so much energy and percussion in this track. I love how percussion can give an extra dimension to tracks like these.

TRIPEO Live at Trouw, Amsterdam 21.09.13

Tripeo is Darko Esser's alter ego. It's a different form of techno and it's quite something. Everything about this liveset is amazing, the build up, the tracks and the setting Tripeo tries to create. I love listening to livesets, they're always a little different. 

Tripeo will release a new EP on October 7th which contains class A mind boggling techno. You can find the previews and the liveset below. 

MAX COOPER - Sea Of Sound (ambient rework)

Max Cooper reworked "Sea Of Sound" and the results are amazing.

COYU at Pacha Ibiza 26.07.13

I'm picky about house, especially about house sets. I don't want to listen to the DJ that played at 30 festivals last summer, I want to listen to something new. Something like Coyu. I've never heard of him before but he warms up the Pacha before Derrick Carter and DJ Sneak, which are both house legends so I think this set is worth a listen or two.

DIXON - Essential mix 14.09.13

Dixon with one hell of a mix. So many beautiful tracks that haven't seen a release date yet. Lucky for us, Dixon gave us a complete track list which you can find below the Soundcloud.

Now all I have to do is wait for a couple of months until they're released.



01.Tricky - "Nothing Changed"
02. Kelpe - "Monte Verità"
03. Flori - "Frosty Leo (Dorisburg Cave Jam Mix)"
04. Clockwork feat. Chasing Kurt - "Running Searching (Michael Gracioppo Mix)"
05. Sandrino & Frankey - "The Edge"
06. Agoria - "Kick the Peace (Part 2)"
07. Michael Gracioppo - "Creep (Tale Of Us & Vaal Mix)"
08. M. Worgull & P. Pardeike - "unknown"
09. Alex Barck - "Oh Africa (Frank Wiedemann Mix)"
10. Ten Walls - "Ankaris"
11. Baikal - "Why Don't You (Ripperton Mix Dixon Edit)"
12. David August - "Epikur"
13. Michael Gacioppo - "Creep (Recondite Mix 1)"
14. U. P. Network - "Space Me Out (Mario Bassanov Mix)"
15. Ame - "unknown"
16. Guy Gerber & Dixon - "No Distance"
17. Tale Of Us & Raz Ohara - "Light (Instrumental)"
18. Ame- "Tatischeff"
19. Howling - "Shortline (Dixon Remix)"
20. Petar Dundov - "Moving"