Technique Podcast

Dan Drastic is a premium constant part with his house sets in Germany. Back in the Nineties he was one of the most active and popular DJs in his hometown Chemnitz and organised parties in the club Lait Solair. Leaving Chemnitz, Drastic made his way to Leipzig and to Moon Harbour Recordings.

Having released productions on Highgrade Records, Lorna and on Steve Kotey's Hairy Claw as well on the German-New Zealand Label Curl Curl Music, 2008 saw his new release “Slice of Life” drop on Moon Harbour Recordings and "Bad Wolf" as a part of the new Moon Harbour Label compilation Inhouse Vol. 3.

Now a permanent fixture of the MH stable, Dan's delivered us a mix to celebrate the labels anniversary - enjoy!

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Greek born Kostas Tassopoulos, or Ekkohaus to you and I, started a life in music as a very early age, taking piano lessons as a child before being offered a scholarship in an orchestra percussion course. He studied vibraphone and marimba but after a few years of practice realised that classical education was missing a very important ingredient, so he went looking for it...

After buying his first Roland drum machine and a cheap synthesizer and soon was transferring midi data between the two devices. In the late nineties, he was introduced to computer music and nowadays he combines software and hardware equipment for his production and live performances.

In 2002, Ekkohaus moved in London where he studied music technology (LCMM) whilst working in a renowned art gallery on the side. 2008 saw the man move again, heading to where else but...Berlin.

HIs background has clearly provided Ekkohaus with a tasteful and varied palette as he turns his hand to his trade in his distinctive style. From running a new night based around the art of 'listening and experiencing music' to his varied but house-derived grooves for such imprints as Morris Audio, Cargo Edition, Safari Electronique, 2020 Vision, Multi vitamins, Level, Brut and many more and touring heavily as a DJ and a live act.

For his Technique podcast Kostas steps up with the type of infectious mix that we've become accustomed to hearing from the Ekkohaus stable.

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After a short hiatus, episode twenty of the Technique Podcast series sees us kick off a three-part special. To celebrate 10 years of the fabulous Moon Harbour Recordings we present not one, but three podcasts from some of the labels shiniest stars.

We kick off with the fabulous Chris Lattner who delivers a mix worthy of such a momentous occasion. Expect a taste of what it is that's made the past year the busiest yet for Mr Lattner. Pure house grooves!

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Shonky is a somewhat unusual character in modern dance music. Understated and laid back in his approach to the promotion of his art, Shonky has quietly and steadily built a reputation over the past five years. As a producer he has displayed his wares on contemporary imprints such as Freak n' Chic, Contexterrior, and Mobilee and as a performer he's built a following which now sees him with a diary which is like an A to Z of the world's great cities.

One thing that remains with everything that Shonky turns his hand to is the quality. His mix for Technique's Podcast series is no different as he maintains a firm house vibe to supply an addictive 78 minutes of music. Sit back, relax and get into Shonky's groove.

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As the Technique Podcast reachers maturity we're delighted to welcome the mighty Rob Mello to provide yet another exclusive offering to our beloved series.

London based Mello has been a constant on the international scene since his first releases back in 1992. With releases, productions and remixes for such mighty labels as Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon's Classic, the seminal Junior Boy's Own and Damier and Trent's legendary Prescription, Rob clearly has little left to prove. That said his drive has not wained and he continues to release on the most influential imprints around, from Crosstown to Running Back as well as his very own Disco 45.

Mello has also carved himself an impressive reputation as a DJ too with an ever busy calendar of international dates. He steps up to the mantle with this house-cum-discoid session...just the ticket!

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A versatile artist born in Naples in 1983, Rio attended the Academy of Fine Arts of Naples specializing in scenic design before he started producing music in 2007, influenced by the sounds of Playhouse, Basic Channel, Steve O'Sullivan, Nick Rapaccioli and Stewart Walker.

In 2008 he published a series of vinyl on Mosaik Musik label founded by the Neapolitan group of promoters Minimalismi and Lucio Aquilina (who then abandoned the project to engage in Wordless records). Initially Rio's sound oriented toward techno and micro house, with the project 'Ragga Fonda' developing a deeper side to his house roots.

2009 saw the successful collaboration with Metroline Limited as well as the conception of “Horacio" with Massimo Di Lena. Two releases on historical European labels Raum Musik and Cynosure followed, with support from the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Dorian Paic and Raresh. Recent work on Bass Culture and an EP on Tsuba in November has put him on the map well and truly.

A healthy dose of dub, jazz, deep house, and techno influences, shaken with a little bit of flamenco, is what makes their music unique and naturally explosive on the dance floor.

Currently, Rio devotes more and more of his time towards the old techniques of production from the 90's, blending the use of software, hardware and sampling. A young man of many talents, keep your ears to the ground, you heard it here first...

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Time for undoubtedly our least conventional podcast (so far at least).  Thing is this mix comes from Nathan Jonson aka Hrdvsion so we should have probably expected it given that one thing he’s rarely described as, is conventional – in musical sense at least!  Hrdvsion is very difficult to pin down.  Unafraid to explore the more esoteric, outlandish aspects of rhythm and sound his sound is arguably indefinable yet inherently identifiable as his own. 

Whilst it’s clear that Nathan takes influence from the likes of musical mischief-makers such as Aphex Twin and Squarepusher the intrigue in his Hrdvision output perhaps spawns more from the amalgamation of such influences alongside…, well everything else it seems!  Hrdvsion’s experiments began with exploring his blues-loving father’s midi keyboard at the age of eight. His mother nudged him towards classical piano and he tinkered with the washtub bass from time to time. But it was the keyboard he always went back to, stubbornly wrenching tune after tune from its limited 127 sounds, even while his older brother Mat (better known to the world of techno as Cobblestone Jazz’s Mathew Jonson) was bringing home fancy bass synths and TR 909s.

These early musical trips were formative to say the least. Nathan still spends most of his studio time with his head inside a computer, searching for strange sounds and mysterious glitches. “The programs are so complicated these days, they just can’t test them to their limits in every direction,” he enthuses, “so you can still find all these hidden sounds and bugs.”  An interesting character indeed!

For his Technique podcast Nathan has spliced, chopped, and mashed together an hour of Public Enemy, Cathy Dennis, Milanese, Juan Atkins, Robyn and Sugarhill Gang.  Sound strange?  It is…but in the best possible way.

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Eddie C steps up to the mark for episode fifteen, slowing the tempo but not the energy.  Over the past ten years Eddie has used his base in the Canadian Rocky Mountains to research and develop his hugely in demand skills.  

An accomplished DJ, producer and mountaineer for over 20 years, he saw his first official vinyl releases in just 2009. Beginning his experiments with tape edits and pause mixes in the late 80s he has been inspired by all forms of experimental music over the years. His popularity in the world of underground dance music has sky rocketed recently, with releases on Jiscomusic, Karat, Endless Flight, Sleazy Beats and Kolour to name a few.

For his Technique offering Eddie shows us just why he’s so in demand as he fires us a mix of true disco ethos.

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Hailing from Paris via London via Istanbul (don’t call him French!), Tolga Fidan is a well travelled individual who’s managed to inject much of his surroundings into his musical output.  From the tender age of 14 Tolga could be found playing guitar in numerous post rock outfits and always found himself drawn to the experimental sounds from the likes of Sonic Youth, Autechre, Pansonic, and Fennesz.

Tolga’s musical background provided him with the basis to experiment and lucky for us he found himself absorbed in the world of techno.  First releasing with Vakant in 2006, the label which still exclusively releases his original productions, his debut release ‘Now I’m Weak EP’ earned the esteem of fans and techno heavyweights the world over in record time. All the more impressive when you realise that his lush and beautifully produced debut EP was created from the most modest bedroom studio means and mixed on headphones costing less than a round of late night drunken kebabs!

Fast forward four years and Tolga is an established and highly considered artist, recognized for his exceptionally high quality output.  His Technique Podcast is no exception and sees Tolga keep the standards high, so batten down the hatches – Tolga is in town!

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Episode 13 of the Technique Podcast proves that not all things associated with the haunted number are to be feared.  The Swedish ass shaker that is Axel Boman steps up to showcase a suitably twisted mix of house, techno and, er, other things to show just how unconventional that musical mind of his is.

Catching the bug around 1992, Axel began building a reputation for himself in the small but very friendly Stockholm club scene and was soon acknowledged as one of the country’s most skillful and best looking DJs!  Naturally, production activity followed and with releases such as “Arcimboldo” on Ourvision Recordings catching the eye of Magda, Seth Troxler and DJ Koze, amongst others, Boman’s stock began to rise.

With a raw and playful sound which is equally suitable for the dancefloor or at home, 2010 is set to be the big breakthrough year for Axel.  With epic house anthem “Holy Love” imminent on Koze’s new Pampa Records imprint around the same time as he goes off to London to participate in the Red Bull Music Academy the future’s looking bright Axel (and his behind!).

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