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EPM Podcast 32 – OktoRed
May 08, 2012 09:08 AM PDT
Next up on the EPM Podcast we get our collective jit on as Detroit’s OktoRed gives us a full Motor City blast with his own OktoRed and Cocky Balboa productions mixed up with his own re-works of Franki Juncaj (aka DJ 3000), Katy B, I:Cube, Gauche Kids and the hip hop classic Wu Tang Clan ‘Aint Nothin’ To Fuck Wit’. OktoRed, hailing from Detroit MI, has been gaining some real momentum of late. As one of Beatportal’s “Artists To Watch 2012”, and coming off his first YoSucka! imprint, ‘The Future Sounds of 8 Mile’ he wanted to showcase his ability to transcend from his kind, gentle side, to a more rough, dark side with the release of ‘Gemini 1 EP’ released on 4th May and the forthcoming ‘Gemini 2 EP’. OktoRed continues a long lineage of Detroit Electronic Music. Limitless, genre expanding and intelligent, it can be said that this artist has pushed his music to project feeling. It is hard to define his genre and that would just be too limiting, as OktoRed morphs between indiscriminate tempo future bass, defined as Detroit infused techno, borrowing ideas from moombahton, dubstep, juke, footwork and ghetto tech. A gun to the stomach by a typical Detroit stick up thug flashed his musical life before him, right before he gave up all the cash in his pocket, and his life was spared. He remembered his time as a kid, only 12 years old, teaching himself guitar while following the Detroit techno, ghetto tech and jungle scene. Over the next few years visions of gear, often given to him by older cats in the industry became realities, as he collected an old Koss drum machine, Fender Rhodes piano, various synths, and drum machines, coupled with a Roland MC 500 sequencer. At this point his tools would then be worked to all hours of the morning. Flash forward to the cold metal of a handgun, in his gut, he realized that his day gig was NOT the direction he needed to go in life and began working past sleep deprivation to give birth to tracks that have become Detroit underground staples. He had no choice but to make his grimy and dark, underground bass symphonies pound through the bodies on dance floors, laying them out one by one and turning them into frenzied fans. He is currently releasing tracks on the YoSucka! Imprint, working on music that is sometimes inspired by current events. For instance, the track ‘How Many Moons’ was made in response to the riots in London of 2011. Overburdened by the thoughts of how people can burn down their own neighbourhood forced him to react in his own musical way. Software synthesizers, Ableton Live and esoteric tracker programs come under his command as he continues to produce, long after you’ve gone to bed and entered the deepest parts of slumber. Q&A with OktoRed 1. Please give us a quick walk through your selection. Why did you choose these tracks for the mix?
2. How would you begin to describe your style?
3. Your work although influenced by Detroit, also sounds from somewhere else. How has the fabled 7th City impacted on you as a producer and DJ?
4. How has working with Brian Gillespie, one of the unsung heroes of the Detroit electro and ghetto tek story, helped you to envisage your work as an artist?
5. How do you work in the studio? Do ideas come to fruition quickly or do you tinker with lots of ideas at the same time, going back and forth until one clicks and you focus on it?
6. Which modern day producers currently impress you?
7. What plans do you currently have for your own music productions?
8. Where do you play out these days? Any plans to come to Europe?
9. Please give us your top 10 all-time favourite Detroit tracks: in no particular order…
EPM Podcast 32 - OktoRed
April 06, 2012 11:46 AM PDT
Next up on the EPM Podcast we dust off the mirror ball as Nu Disco maestro Justin Winks (Casio Social Club) gives us a personalised guided tour of the sound of Mullet Records. Featuring plenty of 808 rhythms, arpeggiated synths and disco that swings from pop to cosmic Mr. Winks segues and presents the sound of his own label like no one else. From his own Casio Social Club productions to Tad Wily, Baxter, Satin Jackets, Drop Out Orchestra and Russian pop sensations Tesla Boy we find the spirit of disco-funk alive and kicking, albeit with a rather dubious haircut! Justin grew-up on a diet of Soul, Funk, Disco, New Wave and early Hip-Hop, which then progressed to Electro-Funk, Chicago House and Detroit Techno. He took to the wheels-of-steel at the tender age of 15 and since those early days has trotted around the globe spinning his trademark Nu-Disco sound. As a DJ, Justin has been fortunate enough to play in the super clubs of the UK such as Ministry Of Sound to the beach parties of sunny Ibiza. His production work has seen him collaborate with the likes of Danny Howells, Victor Simonelli, Supersonic Lovers, Jake Island, Drop Out Orchestra, Tad Wily & Tesla Boy. And over the past couple of years his productions have received huge support from dance music maestros Aeroplane, Grum, Crazy P, Faze Action and Groove Armada… and if that wasn’t enough, his recent ‘Rock the Discotheque’ track hit the No.1 spot on both Juno and Traxsource. By day, Justin owns and runs his own record label - Mullet Records. Since Mullet's doors opened in 2008, it has established itself as one of the leading Nu-Disco labels and scored a plethora of Top 10 hits on the relevant download stores. In the past four years Justin has signed many a like-minded artist including The Diogenes Club, Sare Havlicek, Fatback 4Way, Baxter, ODahl, LDA, Dabeull, Estate, Nuvo Rich, The Artificial Arm, Solila, Satin Jackets, Drop Out Orchestra, Lou Teti, DATO, Elijah Collins, Tad Wily, Chordashian and Russian 3-piece sensation Tesla Boy! To download/stream EPM Podcast 31 - Justin Winks (Casio Social Club) click here Tracklist Casio Social Club – ‘Sexual Feeling’ (Mullet)
www.epm-music.com. You can subscribe to all of EPM’s podcasts via iTunes. For more information about EPM’s digital distribution and other services:
Q&A with Justin Winks (Casio Social Club) 1. Please give us a quick walk through your selection. Why did you choose these tracks for the mix?
2. What made you decide to set up Mullet Records in 2008? How has the reaction been to the label so far?
3. You also used to run the Void label in the 90s, releasing classic electronic and techno releases from the likes of Future Beat Alliance, Yunx, Mode-M, Total Science and more. Do you still engage in the world of techno?
4. When you first started DJing at 15, what records were featuring in your sets?
5. As the label A&R of Mullet Records, what criteria do tracks need to meet for you to take them on?
6. Which modern day producers currently impress you?
7. Do you think the resurgence of ‘nu-disco’ has opened up people to playing older tracks, lost oddities and more avant-garde dance music alongside current productions? Or was the dreaded word ‘eclecticism’ always there?
9. What plans do you currently have for your own music productions?
Also I’ve just completed a remix for Bastian’s Happy Flight that will be out on Mullet in the coming weeks and I’m just in the middle of a rather cool collab with Elijah Collins too. 9. Please give us your top 10 all-time favourite 80s Boogie tracks:
1. Toney Lee – Reach Up
JUSTIN WINKS LINKS (CASIO SOCIAL CLUB):
MULLET RECORDS LINKS:
February 21, 2012 02:56 PM PST
Next up on the EPM Podcast we welcome a lady whose techno oozes soul and depth as Dutch DJ/producer Estroe takes us on an atmospheric and emotional journey through EevoNext’s label catalogue. Featuring the subtle and melodic depths that the label so often represents Estroe takes us on a textured ride through the label’s history as Dan Grain, Terrace, Justin Berkovi, Duplex, The Moderator, Sounds Conversions, Art Bleek and Estroe herself blend into an ethereal, nocturnal mix. Together with the likes of Anja Schneider, Mistress Barbara and Monika Kruse, Estroe belongs to an elite club of female DJs that made it to the top. Born in Zutphen as Esther Roozendaal, raised near Amsterdam and currently living in Rotterdam, she has been DJing since 1998. Whether it’s behind the turntables of the famous Fuse club in Brussels, Watergate in Berlin or an underground club in Romania, Estroe knows how to tune in and drop the right beats. She likes to play versatile, techno infused sets with room for deep undercurrents as well as pure dancefloor work. Her style is warm, subtle but at the same time very energetic. Things really took off when Estroe started producing her own tracks back in 2003. In hindsight it was an unconscious response to the skull breaking beats of those days. "I missed the soul in much techno back then and felt the need to make something myself." She then learned everything there was to know about hard- and software. In her first productions Estroe went back to the early days of Detroit techno. Back when people like Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin and the The Black Dog found the soul in their machines. With her sophisticated, warm and elegant style she soon appeared on the radar of DJs like Laurent Garnier, Ripperton and John Digweed. The latter was blown away by Estroe's minimalist masterpiece ‘Driven’ and promptly asked her for a remix on his Bedrock label. Another strong supporter is techno don Dave Clarke who has booked her for his White Noise parties on more than one occasion. In 2009 she released her debut album ‘Elemental Assets’ (Connaisseur) which featured Miss Kittin on vocals and recently Estroe has been rediscovering the darker sides of techno in her DJ sets, something which will no doubt translate in her future productions. With her ability to mould sounds into beautiful shapes, Estroe has become an in demand remixer in recent years. Some of her best work was done for others, like Tim Wolff, Art Bleek and Rocco Caine, whose Fathorn 50 made it to M.A.N.D.Y.'s ‘Body Language’ compilation.
Another promising project is Estafête, a ‘girls only DJ team’ consisting of Monica Electronica, Lin and Estroe. “No I’m not a fanatic feminist but I do miss the femininity in the DJ world sometimes”, she states. It’s not only more fun with two other women behind the mixer, it’s also very inspiring.” With Estafête we constantly challenge each other, which translates in better DJ sets.” With a filled agenda and an inbox full of remix requests, chances are high you’ll be dancing to an Estroe tune this weekend. Asked if she has any regrets since she gave up her day job years ago, she fiercely shakes her head. “This is what I always wanted: to make good music and to play it out." www.epm-music.com. You can subscribe to all of EPM’s podcasts via iTunes. For more information about EPM’s digital distribution and other services:
Q&A with Estroe 1. Please give us a quick walk through your selection. Why did you choose these tracks for the mix? I wanted to pick the tracks that I didn’t use before in other EevoNext-only mixes and wanted to give some attention to the last releases. But it had to fit in the flow and had to be mixable. It’s always difficult to make a special EevoNext mix because of the tempo and style differences and because all the tracks are melodic. But of course they are also a selection of my personal taste. 2. How did you come to be running EevoNext alongside Stefan Robbers? Were you already a long time fan of Eevo Lute? To be honest I wasn’t a long time fan of Eevo Lute, I have bought some of the older stuff but I started DJing in 97/98 so I wasn’t really familiar with the early works. I remember that I liked Stefan’s (Terrace) music on FWD: Stefan and I knew each other from walking around in the same scene and at one point we got to know each other better and he asked my help with modernising the label somewhat. That’s when we started EevoNext. 3. In your own productions you stated that you like to target peoples’ ‘emotional spot’. Do you feel the same way about your DJing? In DJing it’s more about sharing, I like to share what I find good music and I like to present it in a way that builds up tension. When I say ‘I want to take people on a journey’ it sounds so cliché but in a way it’s true. I’m in my happy element when I see a crowd in unity because they are all enjoying the same thing and forgetting about their daily sorrows. But music is always emotional in my opinion so in that way DJing is also about hitting an emotional spot. 4. How did the challenge of making your debut album ‘Elemental Assets’ (2009) compare to making an EP release? Working on an album takes so much more time! I’m not really a conceptual worker, I make what comes out of me and for an EP I make a selection with the label that wants to sign it. For the album I had to think more about artwork, remixers, singers and it had to be a consistent package so that was a long process. 5. What qualities are you looking for when signing new music or artists to EevoNext? Originality, a good balance between old and new sounds and a certain dedication and presentation by the artist. But the style can vary from ambient to techno as long as it’s good. For 2012 we already made a strategy with the artists we signed so we are a bit laidback with demos at the moment. 6. As one third of Estafête, a ‘girls only DJ team’ consisting of Monica Electronica, Lin and yourself you say that you miss the femininity in the DJ world sometimes. How does this female DJ tag team differ from your normal DJ experiences and are the reactions from men and women different in any way? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not the world’s biggest feminist, I’ve always liked the dance scene to work in and have fun with my male colleagues. But there are situations when it’s nice that you work together with women. To share experiences about that cocky promoter, or simply discuss what to wear to a gig. ☺ The team differs from my solo experience in music choice. With Estafete I play a little less deep, more party. And solo I’m a bit reserved but with the three of us I loosen up more. The reactions from men and women are not far away from each other in my opinion although I have the impression that women like it slightly more, they just find it cool to see three DJ women working together. Men are more visually and focused about the technique so I get questions after our set about how we work. 7. Apparently you are completely self-taught on software production and now even give workshops on Ableton. How important was it for you to develop your production skills from scratch? That was just a combination between how things went and my character. I was interested in the question whether or not I would be able to produce something. It was a challenge for me to find things out and the first year I was just fascinated by all the sounds that came out of the keyboard and plugins. Luckily I started producing when digital producing just came up so I didn’t have to invest a lot of money in studio equipment, a good computer, keyboard and sequencer helped me start up quite easily. I did spent time in the studio with others and did get some explanation about Cubase, soundcards and all technical stuff and I always had people who I could ask questions when problems arose. But I realised that it’s better to just try and learn from errors. When Ableton Live came out it all become much easier for me, suddenly I was able to work faster and I finished some tracks that were signed by labels. What’s important to me is that I can say that I make my music myself, it’s really a reflection from what I am and what I have to say. It wouldn’t be fun to have success with something someone else produced would it? At least not for me. About Ableton workshops: I’m not the technique nerd that explains thoroughly how a filter works but I do like to explain the creative process, how to arrange a track, how to do a remix, or how to create deepness, tension. And I found out that I prefer to explain that in a more intimate way so I started giving private lessons. 8. From the outside the Dutch dance music scene looks to be in a very healthy state – from the underground vanguard like yourselves, Clone, Rush Hour, Delsin etc to the more commercial side like Tiesto, Armin van Buuren, Fedde Le Grande and so forth. Is this the case? Yes, production wise we are doing well, Dutch music is one of the largest export products for Holland I’ve heard. But for people like ourselves, trying to bring good quality music for a small niche it’s very difficult. If we weren’t so idealistic and determined we would have stopped with the label, we don’t earn any money with it (also the illegal downloads doesn’t help). As a producer and DJ I have to earn my paycheck by getting gigs but the recession in Europe is very noticeable. It’s almost impossible to live from music only. 9. What plans do you currently have for your music production? Nothing special, just to improve myself, I am enjoying remixing a lot but have to focus more on my own productions too. Furthermore I would like to become a Certified Ableton trainer so I hope to develop in that direction soon. 10. Please give us your top 10 all-time favourite Dutch techno tracks:
Speedy J – G-Spot (album)
EPM Podcast 30 – EevoNext mix by Estroe
Dan Grain - "Falow Blue" (EevoNext 32)
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Podcast Summarywww.epm-music.com About EPM MusicEPM promotes, markets & distributes electronic music around the world. From digital distribution to 100s of stores, EPM is perfectly placed to help labels & artists maximize their digital revenue potential. Established in 2001, EPM has been the hub of media campaigns (both print & online), radio & club DJ promotions for many of the biggest names in electronic music. From techno to house, leftfield to downtempo or electro to electronica, EPM has helped establish many of the world's most revered DJs & producers into the global headliners of today. EPM's all round approach also incorporates rights mgmt & legal services to help nurture & push fresh & established artists to become the world conquering acts of tomorrow. EPM is a hub of music knowledge & industry expertise ready to develop cutting edge electronic music & help propel your label & artists to the global stage. www.epm-music.com Followers
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