A night into the psychedelic realms of techno presented by Wata Igarashi, underground legend Function, Emily Jeanne & Kim Kenis.
WATA IGARASHI | jap
Wata Igarashi has quickly emerged as one of Japan’s leading DJs and producers. He has been exploring the deeper side of techno through well-received EPs on Midgar, The Bunker NY, and DJ Nobu’s Bitta label, as well as standout tracks on compilations on Semantica and Time to Express. By day, Igarashi works as a sound producer and the skills he has developed through his work are reflected in his productions, which are distinguished by their subtle and carefully polished feel. Igarashi pursues a similar sound in his DJ sets, developing a distinctive take on the more trippy and psychedelic brand of techno Japan has become known for.
FUNCTION | us
One of techno’s true underground heroes, Function (Dave Sumner) has been DJing and making music for over 25 years. He is a founding member of the Sandwell District collective, Ostgut recording artist and owner of Infrastructure. Hailing from New York, he was seduced by techno when Jeff Mills held residency (as well as his own first) at Limelight in the early 90s. Producing from the mid-90s onward, he released his first 12″s on Damon Wild’s Synewave and his own Infrastructure imprint. A chance meeting in 1996 brought him together with Regis (Karl O’Connor). The two worked as Portion Reform, releasing uncompromising music on Downwards, making him the only non-Birmingham producer to appear on the label. He later moved to Berlin in 2007, still working with Regis, and now Silent Servant (Juan Mendez), putting his focus on Sandwell District. Since, the label come collective, skyrocketed into cult status – decentralizing the artist ego, blurring the lines between the artist, label and dj; re-arranging the DNA of modern dance music.
EMILY JEANNE | be
Joining the dots between heads down, high energy Techno & caustic, wide-angle atmospherics via slick percussive motifs with a razor-sharp sheen – Emily Jeanne has spent the last few years developing a unique voice as both a DJ and producer. The Belgian artist, who spent her formative years between Vietnam and Ghent honing her craft as a selector, has worked tirelessly to carve out a sonic space that exists in equal parts as an homage to the reduced purism of the progenitors of the genre, as it does a harsh light looking forward to pastures new.
KIM KENIS | be
Natural consequence is a key phrase for Brussels-born DJ Kim Kenis. Raised by a drummer, it’s no coincidence that she easily stays in time as she strings together gems from along the genre spectrum. Known and loved as someone who pretty much can’t stop dancing once she starts, it was only a matter of time before she channeled this endurance behind the decks. Whether sending stargazers into the ether with her ambient selections or getting hearts and bass thumping on the dancefloor with her minimalistic techno sets, Kim brings a bewitching tenderness to her DJ-ing that quickly caught the attention of the Belgian scene. With the tenacity of a historian deep in an archive, she’s had a near-prolific output of thoughtful, studied radio mixes since 2019 (Refuge Worldwide FM, WAV, Radio Sofa) and an interesting club & festival schedule (Waking Life, Horst Arts & Music, Paradise City, Listen! Festival, Doel Festival, Funke, …).