Droid Behavior

D-Node 103: DVS1 at First Ave, MN + Interview

Bijan — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:53:15 +0000

Zak Khutoretsky AKA DVS1 is a DJ, producer, and promoter operating out of Minneapolis. Founder of Hush promotions, he’s been doing it proper since the mid-’90s and is a beast behind the decks. Although he’s long been the hype of his hometown and beyond, he’s recently expanded his notoriety, appearing in an RA feature and putting out excellent releases on Ben Klock’s Klockworks, the Droid-friendly Timefog label, and Derrick May’s legendary Transmat.

For the 103rd installment of D-Node we have this deep vinyl set he played right before Drumcell went on in Minneapolis. Below is a Q&A with the man himself.

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Droid: How long have you been DJing and producing?

DVS1: DJing for 16 years, producing casually for about 10, but only recently in the last 2 years really focusing on finishing ideas into full tracks. I’m still learning how to express myself as a producer. I’m a DJ first for sure!

[Droid: To get a sense of his music and his electric stage presence, here's a clip of DVS1 performing a live set last year.]

Droid: Have you had any club residencies?

DVS1: Short stints at nights I have done over the last 15 years in MPLS, but really I prefer to not play out too much in my own city. I feel that if I was playing out every week or multiple times a week in my own city I wouldn’t have the pull that I’ve created and been able to hold on to over all that time. I want people who have been listening to me for years to still find some bit of interest in what I’m doing now. It keeps me on my toes as well and excited to play out in MPLS.

Droid: What’s the first record you purchased?

DVS1: Wow…that’s difficult. I think it was more like 1st crate purchased. I remember always having records around from my dad, but when I started buying music I remember buying a crate off a bum on the street in NYC in my early teens… it definitely wasn’t dance music. I wonder if that crate had any gems I would have wanted now! Come to think of it… what did I do with that?

Droid: How many records do you have in your collection?

DVS1: Around 10,000, give or take a few. I’m always selling some to make room for more! Mostly dance music, but definitely some hip hop, disco, soul, funk, random sound and noise records and just weird shit.

Droid: Best gig?

DVS1: Hmm…Current best gig was my recent visit to Berghain. I was honored to be playing in the “Mecca” with such an amazing lineup of my peers! Past would be at one of my first shows I did in Minneapolis back in 1997 with Electric Indigo, Heiko Laux, Neil Landstrumm, Tobias Schmidt, Shandy, Dave Tarrida, DJ Slip….that was just a magical night in my history. I probably played pretty bad after running around for days putting the party together, but the energy that night was on FIRE so it didn’t even matter!!!

Droid: Worst gig?

DVS1: I try and stay away from those… actually I must have blocked it out, cause I really can’t remember… although I know I’ve had a few pretty rough ones.

Droid: There’s a lot of expectation and discussion from the techno community for any release on Transmat. How did your record end up on that label, and how does it feel to be on Transmat?

DVS1: Long story short, Derrick and I have been friends for sometime through booking him in Minneapolis. I used to do sound for people and was hired to go to Detroit to run sound during the annual Detroit auto show. While in the D, I would hang out with Derrick a couple times a week. One night while sitting and listening to music, I snuck in some edits I was messing with and he asked me what they were as we were listening to random stuff. He asked me to finish the tracks and send them to him… fast forward almost 2 years and he decided to restart Transmat. I can’t really describe the feeling of being asked and actually seeing something like that come to fruition. As you mentioned in the question, Transmat carries weight, but even more importantly carries responsibility and history in our community. I just hope I’m doing it justice. I’m humbled and honored!!!

Droid: Though you’ve been at it for awhile, this past year has been particularly successful, with buzz, releases, and records on the Berghain/Ostgut side of things. Do you find that you’ve been getting more calls/commissions/bookings this past year?

DVS1: You know the greatest thing for me beyond all the hype is that I have received so many nice comments and emails from my peers. The people who I look up to for music currently and in the past are feeling my rhythm and expressing that to me. That’s really been the greatest satisfaction from this. It really validates my efforts with my music. And of course the added exposure is helping. I’m just now really starting to feel the full effect of my releases with people inquiring about music projects and bookings over the last 6 months. I’m excited for what’s coming down the pipeline!

Droid: Being a part of dance music and dance music culture takes some effort and often doesn’t pay. Why have you kept at it, and what does it mean to you?

DVS1: All though it doesn’t always pay monetarily, this music and the experiences I’ve had with it…throwing shows, doing sound, DJing, the friends and family, it pays in different ways. Music is my therapist, it’s what keeps me sane and makes me crazy at the same time. I love it! Just as you guys say…I live, breath, eat, shit and sleep this music! I’ve always done this out of an honest appreciation and dedication for it. I don’t know what I’d do without it.

Droid: Can you tell us a bit about this mix?

DVS1: I’m known for my peak time beat downs, but I really enjoy playing everything, from Theo Parrish to Jeff Mills and everywhere in between…slow or fast….

March of 2010, it’s a bit old, but I recently realized that I recorded this. The mix was recorded live doing an opening set for your boy DRUMCELL! He was in Minneapolis playing for one of my friends, and I was asked to open for him since he did a remix for my 2nd release. I really enjoy opening sets. It lets me start slow and build up and play tracks that normally don’t get played out as often. This mix was done with ALL VINYL and a few CDs of original material. The set was actually 2 hours, but the levels started to get pretty hot so I cut it off at 1.5 hours before it started to really get crunchy. As always, no edits, no fixing anything…I don’t play for perfection…house to techno and back again…Beats and Rhythms rule my world.

Droid: What’s in the works?

DVS1: Remixes… Sleaze Records(space), Perc trax(SAWF), Prologue(Lucy) + a few more. Full release for Mote Evolver/Luke Slater and another Klockworks for Ben Klock is almost done! I’m also trying to figure out some time to produce another live set!

[Droid: Here's Drumcell & Audio Injection remixing DVS1 for Timefog.]

Droid Behavior presents PRIME: Marcel Dettmann 8.05

Droid — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:42:43 +0000

CLICK HERE FOR LIMITED PRESALE TICKETS

CLICK HERE FOR EVENT INFO ON FACEBOOK

CLICK HERE FOR EVENT INFO ON RA

ABOUT PRIME:
Prime is the new above ground collaboration between Droid Behavior and west coast Hype Guru’s Media Contender. Our aim is to provide internationally renown techno house minimal and crossover talent to the city of Los Angeles on a monthly basis. For this first installment we bring you the heavy hitting and techno defining talent of Marcel Dettmann.

ABOUT MARCEL DETTMANN:
In the past few years very few names have become as synonymous with the current sound of techno as Marcel Dettman. Dettmann’s residency at what many consider to be not only the best club in Berlin, but also the very best club in the world, Berghain, has cemented his reputation as one of the best DJ’s in the genre. His regular appearances in the debaucherous downstairs space (known for it’s thundering sound system, dark corners and no-camera policy) have become stuff of legend. Not just a phenomenon behind the decks, Dettman has also come into his own as a producer, with amazing tracks on Ostgut Ton (including his debut album this year), as well has his own label, MDR. Unlike many who quickly rise to fame in the techno world, Dettmann has chosen to release a slow trickle of original material and remixes, wisely choosing quality over quantity. Droid Behavior and Dettman plan their siege on this city. Do not miss this pure musical experience. This will be Dettmann’s first ever Los Angeles appearance.

Selected Media:

Also joining Dettmann will be Droid heavy weights Raíz / Acid Circus and long time collaborator Subversive. The duo will set up the night properly for Dettmann with their signature deep techno funk inspired mixes. Keep an eye out for new releases and remixes from Raíz in coming months.

Mixes:

Marcel Dettmann – Train Wreck Mix (RBMA Radio) – May 2010 by R_co

Marcel Dettmann & Marcel Fengler Live @ Ostgut Ton Nacht, Harry Klein – 06-08-2008 by R_co

Acid Circus Live at Weddingmania Berlin May 2010 by Acid Circus | Raíz

MARCEL DETTMANN – RA PODCAST 135

EVENT INFORMATION:

Thursday August 5th 2010
Droid Behavior presents PRIME / [[[POWERED BY MEDIA CONTENDER]]]

w/
MARCEL DETTMAN
Ostgut Ton :: Sandwell District :: Bpitch :: Berghain // Berlin

*first ever Los Angeles appearance*

along w/

Raíz + Subversive
Droid Behavior :: Historia y Violencia // LA

**Atmosphere by cell + guests**

10pm-2am / $5 – $15 / 21+
Medusa 3211 Beverly Blvd. LA / CA 90057

Promotional links:
http://www.mediacontender.com/

Scion + Droid presents Juan Atkins / Omar S 7.27

Vidal Vargas — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:29:42 +0000

CLICK HERE TO RSVP FOR FREE ENTRY.

The Droid Behavior team assists SCION w/ their HOUSE PARTY SERIES featuring Detroit Legends Juan Atkins and Omar Alex Smith aka Omar-S. Please join us for this FREE all ages event at the world famous Roxy in the heart of Hollywood.

Out Now: Droid.Digi.04 – xfive – Instillation EP

Vidal Vargas — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:46:18 +0000

CLICK HERE FOR AUDIO CLIPS

DROID.DIGITAL.04
Featuring Debut by xfive
Remixes by Paul Mac, Drumcell

Available now in digital format on Beatport

Los Angeles transplant via Virginia, Chris Thomas aka xfive debuts his first true techno EP on Droid Digital. Chris is a man of many monikers with releases and collaborations on Voidloss’s techno / grime label SINGULARITY as Villian and dark electro noise under his own name C Thomas. As xfive, Chris brings a unique spin to Droid’s signature sound with deeper references to Chicago and Detroit including lush synth work and stark drum programming on his “Instillation EP.”

On remix duties, Chris has commissioned long time friend and UK techno legend Paul Mac of Stimulus / Primate / Theory fame and Droid Label head Drumcell. Paul takes a slightly militant approach on his interpretation of “Instiller” for heavier club deployment. Drumcell thickens up the mix on his revision of this future classic.

Track A ‘Confluence’ is Basic Channel-influenced dub techno complete with echo chords and tight percussion grooves that hinting towards house. Crisp production and mid tempo pacing make this perfect for opening / closing duties and leeway to pensive territory.

The title track ‘Instiller’ flips the script with dissonant, bone-chilling synth work and heavier drums pacing throughout the 8 minutes of pure techno bliss. This track is for fans of the long mix with plenty of rises and falls that keep things interesting on the dancefloor.

Paul Mac injects both hi-fidelity and sonic muscle into his version of ‘Instiller.’ The strong groove becomes noticeable with its frontal crash cymbals, offbeat stabs and peppering of 303s across the mix. Paul retains the best elements from the original and toughens them up with booming bass and sharp percussion that will keep crowds moving to the early morning in any situation.

Drumcell layers the originals main groove and dissonance over a battle hardened drum lines. His attention to sound design detail and synth wash intricacies move this 7 minute epic along smoothly until the break down leaves listeners suspended in mid air. 32 bars later the bass kicks back in and slams those same listeners back into submission.

D-NODE 102: DRUMCELL LIVE AT BEATPORT STAGE / DEMF 2010

Vidal Vargas — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 05:26:36 +0000

This year’s DETROIT ELECTRONIC MOVEMENT FESTIVAL was treated to a special guest appearance by Droid label head Moe Espinosa aka Drumcell. When Radioslave could not make his appearance on the Beatport stage the good people at Paxahau called on Moe for a last minute replacement. His unexpected warm up set for Chris Liebing had confused crowds dancing their hearts out in the pouring rain… in true Detroit fashion. Needless to say he delivered a stellar set that was more then equivalent to his European Fill in. Check below for video evidence of Drumcell serving the Movement audience with pure Droid style.

This week Drumcell makes his debut appearance in Ibiza Spain alongside Matthew Johnson and Chris Liebing at the CLR / SPACE residency. Also Coming soon from the CLR camp will be remixes from Drumcell vs Audio Injection, Dustin Zahn vs Decimal, and Edit – Select.

Download Mix — See Other Podcasts

CLICK FOR DRUMCELL AT SPACE IBIZIA EVENT INFO

DRUMCELL MENTIONED IN DEMF / MOVEMENT 2010 REVIEW

JUST RELEASED ONLINE…DRUMCELL AT CLR SPACE IBIZA

DROID / HARMONIC / TRAKTOR PRESENTS CHRIS LIEBING 7.09

Vidal Vargas — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:19:19 +0000

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CLICK HERE FOR EVENT INFO ON FACEBOOK

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Chris Liebing is back in Los Angeles for another extended set of fun futurism and mayhem. Not only will Chris be performing for the dance crowd, but Native Instruments will host a Clinic, and Q + A before the event with help from Traktor / Maschine specialists Drumcell and J. Fielstra (respectively) and more. If you need a reminder of the destruction he caused on the dance floor last time around, just take a refresher course with the following video taken from our 7 year Anniversary in October 2009.

ABOUT CHRIS LIEBING:
Chris Liebing had his first Residency as a DJ in a small club called “Red Brick” 1991 in Giessen, near Frankfurt. There he was playing all sorts of music from Soul, Hip Hop and Pop to House. In 1993, buying his records at Downtown Records in Giessen, he discovered the more electronic side of music, and one year later, he decided to open up a Techno Club, called “Spinclub”. Already beginning of 1995 the club had to close down and Chris began working for Eye -Q Records in Frankfurt. During that period, he met his friend and partner Andre Walter. Together they started to built up a studio and worked on music. Later that year, the first record on Global Ambition was released. Also together with Tommy Bingel from Downtown Records and Toni Rios, they founded the house Label SOAP. Various Records and Remixes were released, like Traveller on Harthouse, Noosa Heads and E.H.R. on Soap, Strictly Ryth, and others. In November 1995, Chris had a chance to play at the OMEN in Frankfurt and shortly after became Resident DJ. About a year later, influenced by his DJ-ing, he created “fine Audio Recordings” together with Under Cover Music Group. Chris gained first worldwide recognition with releases like Audio 07 and Audio 11. Between 1978 and 1999 he hosted his weekly radioshow on Evosonic Radio. Very much happened then in 1999, Chris played the first time for the U60311 and started his Residency every first Friday of a month with ” Es ist Freitagaaabend…!”, playing along with his favourite DJ´s and Live Acts from around the world. He joined the Cocoon Agency in Frankfurt to take care of his growing Booking Schedule and also in that same year, he moved on with his Labelwork and created his own Recordcompany “CLR”. From then on the Labels CLR, Clretry, CLAU, Stigmata and Soap were distributed by Prime in England. Since August 2000 you can hear Chris and Pauli Steinbach in their “Pitch Control” on HR XXL every Thursday night. In may 2001 he mixed this double CD and started working on his Album for CLR which will hopefully bereleased within the following year. In 2002 he left Cocoon Booking to manage the Booking Schedule by himself. From now CLR is taking care also of his bookings.

Chris Liebing is Frankfurt’s premier techno DJ. As a 20-year veteran and early adopter of digital mixing and live song deconstruction, he’s toured the world numerous times both solo and as part of the Collabs Live duo with Speedy J. Liebing’s productions and remixes appear on such revered labels as Novamute and Tresor and in the playlists of the world’s top electronic DJs. Not only an established artist on many levels, Liebing has also been accredited to bringing true techno to the Ibiza crowds with his “Meganite” and “Be at Space” residencies over the last decade. Droid’s audience should expect nothing less then epic sounds from this seasoned professional

MORE MEDIA:

Also joining Chris will be Droid residents Drumcell and Audio Injection. Their live duel set at Interface 27 awed crowds and their releases and remixes for Droid, Timefog and CLR have earned them spots at such high profiles events as BERGHAIN, Brussels electronic music festival, Decibel festival and DEMF. Warming up the evening will be local taste makers Delinquent Frequency of Harmonic Productions.

MORE MEDIA:

Drumcell Live@Black Minneapolis by drumcell

EXTRA MEDIA:

WMC world champion DJ Rafik demonstrates the raw power of Native Instruments’ Maschine + Traktor combined…..

EVENT INFORMATION:

Friday, July 9th 2010
Droid Behavior / Harmonic / Traktor Scratch Pro presents
Chris Liebing

8pm – 4am :: $15 / $25 :: 21+
INFO: 323.213.9736

KING KING
6553 Hollywood Blvd
Hollwyood, CA 90028

*FREE DIGITAL DJ WORKSHOP

DJ¹s please join us for a FREE Digital DJ Workshop sponsored by Native Instruments. Native Instrument¹s Drumcell and Chris Leibing will showcase all the top features of the premium DJ system Traktor Scratch Pro, Maschine, and the groundbreaking new Kontrol X1.
Attendees please RSVP to: andrew.soukup@native-instruments.com or droidbehavior@gmail.com

music by:
Chris Liebing – CLR : Electric Deluxe : http://www.clr.net/ // Frankfurt

along with:
Audio Injection VS Drumcell – Droid Behavior : CLR // LA

opening set by:
Delinquent Frequency – Harmonic : Avalon // LA

http://www.droidbehavior.com/
http://www.twitter.com/droidbehavior
http://www.native-instruments.com/

D-Node 101: Plexor – Sonic Surges

Bijan — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:14:47 +0000

Plexor AKA Eezir presents this excellent mix for D-Node’s 101st installment.

Long time Droid supporter, collaborator and Friendly Integration Member, Plexor provides this week’s D-Node Episode. Here is what he had to say about the mix before passing out physical copies at this year’s MORE THAN STELLAR DEMF 10 Year Anniv. He writes:

“With DEMF approaching, I was inspired to record a techno set, ’cause it’s been awhile. This one is full of all sorts of techno I’m feelin at the moment along with some D-influenced classics. As the title of the mix implies, I accentuated the builds and transitions with F/X and such to enhance the energy of the sounds.”

Download Mix — See Other Podcasts

Tracklist
terence fixmer_machine (speedy j rez)
shonky_time zero (paul ritch rmx)
terry lee brown jr_chatterbox
florian meindl_blast
franco cinelli_m26
harvey mckay_69
roberto capuano_hoffnung
alex delia and da lukas_didascalia (lutzenkirchen rmx)
asem shama_fujara
ilario alicante & delete_going straight to caracas
james ruskin & mark broom_hostage
chris liebing vs green velvet_auf und ab und kinda high (dustin zahn mix)
umek_pedestrian
james ruskin_the outsider
umek_sequence of shapes
james ruskin & mark broom_no time soon
dave clarke_wisdom to the wise
danilo vogorito_imaginary
chris liebing_string theory (picotto & ferri rmx)
maxime dangles_geode
mensico_8
plexor_shimmy shift

D-Node 100: Acid Circus / Raíz Live in Berlin Debut

Droid — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:46:44 +0000

100 podcast episodes and no signs of slowing down…. this is a testament to Droid Behavior’s dedication to pushing the music forward. For this special occasion we chose a section from Vangelis and Vidal Vargas’ live debut in Berlin at the Weddingmania Underground, which was a near equivalent to Interface in Germany. The event was literally held in the basement of a retail store with bass cabinets scattered across the dark sweaty venue and a sea of heads and hands in the air covering every square foot of walking space.

This excerpt from their 3 hour set is only a snapshot of their no holds barred mixing style spanning from deep, hard techno to tribal house and classic influences chopped, screwed, and re-edited live for the club via Traktor and Ableton technology. Vangelis and Vidal also showcase their new and unreleased material as “Raíz” towards the latter half of this set. Enjoy the sights and sounds as we have included video evidence from the monumental night below. In the words of Justin Berkovi, “Jackitpackit.”

Download Mix — See Other Podcasts

OUT NOW ON VINYL AND DIGITAL: Raíz – Nueva

Raiz (Nueva) by acid circus

OUT NOW ON DIGITAL: Audio Injection – Acid Circus Remix

Audio Injection Way I Am (Acid Circus Way It Is Remix) by acid circus presents Raíz

D-Node 099: James Patrick [Timefog] Live/DJ Hybrid Set

Bijan — Thu, 20 May 2010 17:46:32 +0000

James Patrick is a composer, artist, DJ, producer, promoter, and educator (busy guy) working out of Minneapolis. He’s been making music for over a decade and blessed Timefog with its first release, his Meat Hooks EP, last year.

For this installment of D-Node he contributed a live/DJ hybrid set, a work evolving through his performances in Minneapolis and elsewhere.

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Here’s what he had to say about it:

We were opening up for Skoozbot at First Avenue Nightclub, the club from Purple Rain (Prince).

This spot has become a Minneapolis staple for the underground techno movement, a pitch black room hosted by the Particle People, showcasing the world’s finest deep/minimal/techno sounds.

This set in particular has been a work in progress for the last 2 years of my life. It’s a live/DJ hybrid set that showcases all of my own works, alongside some of my favorite productions.

I use sounds from all around my daily life. I play with Jazz musicians. I teach music to brilliant young artists every day. All of these sounds are potential material.

There are a total of 16 channels. 1-8 are all drums/machines/percussion. I use a JoMox MBase, a Faderfox for my effects, and an APC40 for my sequence control. 9-16 are all synths, samplers, and audio channels. I then use a series of about 10 custom Max patches and an iPod touch w/ Touch OSC for my time based processes. The patches are mostly for effect modulation, but several of them are designed to maintain clip playback control, a kind of “global conductor” device that allows for fading between sequences and rhythmic variations. The best part is when I can pass around the WiFi iPod and let the dancefloor grab hold of the music… it’s a blast.

The events in which this music can be heard are most often tagged as “Timefog” nights. Timefog is our own “small town” label.. with an international scope. We’ve been using it as a platform to bring Minneapolis to the attention of the international music community. We’ve had the honor of branding some very magical music by our favorite local and international talents. Check Beatport.com for our releases!

Online Spend Time w/ Justin Long [Dotbleep / Chicago]

Vidal Vargas — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:03:58 +0000

If you are reading this blog i think its safe to say you are fans of the internet….as are we. In an attempt to bring the artists closer to the listeners we have decided to ask LA favorite and past Droid guest Justin Long a few questions about how he spends his time online (via youtube of course).

Justin hails from Chicago, the birthplace of House and has generously applied the inspiration of his city to the music he produces, plays, listens, loves, eats sleeps, and breathes. His bent ideals of house and techno over the last 20 years have landed him gigs at nightlife watering holes around the planet including Fabric, Back To Basics and the infamous SubClub along with undergrounds and club nights in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Canada, U.K and Belgium as well as his monthly residency at Smart Bar titled .Dotbleep in Chicago, which the Acid team has had the pleasure of guest mixing before.

According to Justin’s Bio his “unique vibe behind the decks has likened him to a flailing live wire on the ground [and] his aggressive energy has been compared to Ian Curtis, Kurt Kobain and Joe Strummer..” with ride ranging from “Joy Division, Green Velvet, The Stooges Chez Damier, [to] Talking Heads, [and] Nitzer Ebb.” With such a large breadth of musical knowledge and appreciation you can bet Justin spends a bit of time buffering interesting and entertaining media.

Dotbleep Podomatic

Justin Long on Resident Advisor

Dotbleep 9 Year Anniv. w/ Justin Long + Traxx + Tyrel Williams

Justin Long on Beatport. Out now Strange EP + Wasted Chicago Youth Mix

Justin’s Top Picks (in no particular order)

Mini Interview by Bijan R. + Vidal V.

As someone who walks a line between two genres, known as a house DJ yet known for playing music people think of as techno, how would you differentiate between the two?

From where I stand I see no difference between the two. House and techno are both cut from the same same cloth finding roots back in American funk and soul, German psychedelic rock and Jamaican dub as well as sharing the same drum machine shuffled skeleton and beating heart. Todays market is obsessed with throwing labels and names on a product as a means to put new shelf life an idea that has already found itself in circulation. I view this separation as a miscalculated mistake!

What do you think is the most exciting thing going on in dance music right now?

I am recently seeing a hunger in people’s interest to discover the roots of our beloved dance music. This to me is most important! How can one push forward with the future if one does not know and respect its past?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PERFORMANCE TECHNIQUE / DJ TRICK?

To make a party operate one must view it as a machine, The Dj is only one cog in the system, then people in attendance are the pistons and finally the music are sonic belts that extend and wrap all parts of the system in order to make it move flawlessly inside the casing which would be the venue.