Feature: WhoMadeWho [Interview + Premiere] Hello Guys, thanks for joining us! your much anticipated sixth studio album 'Through The Walls' is getting closer, it's got that amazing blend of electronic pop / funk that you're so loved for but there are also moments of deep, meditative bliss with tracks like 'Purple', 'Belong' and 'Surfing On A Stone' which we absolutely love. How do you end up with the final selection and how do you go about cutting stuff out? There must be honeymoon period with almost everything you write? TOMAS HØFFDING: in the moment of creation there is always a state of megalomania…there has to be, otherwise you cannot do it… I mean, you are up against the goods of songwriting and producing every time you make a new track. if you put things too much in to perspective at this moment, you lose all your mojo. later, after you have written and produced the track, you step down from the pedestal, and you look at what you created. And then you go really hard on yourselves, the honeymoon is definitel Read More
Feature: SIS [interview] Hi Burak, thanks for joining us today, how are you and where in the world are you today? Hello, first off all, thanks for having me :) I am close to Barcelona, in the country side. You discovered music through your father who was part of a folk band I believe, tell us how that shaped your own musical journey. Well I think the best answer to that is my music itself. Especially those unreleased tracks with influences from all over the world. To be an entertainer is something I learned from my father and I am very thankful and happy for that. I love to make people dance and smile. Your bio stats a 'dancefloor epiphany' led you to discover DJ Culture and techno, was that one singular moment in a club? If so please tell us about it. OH yes. Mr Karotte was playing an unbelievable kind of native Indian set at u 60210 in Frankfurt. That was the night when I decided to do what I am actually doing :) About 10 years ago you got signed to Nick Curly's Cecille imprint, would yo Read More
Feature: Aiden [Interview] Aiden is a Rotterdam-based DJ/Producer who steadfastly avoids producing music with certain genres or formulas in mind, preferring to blend a unique variety of sounds and textures into his work. His adventurous debut artist album (‘Gebruikerssporen’) defies simple pigeonholing, which is what makes his music so interesting. When an artist has a creative palette that ranges from psychedelic overtones, through leftfield electronics, to limitless organic textures and irresistible percussion, Progressive-Astronaut thinks its time to find out more about the man behind the music… Let’s go back to the beginning… When was the first time you stumbled on electronic music? The first time I really got into electronic music was in the late 90's when the Hardcore/Gabber culture got really big in the Netherlands. In this period of time I saw the first records being spun by a DJ and live performances with synths and drum machines (on TV as I was too young to go to parties) and I instantly Read More
Monkey Safari Interview + Premiere Hey Guys, thanks for joining us today, how are you and where abouts in the world are you today? Yeah, we’re fine. At the moment we are in our studio finishing a new EP for Bedrock. For those who don't know you are real life brothers so walk us through how Monkey Safari came to be? Were you guys producing solo at any time in your career? We started djing around 15 years ago, when we bought two 1210s and a mixer. We never played together, because Sven was more into UK Garage/Big Beat and Electronic Music and I came from the Hip Hop and Soul music side of things. After a couple of years we founded our first label together with some friends and that was the starting point of Monkey Safari. The whole music production thing started at this point. We never produced any solo records alone. The name Monkey Safari is something that you instantly remember when hearing it, how did you eventually settle on that as an artist moniker? We'd tell you, but we'd have to kill you. Do you Read More
Jam El Mar Interview + Premiere First off al im really curious how it all started for you? JAM: I had a couple of synths and my cousin introduced me to some DJs who wanted to start recording so we teamed up and this is how Jam & Spoon and Dance 2 Trance started. Can you tell us one achievement you are realy proud of? JAM: I am never proud of something but I am happy over some work, yes. When I see young DJs still playing The Age Of Love Remix, then I am really happy about that. What's your oppinion on genres and artist arround the certain genres? for example if the artist is only connected to techno like Adam Bayer and if he were to play Deep house - Progressive set do yu think his audience would love it or hate it? what's your oppinion on limiting yourself to a certain genre? JAM: When I started with music a DJ usually played all kinds of styles. Obviously this has changed. I think its great that we can concentrate on certain styles. As a DJ you are able to follow your personal preferences and yo Read More
Alex Stein Interview + Exclusive Mix Hi Alex, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today, where are you living now and how long have you been producing and DJing? Hey Guys, thank you for having me. I am living in São Paulo, Brasil at the moment and have been DJing for a little over 12 years and making music for around 10 years or so. So you were born in Brazil but now have German Citizenship, how did that come to be? I’ve always had a German Citizenship actually. I was born in Brazil but my family moved to Germany when I was only a few months old and I grew up there until I was 6, before returning to Brazil. That’s how I got to have dual Citizenship and speak both languages. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living and working between such diverse continents? Well, first and most obviously the dual citizenship is a big advantage. I can come and go into Europe as I wish and stay as long as I want. For me that is one of the best things about it. As both Germany and Brazil are countries Read More
WEHBBA interview + Exclusive Podcast We are lucky enough to have one of Brazil’s top DJ’s and producers with us before his gig in Croatia this weekend for Ultra’s world renowned Resistance stage. Currently living in Barcelona, his style of music has a very distinct sound, loved by many industry heads, which has lead him to have a string of successful releases on labels including Systematic Recordings, Tronic, Bedrock and Drumcode. We find out what he’s got going on for the next few months along with an exclusive new mix showcasing some of his latest projects. South America has one of the strongest techno scenes in the world, and Brazil is very interesting place. What do you like about the scene there and can you describe your beginnings in music? Where did you find inspiration? I think the scene in Brazil is going through some quick and important changes recently, it became so much bigger in the past couple of years. Just as I moved to Spain things started to change so fast it was hard to keep tr Read More
Robert Babicz Interview + Premiere [Bedrock Records] Hi Robert, nice to catch you, i know you are very busy, so thanks for taking few minutes to answer some of our questions! We have a pleasure to do a premiere for your upcoming release on Bedrock, can you tell us something about that? Thank you very much for your support, this track is like a mixture of Acid and Grace Jones having a glass of sparkling wine. Curious what are you doing at the moment? Spending time in studio, doing tutorials or perhaps touring, or all of the above? Just woke up in Bali/Indonesia. Had a wonderful tour in Australia, Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, and now Bali. Sharing the Babiczstyle sounds :) I saw you constantly making new music (from your SoundCloud snippets and ideas) - any info on your upcoming stuff and what the feedback is from other DJs/artists on your music? Ohh there is a lot to come, did a full new ambient album for TRAUM, and also new tunes for my own label. Also will start to work on my next album for Systematic. From your Instagra Read More
SQL – Interview (debut Album is due for release on 9th June) How did you decide on your name SQL does it have something to do with Structured Query Language? :D It does actually! I was doing freelance web design and development before I started with music. A friend told me SQL was actually pronounced as Sequel, and I though this had a nice ring to it. Although no one ever seems to pronounce it that way, people mostly just say SQL. Do you do music full time or is just hobby I’m not in the studio and touring all the time. I’m a mix engineer and I’m a personal Ableton teacher. My own music isn’t my only source of income which gives me total creative freedom to make the music I like without focussing on the money. I would not call it a hobby though, it’s my life. how did you enter the world of electronic music? and how did you decided is something you want to do, how did you end up producing / djing? I came from a rock background, also playing in bands during my early teens. My introduction to electron Read More
Christian Smith Interview @ Bogaloo Club, Zagreb We had a pleasure to catch up and chat with one of the techno scene heavy weights Christian Smith, hope you enjoy the interview! You have been in the scene for over two decades, and it’s hard to imagine a list of successful producers and DJ’s without your name being at the top. What do you personally think are the biggest turning points during your artistic career? I don't really think that there has been a big turning point specifically, but it has been more consistent over the years. I have been producing and DJ’ing for so many years and have been lucky do have an exciting and successful career from this. Music has long been a significant part of your lie. Did anything change your view of the music and the music scene through the last few years and what do you think about it today? The whole industry has changed a lot since I started out all those years ago. Back then, there were very few international DJ’s and when you produced a record, if it was successful – Read More