Untold Sequence

Untold Sequence Interviews Samuli Kemppi

2012-02-22T22:16:00.003-05:00

USQ: What setup did you use to record the USQMX27 and why you prefer that setup?

It was pair of Technics SL1210’s and Ecler Nuo 4 mixer. That’s what I have at home. I’ve been playing vinyls for over 20 years now, kind of difficult to think it any other way. Ofcourse I also play digital stuff on radio and on gigs, it’s always about the music, not the media. But for this I felt like going 100% vinyl.

USQ: Tell us a little about yourself?

Closer to forty than thirty, family man, working at advertising agency as art director. Pretty damn good chef if I may say.

USQ: How long have you been involved in the world of Techno?

I started playing records in the late 80’s and pretty much got hooked to acid house and early techno & electro sounds since the beginning, so twenty something years. As a young kid it was a bit different back then. Everything was new and not so accessible as music is today. I had to work for it; it was truly DIY kind of thing.

USQ: What is your music background? Do you consider influences by your background music when creating and playing your music?

Reason why I started playing records was my dad’s VHS (yeah, the thing before lasers) tape that had Herbie Hancock with the Rockit Band concert on it. There was legendary dj DST scratching an doing a little show case as an intro for the track ‘Rockit’. I was blown away. How the hell could someone do stuff like that on a turntable? That was -86 or –87 and I was 12 years young. Living in a small place you can imagine that there wasn’t many other kids that were into Herbie Hancock around, so I didn’t have anyone to talk or share the music with. So I started discovering music on my own and following every possible channels that was available in the 80’s. That was the start and I kind of feel being on the same path still these days. Learned to do things on my own way. I love music, I listen to it always. I also learn always something from music I hear, so in that sense my background do has an impact on my own writing playing.

USQ: How do you see the evolution in your music since you started until now?

Only constant is that it’s evolving all the time. Ten years ago when I did some deep house tracks with my girlfriend (wife these days) as Sam & Gigi, I had totally different approach to making music. I was trying to make tracks with certain appeal for the floor. Now it’s about self expressionism. I do music because I have to get that out of my head. When I’m in the studio, I try to finish the track within the day. All I do does have an effect on what I’m writing; you know, if I had a shitty day or ate brilliant food or did something special with my son or you name it. So, I try to get that moment in time captured.

USQ: if you have to describe your sound, how you would do it?

Snap shots of time and personal things.
USQ: What about the electronic culture and scene in Finland? Tell us the pros and cons for you?

Lots of really great producers and dj’s come from Finland, although the scene is quite scattered. I live in Helsinki, so I operate here. I actually play more often abroad than in Finland. Stuff that I play has a small audience in Finland, just enough to make our DSH parties worth doing. I don’t go out that much over here. If I have a free weekend I spend it with my family and friends. So, I might have a bit biased view on what’s going on in clubs over here.

USQ: Tell us a little about Deep Space Helsinki, the radio show you have with your friend Juho Kusti. How long have you been with the show and what’s the purpose with the program?

We’ve been doing it together now for 3 years. Also we’ve been doing DSH club nights for the same time. Primary purpose is to play good music and give an option to people who are seeking something new. We’re also trying to bring up new names from the underground. There is some great young producers in Finland at the moment. You’ll hear from them soon. Basso Radio is really great station. Over 100 dj’s, everybody specialized to their own sounds makes it quite unique station. No playlists, no bullshit.

USQ: Wich has been the place you remember the most, among all those places you have been playing? And why?

Really hard to pick up one. My first gig ever in late 80’s? My first time outside Finland? My first time playing in Berghain? So many memorable moments during these years. Of course when doing something for the first time, it feels quite special. And I have to emphasize the meaning of all the people who are involved. So many nice people out there.

USQ: What’s coming from Samuli Kemppi the next months? Releases, Remixes, Giggs, etc?

Split ep with Shifted coming out on Mote-Evolver this month, then an ep on Komisch and ep on Chronicles, sub label of Thema, based in NYC. Lots of remixes on the way. Now doing one for Phonogenic for Jesper Dahlbäck’s ISL Records. Remix for EarToGround is next on the cue. And couple more in the cue. On the gig front quite easy winter, then from april/may some interesting bookings on the calendar. Getting more and more bookings, thanks to Kinetic crew and all those promoters.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

If I just name top 5 bands for me? Or, can I just say top 5 genres? I’ll give a go, this is always difficult. I recommend reading Hi Fidelity by Nick Hornby; he’s truly making art of top 5 lists...
Not in any order:

1. Joy Division – She’s Lost Control
2. Depeche Mode - Big Muff
3. Kano – It’s a war
4. Gino Soccio – There’s a woman
5. Doors – Riders on the storm

+ many many others

Untold Sequence interviews Mekas

2012-01-23T20:50:00.005-05:00

Born and raised in the Southern Region of Argentina in the beautiful city of Bariloche, Juan Tomás Roselló (aka Mekas) started working with Pablo Denegri, Enrique Casal a.k.a. Qik and Milena Pafundi for the audiovisual experimental project TEKHNE, performing as a live act with hardware and djing around the Buenos Aires underground scene.

USQ: What setup did you use to record the USQMX26?

Ableton live 8.2.6, and Nano Korg.

USQ: Tell us about you.

I´m Mekas from Buenos Aires, I was born in 1985 and I’m a Techno producer, member of the Aula Magna Crew.

USQ: How long have you been involved in the world of Techno?

Since 2004. I’ve started playing with Enrique Casal (Qik), together with the live visuals of Milena Pafundi (Vj Linden) and Pablo Denegri. We performed live audiovisuals and experimental shows as “Tekhne”. We used to play with Reason and Midi - USB controllers back then. In the last years I released music in labels like Der Hut, Igloo-rec, Monocline, Esperanza and many more.

USQ: How do you see the evolution in your music since you started until now?

I´ve started with experimental tunes, ambient, clicks and cuts and experimental dub, now I’m looking forward to produce more club music. I don’t know exactly how to define my actual direction, but one thing is clear: the album "Chakal" released in 2009 with PabloDenegri was kind of a big musical revelation to me. The entire production process in the album was essentially getting focus on my own search.

USQ: How do you see the electronic music scene in Argentina in this moment?

The scene here is growing day by day, but playing underground Techno in Buenos aires is still not that easy. I think good times are coming here and I´m looking towards to it with great expectations. We also have some great Argentina-based labels working very well: Krill music, Traut, Igloo-rec, Greener, and so on.

USQ: If you have to describe your sound, how would you do it?

I like to say Techno.

USQ: What’s coming from Mekas the next months?

I’m releasing an EP in Minuscule with a Donor remix very soon, a vinyl EP in Woods & Bass Ltd and an EP on the label Labrynth with Scalameriya, my friend from Serbia, plus another EP in his label Genesa records. I’m also proud to announce the launching of our own vinyl record label together with Seph, Pablo Denegri and Qik: Aula Magna Records. We’re already working a lot on the first releases to come. I’m also planning my european tour for 2012, and working on my new Live set.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

That’s impossible, tracks which i really like at the moment:

1. Dj Sprinkles - Grand Central, Pt I (Deep into the bowel of house) (Mcde Bassline Dub)
2. Planetary Assault Systems - GT - P.A.S Drone Sector Remix
3. Truncate - 21
4. D. Carbone - Space Addiction (Donor Remix)
5. Mekas & Pablo Denegri - Nebulosa (Marco Zenker Remix)

Untold Sequence interviews AnD

2011-11-23T22:02:00.005-05:00

USQ: What setup did you use to record the USQMX25 and why do you prefer that setup?

The mix for USQ was recorded with 3 turntables using records and the third deck with traktor scratch for some of the unreleased tracks featured on the mix. We prefer to dj with records as it what we started to dj on and still feel most comfortable, vinyl for us is always just sounds better.

USQ: Tell us a little bit about yourself, where are you from, how did you guys meet, and what took Andro & Dimitri to form AnD?

We are from Northern Ireland an Greece and have both been based in Manchester for the past 7 years. We started to work together in the studio after meeting through a mutual friend. We had both been writing tracks by ourselves before this, but after working as duowe realised we had a faster work rate and double the ideas. So it seemed natural to work together, as we both had a really similar taste in music and outlook on life.

USQ: Which are the biggest influences for you to produce your music?

We both love writing music, so it's something we would do anyway to relax. We tend to be influenced by alot of the music we are listening to at the the time whether it's old or new. Your natural environment always helps to trigger ideas, sometimes little sounds and rhythms you get from mechanical devices, ticking clocks or dripping taps set off ideas for loops and we have to record them to sample. Sometimes full tracks can be written from that 10 seconds of field recording.

USQ: How do you see the evolution in your sound since you began to work together until this moment?

We think we've always been working towards achieving a certain sound, but through more knowledge, experience and alot of hours in the studio, we feel like we have naturally evolved in this time. Also knowing each other so well helps too, as we don't even need to speak sometimes when we are in the studio. We seem to be thinking the same thing alot of the time, which really helps with ideas, as one of us may start it but the other will finish the idea and come out with a similar end product.

USQ: Do you feel that you have renewed the belief and validity of Techno music? ¿Do you think that you have earned an important space there?

We don't think we have renewed any belief in techno, we will leave that to the true originators like Jeff Mills, Robert Hood, UR, Juan Atkins, Basic Channel, Regis, Surgeon, Daniel Bell and the list could go on. If we can emulate what any of these guys have achieved we will both be very happy.

USQ: What about the electronic culture and scene in Manchester? Tell us the pros and cons for you?

Manchester has a very strong musical history and there is always quite alot going on all the time. The electronic scene for the past few years has been mainly concentrated on dubstep and drum n bass, the techno scene hadn't been so prominent. But over the past year techno has been making a real come back, i think due to dubstep naturally slowing down a bit to around 130 - 135 this has brought the focus back more onto the house and techno end of the spektrum.

USQ: We can see that many artists from England prefer to work anonymously, what would you say could be the main reason for this?

We think most artists if they could, would work anonymously as it takes the pressure off and gives you more artistic creativity. As doing things this way people enjoy the music for what it is, rather than focusing on buying a record because it's on a certain label or done by a certain artist.

USQ: Tell us about how do you get to edit and be part of Horizontal Ground?

We got signed to Horizontal Ground by sending them some tracks we had done, and the label boss Jeff really liked them. So from this we had our first release and have gone on to release more records with them too. We both really loved what they were doing with the frozen border and Horizontal Ground labels so it made sense to send them some music. The aesthetic, sound of the label and ethos really appealed to us.

USQ: What’s coming from AnD in the next few months?

We have our next release up with Krill Music a new label from Argentina, we have a split ep with Jonas Kopp which looks like it's going to do really well! We have a more experimental ep coming out through Hidden Hawaii Ltd. Felix K runs the label and it will be distributed through Hardwax it is going to consist of a drone track and two 85bpm tracks a really special label with a strictly limited run with really nice artwork and hand stamped records. We have a track featuring on a Sect compilation with Dj Bone, Fanon Flowers, D Knox, Jeroen Search and many other talented techno artists. We've also been sorting out eps for next years releases so keep your eyes peeled...

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

This is such a hard question as there are so many tracks we love for different reasons! but here we go..

1. Aphex Twin - Heliosphan - Warp Records. One example of why Aphex is the don, from one of our all time favourite artists and albums! Still Sounds fresh after all these years

2. LFO - Mentok - Warp Records. Rave Music at it's very best, the guy is a genius!

3. Jeff Mills - Gamma Player - Axis. Narrowing your favourite Jeff Mills track down to one is an extremely hard thing to do but this track says it all, deep spacey Detroit techno just the way we like it

4. Robert Hood - Museum - M Plant. Raw Techno Funk :)

5. DBX - Beat Phreak - Peacefrog. Techno stripped as far as you can take it, amazing

Untold Sequence Interviews Dino Sabatini

2011-10-26T22:53:00.009-05:00

Dj, producer and sound designer. He gives the project "Modernheads" birth together with his partner Gianluca Meloni back in www.modernheads.net. Read and listen to the special material that Dino shared with Untold Sequence.

USQ: What did you used to make USQMX 024 and why do you prefered it?

Usually I use Traktor to do podcasts, it’s a very convenient if you aren’t in studio allows you to work anywhere but this depends on what kind of podcasts I want to do, sometimes I use some synths and some percussive module such a Jomox or Doepfer and I like to called this method "hybrid"

USQ: Tell us a little about yourself.

This question is very complicated also because I believe that talking about yourself is very difficult. However, I’ll try to be brief, I was born in Rome in 1969, it’s true I am 41 years old but I still have the energy of a twenty year old ;-)I studied music for many years and have worked as a professional guitarist in some Italian pop rock projects in studio and live, just for this profession I have found from a young age in many recording studios and have had the opportunity to learn the job the audio engineer.Then I worked as an engineer in some Italian underground clubs where I did a lot of experience.Then the decision to open a professional recording studio and a few years after the decision to use this professional background to make my music.

USQ: What is your music background? Do you consider influeced by your background music when creating and playing your music?

Having studied music my culture music is very wide, but I will tell you what were my main points of reference. In the 80” years I was totally lost for dark music, band such Cure - Sisters of Mercy - Joy Division - Siouxsie and the Banshees, etc. etc..Of course in this same period I became aware of Krafwerk and Tangerine Dreams .In the first 90 years I have followed the progressive rock and I was totally crazy about Frank Zappa.

Then I had a great love for JazzRock, I was totally devastated by "We Want Miles" by Miles Davis and just follow him, I realized that something was changing in the music and at the same time the technology was making great strides and Italy is organizing the first rave parties and in one of these for the first time I heard Lory D.

Soon after came one of the most important techno labels of the period “ACV” followed by Sound Never Seen, it was run by Sandro Maria Nasonte who founded a few years after “Elettronica Romana”. And the rest is history know…..

In any case, all this background I have always poured into my techno tracks.

USQ: Which was the main reason that you moved to Berlin?

It’s really simple in fact, it’s mainly the approach that changed during the years, at the really beginning it was a game, many years after that, i was making music for releasing it, thinking too much to the record in my hands…

USQ: Tell us a little about the history of how you started editing in Prologue Music and how is your relatioship with Tom Bonaty?

This will seem like a fairy tale, I was coming out of a bad period of my life, I lived alone and only a few months I had lost my mother.
At that time I did a track which is rightly called "No More" and then published it on Myspace.A few days later Tom contacted me saying he was crazy for this track and that he was creating a new label called "Stemmatics" and I would be the first artist to be published on this. I immediately thought of a fake and I said "Sure, now I send you the master, wait and hope" but then he shows me he was doing seriously and after a few months left on my first solo EP on this new label called "Prologue ".It looks like a real movie?My relationship with Tom is very good although sometimes I don’t fully agree about some of his musical ideas and and his decision to focus all his interest in the usual celebrities, but this is his label and rightly so.
Unfortunately I recognize that my character is not the best, and rarely in my life I was able to share the ideas of others, but nobody is perfect ...

USQ: A few days ago we knew that you played in one of the best clubs in europe at this momenet, BERGHAIN, in a PROLOGUE night. Tell us about this experience and what did it mean to you?

Play at Berghain is always a great emotion because this club is now the symbol of Techno music.This was the second time I played on this console and I had already played twice in 2006/2007 with the duo Modern Heads at the Panorama BarThis time was different because now I am very sure of myself during my performances and that makes me able to transfer all my emotions into my music and was a huge satisfaction for me to hear from many people "You are the best".

USQ: When you are producing, how do you decide wich one of your tracks to edit under the name of DINO SABATINI and your a.k.a MODERN HEADS?

So, here we must make it clear that Modern Heads is a duo, Dino Sabatini and Gianluca Meloni.A pair of latest productions made on Stroboscopic Artefacts were made by me and that was my mistake against the duo because people now know my style and this has created great confusion.

USQ: This year you released the '001' version of your 'OUTIS' label, tell us about the initial idea of how did you create the project and the concept that is behind it.

I created this label to give more space to my productions and those of some of my dearest friends without anyone tell me what is right and what is wrong and, above all, I created this label to make good music without need to create strategies business between various labels to create a monopoly of Techno and unfortunately this is what is happening right now in our music scene.Good music does not need these kind of strategies, I hope ....Then at this label I'm trying to put a little poem which I think is often lacking in this genre, I'm also trying to share my experiences around the world through the Outis blog and comes out the rules for example, I don’t like to talk about the upcoming gigs where I'm going but where I've already done, whom I have known my feelings and my experiences in that club or that festival and I do this because for me music means communication and communication means knowledge.

USQ: What’s your concept about 'TECHNO' scene in South America and what’s your ideal country to show your work?

Honestly I'm not very aware of the techno scene in South America but I would be very curious to hear and know, believe me I have no idea about.South America is for me one of the first places in the world where great music is born and this applies to every style, if you can send me some promo, I'll be very happy to listen and I also enjoy playing them.Regarding the ideal place for my music I think is the place where people love Techno.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

Leo Anibaldi – Fusion 1 – ACV
Lory D - EOC – Sound Never Seen
Byetone - .Plastic Star - Raster Noton
Massive Attack – Protection - EMI
Burial – Archangel - Hyperdub

Untold Sequence interviews Marcelus

2011-10-11T22:16:00.007-05:00

French Techno Dj & Producer Marcelus talked with us and shared some words about his life, points of view and incoming projects and releases. Read the interview and listen to the USQMX 023 he recorded specially for us.

USQ: What setup did you use to record the USQMX?

I used vinyl and a Xone 92 mixer.

USQ: Tell us about you?

My name is Cédric Bros, i'm a french dj producer, i'm 25 and i live near Paris.

USQ: How long have you been involved in the world of Techno music?

Well I’m into techno music since 1995, i discovered techno and house music through radio, back then there were two radio stations in Paris (Radio Nova & FG) playing this kind of music and it was really exciting even if I didn’t really understand what it was all about at the beginning, I just felt in love with this music.

I remember it was the early beginning of the “French touch” thing, I didn’t know about clubs, about djs, labels, I really didn’t get it in the first place to be honest. Then i learned more and more stuffs about techno and house during the following years, I started to make beats around 98 with a little game for making music, i was really young and it was fun to do that, i wasn’t thinking yes come on i will release records or something like that, and then, years after years, i stayed tuned, the first times in clubs, first records bought and turntables, and my passion for music kept growing and obviously it became much more serious, it took up more and more space in my life until my EP1 on DRH. So i was around for a while.

USQ: How do you see the evolution in your music since you started until now?

It’s really simple in fact, it’s mainly the approach that changed during the years, at the really beginning it was a game, many years after that, i was making music for releasing it, thinking too much to the record in my hands…

USQ: What about the electronic culture and scene in Paris? Tell us the pros and cons for you.

Well this is not new that France is not THE techno country, for instance it’s nothing comparable to Germany, artists, labels or clubs, it’s obvious there is not the same enthusiasm for it, but I think we have some great places for electronic music though, of course in Paris you have the Rex Club and few other good clubs, i also had a really nice surprise lately, i played in a huge warehouse just next to Paris, a very great place, nice atmosphere, it’s rare to find this here and it was so perfect for playing techno.

USQ: Which are your biggest influences at the time when you do your own music, and how was the process to reach the sound that characterizes Marcelus?

I work until i find something that is really me, I mean personal, and interesting, it can be soft or hard, simple or more technical i don’t know, whatever, i want to feel something, of course there are producers i love which are very influential, and obviously people can feel my inspirations in my music I guess, but i have to choose, and to struggle a bit against myself to put out what i ve got inside me. I don’t listen to any other producers’ music when i m producing mine and i think that’s also important.

USQ: If you have to describe your sound, how you would do it?

I would say Techno...

USQ: Last year you released yourself very strong with your EP on DRH. Tell us a little of the history of how you finished editing at this important label and how is your relationship with Cyril Etienne?

I went to a deeply rooted night at the Rex club and DJ Deep was playing, he played very great tracks that night, i knew his name and what he did before but after that night i really wanted to give some of my tracks to him, and it’s what i did, he liked them and he asked me to come to Paris to meet him and discuss a bit about my tracks.

The “EP1” came out, and was well received yes, lots of DJs played it and i really didn’t expect that, because it was my first record so… anyway I just didn’t know what to expect I guess.I think we try to make interesting records, we take our time, it’s not easy to surprise him because he got an incredible knowledge about music, also when i saw his record collection, i was really impressed, but you know I do not pretend to reinvent techno or house neither and he knows that and that’s all so I just send him tracks and we talk about it and it’s really that simple.

USQ: You made a track on the last Ann Aimee compilation, how did that come together and what does it mean to you?

Yes, they were following me since my EP1 and they asked me a track for this compilation, it regroups producers emerging since 5/6years. It’s a great project, when I saw all the others producers involved, I was really excited because I love them all and it’s a pleasure to be part of it of course.

USQ: A couple of months ago, we read that you are planning to open your own label, how is that project going?

That’s right, i am planning to open my own label in the next months, I will start to manage everything, paperwork etc during the next weeks, I know I will be really busy with it but it’s exciting to be able to release what I want, my music and also some other artists, well I am working on it!

USQ: What’s coming from Marcelus the next month?

There is my track 24/7 on the inertia compilation #2 coming out very soon on Ann Aimee, I did a remix for Ascion and Davide Carbone’s label, Repitch, I am also working on a new remix and a new Marcelus record at the moment.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

Well I can give you 5 tracks that I love very much if you want but no ranking.

The Black Dog - Cost 2
Vector Lovers – Future in Plastic (Claro Intelecto remix)
154 – Abrighterday
Robert Hood – Home ( I played it in the mix!)
Jeff Mills – Kat Race

Untold Sequence interviews Ascion

2011-09-29T22:04:00.005-05:00

Techno producer Pasquale Ascione, also known as Ascion, was born in Naples Italy. As a child, he was fascinated by electronics and his hunger for technology quickly matured. When the introduction to electronic music emerged, Ascion immediately indulged himself into the local underground scene. Soon he met friend and future collaborator, D. Carbone, who would play a major role in Ascion's electronic voyage. He began to experiment with different software, creating his own style and unique sounds. As his skills developed, so did his growing reputation.

USQ: Tell us about Ascion

I begin by saying that Ascion is my surname without "e" and anywhere in the world I've stayed in, they have pronounced it differently. I was born 1988 in a town called Ottaviano near Vesuvius. Since childhood I have been passionate about computers. By 12 years old, I started to wander around the web and make websites. In those days, I was very keen to house music because my sister went to parties and I could not, but I knew all the songs. After high school, I moved to Urbino with my best friend (D.Carbone) to study multimedia design at the Academy of Fine Arts. I graduated and now I moved to Berlin, the place where I feel best at the moment. I love art and, besides being an artist in the techno scene, I've made videos, pictures, different music and so on.

USQ: What was the setup that you used to record USQMIX022 and why do you prefer to use this?

I used two Turntables and a Computer. I recorded the mix in my studio in Berlin. I used this setup so that i can play promos and my unreleased stuff because I'm bored to make cds.

USQ: We can see that REPITCH 000 is on air, what was the inspiration to make this release/track [Untitled 1]?

It's what i feel as "repitch sound." Its my label and i can expose myself 100%.

USQ: How often do you play week by week and what can we wait of ASCION'S show?

I'm not playing much lately, maybe because I'm done with my old bookings and I (maybe) don't promote myself enough. But I assure you, when you can play every weekend in a month, it is very special. Especially if the crowds are people who know your music, it is very exciting. The only flaw is that they should invent teleportation, or end up hating airports! In my sets, I try to lead the audience on a sound trip. Sometimes I can be with a deep vein, or also more industrial at times, and also when I can, I like to experiment bringing on an all futuristic concept. It also depends on location and what turns me on the head. But overall I play what I like without an outline.

USQ: What is the biggest reason to move to BERLIN?

I moved here because I was not happy with the way you live in my country, and in Italy I have never found enough room for my art .Especially because I feel that Berlin is now the nerve center of a given techno scene and I wanted to live it! Here I am also inspired by what I see; I am a person that lives from many sensations including visual, so sometimes it's really nice travel with the imagination.

USQ: What do you think about the digitalization issues, production and mixing. Digital is a good way to innovate or tools will always be better to use analog?

Surely the heat from any analog-machine can never be replaced by a plug in a computer. Also the fact that touching vinyl or pressing a button is totally different. The thing I regret is that many young novices are not informed. They want everything at once. For this reason a lot of things are going wrong, especially for vinyl. The two could continue to coexist; for example, it takes the same time per track to rip vinyl, which usually come out before of the digital release, or i mean an "only vinyl" release. And you can use your computer, if you want play with traktor or something else. In these modern years everything is simplified, and I admire this progress and I use it, but we must not forget the things that led us to where we are now and support it! I do.

USQ: A few months ago, we have been listening to a very different Techno from what we heard earlier by you, what led you to take this evolution in your music?

To be honest when I started to play around with electronic music ,I did my first production at 140 bpm!I was really young - something like 14 15 years old - but already by then attending clubs, documenting about the minimal and techno music bpm were reduced and the sounds were those who could please me at that time, was the time when I followed many minimal DJs and consequently they influenced me. Entering then into the scene, with the passage of time, many tracks did not satisfy me and, after much research, I understood what kinds of sounds really give me emotions. I have definitely moved on techno scene which eventually was always in my heart right from beginning, leaving behind an "almost certain" future in the techno-minimal scene. I'm happy right now even if I do not play every weekend. I find myself in a rewarding ambient. It's nice to do what excites you and you really love.

USQ: Between running a label, producing, remixing and touring do you find the chance to listen to music that isn’t dancefloor orientated?

Yeah sure!! Just 5 min ago i was listening to "Murcof" and 10 more at "Bjork - Unravel" (live in tokyo).. i simply love her voice and also her Icelandic accent. Sometime i listen to varied electronic music, idm, 2step, dustup as well but above all I love music without rhythm when i need to relax.

USQ: What's coming for ASCION for the rest of year?

Repitch 001 as "Repitch" that is always a project between me and Davide, also some original tracks always on REPITCH recordings. Some remixes for Brian Sanhaji, Max_m, Bcr boys, Cabarete groove and more projects and collaboration that I can't speak about right now…I will also start to work at my album when i feel in the right mood.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

This is one of the most difficult questions that I have ever been asked. I will list some of the tracks (dancing enabled) that always give me emotions when I am listening:

Jeff Mills - The Bells
Teste - The Wipe (5am synaptic)
Matthew Jonson - Decompression
James Ruskin - Lahaine
Regis - Speak to me

Untold Sequence interviews Markus Suckut

2011-09-17T12:49:00.007-05:00

Markus’ own musical history began in 1999, at the brink of the new millennium an interest in electronic music was awakened in the young, Germany-based Markus. At the time it was less about committing to one musical direction, than about the excitement of DJing and testing sonic limits. Carried along by the excitement of these inital impressions Markus began to teach himself to mix and within a few short years his first productions followed.

USQ: What was the set up used to record USQMX21 and where was it recorded?

I've used two Turntables, two CD-Players and a two-channel mixer. I've recorded the mix in my bedroom at home.

USQ: Tell us a little bit about Markus Suckut?

Well, I was born 1987 and I life in a small village near Duesseldorf, Germany. I am into electronic music since 1999 I guess.

USQ: How do you define your musical style?

USQ: Which are your biggest influences at the moment to produce music, and why?

My surrounding, friends and everything what happens inspires me somehow.

USQ: How is the process of making your music? Do you have a pre-idea before making something or just let everything come out in the moment? Tell us about that?

Sometimes I have an idea, sometimes I haven't and I just go with the flow. I use a mixture of analogue and software for producing my music. I hope to collect some more analogue gear in the future, because it's a lot of fun to have your hands on drummachines and synthesizers.

USQ: We have seen your appearances on Stroboscopic Artefacts and Figure SPC, two very important labels nowadays. How did you get to release music there?

After i've heard the first three couple releases of Stroboscopic Artefacts and I really liked that stuff, I was like, just giving it a try and I've send a few tracks to Lucy. I guess a few days later he answered and he wanted to give me a call, he told me about the future projects, at this time it was the Monad Series and no one knew about it, and he asked me if I would like to get involved. I said yes and things went like they are right now.
For the Figure SPC stuff, I have send Len nearly a year before the first release some Tracks, they were harder, it was more thought for Figure. He liked that stuff, made edits of some tracks, but he never wanted to release it. But he told me, that I should keep him up to date. So we kept in touch, I've send him a huge package and the Figure SPC J was born few weeks later. It's a huge honor for me to be a part of that Figure crew, because I followed him for some years and I also have a couple of Podium and Figure releases at home on vinyl. We really keep in touch and keep our selfs up to date once a week and you can expect more stuff on Figure SPC in the future I guess, but I don't want to release to much details for that right now. I really feel home there and it's a huge family. You simply should have an eye on that.

USQ: How does the idea come to make SPC K (Figure SPC) with Jeroen Search? How was the work method to make that release?

Jeroen and I have met a month before the release of SPC J or so in Cologne. He was playing live there and Cologne is not that far away from where I am living at the moment. We had some chat via Facebook before. So we finally met in Cologne that day, we had dinner together, talked a lot and were kidding around that we should produce some tracks together. Some days later Jeroen was sending me some loops he has recorded with his analogue gear. He asked me if I could work out that stuff and I did. That's how we got together. Sadly we never were together in the same studio, we were sending a lot of loops back and forth and discussed everything via chat.
After we've finished the first track “JSMS1.0”, we thought it just would make sense to release it on Figure SPC because we are both artists of that nice label. You know, Jeroen is somehow the reason why Figure SPC came real. So we've send Len that track, told him our idea and he was totally into it from the first second and asked for more material for an EP. The whole process started again then, it took some weeks to get it all together, cause we have totally different ways for producing but in the end it was totally worth it and we became close friends.

USQ: We can see SCKT is on the road and is going to be “vinyl only”. Tell us the main reason to do not want to make a digital/vinyl (both formats) label and what’s behind this project.

The main idea is just to release my own stuff and the good thing is that I have no rules for that, I will be able to do what I want. I have 100% control of the music and the artwork. Also the artwork, which will be always be black and white, I always will do on my own. So you will get 100% me when you hold a SCKT record in your hands. I will keep it vinyl only, because I still believe into that kind of medium, you have something beautiful in your hands and not just a crappy file on your computer. I guess the whole music industry has huge problems since all that digital stuff developed. I have started Djing with vinyl ten years ago, I also tried out that digital djing for a period of time... but somehow I came back to my roots, I guess it was a sign somehow. It's not the same to dj with a laptop. It sucks that everyone calls himself a dj just because that person knows how to use that sync function... If you will give them two vinyl records, I bet, they won't be able to mix them... Those people never went through the history of our music which we are doing. Also I hate it, to come into a club and nothing works, nothing is connected right or you have acoustic feedbacks and if you ask me, it's also sad to have a technician in a club that doesn't know how to solve a problem... or knows where the mistake is... We never had those kind of problems before all that digital stuff! That are some reasons why I will keep it vinyl only.

USQ: Which has been the place you remember the most, among all those places you have been playing? And why?

It was Techno Revolution in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia. Everything worked out so well, it was really the best party I have played, it was in an old fabric for cigarette filters and the crowd totally went crazy.Also I enjoyed everything around the party, the promoters and I had a nice day, the showed me their city and I had some typical russian food.

USQ: What’s coming from Markus Suckut in the next months?

Of course I am working on more material for Figure SPC and SCKT. There will be a 12” released on Repitch, the label from Ascion, D. Carbone and Shapednoise, including a really cool remix by Marcelus and there will be a few remixes I've done. Last but not least there's coming the debut EP on my label SCKT beginning of 2012 but I guess the best to be up to date is my website or my facebook page.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

Hard to pick, so I choose simply 5 of the tracks which never leave my iPod.

Joy Division – She's Lost Control
Radiohead – Idioteque
No More – Suicide Commando
Portishead – Machine Gun
Grauzone - Eisbär

Untold Sequence interviews D. Carbone

2011-08-26T22:34:00.009-05:00

D.Carbone started to produce music in 2006 with his great friend Ascion they began a musical project that continues to grow still now. From Always he was fashinated by electronic music, the artist started his career with minimal sonority that was expressed in his first releases on labels like "Smallroom Music", "SCI + TEC," 8 Sided Dice "and many others. Davide was continually engaged in sound's finding that could express all of himself, made of deep sensation and industrial sonority.

USQ: Tell us about D. CARBONE, Who is the person behind the decks?

In many case people think that the dj is only dj but not for me. I'm also a university student at faculty of psychology and now I'm working for finish my studies. Music is my real interest, I'm studying only for cultural baggage, I don't have interest to work as psychologist in future, my unique interest now is finish university and go to berlin for dedicate my life only to music!

USQ: What's the setup that you used to make the USQMIX 019?

I used a Macbook Pro with Traktor Pro2, NI Audio 8DJ and Allen & Heath Xone 42!.

USQ: We could check that you made a trip to BERLIN this year; Do you consider that BERLIN is the "TECHNO EPICENTER"?

Berlin Berlin Berlin! How i said…Berlin is Berlin, it's simply different… I think is the best city in Europe for quality of life… Here you can be free in all sense. Naples is good place but we have many many problems (I don't want be long on this things). Apart how you can live there (city is really cheap, many things are legal meantime in rest of Europe not is legal, there are uncountable different people from all state and so on…), i think Berlin has real Techno's music culture! The party there start but nobody know when will it finish (Ex. In July 30th i was in Berghain, Luke Slater made awesome set, played also my track on Repitch000, then Ben Klock played 11 hours with magic old school inside, he stopped after 10 hour, but nobody going out from the dancefloor and people were really much for Panorama Bar, and so Ben played other one hour, but where were people? All were in dancefloor, so Len Faki go down and start to play….The party never stop!). Then i want say that Napoli in the past was real epicenter of techno music but in my opinion we have lost it unfortunately, in the 90's Naples had a lot of artists that made rule and now these persons changed they own style for commercial business…Berlin now set the rules!

USQ: How is the TECHNO SCENE in NAPLES and what is the listener’s perception about this techno style?

For me not really good, but is only an assertion of taste. In Naples artists have a different mode to explain techno than me, i think so! There are many good artist like Joseph Capriati and so on… But all of them have different vision of techno for me.. in the past i made a techno more similar to Napolitan techno, but now i don't think so... I'm in way of RAW! I think, my Techno is very different from other people of Naples and i can't feel my music totally inside this scene! (How i said at begin of this reply i don't want that this can seems like a criticism, it's just a taste opinion)

USQ: We have seen that you've been working with ASCION since a long time ago. How is the relationship with him and is he the mayor test when you make a new track?

Ascion is like a brother for me! We lived together in last four year , now Ascion finished his studies and he moved in Berlin, next year also i come there… Ascion is not only a major test, he is the only one tester of my demos (I don't like send my demos to other people)! About collaboration, you asked me in good time, few days ago we made a last track for completing the first EP of series, that will be released with new alias from me and Ascion… Also if we are really distant in this time, everytime we meet, we need to make a track!

USQ: We could see the D CARBONE'S sounds progress during your beginings like a producer with tracks such as Black Clock / Rende Deep in Eminor Records and many more. Now we can check a wonderfull relase in "Prosthetic Pressings" "Suicide EP, With Remixes of Ascion & Claudio PRC . How was the evolution to reach this Techno?

I'm producing music from 4 or 5 year… And i think all my past was at research of my own style… I'm really lover of old school and i think that my own style came from fusion of old school with new instruments and new gear… So, how i can say, i Try to keep alive the sensations of old school inside the new rules!.

USQ: Can you tell us a bit about your music background? and do you consider that this music style is an influence at the moment of creating your music?

The background of my music is represented from really few artist at moment like P.A.S. , Surgeon, Dehnert, Pacou, Klock and so on… They are all representatives of old school… I believe music need to be felt inside heart, music need to create an emotion inside everyone, and this emotion is different from person to person, from artist to artist. With this i want say that i feel this emotion in me when i listen artist like Surgeon, P.A.S. , Mills and so on. When i producing I need that my track evocate this emotions, and only if i feel this emotion i continue to work… I think working without inspirations, without emotions is stupid, because results aren't real expression of own art… Maybe, my idea is complicate to explain but i think all people that have felt this emotion for also one time in his own life, may understand me.

USQ: Tell us about REPITCH and what is the concept behind the project?

Thanks for giving me a possibility to speak about Repitch. It has inside it the concept of Techno culture, it is limited 300 copies with no-repress for 000… I'm a lover of underground scene and i would like Repitch represent the underground scene…We (Me and Ascion) started with idea to open "Repitch" many time ago (approximately 3 years ago)… We waited many times for completing our growing style's (the style always growing but i think now is quite mature) and to set up Repitch's style(In later time we added also Shapednoise to REPITCH crew)! Thus, i can say that the first release of Repitch called 000, because for us not is real starting but is better speak of presentation vinyl, so i want say that we release this vinyl for introducing "Repitch" and his music to the techno scene … After this presentation will begin a series (always limited) with special artwork signed Pasquale Ascione aka Ascion, but i don't want explain other about it, i want that will be a surprise for all artist that want have this series in them collection! Of course we have good artists and remixers on Entire series. (In July Chris Liebing Charted my Track Untitled out on Repitch 000).

USQ: What are your plans for the end of 2011? (Records, Remixes, Dj-Sets, Live)

For Records i have REPITCH 000 , REPITCH 001 with Ascion, an Ep on Dynamic Reflection, one Remix on Driving Forces all of these are in vinyl!About dates, I have three gigs in Germany: Munster @ Club Favela, Stuttgart again @ Toy and one other at Tresor(Berlin) for Nachtstrom Night, one in Bulgaria (TBA), one at Resonance Festival(Naples)!About live i decided to stopping for few time and i'll restart to make new live when i have a couple of analog instruments for make it!

USQ: Where have you enjoyed more playing and why?

I think one month ago in Stuttgart at Toy, because people were amazing…I played really techno and people were happy, people totally felt in this music, people felt my same emotions!

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

You keep me in front an hard choice…(laughs)I think five is reduced number for defining best tracks of ever!I Say best tracks from five artists that i have in my heart!

Jeff Mills - Change of Life
Mike Dehnert - Dub [Fachwerk Records]
Planetary Assaults System - Surface Noise
Surgeon - Intro (Version II) [Tresor Records]
Pacou - Return [Cache Records]

Untold Sequence interviews Szare

2011-08-10T22:59:00.010-05:00

The English raw-techno duo shared a few words with Untold Sequence, letting us know a bit more about themselves, underneath their anonymity. Read the interview and enjoy Szare's Live Set as recorded in Bristol, UK. 'This interview has been translated from the Spanish original'.

USQ: Tell us about SZARE?

We’re two guys from the north of England, where all the streets are watched by the State’s cameras.

USQ: Which is the main reason to remain anonymous?

We think this answer was given alone. We want to be subversive, hidden and undercover. We want to keep something for us so we can fight against the political rules.

USQ: Where are you living today and how much do your surroundings influence you?

Maybe give you this information would be imprudent. But we can talk about what surrounds us, things here are dark and implacable, but still funky, so it has a really strong impact in our music.

USQ: Tell us a little about Syndrome Z, what is the concept behind the project?

There’s really no predominant concept, we just make raw techno, and it will continue that way until people want.

USQ: You have a very distinctive line history behind the kicks/hi-hats, when it’s time to create music: what did you grow up listening to and what eventually led you to this kind of music?

We grew up listening to many styles of music, from hip-hop to post-rock, from dub reggae to ambient, but our actual situation came from some excellent experiences in nightclubs and from Sleep archive. In relation with our kick/hi-hat models, I think who first inspired us was Regis, but now it just develops naturally and without any significant influence.
Recently we’re exploring ‘the sequence grid’, we’re trying to find some new rhythms and grooves, so then we can put a straight hi-hat… just like that!

USQ: What’s next for SZARE?

Now for Szare there will be a long and frustrating distraction through the funky dance and a prolonged conflict between 110bpm and 130. If we’re lucky, one or two more publications in the techno world… in fact, our relationship with Latin America will continue through Krill Music, from Argentina.

USQ: Tell us a bit about your live show, how often are you performing live as opposed to Djing and what can we expect from SZARE Live?

We only play ‘live’ (with synthesizers, keyboards, etc), you should wait until we play all our best material, published and not, during 90 minutes at least.

USQ: What’s coming from Szare soon, what projects do yuo have for the rest of the year?

Our plans and projects until Christmas… one of us is going to Los Angeles, California, for a war inside Hollywood, he’s attacking from the inside. The other one is working for the Red Cross, helping victims of the capitalist wars. The war will continue. People should defend themselves.
The music is not really important, if we have nothing to celebrate.

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

it’s really hard to pick only 5 of all time. But.

1. Michael Jackson – Why You Wanna Trip On Me? (1991)
2. Donna Summer – State of Independence (1982)
3. Mobb Deep – The Start of Your Ending (41st Side) (1995)
4. David Bowie – Station to Station (1976)
5. Link Wray – Rumble (1958)

Untold Sequence interviews Ness

2011-07-04T15:19:00.012-05:00

Ness became interested in electronic music in the late 90's. In 2004 he started djing, taking inspiration from various genres going from trance to pure experimentation. The interest in music led him to attend various courses and audio engineer for some years and the conservatory of his hometown.The need to express his emotions through music led him to experiment and research in recent years that better reflect his sound.Since 2009 he founded his own label Mono Records with his friend Bettosun, and releases music in labels such as Prologue, Sonata and Varianz.The experience gained over the years leads to define his DJ sets that are characterized by a strong array of techno and house at the same time.

USQ: What's the setup that you used to make the USQMIX 018 and where was it recorded?

My set up was : 1 mixer Ecler Nuo2, 2 Turntables Technics 1210 MK2, Traktor Scratch Pro and X1 controller ; I recorded the session in my own studio in Cagliari.

USQ: Which are your main influences at the time of producing and and what tools do you use for it?

I have several influences, from ambient sounds to real noise, I spend most time listening to other good artists productions and I think it is inevitable to be influenced,i believe it is a very common thing. It happened to make sound recordings and use them for my music, for a time I used hardware too, but now mainly use Ableton Live and an Akai controller.

USQ: How do you describe your music?

It 's a tough question for me! I can tell you that my main interest right now is increasingly focused on the atmosphere that is intertwined with a hypnotic rhythm.Although I like the melody in most of my productions I prefer to concentrate more 'on the care of the sounds rather than in finding a particular melody.

USQ: What was the pourpose to create MONO RECORDS and what is the concept behind the proyect?

The intention to create a label (with my friend Bettosun) was born from a need to give free expression to our concept of music. Mono Records is not tied to a particular genre, we prefer to give space to different types of music, the only thing that should bind the release are an array of deepness and quality.

USQ: We can see that you start this 2011 with intensity, making a release for a great label like PROLOGUE. How was that contact to release ''DIAGNOSTIC FEDERATION'' and what your inspiration for it?

I am very proud and happy to have started 2011 with a release on one of the labels that I admire most 'in the European techno scene. The "Diagnostic Federation Ep" was born like most of my productions, so when I make music I do not think too much to what label can fit (or better it's the second step when the track is finished) , rather those who have to listen (play and dance too) and the message that can have inside it's more important for me.
Prologue has been in contact with me at the right time and I want to thank my friend Claudio PRC for this and of course Mr. Tom Bonaty.

USQ: What are your plans for this 2011? (Records, Remixes, Dj-Sets, Lives)

Although we are already in mid-2011, in the coming months, I have different music to be released, a new ep on Prologue together with Rasmus Hedlund, on Synewave together with Attemporal and on Jato Unit for which i have one remix and one solo ep. In August I will perform together with Claudio PRC at Test Festival in Torreblanca for a Mono Records Showcase with Attemporal as well; i'm still working on my own live set but i don't know if i'm yet ready for it, i'm still prefering the djing side at the moment :)

USQ: Top 5 of best tracks ever for you?

Crazy question! I can say there's so many good artists and tracks that is a pity to choose just 5... but anyway i will try, with no particular order :

Basic Channel - Phylyps Trak II
Daft Punk - Da Funk
Kraftwerk - Radioactivity
Dj Rolando - Jaguar
Robert Hood - Minus

New blog design

2011-06-27T16:30:00.002-05:00

We are introducing to you the new USQ blog desing. We are including more content to the site and also we are starting a new section called "Interviews" where we will be interviewing great artist and sharing their words and experiences with all of us. Be ready for the fisrt interview this week whit a guy that have released material on PROLOGUE music !