In a city where movie stars and models reign supreme, the dedicated crew who run the revered techno night Compression have steadfastly seen their party through a litany of memorable events. On November 28th, Compression will mark its third anniversary with a post turkey day blowout featuring Funk D’Void and Mistress Barbara at Cinespace. A slew of other cool shows are confirmed well into 2009, featuring the likes of Cassy, Anja Schneider, Christian Martin and Mike Shannon. Big Shot caught up with Compression’s founder and managing director, Robtronik, and got the lowdown on the party which has featured genre stalwarts such as Steve Bug (pictured above), Richie Hawtin and Josh Wink.

When you first started Compression did you imagine it would last three years?

When I originally started Compression in November 2005, I planned for it to last six months only. I raised money from two sponsors (Napster and Microsoft) in order to buy enough time to bring in the Belleville Three in that six months time. By the time April 2006 hit, I had hosted [Juan] Atkins, [Kevin] Saunderson, and [Derrick] May—personal heroes of mine—as well as other techno producers and the club was chugging along nicely. I was stunned about the success of it given that at the time techno was still gurgling along in the downtown LA underground scene via groups like Droid Behavior. I had put techno into mainstream Hollywood clubbing land, and it just took off. Obviously, I’m surprised that three years and 58 shows has passed since that first show with Juan Atkins, but I’m extremely grateful of the friends and access to artists that I look up to as a fan and a DJ.

How has the party been able to keep going?

I think Compression has been a part of the wave of resurgence of electronic dance music in LA. It truly is amazing how much of Southern California has a vibrant scene. I think Compression was put together when the techno wave was just starting to crest in interest beyond the more narrow audience it had constrained to over the previous years. I personally enjoy the music form because it’s pure electronics in sound and production, it’s experimental for the dance floor to a large degree, and it crosses so many traditional dance music boundaries but with its own sound and energy aesthetic applied. It’s extremely malleable. But, more importantly, the sound we play at Compression via the resident DJs myself, Andre Ezer, Matt Xavier and our guests, is funky, soulful, and sometimes banging. People really seem to vibe off of the sound and really love to lose themselves in the sounds, and it helps to have a Funktion One sound system that really allows you to feel the music as opposed to just hearing it.

How do you think the techno community has changed since you started Compression?

The techno community has become bigger. In some ways, the music and DJs in techno, minimal, deep house, etc. are setting the tastes and trends for others to follow. That’s a nice validation of the sound and its vibrancy. It’s also important to understand that the music, and techno to a large degree (because it’s popular right now), is also subject to the cycle of relevancy. Right now it’s extremely relevant and lots of people, new promoters, new DJs are really into the sound. That’s great because it helps perpetuate the innovation and growth in the culture and sound assuming that everyone is trying to apply their own particular flavor to it and not copy each other.

What are your hopes for Compression and the local scene?

I hope that Compression, and what we loosely call techno these days, continues to stay innovative, encompassing, and interesting for the dance floor so that we can all enjoy the music and experience for a long time. But when it fades, and it will, it will be nice to look back and say that we were a small part of that sliver of a movement in the grand scheme of dance music in LA.

But how is LA different? More options for clubbers in LA to chose from! That keeps us on our toes to add more value and up the quality of our events incrementally over time to keep the experience fun and meaningful.

“I think ultimately Compression’s biggest achievement has been to maintain a substantive and real connection to those in the LA dance community who appreciate and support all thing related to techno.”

What have been Compression’s biggest achievements so far?

I would have to say that it felt like hosting M_Nus’ ten-year anniversary party with Richie Hawtin, Magda, and Heartthrob this year. That was special to me because we had been trying very hard to do a marquee show, and I think we pulled it off in fine fashion. I think Compression’s biggest achievement has been to maintain a substantive and real connection to those in the LA dance community who appreciate and support all thing related to techno. Without that kind of support and enthusiasm by those that come and by us, Matt and Andre, it wouldn’t mean much, if anything at all.

What can we expect in the next year?

More shows! I’m working on a festival to take place in August of next year and a Compression magazine that will be about our culture, the artists, and those that are into all things related to having soul for the dance floor. It pains me to print flyers that people essentially throw away immediately, and I want to take a stab again at publishing and educating those in LA a bit more aggressively with a magazine approach that will both provide interesting information about the event and the artists appearing. There will be a bunch of other interesting stuff in it as well… it comes out in January ‘09 and will be monthly.

Upcoming Compression Dates

November 28th @ Cinespace: Compression Third Anniversary Party w/ Funk D’Void [Soma Quality Recordings, Scotland] & Misstress Barbara [Canada]
December 5th @ Cinespace: Cassy [Panorama Bar, Perlon, Berlin] & Exercise One [Mobilee, Berlin]
January 9th @ King King: Jens Bond [Highgrade, Berlin]
January 23rd @ King King: [a]pendics.shuffle, Jason Emsley, & Drumcell
February 13th @ King King: Revolver Records Night w/ Mike Shannon & Jeff Milligan [Revolver, Canada]
February 27th @ King King: Dirtybird Records Night w/ Christian Martin & J Phlip [Dirtybird, SF]
April 3rd: Anja Schneider [Mobilee, Berlin]
April 10th @ King King: Richard Bartz [Kompakt, International Deejay Gigolo Records, Cocoon, Munich]

images by Chris Soltis