XI

After hearing this mix for the first time there’s no question as to XI’s ability think differently. One thing that can make or break a scene is diversity, or should I say the lack of.  Without it, music lacks depth, and even becomes obvious.  So it always pleases me to find a DJ that is as creative with his selection of music, as he is mixing it. Here XI offers a surprisingly sophisticated cultural blend of exotic sounds, rhythmically held together by deep, late night grooves.

From the beginning what actually inspired you to start being creative with music in the first place?

My obsession with music started at a fairly young age. I was never content just to listen to what was put in front of me. I used to make my own compilation cassettes with my double deck hi-fi. It went on from there. I really loved dance music but there was a couple of compilation albums that made me want to be more than just a listener; Paul Oakenfold's 'Cream Resident' CD and Dave Seaman's 'Renaissance Worldwide Singapore' CD. Mainly Freefall's 'Skydive'. The track was so beautiful and uplifting I used to listen to it over and over again. A track I will never get bored of.

With so many influential producers around, whom would you like to hear more of over the next 12 months?

I love Petre Inspirescu's work. He puts so much emphasis on the details and intricacies of music. His productions are so beautiful to listen to. It's been a while since he's released anything and I really hope he gets back into the studio soon.

Now the minimal phase is over, what would you like to see happen in House music?

The minimal phase is over because band wagon producers have moved on to the next big thing. It's still very much alive and strong in the underground where the real passion for the music has always been. For me minimal was more of a thought process than actual sound. A way of constructing and arranging music to turn the whole set into one piece of music rather than just a collection of songs. The ethos behind it is still very much a part of everything I do. I really like the way there's a look of deep grooviness returning to house, especially the scene developing in Mannheim. There's a really good pool of artists and labels that are really establishing a sound to call their own.

This year what label has been your favourite in terms of their production value?

There have been plenty of labels that have been pressing all the right buttons for me this year. Remote Area, Cadenza, Cecille, Ostgut Ton, Desolat. It would be hard to pick one but with a gun to my head I’d say it would have to be Perlon. But then I’m still a complete vinyl junkie so I love picking up the obscure white labels.

When you’re not behind the turntables most DJ’s can be found in the studio. What other projects do you have planned for the future?

I've been toying around with production for a while now and it's about time I really to start seriously involving myself. It's definitely something I want to progress into, but I’m not looking to rush into anything. It has to be done right; otherwise it's not worth doing. I've starting getting my head stuck into Traktor as well. I really like the creative possibilities that are on offer with layering different loops. It's a completely different way of DJ’ing. Taking elements from tracks and creating something completely new and unique. A soundscape journey if you will.

Right now what would you say is your favourite track and why?  

That's another tough one. I listen to such a wide range of music so it would be hard for me to single out one record; one day I could be immersed in house, another day it's dub-techno, the next day it could be real experimental stuff. For listening to at home it's got to be the Shackleton remix of Moderat's 'Rusty Nails'. The haunting vocals and the drum programming are insane, such depth of sound. For playing out - Felipe Venegas vs. Francsio Allendes 'Llovizna', It's over 11 mins long and is like 3 tracks in one. It starts of with great percussion, a really deep bassline, and a great vocal. Then halfway through it has this immense breakdown and gets lost and goes off on a complete tangent with these great synth patterns before returning to a variation of where it first began.