I
t takes a brave person to do as has done Cosmin TRG in the last six years. The Romanian has evolved markedly with almost every release since his first back in 2007, so much so that only the most up-to-date fan will know exactly what to expect from the Berlin-based producer and DJ at any given time. His first 12” was a decidedly dubstep-leaning affair that also kicked off the now hugely-influential Hessle Audio imprint, whilst ensuing efforts slowly began
to morph ever more toward the techno form on labels like Tempa, Hemlock, Rush Hour and Modeselektor’s boutique imprint 50 Weapons. It was on said label that Cosmin released his debut album, ‘Simulat’, back in 2011, and this month he returns there once more for a sophomore long-player in the form
01 02 03 04 05
LISTEN HERE
IGOR STRAVINSKY ‘Rites of Spring’ “When I was little this was one of my mother’s records that I was listening to too obsessively (well this and The Who). I had no idea about clashing ostinati or how avant-garde Stravinsky was at the time of writing; what I was drawn to was the primitive, rhythmic essence of the piece, that sounded beautifully belligerent.”
LISTEN HERE
BASIC CHANNEL ‘Axis’ “This was pretty much the epitome of techno for me when I first started receiving transmissions from that genre. To this day it embodies the things I love most about this music and all its signifiers speak to me in a way no other music does. It’s an abrasive piece of poetry at break-neck speed.”
LISTEN HERE
2 BAD MICE ‘Waremouse’ “There aren’t many things I could say about ‘Waremouse’. I only wish I could’ve experienced it first hand when it came about, live or on a pirate. I’ve never been a proper ‘raver’ so my relationship to a lot of ‘ardkore is rather academic. Nevertheless this is one of ‘the’ tracks that has informed my music over the years.”
LISTEN HERE
ORBITAL ‘Are We Here?’ “I was about 11 or 12 when an older girl gave me this tape of Orbital’s ‘Snivilisation’ and it messed me up quite badly (and irrevocably). Is this from the future? Is this drug music? Does it have any soul, given there are no guitars in it? My whole world was upside down and I loved every second of it. ‘Are We Here?’ sounded so psychotic and mesmerising…”
LISTEN HERE
THROBBING GRISTLE ‘Hot On the Heels of Love’ “Mutant disco has always been a ‘thing’ for me — there’s something about this tune that manages to jel the dry 4/4 drum machine skeleton with the cheesy synth stabs, the bells and the arp switching octaves. There’s also something that sounds like a whip slashing through the tune — positively kinky in my book.”
of ‘Gordian’. Of course, it is a grand evolution on his debut: the rusted textures and fizzing bottom ends remain, but the album explores much more melodic minimalism and showcases an even more esoteric production prowess that sounds like little else. “Coping with facts, objects and bodies, the necessity of ‘making it’, fear of failure, fear of ‘not being happy’ are today’s topics,” says Cosmin. “And ‘Gordian’ is my attempt at an exploration of those issues.” We tracked him down for an insight into his musical make-up, and these are the treasures he turned out in response…
06 07 08 09 10
LISTEN HERE
MARSHA HUNT ‘Oh, No! Not The Beast Day!’ “I’m far from a discerning funk connoisseur, but Marsha is one of my favorite artists of that era. This record packs an amazing energy and it’s predictably seductive. It’s also humbling to think about how these records were being produced and engineered, they don’t make them like they used to...”
LISTEN HERE
SCARFACE ‘Speedy Gonzalez’ “I’d love to be able to say that when I was 13 I was hunting for Chicago/ Detroit records, but reality is a bit more unforgiving. In ‘94 I was on a school trip in Brugge (Belgium) and one of my new Belgian friends passed me ‘Thunderdome III’. 200 BPM, mentasm, Speedy Gonzalez sample? YES PLEASE.”
LISTEN HERE
TOM DISSEVELT AND KID BALTAN ‘Vibration’ “This music was made in 1957, then re-released in 1962 by Phillips. It’s not just ahead of its time; it’s an absolutely incredible piece of electronic music that defies any attempt to categorize it. We go back to the ’90s and ’80s, looking for the roots of dance music, but avant garde electronic music goes so far back, it’s unsettling.”
LISTEN HERE
VLADIMIR USSACHEVSKY ‘Piece For Tape Recorder’ “This could probably be classed as un-listenable by a significant portion of the public, and it’s possibly quite snobby of me to include it here. Yet this defines my ever dichotomous approach to electronic music: on the one hand I feel it is designed to move the body and create energy, on the other I think it’s imperative to contribute to its progression through experiment, wherever that may lead.”
LISTEN HERE
AUTECHRE ‘Vletrmx21’ “Autechre is probably a no-brainer on anyone’s list. This is the most beautiful piece of music for synthesizers ever written... I think. Whatever your definition of great music is, this track is painfully evocative and feels like it could (and should) unravel forever. Thank you Autechre.”
djmag.com 011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86