DJ-Kicks start 2018 in fine style with another vital entry into their long running series. The latest comes from Swiss DJ and producer Deetron on March 3rd 2018, and features an exclusive solo track as well as exclusive collaborations with Steve Spacek, Jinadu and Jamie Lidell.
As one of the other most famous musical exports from his Swiss homeland, he has pretty much done it all from fabric and Balance mix CDs to running his own label, from essential albums like Twisted and Music Over Matter on Music Man Records to club focussed 12”s on Will Saul’s Aus Music and French label Circus Company. After 20 years in the game, he is still in demand at key clubs around the world, and is sufficiently respected as to be able to call on big names like Seth Troxler, Cooly G and Ben Westbeech for collaborations.
This landmark mix shows off his timeless style and passion for the nostalgic emotions associated with Chicago and the serene machine soul of Detroit. Selected from records that have resonated with him over the years and that continue to conjure strong feelings, it also features various vocals from friends “in the style of a traditional mixtape,” explains the artist.
“Over the years I have worked on bringing techno and soulful vocals together and I wanted to represent that in the mix. On the technical side of things, the mix represents my work as a producer and remixer as well as my aim to recreate tracks using three decks when deejaying. A large part of the mix was recorded using three decks but I also included a section which I approached more like a production or remix.“
The eighty minute mix starts with the spine tingling chills of Carl Craig’s ‘Goodbye World’ and smoothly builds through dreamscape house from masters of the form including Gifted & Blessed, Linkwood, Soulphiction and Mr Fingers. Often only playing a few minutes of each track with more than 35 employed in all, this is a dynamic and ever-evolving soundtrack with masterfully blurred transitions.
The early melodic beauty of the mix slowly makes way for more propulsive drums from the likes of Morgan Geist, Aardvarck and DJ Koze, while the mid-section gets trippy and zoned out with deep, elastic grooves.
Carl Craig then reappears with his remix of Tony Allen’s ‘Kilode’ to break up the beats and colourful keys and smooth classic house slowly lead towards a more techno leaning crescendo with Floorplan and Derrick May providing the blissful goods. Ending on the dissipating energies of Jessy Lanza’s ‘Strange Emotion’ is a fine move that leaves you feeling cleansed and ready to go again.
This is an adventurous mix that packs a lot in without ever feeling hurried or harried. In short, it is the sound of a master deck technician doing what he does best.