Japan Relief Compilations by Elektrax

One of my favourite labels in Australia over the past three years has been DJ Hi-Shock's Elektrax imprint, which includes side-labels Gynoid Audio, Android Muziq, Darknet and Hypnotic Room.

The people at Elektrax are doing a series of benefit compilations for the victims of the disasters over here in Japan, and I think they warrant full support. Besides, there're some way cool artists involved including many from Japan itself.

Think Satoshi Fumi, DJ Wada, Cut Bit Motorz, Jin Hiyama, Captain Funk and Takashi Watanabe.

International Artists across the three comps are a who's who of contemporary and veteran electronic and techno producers: Dan Curtin, Thomas P. Heckmann, Bas Mooy, Angel Alanis, Si Begg, DJ T-1000, Donor & Truss, Truncate, Steve Stoll, Damon Wild, Beroshima (Frank Mueller), Mijk van Dijk, Dave Tarrida, Ben Mill, Alkan, Martin Mueller, Claudio Masso, Peder, Mattias Fridell, Paul Mac, Octave and DJ Hi-Shock.

The label released this following press statement:

Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the people affected. The people of Japan need our help, and we hope that we can do our part through what we love most – the music – and we’ve decided to call this benefit compilation ‘Kibou’, the Japanese word for hope.

This is a combined project of many of the Elektrax Music artists and close friends of Elektrax, who have generously provided their tracks gratis, and it has been put together with the inspiring assistance of our label representative in Japan, Takashi Watanabe.

You can read more here at the Elektrax site.

Worthy stuff indeed - with all proceeds going to the Japanese Red Cross to help victims of the earthquakes, tsunami and nuclear reactor disasters - and Number Two in the trilogy came out yesterday.

It features Bas Mooy, Si Begg, Steve Stoll, Justin Robertson, Martin Mueller, Hi-Shock - plus one of my hack Little Nobody tracks.

Anyway, it's online as a digital release exclusive to Beatport, and show your support if you can.

Respect to the labels and all artists involved.

Iffy Bizness interview @ Elektrax

There's a brand new propaganda bomb/interview thingy with me up on the way cool Elektrax site, and I'm thinking one or two regular readers here may be curious - if, indeed, there are one or two people who actually peruse this site (slack-arse that I am, I never bother checking stats). Anyway, here's a sample of my crap philosophizing:

“Yeah, I’ve kind of lost count exactly how many names I’ve worked under,” Bergen acknowledges from his base of operations in Tokyo, Japan. “Most of them were conjured up either as a joke, or with specific musical perimeters in mind, but then the lines get blurred and I forget which category I’m supposed to be focused on. It’d be frustrating if I actually cared.”

The interview in its entirety, which some people may find relatively self-indulgent and/or inane, while others might perceive it as historically interesting, is online here.

Hype out.

Various Artists: Iffy Bizness (the compilation!)

We've been playing this one pretty close to our chests, and one or two readers (if, in fact, there are any for this trite little blog) may already know about it - or perhaps not.

'IT' being the upcoming new compilation through Aussie label Elektrax, titled 'IFFY BIZNESS'. Basically it's a wunderbar idea that DJ Hi-Shock came up with, and we've both since liaised and planned and plotted: 14 tracks to celebrate 14 years of IF? Records.

Here's the cover:



And here's the link (with sounds, track-list, and propaganda info bollocks) on the Elektrax site:
http://www.elektraxmusic.com/hroom-cd003

Most of it is recent, new, and/or unreleased, and we've got a sensational new remix from Swedish outfit Donk Boys.

Feel free to rummage through and leave churlish feedback.

It'll be released through all major digital download carriers like Beatport, Audiojelly, Juno Digital, iTunes, blah, blah, and blah.