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SCENE SELECTION: LEISURE SYSTEM
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Enter Leisure System, the Berlin party that calls Berghain home and the fledgling label that has so far released mind bending cuts by outsider artists Eprom (below), Pixelord (second below) and Barker.
Helmed by a squad of DJs, producers and promoters (including DJ N>E>D, Barker, Puzzle, and Area Boy), Leisure System aims to combine the weirdo club sounds of the UK with straight-up Berlin techno. The result? Parties that have seen DJ Funk, Jacques Greene, Afrika Hitech and Bok Bok take to the controls at Berghain and releases that wiggle, wind and thump on wax.
Agitating the Berlin underground with experimental, phreaked-out and damn dancey sounds seems to be hitting the right spots, as Leisure System has been invited to host a stage at Dimensions festival, the house and techno weekender that takes place in Croatia on September 6-9. The crew has invited Machinedrum, Jimmy Edgar, Objekt (above), Nathan Fake and their very own Barker to play. Should be a lot of fun in the sun!
Mixmag caught the brilliantly named DJ N>E>D to chat all things Leisure System, find out about the new Machinedrum and Jimmy Edgar collaboration that's due on the label and also grab a mix of tunes that showcases the general taste of the label as well as a few exclusives! Spot on...
DJ N>E>D'S LEISURE SYSTEM MIX
Jacques Greene - Ready (forthcoming on 3024)
Catz 'n Dogz - Mass Confusion
Barker & Baumecker - Schlang Bang (forthcoming on Ost Gut Ton)
Kris Wadsworth - Det Sound (KW's Move Dat Ass Remix)
Robag Wruhme - Colby Nekk
Jon Convex - Desolation (forthcoming on Convex Industries)
Darling Farah - Curse (forthcoming on Civil Music)
Addison Groove - Night To Remember
Redlight - M.D.M.A.
Bok Bok & Tom Trago - Pom Crash
Jacques Bonhomme - Je m'en foud (i don't care)
Hrdvsion - Prettier Than That
Donk Boys - Doozer
Tornado Horr - 01 (forthcoming on Leisure System)
John Tejada & Arian Leviste - From Empty Words (Palette)
Letherette - Let Me Show You (unreleased)
Lando Kal - Clockin' (unreleased)
Gobble That - Lil Silva
Coco Steel and Lovebomb - You Cant Stop The Groove
Teeth - Double Digits
Benjamin Damage & Doc Daneeka - Deaf Siren
Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub - Speed Up (GMan LFO remix)
Jets - Meu (forthcoming on Leisure System)
How, why and when did Leisure System begin?
Leisure System started as a resident partyt at the Berghain in Berlin. Myself, Sam Barker and a posse of friends moved over here from the UK in 2007 and we were like "ok, Berghain is the best club, let's do some parties there". We felt we had something to offer the musical landscape in the city by combining what was going on in the UK with the Berlin techno thing. The first event featured Surgeon playing a more electronic set and Clark live. In 2011 we formed the label when Michail Stangl & Peter Puzzle got involved, the extra manpower was needed!
What's the label ethos and how do you choose artists?
The label is all about building the scene that we are part of here in Berlin and pushing what electronic club music can be. It's such a unique city with so much talent, home grown as well as all the artists that move here. We wanted to encourage some of the new comers but then also get some fun projects and releases going with all the friends that we're connected to.
We love the idea of discovering some bedroom producer who has a stack of totally mind-melting tunes on their harddrive that we can bring into the club world and surprise people with, make them move to some crazy rhythms. So we're always on the lookout for demos. And we're pressing our more established friends to come up with something fresh too.
What's the perfect situation in which to listen to a Leisure System release?
Right in the middle of a packed Berghain floor at 4am... And then again at 8am when you're back at someone's flat with a bunch of friends and the sun is coming up and your brain is all fuzzy and that person who you really like is still hanging around and they say to you, "I like this tune, what is it?"
What can we expect from label artists at Dimensions? Who should we go see?
Well.. Where to start on this line-up? It's friggin' epic. Barker will be playing live, he's just released his 'Like An Animal' 12" on our label. His live sets are great, a perfect blend of UK ravey electronics and Berlin dubby vibes. Our very good friends Jimmy Edgar and Machinedrum are performing live, they just kill it everytime. They are currently working on a collaboration for the label...
Objekt is another Berlin based Leisure System affiliate who is right on the bleeding edge of electronic techno, his DJ sets are becoming legendary. It's amazing to have Gold Panda and Nathan Fake guesting on our stage too, massive respect to those chaps. And I'm looking forward to DJing too!
What's next for the label?
We've got loads in the pipeline. J.E.T.S is the next release which will be out after the summer, it's one of the tracks is in the mix. After that we're juggling lots of ideas and amazing tracks from different producers. But we like to take it steady, we dont want to churn out releases, only stuff that really makes sense and that will stand the test of time... Music that we all believe in.
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