I was chatting with a friend of mine about what I think about when I’m playing in the studio, and it occurred to me that perhaps you would like to hear my thoughts when it came to this mix.
When other DJs say that they “play everything”, I feel like that always come with a caveat of, “but not [INSERT LIST OF GENRES HERE]”. This isn’t the case with me. Just this past Friday I literally threw down a set that included, among other genres, disco, country, rock, hip hop, folk etc. Often when I step behind the decks, even I have no idea where we are going to go. I don’t play genre, I play music. But sometimes the focus has to be more narrow, more direct.
One of those times would be when you, as a partier, find yourself in my favourite city (i.e. Detroit), and you’ve been to the pre-party, you’ve been to the party, you’ve been to the after-party, and there you are… at 24 hr Adult. You’ve knocked on the door. You’ve given the password. If you walked into that room and the DJ dropped anything with steel guitars, they might get lynched. There are times to have fun and take risks, and there are times to play techno. You had one job. Play techno.
When recording any of the 25 sets for Live in The Holding Cell, I was playing for me. That was the mood that I was in at that moment. I like things dub. I like things booty. I like things grimey. I love bass. I was taking me on a trip. I wanted others to come along on a journey. Mistakes were made. They were left in; this is real. Every single one of those sets is a moment in time representing a period where it was never more illegal to party, and I wanted nothing more than to do so.
When asked to record this set for Di, I wanted to take the listeners on a similar journey, but I knew that I had to focus.
Track one was released in ’96. This is part of the history of where I’m from, an old school junglist who doesn’t plan on hanging up his headphones anytime soon. As the pads sweep in, the kick from Tarantula drops in. Can you tell that it doesn’t matter to me if a track came out yesterday, ten or even twenty years ago? Can you hear that I’ll mix and blend tune after tune, sweeping in and out, letting one build as another one drops, all the while aware that different dancers have different levels of stamina? There are four tracks playing at any one time. It’s in your face, upfront, until… it isn’t. When I pull back, when those pads sweep in, when that build begins again, when Falling Up brings us to another level, I’m toying with you; stringing you along. Oh, you thought that you were just going to hear four on the four all night? This ain’t your great aunt’s techno.
When I’m in Detroit (and every day I hope and pray that I’ll soon be able to return), I feel comforted by how techno is defined there. Sometimes it is a relentless drilling, a pounding bass that takes hold of your pulse and says, “This is your bpm now.” Other times there is a break, suddenly everyone’s Adidas suits are real tight, just so that they can do their windmills right. No, there wasn’t any Kraftwerk snuck in there, but the influence is felt just the same, pushing us to the edge, weaving in and out, jacking your body as one does. Your feet never stop; they are happy.
But all good things come to an end, and as someone who lived through the era of Robert Miles’ Children, I never irresponsibly leave a dance floor piqued. There is always a build. There is always a climax. There is always a denouement. Instigated by Torley’s glitchy piano, Cibelle’s otherworldly voice chimes in and soothes the dancer, slows their heartbeat, and releases them.
Tracklist:- Skanna – This Way (130BPM Version)
- Pleasurekraft – Tarantula (7 Year Itch Rework) (Clean) (Extended)
- Chelonis R. Jones – Deer In the Headlights (Radio Slave Remix)
- Arturo Silveira – The Better M
- Slim Mode – Easy to Roll
- Guy J – MDQ (Clean) (Extended)
- Matteo Bruscagin & Visnadi – Drps Classic (Guy J Remix) (Clean) (Extended)
- ATFC – Huh Huh Huh (Clean Extended)
- Theo Parrish – Falling Up (Carl Craig 2013 Remaster) (Clean Extended)
- Rekardo Rivalo – Can’t Get Enough (Michel Laro Remix)
- Boris Brejcha – Schaltzentrale
- Stativ Connection – Sommerraupe
- Memnok – Sniper Kitty (Scalameriya’s Steady Breath Remix)
- William Welt – Urban Chant (Franck Valat Remix)
- Duo Penotti – The Taste (Andy Kohlmann Remix)
- KGBkid – Coffee Cousinz
- Scuba – From Within – Marcel Dettmann Remix
- Marcel Dettmann – Translation Two
- Recondite – Caldere (Extended)
- Efdemin – Plenum (Original)
- wk[es] – stabilizer
- Baadman – Gambetta (BS1 Remix)
- Ulysses – Object of Interest
- Justin Cudmore – New Jack the House
- Steve Fourez – Rise Up (Daniele Petronelli Remix)
- Wender A – My Freaky Chicken
- Reagen – The Black Clock
- Robot Needs Oil – Tic & Tac
- Jack Da Groove – Jacking Feet
- RHX – Xtension
- TORLEY – Bodily Welfare
- Cibelle – Alcool
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