Aux, Vol. 2
Second in a series of thematic, guest-curated mixes.
This week’s guest mix arrives courtesy of my pal Dillon Riley, who quickly raised the bar for this feature by recording an actual live DJ set for it. Read up and listen below:
Hello,
I, like many of you, am a friend and longtime fan of Ben’s work and jumped at the chance to contribute to this project on Twitter, where we do quite a bit of correspondence (especially lately given you know, ~the state of the world right now~). In lieu of a “playlist” I’ve included below an actual DJ Mix* of new(er) songs that have banged around in my head recently. The theme gluing these tunes together being *groan* techno. On the surface level, yeah wow what a boring thesis for a DJ Mix, but bear with me. I do think there’s a misconception about what the word TECHNO means in the year 2020. Not to assume too much about my audience here, but I think it’s safe to say many of you see techno in the image that Pop Culture (not rave culture) has conjured. Hell, I know I did until at least like Junior year of college. I’m talking about like the brutalist slabs of Berlin megaclubs pumping out bleak, industrial tinged kick drum abuse to hoards of stoically leather clad punters. You know, like a lot of white people dressed in all black. Or maybe you just think any strain of electronic music you hear is t e c h n o (please don’t do that). While that’s certainly a slice of what this thing I care deeply about gives you, there’s so much more to techno. Sometimes it can even have some drumbreaks! Or funk influence! Or vocals! Techno is inherently Black too for those that don’t already know, and you can get a quick history lesson on that in last week’s Washington Post. While being uncompromisingly political music, techno is also supposed to be a RELEASE. So that’s what I did here, I played some techno, and I had fun for an hour or so. Hopefully so will you, and then we can talk about it on Twitter.
*I hold no illusions whatsoever of being a “real DJ” largely because I suffer from intense imposter syndrome in virtually anything I do and therefore believe I am not talented enough for the job, and mostly because I can’t be bothered to do all the other stuff besides actually DJing to be one. Also I’m much too poor to afford the proper equipment to practice on. Regardless, even I cannot deny being a dedicated enthusiast of the form, and messing around with mixes has definitely been a nice way to pass the time in quar. And hey, might be nice to play in a basement or someone’s backyard a handful of times once it’s safe to do that sort of thing again.
– Dillon aka DJ Denim Dill (dumb inside joke not worth explaining)
TRACKLIST
The Primitive Painter (Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke)- Hope
Olive T- Midst Of it
Aroent- Eleese
Blixaboy- Azanian Funk
Luke Vibert- Dream
Pangaea- Like This (Full Mix)
Solär Sound System- Re veille Toi
Dj T-1000- Motor City Black
Zenker Brothers- Chi Boost
Skee Mask- Type Beat 3
Martyn Bootyspoon- Yeehaw Emoji (Face With Cowboy Hat)
The Exaltics & Heinrich Mueller- Hologram Universe
Admo- Catharsis (Badman Version)
Karenn- Shoes Off
Amal- Psychopass
MoMa Ready- Portal Step