Decided to record some mixes with some good vibes while in lockdown starting with this selection of 45's.

Ended up a bit of an 70's and 80's vibe. Includes some dub mixes, 80's boogie and lost electronic oddities. The edit/ remix by Paris Pompor is a highlight for sure. Let me know if you are digging it.

​Tracklist
Trans Amor Express - Takenoko [1988]
Attic Secrets - Dãm-Funk [2009]
Monkey, Monkey - Eurythmics [1982]
Here To Go (Dub) - Cabaret Voltaire [1987]
Hot Wax - Van Twist [1984]
In Zaire (Mara Edit) - African Business [1990]
Bass (How Low Can You Go) - Simon Harris ‎[1988]
Let The Music Play (Instrumental) (Dub Mix) - Shannon [1983]
3,000,000 Synths - Chas Jankel [1981]
Bumpa2Bumpa...All Night Long (Groovescooter Edit) - Groovescooter [2020]
I Dub U - Freeez [1983]
Runaway (Dub Mix) - Gary's Gang [1984]
Crystal World - Crystal Grass [1975]
Can You Move (Instrumental) - Modern Romance [1984]
‎It's A War - Kano [1980]
‎Hit The 'O' Deck - Pigbag [1983]
I Love You - Yello ‎[1983]
Flesh And Steel - The Flying Lizards [1984]
‎Money Is Honey - Zinno [1986]
24 Hours From Culture - Part II - New Musik [1981]

The Album officially releases May 14th along being able to preorder now. ​

Had a great time playing at Vitalise. It was great to dust off the cobwebs and play a live hardware set for the first time i a long time and the first time socialising with dancing permitted for a long time also. Well worth checking out the other events coming up if you are in Sydney.

Expect modular synthesisers with masses of blinking lights and tangled patch cables, performers playing obscure objects like panes of glass or hurdygurdies, drums played without sticks, eye bending visuals, DNA being turned into music, drones, dubs, noise, sub-bass, cut up vocals and beats alike. Improvisation, collaboration, sonic exploration. Genres being blurred, bent and re-invented before your ears.

Thanks to Hamish from the Natural High Radio Show on Orbital Radio for the invite to put together a mix for the show. This one clocks in just under two hours with a great mix of old and new fav's. Enjoy! 

Tracklist
1. Kenny Larkin - Tedra
2. Metamatics - Blue Water
3. MSRG - Hyrcanian Shores
4. The Other People Place - Sunrays
5. Josh Wink - Dame Deep
6. Voice Stealer - Evaluation
7. Cignol - With You
8. Cygnus - 黒魔術オーケストラ (feat. Yukihito Tsuge)
9. Cignol - Program Shift
10. Model 500 - Infoworld
11. Carl Finlow ‎– Capacitance
12. Freestyle Man Featuring Irwin Berg - Cyberchrist
13. Anthony Rother - Basic Level
14. Jeremiah R. - The Escape
15. Wata Igarashi - Spirits In The Rain
16. ERP - Burning Question
17. Lou Karsh - LIVEELECTRO001
18. Microthol - Smallfish
19. Morphology - Bipolar Nebula
20. Plant43 ‎– Edge Of The Wood
21. The Kosmik Kommando - E
22. Psi Performer - 1992
23. CRC - Vaskitsaherra (E.R.P. aka Convextion Remix)
24. Cygnus ‎– Hologram Killa
25. Terrestrial Access Network - Multimode
26. Anthony Rother ‎– Sex With The Machines
27. Haron - Rotate (Jeremiah R remix)
28. Reedale Rise - Larial
29. Marco Bernardi - Catching Clouds in Outerspace
30. Amper Clap - Don't Stop
31. AL355|0 - Persistence of Vision
32. Yello - Planet Dada (Flamboyant)
33. Morphology - Pod Bay 8
34. Bannlust - Erdflucht (Krok version)
35. DJ Xed - Power Lines
36. Dark Matrix - 04: 15.08

A ten-track compilation comprised entirely of Australian artists who represent the rebellious, genre-defying ethos of the party, the release covers everything from meditative ambient to slamming techno.

Landown Vol.1 truly reflects every facet of the diverse sound associated with Trench parties, and best of all: it’s 100% local.

Glad to have my track Relax included on this epic compilation ​via Urban Distortions.
In support of One Tree Planted.
​
URBAN DISTORTIONS is so delighted to announce this huge compilation of 30 Electro producers from allover the globe to support "One Tree Planted", a non-profit organization that plants trees around the world and works with amazing reforestation local partners.

All of these great artists unite to take an action against the deforestation, in order to save our planet for the next generations.
That's why "ELECTRO for FUTURE" = Thanks to all the artists involved that make this happen.

ELECTRO for FUTURE includes tracks from MANDROID, Will Web, W1b0, Alavux, AE35, Aliensextoy, Ascension Électronique, Carlos Sicrock, CYBEREIGN, Dark Prophet, Dark Vektor, Deemphasis, Drox, Fleck E.S.C, g13ck, Gravitational Effect, Jay Mass, Kedwic Inc., Kim Cosmik, Konerytmi, Mutex, Myoptik, Paul Blackford, PL_anet, Riuozami, Robertiano Filigrano, SLAKER, Sound Synthesis, TECHcontrol, and X-Truder.
The download package also includes HD cover picture file with the original artwork from Fets69.

Was excited when asked to put together this mix for Serotonin Records. Something a little bit different with excellent visuals put together by VJ Flik. Keep an eye out for the premiere of the mix on the Serotonin Records twitch channel. 

Here is what they had to say about the mix: "Drox contribution to the Neurotransmitters series is a wild ride through all the schools"

You can check out the mix with visuals on youtube below or just audio via soundcloud.

Excited to be playing The Advent’s virtual club techno-club.net this Friday night / 1:30PM EST if in Australia. Thanks to Assembler Code for the invite. 

The lovely people from the SHED: crew asked me recently to put together a mix for their new mix series.
I generally gravitate towards more broken beats and textures but decided to change it up a bit with this mix. Still has those vibes but with a bit of a twist. I hope you enjoy it. Includes some great new tracks from Tim Jackiw, Martin Mueller & w1b0 along with some old favourites as well.

Here is what they had to say about the mix: "Big upzzz to Drox for jumping on the mix. A mainstay of Sydney's Techno + Electro Scene for many many years, Drox has carved out an imposing yet super humble etching on our local scene.

​Drox and the Analog Cabin ethos are an inspiration to us here in the SHED: A truly bright, guiding light brings some blistering heat to the series, we hope you NJOI xxx"

New huge 40 track V/A from Solemne Records including Blue Gums from my Drox project alongside a diverse group of dope producers like Alavux, Octal Industries, OHM and many others. Well worth checking out.

New compilation via Natural Expressions including a dubby Drox track (alongside some other quality dub techno / dubby house) out on cassette July 6. Clips up online and preorders on Bandcamp.
​

Big thanks to Dark Science Electro for having me put together a mix of some of the deeper side of electro I've been enjoying recently.

Drox is a DJ/producer who has been honing his skills for over a decade and is one of the founders of the Analog Cabin Recording Studio and label based in Sydney, Australia specialising in deep electronic sounds.
In 2018 he established the Recreational Therapy : Podcast
which is a series of guest DJ mixes and live sets from producers, live acts, and DJs leaning towards underground and experimental sounds.

I put together a mix a little while back for my fav incognito party crew Energy Workshop which I think turned out pretty good. It includes blend of a bunch of stuff I have been enjoying lately. Some old dusties, along with some brand new releases like the opening track from the new
Simon Mann Music Four Directions EP on Analog Cabin.
​
Here is what they had to say about the mix "Higher-vibe gratitude to Drox for blessing us with Danceportal 5. Two hours of stone cold-pressed crystal juice to get K-rossFit wit. Some serious grooves proving that Androids do dream of electro sheep but only at the right BPMs. Big ups Drox ?"
​

Simon Mann

The Four Directions EP manages to strike a fine balance between the home listening experience and solid club material.Four solid cuts showcase his trademark textural detail while exploring deep synthetic dub techno alongside breakbeat electronica and concrete dance-floor rhythms.
Interview
Hi Simon, Thanks for taking the time to chat. What a great E.P. Great to have you represented on the label.

Hi, Thank you! I’m super excited to have the opportunity to release music with Analog Cabin. And I love supporting local labels so it’s great to be repping with a Sydney crew.

I know a lot of Analog Cabin fans are particularly interested in the production process so let’s talk shop for a bit.

The first thing that jumps out at me in Cathartic Rhythmia is the solid kick drum playing against the rhythmic side stick pattern. The constant tick tock of this rhythm is contrasted by sparser elements such as rich gongs and swelling pads. Talk us through your approach to this track, was there an inspiration behind it?

I guess with Cathartic Rhythmia I wanted to break up the 4/4 pattern a bit and play with polyrhythms. The side stick you mention is the MFB Kraftzwerg being CV sequenced by the Analog 4’s arpeggio. From what I recall I used a weird timing on a few instruments so the percussion moves around over the length of the track. The overall vibe I was going for started with the pads, which are the Minilogue, which I played live. I wanted the laid back ambient sounds juxtaposed against a heavy but organic beat to get a sort of spacey new age feel. I find a lot of inspiration in the space and ambience of this track.

The title track Four Directions is a return to classic four on the floor complete with jacking hats, sci-fi blips and bleeps underpinned by a classic steady rising chord progression. When the melodic toy piano type riff kicks in midway through it has an almost eerie quality overplayed over the top of the filtered vocals. It is a really builder of a tune. Did you envisage this as more of a dance floor number when you wrote it? What kind of sound sources where you using on this one?

Four Directions is a homage to House music. It’s got that Detriot-ish lead chord progression, vocals, albeit disembodied, and the scratching, which I’ve always felts appropriate to deep soulful house. And what is a House track without a piano? I'm not sure I ever write music for a dance floor. Surely different vibes would be more suited to dancing but I generally frame my production around a sound rather than a purpose. As far as sounds go, the chord progression is the Korg Miniologue, The building acid line is a Roland TB-03. The synthesized scratching, bassline and toy piano are the Analog 4. The percussion and beats are the TR-8 and Drumbrute. Finally the sample is Ekhart Tolle talking about the nature of addiction, though it’s heavily processed.

Ordinary Life is another deep and steady offering. Really dubby and probably the deepest cut on the E.P. You have put out a few dubby numbers in your time. Compared to your older stuff, how has your sound evolved? Do you find yourself revisiting certain production techniques in the studio? How do you keep your production process feeling fresh?

Regarding my dubby explorations, I guess because Dub Techno is all about the delays and reverb tails, I am always trying to use a different reverb or delay technique to get a more spacious atmosphere. It’s very easy to find one dub technique and stick to it, which was a bad habit I’ve had in the past. Ordinary Life has 3 different chord patterns playing at different times, they each have a common delay and reverb chain, then each channel has a unique effects chain again. I’m using unsynced LFO’s linked to cutoff frequencies and reverb tails to change the patterns over time. I like evolving movement in my tracks and in the past, have relied on a single loop, whereas now I generally use a lot of loops, more sparsely. My older stuff was very linear, I find these days I like messing with trigger probability and layering odd length patterns to give my programs an unexpected/random element.

The name Ordinary Life is there meaning behind that? Would it be safe to say your music transports you to another place and gives you an escape from daily life? Tell me about the feelings you get when you produce?

I called the track Ordinary Life because the original sample I’ve used was Terrence McKenna talking about how his upbringing had been such an ordinary life. Anyone who knows Terence’s work will know it’s far from ordinary. I do use my music as an escape from normal life, both when I make music and listen back to it. I live a pretty normal life, married with kids, in suburbia. I find my music is so far removed from that life, I can’t help but travel somewhere else when I make it. Electronic music and the places it gets played is so far removed from my ordinary life, it’s actually a blessing to be able to have my feet in two worlds, one where the love of a family is so nurturing and one where escapism, freedom and creative expression are the sustenance I need in both worlds. I guess you could say that making music and being creative fuels my ordinary life.

Finally, Primal Space. A really percussive groove with a cheeky swing to it. It has a low end that almost growls at you like an animal. I really like it. And the acid squelches and cinematic string elements really bring you into the environment. Talk us through your process for this one. Are you using the same instruments through the E.P.? Or do you change it up with each track?

That low end growl you mention is the ‘primal’, the strings and pads are the ‘space’ Primal Space is all about the minimalism for me. Sparse elements and minimal beats, the swing and the acid, the atmosphere, this is pretty much was minimal house music means to me, but I wanted a bit of a darker twist so there’s that tribal element too.

Thanks for the interesting questions and of course the release on Analog Cabin, I can’t wait to share the music and the label. It’s a release I have been looking forward to for a long time, so thank you.


Find more from Simon on via Facebook and Soundcloud

I put together a mix of loads of my unreleased tracks, remixes and some collabs from the last few years over the weekend.

Analog Cabin are excited to announce a FREE event on 7th February within the confines of Tokyo Sing Song in Newtown. The night will feature an array of talent from the Analog Cabin roster.
Expect a diverse dance floor soundtrack curated by some of Sydney’s finest selectors.
The whole crew will of course be your spirit guides bringing you tunes from another time and another dimension.
Joining them we have the illest humandroid this side of the crab nebula - Illbot bringing the intergalactic house and techno future to your ears.
Alongside all-round legend, Mike Witcombe after returning from a few shows in NZ showcasing his driving style.
Dr.Ox : A new alias from a known associate, the good doctor explores exotic sounds and rhythms. If it’s a little bit off kilter and has a vibe, it’s on the platter.
Felix Warmuth : Felix has been twisting minds and nodding heads with his machine driven sounds since the late 90's. Felix’s diverse and eclectic style will take your mind on a journey and give your feet a work out.
Warm up tunes provided by Angelika
Friendly people + People friendly . You know the deal
​Facebook Event

We would like to acknowledge that this event happens on stolen land, and wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and their Elders past, present, and emerging.
​
Analog Cabin & High Side present
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Firewater Long Weekend Day/Night Dance
BYO Warehouse / Rooftop 3PM - Late
All profits go towards Bushfire Relief with The First Nations Communities fund and WIRES Wildlife rescue
$10 presale via HUMANTIX and $15 on the door
Analog Cabin & High Side would like to acknowledge that this event, and all of the work that we undertake as a collective, takes place on stolen land. We wish to acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land, the Gadigal people of the Eora nation and their Elders past, present, and emerging.
Come early to enjoy afternoon rooftop party vibes which will feature guests DJ Goanna (SHED), Nadia Struiwigh (NL), Vini Martins (BR) & Jac Frier along with an array of talent from the Analog Cabin roster.
Expect a diverse dance floor soundtrack curated by some of our favourite selectors over two levels with a lush rooftop in Inner City Sydney and an indoor chill out space for those that want to escape the heat.
Your spirit guides bringing you tunes from another time and another dimension. Serving up Techno, House, Afrobeat, Reggae and Outer-national heat to the dance floors.
Nadia Struiwigh (NL) (CPU / Mord)
Vini Martins (BRAZIL)
DJ Goanna (SHED)
Mike Witcombe
Jac Frier
Mystico
Dr.OX
Illbot
Angelika
BYO
$10 presale via HUMANTIX and $15 on the door
Address will be sent to ticket holders at 1pm on the day of the event
Direct donations can be made to to the following GoFundMe campaign https://au.gofundme.com/.../fire-relief-fund-for-first... and WIRES Wildlife rescue: https://www.wires.org.au/donate/emergency-fund
Big thank-you...
to getitmade.com.au for supplying the sound systems.