Speedy J is bringing an Electric Deluxe showcase to Ampere, with Abdulla Rashim (live), ROD and Albert Van Abbe joining him.
SPEEDY J (Electric Deluxe), NL
Jochem Paap (the Rotterdam artist owes his nickname Speedy J to his DJ skills) is unanimously considered to be one of the first techno producers to come from the Benelux. Together with people like Laurent Garnier, Aphex Twin and Richie Hawtin he helped raise the genre just after it had escaped the Detroit delivery room. Since the early nineties, Speedy J releases on labels like Plus 8, Warp and Novamute. But while techno develops into a dominating force on many dance floors worldwide, Jochem Paap, after the albums G Spot (1993) and Ginger (1995), turns left and heads for other exciting places.
After fifteen years of techno Speedy J now has come full circle. But what a wide circle it was, and how fickle the trodden path. Over the years he has collaborated with video-artists, filmmakers and advertisers, made the pioneering DVD Umfeld, an audio-visual, electronic trip, which sets the standard for many composers who want to compose for six speakers in the coming years – remarkably made available as a free download on the internet.
But not only that, Speedy J has continuously been pushing the boundaries of electronic & experimental dance music. Blurring the lines between Live performance and Digital Djing, he fuses subversive electronics and peak time Techno. Together with his partner in crime Chris Liebing he started using Traktor and other Software technology on 4 laptops with hardware such as Machine Drum and 303’s to create a fully integrated set. Again he is spearheading a way of DJing that is picked up by a lot of other forward thinking electronic artists.
ABDULLA RASHIM LIVE (Semantica Records, Abdulla Rashim Records), SE
Submerged in both rhythm and mystery, Abdulla Rashim’s shadowy aesthetic floats in balance with his uncompromising work. Wholly dedicated to his ideas and sound, Rashim’s quest for renewal and the importance of his craft has reflected well both internationally and locally, where he is praised alike. A listening ear and pure emotion is what his rhythms demand and what keeps him on top of his mission.
ALBERT VAN ABBE (No Comment, Vanabbe), NL
ROD is the newborn alter-ego of Rotterdam based Benny Rodrigues, currently one of the most popular and inspiring electronic music artists of the Netherlands. Known for his versatility, Benny has chosen this additional artist name to clearly define the more Techno oriented side of his musical identity.
ROD’s critically acclaimed debut-release ‘Malmok’ was released on Ben Klock’s Klockworks label and formed the start of a fruitful discog that reads very positively received releases on various renowned labels such as Chris Liebing’s CLR Recordings, Richie Hawtin’s M_nus Recordings and Adam Beyer’s Drumcode Records. Next to his praised original productions, ROD is also a well in demand remixer and has crafted ‘trademark ROD’ reworks for seminal Techno-classic such as ‘Slam- Positive Education’ (Soma) and Carl Craig’s ’69- Poi Et Pas’ (Planet E) among others. But above all ROD is known for his deeply rooted dj-sets, which bring him to many Techno-hotspots around the world, including Berlin’s iconic Berghain. During his highly regarded RODnacht events in Rotterdam, he usually and effortlessly plays long 8 hours marathon-sets, showcasing all the many shapes & forms Techno has to offer.
With his vast knowledge of music, his undying love for Techno and his sharp taste, ROD is firmly placing himself in the top tier of the new school generation of Techno artists.