Since high school, my mate Robert Zile and I had a shared love of The Crystal Method, The Chemical Brothers and big beat style electronic music. I went over to his house one time and he showed me trance music he’d been making on this program called FruityLoops and I was pretty amazed – like anyone could make it (given enough time and practice haha) Well since then he hasn’t stopped making tunes, has honed his craft to a techno sound, and has seen his work released on labels around the world. I asked him some questions, so check em out after the jump, and then check out his tunes at the bottom!

“I dont get minimal techno” please explain.
Minimal can be pretty hard to listen to if you are not a big fan or never really heard it before. I do not and cannot listen to hours and hours of it. I suppose you need to experience it on a booming soundsystem in a small dark club/afterparty.. that’s when the magic happens! I do love playing a few minimal tracks in my sets but not too many. I think by only playing a few, it makes the minimal tracks stand out more. In saying all this, my best selling track is my quirky minimal remix of Tony Kanwischer – Moonhalo on Italy’s NBG Records. So maybe I should just shut up and make some more of it ahah

But there’s no peaks and troughs and it sounds like it’s building up forever and ever.
ahha I know what you mean.. but there is a time and place for everything. If you are playing to a room full of comatose patients, sending them on a neverending journey can be quite fun!

How would you describe your sound?
Probably a mixture of techno, house and a bit of electronica. I’m really not sure.. I like to make and play quite funky house music but I also enjoy the weird, afterparty type of tracks. Basically…tracks I like to call ‘face melters’ ahah.

You used fruity loops to make trance back in high school days… you’re still on it to this day yeah?
My secret is out!! Yes when I started producing, I made really crappy trance with Fruity Loops. I stopped playing video games and just focused on trying to make anything resembling a song. I had hours and hours of fun trying to make trance and basically just made things up as I went along. I am still using Fruity Loops but upgraded to FL Studio about 3 years ago. The next step is to finally learn how to use Ableton.. it’s on my to-do list, I swear!

Any hardware/equipment/instruments you like to play with or use?
I bought my first piece of hardware about two years ago, a Novation X-Station 25 midi keyboard. I am more software based but I do love plugging this baby in and messing around with it from time to time.

You’ve been noticed by some international dudes in your field… how does it feel to get some exposure and recognition?
It feels good!! It made me feel like I am on the right track and I thought well… if two of my favourite quality producers (King Unique and Hybrid) like my sound, then I must be doing something right. Before this, Valentino Kanzyani’s techno label ‘Jesus Loved You’ gave me quite a lot of positive feedback and encouraged me to keep sending them my demos. This reminds me, I should send them some of my new stuff!!

What are you listening to at the moment (any genre)?
I listen to all the promo tracks I get sent from record labels about twice a week, usually finding some seriously good music from artists I have never heard of (artists like me!!) Other than that I am listening to alot of Air, Modeselektor and of course, thy god Aphex Twin. Nothing partficulary new to be honest. Faith No More, Marilyn Manson, Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Dandy Warhols would be the most played non-electronic artists on my trusty Ipod.

What do you like to listen to when out at a club or music event?
I like to listen to everything!! Punk, metal, ska, techno, breaks, house… I really do not care just as long as it is not cheesy.

What are you working on at the moment?
A 4 track EP for a new UK label ‘OTG Music.’ This new label is focusing on broken beats, acid and left-field type of tracks. So far the EP is sounding very weird and I cannot wait to finish it so I can freak people out at 5am with these little beauties.

I am also working on a pilot tv show that hopefully will be picked up by SBS (keep your fingers crossed haha). It’s called ‘Planet 31‘, we shot the pilot a few weeks ago and it looks great. The show focuses on local non-commercialsed talent from industries such as film, music, the arts, comedy and food. (How’s that for a plug.. bam!!) Sean Pary (host and creator of the show) found me on Myspace a few years ago and we kept in touch.. then last year he asked me if I wanted to be the house DJ for the show and write the theme music. I have never done anything like this before but I’m having a good time!! Check out the website – www.planet31.com.au

Who are you working with/remixing?
I am currently working with the owner of Italian record label ‘NBG Music‘ – Gabriele Brunno. We have the same influences in music and remix each others tracks frequently. I just finished a remix of his progresive house track ‘You Are’ that will be released on his label in about two weeks. He also just remixed my new track ‘Wake The Baby’ coming out on Subtec Records at the end of the month. I am also working with UK label ‘Red Robot Records‘ quite a lot. Just finished an 11 minute Ibiza style house remix that is getting very good responses from the label, the artist I remixed (Boss T) and listeners on soundcloud. Not sure when that will be released, hopefully sometime this year.

How come I havent really heard of these techno artists, is it because they’re up and coming?
Yeah I suppose you could say that! All the artists and labels I work with produce and release great underground music.

Also what soundcloud links would you prefer up for peeps to listen to?
Cool, thanks for having me!!

My soundcloud page is
http://www.soundcloud.com/robzile but here are a few tasty treats.

Rob Zile – Wake The Baby (Subtec Records) by robzile

Boss T – Alright (Rob Zile remix) – coming soon to Red Robot Records by robzile

Rob Zile – Colour Full by robzile

Eric Prydz presents brand new video for his latest single “Niton” featuring Jan Burton’s vocal. Sample that “Niton” is based on probably will remind you “Pjanoo” but it has some massive dance layers and brilliant vocal line with lovely dramatical keys that makes it sound like even more promising track than “Pjanoo”. Video for “Niton” is pleasant animation that is in global scales not the newest thing but as it wasn’t used a lot last years it feels like something fresh.

I must say I have been a massive fan of this track before Mr Prydz added some vocals to it and renamed it Niton (The Reason). It will be released on Ministry Of Sound Recordings on 6th February 2011 and features some huge remixes for everyone from the likes of Treasure Fingers, Boy 8-Bit , Sigma and Prydz himself under his alias Pryda. I have been able to get my hands on a promo through the power of ze interwebs so download have a listen and enjoy!

Eric Prydz – Niton [Remix Promo]

Thought I would post something a little different. Really loving this Popof remix of Booka Shade’s new track “Regenerate”.

Booka Shade – Regenerate (Popof Remix)

Jump for joy because it’s the end of week and you’ve earned the right cut loose. This week see’s a me indulging a bit on my love of emotional shoegazing psychedelic tribal synth pop house music. yes, as you may have gathered, that isn’t really genre… Anyway, this week’s faves and download links are after the jump.

Gypsy & The Cat – Jona Vark

“Her name is Jona. Jona Vark…”

Ah, some more indie synth pop goodness! After listening to this track I can definitely feel a bit of Empire Of The Sun (the guitar riff = a little bit of ‘We Are The People’), M83, anything from a John Hughes movie, but a lot more Fleetwood Mac. Yes, I like Fleetwood Mac. Not just like, probably love. There I said it… There are definitely elements of ‘Little Lies’ and ‘Dreams’ in this track, especially in the chorus.

While most of the major blogs, Mark Ronson on his East Village radio show and even the late DJ AM were all over the local duo from the middle of last year, they’ve only now started to get a little more radio airplay and more importantly, gotten themselves ingrained into me! Head over to their MySpace and give the rest of their stuff a listen. Hanging out big time for this LP release…

Caribou – Odessa

Now this is an interesting bit of music, quirky and haunting at the same time. It’s fairly heavily layered, so you’re ears will have fun deciphering all the sounds here.  I swear when I first heard the vocals in this track I thought that perhaps Erlend Øye of Kings of Convenience and the Whitest Boy Alive fame had contributed. So if you like that kind of minimal-esque type of chill-house you’ll probably like this latest offering from Caribou.

Breakbot – Baby I’m Yours (Featuring IRFANE)

Unadulterated disco pop funk fun! When you hear this track you can’t help but bounce and boogey. If you’re a fan of the works of Shazam, Cassian, The Twelves etc., I think you’ll did this track.

The Jezabels – Hurt Me

“C’mon evil hurt me, hurt me, hurt me…”

Wow. What a track. Powerful and achingly beautiful at the same time. The track sucks you in with Hayley’s haunting vocals/lyrics, complemented by the frenetic drumming and strumming from band members Sam and Nik respectively, intertwined with Heather’s graceful piano work. Don’t forget to add a bit of reverb and swooping strings for effect during the bridge and chorus.

Throw all of this together and you get a rolling wall of big sound that builds and builds till it smacks you right in the face and just like that, disappears as quickly as it arrives. I’m not surprised to see that the Arcade Fire are listed as an influence to the Jezabels on their MySpace page.

Might as well add the music video here since it was just released last month:

Unfortunately there appears to be no Victorian shows lined up in the near future but if you are in Queensland or NSW you can catch them this month at the Playground Weekend festival February 21st or at the Enmore Theatre on the 24th supporting Placebo.

Yeasayer – Ambling Alp

A nice pysch-alt-electro-pop ditty here from NY group Yeasayer. Like any good song (or at least the ones that I like anyway…), it’s instantly catchy and just downright fun. The little synth solo breakdown at the end is just freakin’ awesome!

Douster – King Of Africa

Yes, this track has been floating around the interwebz for a while now, and yes, Douster is no n00b to the scene. These “weekly” posts however are purely an avenue for me to write about the songs that I like at a moment in time and why they got me hooked that first time.

So pretentious rant aside (hehe!), this track features some great sampling from the Lion King’s opening, the powerful ‘Circle of Life’. What you’re left in store for is five minutes of catchy, fun afro-funk-house. I could see this being a nifty opener to a set or bridge/tone shift for all you wheels of steel traders… Speaking of which, Douster is playing at the Espy on February 20th for us local kids wanting to catch him in the act.

So that’s it! Another week done and only one more away till Classixx are in town… Did I mention that I CAN’T FUCKIN’ WAIT TO SEE CLASSIXX?!?!

Have a good weekend folks and we’ll see ya next week where I guess I could try and make it a lovers themed tunage… Or a happy new year to all the chinky readers out there haha! Peace out!