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Merry Christmas everyone! Now we’re all well aware of how much of a crushing disappointment 2010 has been. Clubs up and down the land have been closing their doors, England flopped their way out of the World Cup, the economic catastrophe just won’t disappear, Katie Price also won’t disappear, and we seem to be run by a joint-government that is steadily collapsing by the day. But regardless of all this, it doesn’t matter how grim the world looks outside, because at some point we’ve all managed to find solace in some form of nightclub when our hour of need has reached its peak. It’s in the |
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| to go quietly into the night, and 2010 has thrown up some absolute corkers across the board. For our final blog of this year, we’ve rounded up a choice selection of our personal favourites, as chosen by all the DJs at Kai-Zen. We hope you like them as much as we do, and we want to hear yours! | ||
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Commencing with our lad Dave Johnys, it’s no surprise to see that he’s opted for a slice of 4am heads-down Techno. ‘Higgs’ by Brian Sanhaji is every bit the kind of floor-shaking monster that you’d expect Dave to be spinning, should you catch him wrapping up one of our events with Chris, under their Kontrol Room moniker. In his words: “Ridiculous. That’s the only word for it. A driving bassline from the outset and an industrial build that makes it feel like the speakers are hitting you in the face!” |
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The logical follow-up would be Dave’s wingman Chris Page. Naturally he’s also dived down the Techno route, and decided upon a collaboration that’s much like pairing Iron Maiden with Napalm Death on the ‘filth’ scale. Chris Liebing and Tommy Four Seven are both held in equal high regard amongst the Techno fraternity, and Pagey’s selection of ‘Bauhaus’ is prime example of their combined ability to construct innovative high-calibre dancefloor-fodder. From Chris: “It stuck out because it was unique, in that it wasn’t in your face but it was still utterly nasty (in a good way!). It sounds huge, despite being really stripped back.” |
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Resident House-guru Naif takes things back to their roots with his superb choice of Pete Heller’s ‘Nu Acid’ (Robert Babicz smiling remix). Pete needs no introduction, least of all to me (I rate his ‘Big Love’ track as being one of the all-time greatest House records ever released), and a pairing with German legend Robert Babicz was always going to be big news. As Ian puts it: “To me, it brought together all the elements of Dance music that have inspired me; Acid House, Techno, and Progressive. Another superb production by an outstanding and consistent producer.” |
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Stepping up to the plate with a chunk of class Tech, capslock-basher KiERaN has chosen the thundering ‘3003B’ by the lesser known Wax. Weighing in with a driving raw groove, this record perfectly summarizes the ‘no bullshit, just great music’ ethos that the Kai-Zen brand is build around. It’s a gritty workout that will sound great at any point of the day, and as Kez puts it: “The low sub-bass destroys dancefloors, and every type of crowd can get down to this track.” |
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Kai-Zen head-honcho Roberto has opted for a track by a producer who’s had a long-term fan in Rob, and one who’s also his namesake. Robert Hood’s ‘War In The Streets’ is a brooding Techno number, with an atmospheric build that gives way to the sort of strobe-laden riff that would have the likes of Panoramabar in total rapture. Clearly simplicity is the key with this beast, and at no point does it feel over-produced or burdened by the weight of its elements. Rob explains it best by saying: “It’s a future-thinking record from a true Techno legend. Hood is one of the few Techno producers that is able to make timeless tracks that move the genre forwards.” |
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Last but not least, my own choice. After spending the better half of November thinking about it, I’ve decided to settle on Luke Abbott’s incredible ‘Brazil’. I could ramble on for weeks about why I feel this record deserves the modest accolade, but I think it boils down to the fact that it’s beautiful records like this that stop me worrying about the state of music today, and instead help me to look forward to what might appear tomorrow. I love the intentionally pitch-bended tones that recur throughout, and even though it’s not likely to get played in the club, I can only adore the intricate melodies and vibrantly intense sincerity of the track. The more I listen to it, the more it becomes obvious that it has been made with the utmost passion and dedication. Absolutely outstanding work. |
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