London born and based techno producer and DJ James Ruskin is one of the lights in UK techno. James Ruskin comes from a background that first put him in touch with hip hop and electro and later with the emerging Detroit techno scenes and brings a long background and deep knowledge of underground electronic music to his productions and DJing.

Subsequently, Ruskin and long-time friend Richard Polson set up a studio together and, by 1996, had also launched a label, Blueprint (a sub-label, Coda, followed in 2000). Originally working together as Outline, Polson and Ruskin’s first searing interpretations of minimalism formed part of a new wave of UK techno producers alongside Birmingham’s Surgeon and Regis and London’s Oliver Ho.

James’s delivered 2 albums in the past, most recent album, last year’s ‘The Dash’ was melancholic and melodic, often understated but never lightweight, Ruskin explored with a variety of tempos and beat structures on ‘The Dash’ and It’s his best long player to date. Against this backdrop, Ruskin has re-launched Blueprint with the first release proper from his new collaborative project, O/V/R, together with Regis aka Karl O’Connor. While the duo had remixed Ruskin’s ‘Lahaine’ last year, the panning, hypnotic techno of their debut EP for the label, ‘Interior’, solidifies their working relationship. Ruskin has also been releasing under his own name on the label and plans to release material by artists outside of the original Blueprint line up as well as further album projects. With more O/V/R material being recorded and plans in place to perform the project live, James Ruskin is once again providing a unique blueprint for techno music.

James Ruskin : CLR Podcast 42 (14-12-2009)

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Santiago Salazar aka DJ S2 started deejaying in the early ’90s inspired by mix tapes his brother was bringing back from the Gay underground scene in Los Angeles.

His style has always been a mixture of house and techno. After moving to Detroit, Santiago began his music training with Mike Banks, label founder of Underground Resistance. He mixed and edited several UR releases and remixed the mighty “Return of the Dragons” and DJ Rolando’s “Aguila”.

He released his own tracks under monikers like Aztech Sol and Seldom Seen and became a core member of the Los Hermanos and Galaxy 2 Galaxy live bands, using his DJ skills to control the flow and intensity of the live performances. Alongside long time friend Esteban Adame, Santiago recently formed Ican (short for mexican) and released a bunch of highly acclaimed 12″s both on Carl Craigs Planet E imprint as well as ICAN productions.

Santiago Salazaar @ Void Shanghai 19-09-2009

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The real name of Thermo is Liubomir Skumov, born in Burgas, Bulgaria in 1984.

His first musical interests were mainly towards alternative and grunge music, e.g. Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Tool as well as bands with more electronic sound such as Depeche Mode, Chemical Brothers and Orbital. His interest in techno music started in 1998-99 inspired by the music of Ben Sims, Umek, Harcell, Ignition Technician, Marco Bailey, Cristian Varela and others.

In the year 2000 he received his first record as a gift and started his DJ career with the support of his friends and colleagues from Pomorie – Morcikul, DeepImpulser and Kashones. Together they created Underground Loops – an association involved in organising techno parties mainly in the Pomorie and Burgas areas. They established the well-known open air parties OpenBungalsUnderLoops that became a tradition and gathered many fans from throughout the country.

In 2002 Thermo started creating his own music, mainly orientated towards percussive and tribal techno. Few years later, in 2005 he started playing as a Live-pa artist aiming at wider public. Since then, Thermo has played with most of the popular Bulgarian DJs and few foreign ones: Ignition Technician, Sandy Warez, Deetron, Mario Ranieri, Rhenalt, Jackill, Loktibrada, Jeroen Liebregts and others.

In June 2007 Thermo participated in his first show out of Bulgaria – the “Prvymaj” in Bratislava, Slovakia.

In november 2007 Thermo made his debut for Ignition Technician’s label Notorious North. The vinyl is called “Underground Loops EP” He also made remix on Deepimpulser’s ghettotech track “Hey, Pussy!” released for the Deepimpulser’s label 8311 Music in digital format.

Next releases come at the end of 2008 for labels such: Keep On Techno, Eighty Eight, Cutz, Sound Evolution

In 2009 he starts to work with labels like Toyfriend Music, Techment, Yin Yang, Audionautica and others..

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Emerged from the majestic Worldwide Techno scene, Camila Milieme (also known as Kammy or DJ K-Milla) found herself as a sixteen year old girl on her way to discover the electronic beats of a musical style that definitely became her own: Techno. A few years later, most precisely in 2001, Kammy made an amazing debut as a professional DJ and since then she improved herself by building unique repertories as a result of a deep musical research and a respected mixing technique.

Based on a more complex structure of rhythms with dark underground lines of synths and textures, the Lady-Machine incorporated the spirit of the twenty first century Techno. With only four years of career, Kammy, whose influences were based on the sounds of the teutonic cavaliers of Kraftwerk, as well as the Techno scenes of UK, Germany and France, gained the respect of the whole electronic scene of her country, Brazil, with a combination of a huge talent and a charming attitude.

Considered one of the fastest growing of the World, the brazilian scene gave K-Milla the opportunity to play her sets of underground techno full of exclusive sonorities on the most important clubs, parties and raves from South to North of her country, always impressing the dance floors with her futuristic sounds and creative sets.

Kammy @ Palazzo 29-08-2009

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Since establishing Theory Recordings towards the end of 1997, London-based DJ / producer Ben Sims has undergone a swift rise to prominence within the global dance music community. His globally extensive DJ’ing performances have earned him a ranking amongst the world’s top techno spinners, many of whom have fully embraced his studio production work.

Ben’s DJ’ing apprenticeship began with hip hop at the tender age of ten. In the fifteen years since, his multi-styled turntable skills have developed into a precise compound of rhythm, texture and groove. Following on from spinning at parties, his long-running involvement with pirate radio began in 1991. A key figure in the establishment of London’s Atmosphere FM, Ben subsequently took his skills to the clubs when the authorities began sanitising the airwaves in 1995.

In the years that followed, he steadily built up a reputation for ultra-tight techno mixing, infusing elements into his sets from his earlier days of DJ’ing hip hop and house. Snapped up in 1999 by esteemed Berlin-based booking agency Dy-Na-Mix, his skills behind the decks have been much in demand, touring worldwide from Australia to the US calling at nearly every country in between. Regular high profile gigs throughout Europe and at long-running UK nights such as The Orbit, Voodoo and House of God have also help further his reputation as one of London’s most exciting DJ exports.

A self-confessed vinyl addict, Ben’s own recordings clearly reflect his long-standing passion for groove and funk based music. His production style – an amalgamation of jackin’ Chicago funk, driving filtered loops and dark tribal house music provided popular despite the deluge of funk-deficient minimal cuts dominating the techno scene during the late Nineties. In magazine interviews Ben often describes his production of music simply as the natural continuation to many years spent behind the decks. Forging tracks in an energetic metallic mould with a rich, hypnotic consistency, much akin to his DJ’ing style, he admits that his penchant for producing is secondary to his love of playing out. Hence, he views his studio output very much as dancefloor music constructed for manipulation by the DJ.

After waiting patiently for both his music and confidence to develop, Ben’s first release (Theory 001) paved the way for a whole new school of floor-friendly funk-based rhythms, gaining instantaneous recognition and prompting an influx of recording offers. During April 1998 he began to receive widespread recognition for his first Killabite release – a slamming EP of cut-up warehouse classics hammered by everyone from Jeff Mills to Carl Cox. Although the Killabite EP’s were never intended for release, the records quickly gained cult status with DJ’s on both sides of the techno / house axis, and in many ways set a precedent for the string of sample-based dancefloor tools that ensued. Since the launch of Theory, Ben’s material has enjoyed success on numerous prestigious labels, such as Primate, Primevil, Code Red, Tresor, Phont Music and Pure Plastic. Following the completion of many reputable remix projects and the launch of four further labels – Hardgroove, Native, Symbolism and Ingoma – his records have found constant club application from many of the scene’s most respected players, thus remaining in-situ in record boxes around the globe.

Ben Sims @ Balacance Club (London) 31-07-2009

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Birmingham techno artist Anthony Child has rapidly built a solid and, to a certain extent, innovative catalog of minimal dancefloor techno since his Surgeon releases began appearing in 1991. Compared favorably with Detroit original Jeff Mills from his earliest Downwards singles on forward, Child’s tracks have been a mainstay in the popular Motor City DJ’s sets. Although Surgeon releases have worked an increasing affectation for acid and trance, an economy of sound and basic hardness combine his and Mills’ sound.

A noted and increasingly popular DJ himself, Child grokked his skills from hip-hop and electro jocks (”Tour de France” is a mainstay of his DJ sets), filling out his style with a driving toughness and appreciation for rapid cutting and flipping. Surgeon’s entry into production was also noteworthy; urged on by producer Mick Harris (Child is a fan of Harris’ Scorn project), the former Napalm Death drummer locked Child in his tiny studio, imploring him to “go mad.” The result, the self-titled debut EP, was released on Downwards, and was instantly hailed as some of the highest quality U.K. techno of its time. Releases for Soma, Blueprint, Ideal Trax, and the ultra-exclusive Tresor label followed, with the debut LP, Basic Tonal Vocabulary, appearing on Tresor in 1997. Balance followed in 1998, as did Force & Form in 1999.

More recent additions to his repertoire include releases on his Counterbalance imprint as well as collaborations with Regis as British Murder Boys, resulting in tracks which take a tone far darker, denser, and more industrial than those from his Tresor years.

Equally influenced by early electro-pop innovators like Tomita and YMO, experimental groups like Can, Faust, and Suicide, and the tough grit of American electro and techno (Robert Hood, Hashim), Surgeon’s mash-up is both straightforward and subtly experimental. Further influences from Coil, Psychic TV, and Whitehouse in recent works and DJ appearences do not go unnoticed.

Surgeon @ Fabric 15-08-2009

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Its not easy task following DJ W!LD..s path all across the planet ! Behind the decks for 12 years now, his career cannot be described in a few lines anymore … W !LD plays from one continent to another, as a tireless traveller, spreading hot underground music to all people with his technical mixes.

Dj Wild was born in Dijon and now lives in Paris. He was first seduced by the hip hop culture, which, at the end of 80’s, united dancers, mc’s, singers and dj’s around music, in a festive spirit which is difficult to recreate. His artistic life started as a graffiti artist in the suburbs of Dijon. His stage name is an allusion to the cult movie of the 80’s “Wild Style,” which captures the spirit of the pioneers of hip-hop in New York in the late 70’s.

In the early 90’s, in France, techno music was considered a marginal movement only played in a small number of Parisian clubs such as the Boy or Luna. Having returned from England, after the explosion of “Summer of Love” in 1989, the Parisian Dj Laurent Garnier had his first residence in Dijon, at l’Enfer, which is now closed. In this quiet little town, opportunities to party were scarce and DJ Wild was immediately seduced by Laurent Garnier’s Dj sets at the Wake Up parties. This was a crucial revelation for the continuation of his artistic adventure.

In 1996, DJ Wild had his first opportunity to take possession of the turntables and started playing in Clubs in Paris (Fumoir at at the legendary club le Palace, Queen, Rex…). The same year, he met Peter Rauhofer and produced an ep, “Magic Orgasm”, N°1 in the charts in several countries. From that moment, he became internationally known. In 1999, he began again to produce music when he met Chris Carrier and Guillaume la Tortue (French Dj and producer in the 90’s). He signed 6 ep’s with them on Combustible and Adult Only. In 2003, Wild and Chris Carrier created the band Catwash, tribute to the famous 70’s movie “Car Wash” (cult musical known for its soundtrack written by Norman Whitfield, father of the Motown in the 60’s). First, Catwash is the fusion of two creative entities which prioritises the dance floor music and electronic influences. Their first ep’s were released on famous labels known for the quality of their productions (Detour, Visitor, Brique Rouge, Crack & Speed, Adult Only and Get Physical,Supplement facts ). Right from the start, their releases received critical acclaim from luminaries such as ANDREW WEATHEHALL, JOSH WINK, RICHIE HAWTIN, ,RICARDO VILLALOBOS ,JOHN DIGWEED, M.A.N.D.Y, LUCIANO and many others. Working the field between acid, minimal, chicago and sheer madness, the reputation of CATWASH is steadly growing. W !LD also released tracks on GET PHYSICAL or CRACK&SPEED, ADULT ONLY ,BRIQUE ROUGE among others under his CATWASH guise.

This electro music french ..JACK-OF-ALL –TRADES,…. despite his discretion, wich is often mistaken as shyness , has succeded in placing his mark on the club scene. Label Manager of CATWASH RECORDS, he..s tirelessly on the hunt for fresh new beats, and up and coming producers, Including REKLEINER, CATWASH ( DJ W!LD & CHRIS CARRIER) and TOMMY FOUR SEVEN, MONOMACHINE,DAVID K ,MIRCO VIOLI , FABIO GIANNELLI, ILARIO ALICANTE , !!!!!!.

Today, DJ W!LD, 33, is more than present on the electronic music scene and signs numerous tracks and remix with Catwash or under his name supported already by LUCIANO , RARESH, RICARDO VILLALOBOS, GUIDO SCHNEIDER,ANJA SCHNEIDER.He ‘s back with his first love deep house and just signed on MOTIVBANK(sub label cadenza ) and RAL the famous bootleg label from Ricardo villalobos ,an & Luciano after artist like rhadoo, pedro ,luciano. He also wants to write a new page of his musical history by collaborating with other musicians (a collaboration with Kova Rea is announced on his next ep), launch the expected Catwash album FUMAR on the label Adult Only with remix from Ilario alicante ,Boris Werner & kouam djoko, Lemos, Kreon, Phil Weeks,David k, San proper !!! The bass line will not stop.

DJ W!ld : mono cult Podcast (August 2009)

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