- Timeless techno.
- Like a diligent student, Sam Coates took an interest in techno and fell in love with the genre through labels like CLR in the late 2000s. However, it didn't take long for the student to outgrow the proverbial teacher. Almost immediately, the Manchester native was releasing a record that was functional and perfect, everything intricately balanced. The inevitable move to Berlin only sealed his fate as a future techno luminary, and now, from his new base in Kiev, he is one of techno's most reliable and exciting mainstays. It becomes. His releases (and those on his label SK_eleven) are minimalist yet huge.we admired coats these pages He is recognized for his “economic sense — how to get the most impact from just a few things,” which is also the thinking behind him. R.A. Podcast. His intricately layered mixes of old and new records connect different eras of techno, including mechanical rhythms, rudimentary melodies made from the strangest of sounds, and of course the power of bass drops. It highlights the genre's most timeless qualities. It's hard to imagine anything that sounds more Capital T techno than that.
What have you been up to lately?
My life has changed a lot recently. I moved away from Berlin and it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I'm engaged to the love of my life, happily working in my studio, and I'm very busy every day between sound design projects, managing gigs, and walking the dog in search of new music.
Where and how was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
The mix was recorded at home. I've been compiling tracks into playlists ever since. R.A. Podcast confirmed. I love both new and old techno, and most of the 90's techno doesn't have as much punch as the newer stuff, so I always try to incorporate it into his DJ sets through layers and loops. And utilize them in some way. This mix is a showcase of that.
What club or party had a big influence on you as an artist?
The mysterious K41 in Kyiv. K41 has made a huge impact since I first performed with it in 2020. Now I'm becoming more and more a regular at this club, it's one of the most inspiring places to play in the world, especially in this day and age. I am forever grateful to my crew for trusting me. In the midst of this horrific invasion of Ukraine, people still need release, and K41 is providing it in a safe location, taking great care to also serve as the support needed at the time.
You mentioned that you layered tracks to give it more impact. Is this something you do often? And edit the track to play?
I have a lot of old tracks from the 90s that I'm editing. Usually that's done by adding one of my infamous kick drums underneath and cutting the low end of the old track completely. This leaves space for new kicks and preserves the character and soul mentioned above. Again, edit some tracks, but not all, by adding hi-hats or extra rides or claps. There are so many possibilities in this modern era and you can also free up your decks to create even more when DJing.
What kind of sound design projects do you work on and how does that work influence your approach to techno?
At the moment, some are fashion-related, some are ads and some fun collaborations. Until now, I have focused on motion graphics, but in the future I would like to work on reality images using techniques such as Foley and create new worlds. I think it's very interesting, but it means that techno is on the back burner at the moment. It's very time consuming as I'm learning a new DAW and lots of new tools, but I'm really enjoying this home studio life without the long distance travel.
What social or political cause would you like the world to pay more attention to?
Invasion of Ukraine. I don't think this is the right place to share my opinion, but I believe everyone should open their eyes again and show 1,000x more support for their European neighbors. The first sight I saw was very heart-warming, but it quickly faded and people started to wonder about the good times and countless trips to Ukraine during 2020-2021 during the pandemic, when Kiev was flooded with techno-tourists. I forgot what I spent there. Well, now everyone has forgotten, but the people there still live and fight every day and will continue to fight until victory is won for Ukraine.
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
We have many great shows and showcases of the SK_eleven label planned for the future, and we are very happy to be able to perform and introduce the label in such a high-quality venue. Lately, I've been doing more studio work, including sound design for advertising and other productions. I'm so inspired by this world of working alongside video, it's a new area that I'm completely hooked on and I want to turn into a full-time job.
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track list
- Dorz – Inclusion [Bitta]
Amanda – Montcaunis [Ahrpe Records]
Steve Bicknell – Untitled B2 [Cosmic Records]
Jeff Racine – The Interval Between [Connwax]
Yant – unpublished [unreleased]
Heiko Laux – Antipodes [Klockworks]
Oliver Roseman – Synesthesia [recorded things]
Jeroen Saatchi, Julia Gover – You're a Machine [Pushmaster Disc]
Johannes Heil – A1 Untitled [Kanzleramt]
Setaok Mas – Better visibility [Forthcoming SK11012]
Robert Hood – Radio Active [M-Plant]
