Artist interview with: Lucas Martins

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Tell me a bit of how your path in music started back in the country side of Sao Paulo. Was it something you found it yourself or it had some influence from friends? 

 Back in 2009 I was in a party with some old music friends (Leandro e Gustavo) and I remember they were discussing how H2O did his music back then and I was intrigued that this could be done in a computer and even after the party I couldn’t get this off my mind, so I reached out to Leandro and he introduced me to Fruit Loops and started making Hip Hop, working on some projects with MCs and there I had my first experience as a DJ. After that, I started making my own beats and starting releasing some tracks as “Lucks”. Years later while visiting São Paulo we decided to bring to Taubaté the kind of street/public parties we saw there, so we got together and created Techno Na Rua, a free, public event that happened every month, which had 13 editions between 2016-17, bringing something never seen before in the city.

 Having such a great background in music throughout all these years producing from rap beats, deep-house, all kinds of techno and now your dreamy hard techno. What are your favorite elements in music and do you always use them? 

 My favorite element is the melody itself and the emotion it brings as the music goes. However, I don’t always use it because not all tracks have the same pathway.

 Would you agree that it is very important to learn, study, understand old music and music history to become a great producer/artist?

 Yes, I think that it is extremely important to have this knowledge and to research, mostly because most part of the inspiration comes from the artists that started it all. 

 You have been managing a label for a long time and 2 years ago created ‘’Pathless Records’’ which recently have been getting attention with all the great releases. What is the idea behind your ‘’Pathless Records’’ and what led you to start it?

 Besides being the head behind Pathless, I am still a producer and I know the importance of releasing and launching an artist, to be able to give a clear view and have an honest relationship with them and to be able to work with new artists who’ve been catching our attention.

 Which of your releases are you most proud of and if you could collaborate with any artist, who would it be and why? 

 My proudest release will have to be Tsukuyomi, I made that during the pandemic, while having many different feelings while producing it, probably that’s why it is the most different track that I made. And it made me very proud because of the outcome it had, being the most successful one. If I could work with any artist, it would be Hans Zimmer. I have always been an admirer of movies soundtracks and he’s the pioneer of this kind of work.

BCCO · BCCO Premiere: Lucas Martins - Tsukuyomi [AKR006]

 Ability to fly or invisibility?

 Funny question, for sure I would rather have the ability to fly. It is probably an amazing feeling, having the freedom to fly. 

 Tell me a bit about your mix. What can we expect from it? 

Lucas: My mix is all about my recent searches, promos that I have received from other artists, unreleased tracks from Pathless, my own unreleased songs or from friends of mine.

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LISTEN TO THE MIX HERE!

Follow the artist here:

www.instagram.com/lucas.pathless/
open.spotify.com/artist/38diVovPyqahoxd1AArgDv
pathlessrecords.bandcamp.com

linktr.ee/pathlessrecords

Artist interview with: STRAPPA

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 Tell me a bit about yourself and how did your journey as a Dj started? What made you start a career specially in techno? 

Real name is Dean, but I go by the DJ name STRAPPA. My journey as a DJ started in 2018. I was always intrigued by DJ’s playing anytime I was out raving, and wanted to give it a go to see if I could do it. I went on beatport and bought a load of tracks from the techno top 100, downloaded them onto a usb, and booked a session at Pirate Studio. Spent two hours not having a clue what I was doing, but I kept going every weekend, and really enjoyed it and got the hang of it pretty quick. Couple months later my good friend and fellow DJ ‘RØOM II’, reached out to me to asked if I wanted to go B2B with him at his residency that he plays for (Black88), I jumped at the chance and said yes. Reason I started in techno was because that was the music I always listen and rave to, and back then I was raving all the time and hardly listened to any other genres of music 


We have met a few times in different clubs and parties. So tell me, do you have a favourite club and why? 

Hmmmm, this is a good question. I’d have to say Fabric, I’ve done a lot of raving in there over the years, and the sound system is proper and the layout is decent as well. 


You have many well recorded mixes, so you probably do a lot of track research. Can you tell me a bit about how you organize your tracks? Is it everything spontaneous or you like to prepare your mixes? 



I’m lucky enough to have producers that send me unreleased tracks, so that is a big help, because I find looking for music so long winded at times. But if I have a guest mix to do, or a mix for my own podcast series, I’ll dig deep into bandcamp and beatport to see what gems I can find. I have no organisation when putting tracks together, my Rekordbox folders are awful lol. 


If you had to pick 5 records or tracks to describe your style, which ones would it be? 

Setaoc Mass - Thin Blue Line 
RONY Group - Darlin 
Rill - Adou 
AWB - Primal 
Rene Wise - Gummy 

RONY Group · Darlin

What do you think about the London underground music scene? 


I personally don’t think the underground scene is that great to be honest. What I mean by that is there isn’t really much places that hold these events. Other than Corsica and FOLD, there isn’t really that much. Everything seems to be happening up North in places like Manchester. Their underground scene seems to be thriving. 


Tell me a bit about your mix. What can we expect from it? 


As with most of my mixes, there will be 1 or 2 unreleased tracks that I have received in the last month or so. Usual tight layering with a bmp range between 140-142 


Favourite food? 

Easiest question so far. Lamb Doner or Lamb Shish Kebab 

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LISTEN TO THE MIX HERE!

Follow the artist here:

www.facebook.com/IamStrappa
ra.co/dj/strappa
www.instagram.com/iam_strappa/

Artist interview with: SAHPE

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 You have been playing and releasing electronic music for over 10 years now and you’re also a multi-instrumentalist. Tell me a bit more about your journey before electronic music and after?

I started similarly to many producers I guess, with some classical training! I started learning the piano when I was 7, but within 3-4 years I was already into rock and metal, so the piano wasn’t “cool” enough for me, I wanted to quit. I was lucky to have a very persistent father, who didn’t let me, and told me “one way or another, I want you to have music in your life.” He told me stories about how loved he was amongst friends because of his accordion, so as a teenager with low self-esteem I thought this might help! So then the compromise was “I’ll switch to the guitar”! Unfortunately, pretty soon I was a proper 90s raver, so the guitar was out of sync with my musical taste again and that was dropped too. Finally, there was a last ditch effort for a year of drums with the help of a friend, but my focus shifted to studying and that was that. You are correct that the world only found out about my music 10 years ago, but I actually tried making music using an MS-DOS software called Voyetra, 27 years ago, yikes! This is pre-Windows, believe it or not! And it was painful, let me tell you…

 What would you say to artists beginning their career in the electronic music industry? Is there any message you would give? If you had the power to do so, would you change anything in the music industry?

One thing I regret is what I eluded to just now – the fact it took me so long to send demos out. I know full well my music wasn’t ready to be released, but when I did start sending demos I got some invaluable feedback. So my advice would be to not hesitate to send stuff out! Most times you won’t hear back, and this can be tough to deal with, but when you do it will definitely help. Also, find a way to fund some proper training for yourself, be it musical or DAW. I worked poorly for far too long, and I never utilised the full power of my software, never mind how many bad habits I’ve picked up through the years. Get on a course, and send demos!

Sadly, there’s plenty wrong with the music industry, even if you only focus on electronic music. I think things are moving in the right direction, especially with representation and inclusivity. There is also some amazing work being done by people like Rebekah on making our scene and spaces safer for everyone, especially women. Given the right position or platform, I would definitely try my best to contribute towards these efforts. Another major issue is of course the returns. Steve Jobs decided a track is worth a measly 79p, and Daniel Ek decided a Spotify stream is worth $0.003, while they both became billionaires off our backs, so it’s nearly impossible to make a living as an artist. Pile on that promoters that don’t pay for gigs and you have the perfect storm… 

We all need to push for change in all these issues, together, as allies to each other. 

 With 3 aliases and a great variety of tracks, going from house to techno, is there a particular way you make music or is it something more spontaneous?

This is my strength and my weakness, I feel. I am extremely spontaneous. I start with an idea, and let it flow through me and become whatever music or genre it wants to. And when this started happening early on, I had the example of my personal biggest influence, Novatek (aka DJ Savage, Digitalia, Neuro-D, etc), who had 20 different aliases depending on the output, and also took advice by Tony Thomas who suggested I produce everything under a single name, because “it’s all you”! Both valid points… I went down the middle, with just three aliases. So, I have a very chilled out catalogue of tracks, under Forgetting Factor, then the more techno or acid productions under mikaelantony, and everything else, like house and tech or minimal, under Sahpe, which is also my main one. I do only DJ under Sahpe though, just so I can be easily recognised on a flyer from anyone that knows me. And with that, I have the freedom to explore my entire record collection and digital library (as well as CDs, yes CDs haha!). 

 With all your experience as a DJ throughout these years, when and where was your best and worst performance? 

Believe it or not, my most enjoyable experience as a DJ was at the Purple Turtle in Reading, back in December 2016! Two dear friends ran a night there and somehow got the most random crowds to accept that the only late venue in Reading was playing techno on a Friday! I had complete freedom to play whatever I wanted, for the first time ever, and I played records spanning two decades, mainly techno. I’ve never had a set flow so effortlessly, and the crowd loved it too! Honourable mentions go to sets I played at Le Yono in Paris in 2016, Jaded at Corsica Studios in July 2018, and also my closing set for Minimal Force in November 2021! Oh, and an 8-hour set at AntiChic in Greece back in 2012! That was insane…! In all of these instances, the music, the flow, and the connection with the crowd made for a very special moment and hyped me to perform at my best… 

My worst performance was mainly because of my mood to be honest… It’s a testament on how a DJ or artist can’t really be allowed to have a bad day… You have to be smiling and at your best, ready to entertain… I got some devastating news just before getting on the decks, and I barely made it through the set… Damned if you do, damned if you don’t… 

 From all of your records, if you could pick 5 all time favourite records, which ones would you pick and why?

This is a tough one! Let me see… 

1.  Depeche Mode – Violator (1990)

a. Probably the best musical body of work ever put together for me; every single track, every single lyric… Also includes my favourite piece of all time, “Personal Jesus”. 

2.  Inner City – Paradise (1989)

a. Another brilliant album, also includes another absolute favourite of mine, “Good life”. Those iconic chords just make me weak in the knees! 

3.  Kraftwerk – Man-Machine (1978)

a. Do I even need to explain this one?! 

4.  Jamiroquai – Emergency on Planet Earth (1993)

a.This guy and his band are just incredible, masters at their craft, and never ever disappoint! I could have easily picked any of their albums, even their 2010 Rock Dust Light Star! This one was just too impressive for me, as a debut album to have smashed it like that, and the dude was just 24! 

5.  Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures (1979)

a. So much of the music we love was influenced by or originated in the Manchester scene, and Joy Division played a major part in that. Ian Curtis’ voice, Martin Hannett’s recording techniques… Just unique… This is actually one of only two records that I have an original mint condition first pressing of. The other one is New Order’s Blue Monday. 

This was distilled down from very long list including New Order, Shamen, Nitzer Ebb, Faith No More, Pearl Jam, Booka Shade, Paul Kaklbrenner, and others!

Indoor or outdoor party?

Oh definitely indoor! The whole rave culture was build on dark and sweaty basements and warehouses! Wouldn’t have it any other way, I never have the same experience with outdoor parties. The feeling is more intense indoors, the connection with the people around you, the sound is miles better… Just no comparison whatsoever.  

Tell me a bit about your mix. What can we expect from it?

This is only the third time I’ve ever done this, believe it or not! I mean, I’ve recorded hundreds of spontaneous or live sets, but I’ve only been asked to plan and curate a mix on request thrice. Every time it has been an absolute mammoth task, with weeks of listening to records and digital tracks, boiling things down to something particularly special, and hence why it took me so long to get you this too (sorry!). Hope it’s worth it! I can’t just pump the latest promos I have, or top 100 or a copy of my favourite DJ’s playlist. I have to create a journey, as with all my DJ sets, and it has to span the entirety of the electronic music’s history, plus some diverse genres too! There have to be some classic flashbacks, some IYKYK moments, some unexpected curveballs and obscurities, and several fresh tracks too, of course. There has to be electro, acid, and techno at least, and sometimes even beyond that too. You should expect an energy build up that seems like a warm-up, ups and downs like any journey and experience, and a finish that you could end your night with! Well, that was the intention anyway… Enjoy! 

Listen to the mix here:

Follow the artist here:

facebook.com/sahpe

instagram.com/sahpe

soundcloud.com/sahpe

mixcloud.com/sahpe

Artist Interview with: John Kayer

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 When did you first start to get interested in electronic music?  Was it the influence of friends, family or did you find it yourself?

Well, I always liked music, since I was a kid. I used to listen to a lot of pop, dance, hip-hop and even adventured myself to dance for some time, around 2007. Because of that, in 2009 I tried Djing for my dance group class as we needed someone to mix the tracks together. The tracks that influenced me a lot were David Guetta Feat. Akon – Sexy Chick and on higher bpms was Growling Machines – Enjoy The Silence, I was not very decided about my musical taste until I heard Roy Rosenfeld in a local party, I was so surprised when I heard Thomas Schumacher – Fangbanger, that after that moment I never left techno.

 How is the underground music scene in the country side of Sao Paulo? Do you feel it is getting better than before? What do you think would help techno to expand in your area?

The scene in the country side is still a bit poor but it has been growing in the last few years, I also feel that the people are more open minded about the parties every time, accepting to listen other styles, different from a few years ago. On my opinion, to make the local scene bigger, we would need more people to know our events, sharing more our work and looking to know more and show people what techno is about.

Pathless · John Kayer - Anxiety (Original Mix)

 When did you start producing music and what made you start? Were you always producing techno or you been through other genres too?

The feeling of expressing myself was definitely one of the biggest reason in the beginning. I started producing EDM, at that time it was very famous and shortly after I went to Techno and Minimal, but today I only stick to Techno.

 One all time artist or producer do you see as your primary inspirations and one that you recent discovered that is already a reference to you?

For sure one of my biggest inspirations is Jeff Mills, for me this guy makes incredible things since the time we would not mix digital with analog, something he always showed us. And a newer artist is Cleric, since I saw him in 2017 I can’t get his sounds out of my head.

 3 artists you would you love to do a b2b with and why?

I think the first one would be Cleric, as I said before, he is an inspiration for me, so would be nice to start with him. Right after would be Sven Vath, because he is very practical on his sets and his mixing skills. For last, Ben Klock, this guy mixing skills is amazing, he is great mixing and sing fx, which a lot of djs do not know how to use it well. Each one of them are unique.

 Tell me a bit about your mix. What can we expect from it?

You can expect on this mix, grooves and different techniques with fx and transitions, with loads of percussions and energy.

 

 Favorite food?

My favorite food is Strogonoff.

Listen to the mix here!

Follow the artist here:

https://soundcloud.com/john-kayer

https://www.instagram.com/johnkayerofc/

Artist Interview with: ZUZANAH

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 Tell me a bit more about yourself and how did you start your journey into Djing? Was it something you found it yourself or was the influence of someone else that inspired you to start?

A difficult first question. I might skip the “about yourself” , so how did I start the 

journey - Well I actually didn’t plan to be “DJing” , I wanted to learn how to play , so I can play for myself, however I think the deeper im going with certain things the more it gets my attention, it was a hobby since day one. I took some lessons to learn the basics, bought a controller from my best friend and I just kept playing and playing and playing. Hundreds of hours went into practices , and still today I call it practice every time I go and touch the decks. 

It took me about a year, to discover my mixing technique that would work for me ( comfort vs good sound ) , every time I touch the decks I learn something new , its amazing how much there is to learn and yet there is always more, I love this, sometimes I do something by “mistake” and voila new information just enters my brain, and hands. If someone influenced me, - yes sure did , it wasn’t one person but two, one in 2019 another in 2020 (that’s when I decided to actually learn). I believe by now i found myself sound wise, where i belong to and what i feel comfortable with. I went through many different sub genres of techno. I tried to experiment with sound to find “ The Spot” .

It is very clear that dark and hypnotic sounds are part of your identity now. Who would you say are your top 5 favourite artists at the moment? Why them?

I am glad I have an identity , its great to hear it from someone, thank you. My top 5 artists at the moment : all time favourite Luke Slater, Arnaud Le Texier, Dejan (SE) , Vinicius Honorio, Antonio de Angelis , and why them , because all of them are not only amazing artists but great producers, and humans, they helped me to shape ZUZANAH , they are the main influence . 

There are many more names I could add and I respect each one of them dearly for their input to the scene. 

The electronic music industry has always been changing and getting bigger, but recently more than ever. If you had the power to change anything in this industry, what would it be?

I think I haven’t been able to observe it for long enough, before 2020 I was a raver who enjoyed every party beginning to end , since I started playing many things have changed from my perspective for sure. If I had the power to change something - please lets move back to 2019 and lets start over , I think in last three years from what I could observe the shift is drastic, I would change many many things.

 If you could open a gig for any artist, who would it be and why?

This is my favourite question. As many might know I am huge fan of Volt London collective , this party plays a significant role in my life, journey and a DJ development if I can describe it this way. Volt holds great qualities I have adored since first party I attended back in 2019, so yes opening for their party was definitely dream come true , and as per artist it was Arnaud Le Texier which I managed now twice, truly honoured . Another two people I would love to open 

for would be Dasha Rush and Luke Slater, and why them - because I respect those two artist very dearly and it would be an honour to share line up with them and open up for them. Of course , there is a list of names I could add, but those mentioned are my top ones.

Do you like doing B2B or prefer to play alone? Why?

Im glad I took some time, and now can answer the question, I had my first b2b live back in November. I’ve played many b2b hours long sessions at home with different people , and always loved it, I believe b2b is a beneficial source of information. However, live, I prefer playing solo. B2B can be tricky even though you can practice before hand or exchange tracklists , things change right, today Im not the same person I was yesterday, and I generally like to get my folders packed with tracks of different taste so at the spot I can choose what feels right and / or follow response from the crowd, with b2b it could be tricky in a way you try to go one way but your second half goes another way , so in this case you need to follow your 

b2b partner and the crowd , now how to accommodate all this information, because two brains can judge what’s right very differently. I heard many amazing b2b’s in the past , but as per personal preference , definitely solo.

Tell me a bit about your mix. What can we expect from it?

This particular mix is the usual sound of mine , followed my inner taste of deep, hypnotic and bleeping sounds , darker and heavier kicks. Podcasts give me a bit of space to sometimes throw in track/s that we wouldn’t normally play at the party, and so this one cannot be an exception, as I say , there is always the one . You will know exactly which track it is in this podcast :) .

Favourite non electronic music genre?

Non electronic music genre, hmmmm . All i like is electronic- techno, broken beat, dark ambient. There isnt much else i listen to really .

Listen to the mix here!

Follow the artist here:

www.instagram.com/zuzanah._dj/
www.facebook.com/zuzanah.dj

https://soundcloud.com/zuzanahdj