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Exclusive interviews with DJs and electronic music artists.

Read a Lost 1995 Interview With NYC House Music DJ/Producer Angel Moraes

Darren Ressler 1 Comment

angel-moraes-interview-1995

New York City DJ/producer/label and club owner Angel Moraes passed away suddenly on February 27, 2021. Since his death, there’s been an outpouring of love and appreciation for Angel’s contribution to global club culture.

As my way of paying tribute to him, here’s an interview I conducted ith Angel that was published in the July 1995 issue of Muzik, a now-defunct monthly dance U.K. music magazine.

I interviewed Angel several times over the years. This particular interview happened while his profile was soaring internationally due to the success of his edgy productions on his Hot’N’Spycy label.

Read on to learn about Angel’s days clubbing at the Paradise Garage, how he laughs about trainspotting David Morales back in the day at the Ozone Layer in Brooklyn and the joy he had watching his track “Welcome to the Factory” make Junior Vasquez smile.

RIP, Angel.

Image by Michael Wong

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Sync 24 Recalls Last DJ Gig Before COVID-19 Lockdown

Ian Fleming Leave a Comment

Sync 24

Throughout our Last DJ Set series, we’ve asked a range of artists — Alinka, David Morales, Alan Oldham, Spencer Parker and Julia Bondar — to recall their last gig before government-ordered lockdowns and travel bans went into effect in March, forcing clubs and festivals to close.

As we inch closer toward the re-opening of clubs and festivals, we asked electro explorer Phil Bolland (a.k.a. Sync 24) of Cultivated Electronics to recall his last gig before lockdown. Continue Reading →

Ken Ishii Pairs Producing Techno With Brewing Craft Beer

Darren Ressler Leave a Comment

Ken-Ishii craft beer

Ken Ishii is one of techno’s most unassuming and talented influencers. He’s an innovator whose contribution to the genre as a DJ and producer is far-reaching.

A student of the musical curriculum taught by Detroit’s techno godfathers in the ‘80s, Ishii is an artist in flux. He’s a gifted creator with a singular sound. In a world of fleeting trends and fads, the secret of his longevity is his creative focus and diligence.

Throughout his catalog of enduring singles, EPs and full-length albums (fun fact: Ishii composed the music for the opening ceremonies to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan) issued since 1993, he’s fluidly explored a wide swath of styles — everything from funky, breakbeat-infused tracks to auspicious, ambient-bathed explorations.

Ishii closed out 2020 with “Bionic Jellyfish,” a crushing, no-nonsense single for Electropical Records. It’s tailor-made for whenever we can have raucous warehouse parties again. The enthralling release includes bristling remixes by Drunken Kong and Luca Morris & Mozzy Rekorder.

We spoke with the Tokyo-based techno titan shortly after the single’s release to discuss “Bionic Jellyfish” and his passion for brewing craft beer. Continue Reading →

Read the First U.S. Interview Daft Punk Did For ‘Discovery’ in 2001

Darren Ressler Leave a Comment

daft-punk-interview-discovery

In lieu of the unexpected announcement of Daft Punk’s breakup after 28 years of producing, remixing, DJing and trailblazing, I dug into the vault to share my interview with the group published in the April 2001 issue of Mixer.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Daft Punk twice as well as having them grace the cover of Big Shot during our print days.

Looking back on the interview, it’s heartening to see how they maintained such high standards for their work over subsequent releases and projects. Read on to learn the success of their first album, why it took so long to record their second LP and how they became robots. Continue Reading →