Dekmantel Podcast

It is fair to say that for every Derrick May and Jeff Mills, the Motor City has produced a whole bunch of talented artists that never quite got the same acclaim. Kelli Hand aka K-HAND is surely one of those. The rather under the radar artist is one of Detroit’s most consistent performers, and has been for the last twenty years. Her music revolves around slick and robust drums and has come on essential labels like Underground Resistance, Warp and Tresor as well as more recently Nina Kraviz’s Trip.

Deep seated as her roots are, K-HAND'S music is not all throwback stuff: this mix she has put together for us mixes up the old and the new, the choppy and the smooth. Underpinned by a darkly seductive energy, it bristles and brims with vocal laced breakbeats and swinging garage, glides through some smooth deep techno and gets loose with some wild style jams that will get you out of your seat.

Aussie Mic Newman is true to his Fantastic Man moniker. The music he releases under it is always inventive and colourful stuff that defies easy categorisation. It draws ideas from tribal, acid and abstract sound worlds and marries them to rugged, compelling house and techno grooves. Let’s Play House, Fine Choice and Permanent Vacation all release it and the man himself also co-runs the Superconscious label with his friend Francis Inferno Orchestra. On top of this he also recently explored new age ambient and downtempo as Mind Lotion, so has never been hotter than he is right now.

His mix for us draws on all this and more: it is a balmy house trip with curious jungle sounds, breezy melodies and retro sounding oddities that speak of an inquisitive musical mind. Quite often managing to sound both soothing and banging at the same time, it is a colourful affair that never stays in one place for too long, and is all the more absorbing because of it.

It’s fair to say that Kai Alce is an underrated artist. Not only does he turn out a consistent stream of tunes on top labels, but he also oversees NDATL Muzik, one of the most fawned over deep house labels out there. He has actually been active since 2002, and his heartfelt brand of house has always embodied elements of New York, Detroit and Chicago, as well as his Atalanta homeland. It sounds unmistakably alive and irresistibly soulful and has come on labels like FXHE, Mahogani Music and Finale Sessions. As a lynchpin of the Atlanta scene, he and his peers are only just starting to get some of the wider recognition they deserve.

The mix he offers us here showcases his impeccable taste and takes in jazzy house styles, loose party jams and vocal groovers that are deliciously deep. Romantic and richly coloured, it’s a set for lovers of laidback grooves and proper musicality. Given the time of year, the whole thing seems to glow like Christmas lights on a festive winter night, so stick it on, warm up some mulled wine and get on down.

It is with great pleasure that we present to you our 100th podcast. Over the course of the series we like to think we have mixed up big names with the stars of tomorrow; have shined a light on lesser known DJs who deserve the limelight and given pride of place to people with their own distinctive sounds. One such artist is Helena Hauff, the DJ turned producer who cut her teeth at the legendary Golden Pudel in Hamburg. Though she is a DJ first and foremost, her recorded material on labels like Werk Discs and Handmade Birds has never been less than arresting thanks to its dystopian blend of electro and techno moods and grooves.

This mix she has done for us is just the same: it is ninety minutes of elastic electro, popping techno and slithering electronics that are shiny and metallic, crisp and futuristic. It will push and pull you in many different directions but is all tied together by an infectious sense of slick robo-funk. Right up there with electro greats like Drexcyia and I-F, Helena Hauff is a suitably singular artist to helm this landmark podcast.

Red Light Radio regular Steele Bonus is Amsterdam based but Sydney born. In the last couple of years he has emerged as a champion of darkened synth pop, post punk and Italo disco sounds, and is an expert at mixing them together into something that sounds old yet new. A regular at various parties round his native Australia before making the move to Europe, he is now growing in profile over here and showcases exactly why with a one hour mix for our series. From wonky machine sounds to dystopian 80s new wave via crisp electro and techno, it is a coherent journey that is tight and fresh throughout.

Lord Of The Isles is the alias of British born producer Neil McDonald. Since 2011 the man delivered a steady amount of quality releases on labels like Mule, Permanent Vacation, Phonica and Unthank. Having just released his debut album “In Waves” on the acclaimed Californian ESP Institute label, run by Lovefingers, his contribution to our series comes at the right time. For his mix, Lord Of The Isles comes up with an hour long live set consisting of own tracks, which gives us a coherent insight into his musical mind.

Jon Rust is a real DJ’s DJ. With roots in London’s club heritage and an approach to DJing which reflects that, Rust draws inspiration from the city's rich diversity and no-holds-barred approach to music. This is also backed up by the fact that he has hosted a deliciously diverse show on NTS since the stations first week of broadcasting - "No Boring Intros". Rust also runs his own label, Levels, where he has put out music from Lord Tusk and Ajukaja, amongst others.

His 75 minute mix for us proves why this Londoner is so admired: it wastes no time in setting a nice house vibe with the use of plenty of unusual tracks, unknown gems and unlikely grooves. From bumping and dirty to down and deep, he manages to tie all these different strands together into something truly thrilling.

Brazilian duo Selvagem is made up of Millos Kaiser and Trepanado. Their alias translates from Portuguese as “wild” and their collective output fits that word well: it is organic and from-the-jungle, littered with traditional instruments as well as weird synths, plus bird calls, naturalistic sounds and vocal chantings. As well as being colourful DJs and record collectors, the pair host their own much loved sunset parties and intimate club events in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janerio. Mostly they command the decks themselves, but guests like Optimo and Andy Blake have also stopped by.

A genre-less approach informs their DJ style and finds the pair mixing up sounds from many worlds other than dance, including rock, soul and funk as well as house and techno and plenty of indescribable moods in between. All of this is laid bare in their podcast for us, which is a seventy five minute, sun-kissed trip though pan pipes and afro-disco, breezy house and kaleidoscopic grooves. One of the most erudite offerings in our series, this set really does invite you into a whole new musical realm.

Kobosil is one of the new wave of artists to have emerged under the wing of Berghain. As well as being a resident at the club, the Berlin DJ and producer has also released on its in house labels Ostgut Ton and Unterton, as well as on fellow resident Marcel Dettmann’s own eponymous imprint. His dark, heavy sound also gave rise to a debut full length earlier this year, and with its clear focus on big linear drums and shadowy atmospheres, it proved he is here to stay. Now, the boss of his own RK label steps up to our series with a similarly impressive mix.

Starting out in frazzled and dystopian fashion, the mix wastes little time in setting a high impact, high tempo techno agenda. Overdriven percussion and lurching synths, wild machine sounds and thumping drums are all hurried and forceful and encourage you to lean right into the grooves, head down, stomping away. It is a powerful and maximal one hour selection that cannot fail to get your attention.

If you manage to come up and make a mark on the Detroit scene, you are clearly doing something right. And that’s just how Derek Plaslaiko started: spinning his clinical yet sophisticated sets at various key raves around the Mid West of America before eventually establishing himself on the global underground circuit. Now, although Berlin based, you may caught his name on the flyer for the No Way Back parties (put on by Interdimensional Transmissions - the Detroit imprint that has put out several of Plaslaiko’s rare original releases) and is a resident for Bunker NYC and has been for years. He also releases his stylish brand of techno on the club’s in house label and has close ties with Ghostly International. Add to this the fact he played a sublime closing set at our festival back in August, and Derek is a natural choice to mix it up for our podcast series.

The resulting two and a half hour selection is an exquisitely programmed ride through many shades of techno, from stripped back and thumping to eerie and heady via raw and nasty. Just when the pressure seems like it might get too much, Plaslaiko masterfully switches up the mood and takes you somewhere else, thus keeping you locked to his grooves.

He says of the mix, “it was done in one take at the Resident Advisor offices in Berlin. The neighbours complained about the volume near the end of the recording, so I was forced to do the last few mixes headphones only. It's made up of about 60% current favourite tracks, and 40% unreleased material from a handful of friends. Kris Wadsworth, Jared Wilson, Todd Osborn, Dona, DVS1, Mr Statik, Secret Studio and Israel Vines all submitted tracks specifically for this mix. Will Lynch, Jim Beam and a massive amount of Burger King all played a major role in getting it done. I like a good story when hearing a DJ set, so that's what I was going for when programming the mix.