In Session: Helena Hauff

Though her sets may have been the talking point over the last few years, her productions more than match up to the live spectacle. After a series of exceptional EPs via Werk Discs, Lux and Solar One, she jumped into long player territory in 2015. The first of two big releases for the German producer landed on Handmade Birds in the form a cassette release called 'A Tape'. When we first heard it, we were mesmerised.

It was grainy, murky and straight from the abyss and channelled the sounds that she showcases regularly in her DJ sets. It set the tone for her as someone more than capable of bringing together a full body of work that represented her DJ style and sound. Her official debut album though was released on Werk Discs, the imprint powered by Actress and 'Discreet Desires' was the toast of the year.

"What you hear when you listen to this album isn't the past – it's the pleasure principle. Yes, pleasure: it may sound dark, cold, gothic and rough around the edges compared to software-produced music, but these sounds have proved over the decades that they will set your synapses alight with delight. This style is, amazingly, still the sound of now as much as it ever was the distant past."

This was the summary of our 8/10 Album Of The Month review when it dropped in August last year and since then her worldwide bookings have sky rocketed.

Her induction into the In Session ranks is as impressive we thought it would be.

"It's a little tribute to the sound of Frankfurt of the late 80's early 90's (Dorian Gray Club/Torsten Fenslau), which became very influential on trance!," Helena writes us. "I've been digging this stuff for years now and I thought it might be nice to put it all in a mix together. By the way, Lhasa doesn't really belong to it but just seemed to fit too well!"

Funster is Mixmag's Digital Music Editor, follow him on Twitter here

[Photo Credit: Katja Ruge]

Tracklist:

Robotiko Rejekto ‎– Injection (Robotiko Part 2)

Lhasa - Seduction

Indicate - The Latest Idea

Technoid - Technoid (Hypersonic Dub)

Tribantura - Lack Of Sense

Time Modem - Werkzeug Eines Fernen Willens

Klangwerk - Die Kybernauten

Scope - The Future (Cybotron Mix)

Recall IV ‎– Contrast (Boing Mix)

Absurd ‎– Der Akt (The Original)

Time Modem - Mantel Der Nacht

Force Legato - System (v.2.O.)

Konzept - Condemn Me (Fog Edit)

Master Program - Central Europe (Central Mix)

Blind Vision - Bestialic Beat

Blind Vision - Don't Look At Me (G-Mix)

Duce - Krieg Oder Frieden

Art Academy - Energie

Lhasa - Adhesive

New Scene - Out Of Control (The Belgium Mix)

Konzept - Human Transmission (Cybotron Mix 2)

Robotiko Rejekto ‎- Rejekto (Perfekto Mix)