Mixed by: Estimulo Mixomat Soundcloud Instagram
A mix and an interview
The first person (Sorry Brad!) The 2nd person ever to appear for the 3rd time as a guest DJ on this site. The previous mixes are gems, ‘#22 Beyond control’ and ‘#14 Coffee Table Tech’. Time get to know the man a little better, here’s a short interview with the man of the moment, Estimulo. Jump to the playlist for this mix if you’re in a hurry.
1) What’s the story behind the excellent live Estimuloshow? Who’s involved, where can we hear it and what’s big idea behind it?
The concept of doing live transmissions for me goes back to the year 2001 when i first had access to a web server with a sufficient connectivity / bandwidth that i could run a streaming server on. I used to work as a programmer / sysadmin at a university-related scientific institute at that time, so when i first discovered that you could easily install a streaming server I didn’t hesitate to do it. Of course back then this was more or less a very private thing as i had the possiblity to reach a lot of people but not any degree of popularity. So i just had occasional listeners on my stream.
The first step into popularity of the EstimuloShow started in the middle of 2007, when I started networking with the show on MySpace. It was still very small back then, I was the only presenter and I did the show completely on my own without a dedicated page and just with occasional guests at my pad each sunday night from 22 to open end.
The second step was bringing in more presenters from all over the world, thus making it a network with some kind of snowball effect – those presenters bring their friends and posse, friends tell friends and whoops there is goes. People i got to know in the Discogs forums (Mike Bishop, Toronto) and old friendships made through your forum (PinkyChukkles & Truly-Madly, London, Roxnadz, San Fracisco) as well as local friends (Makarov, Berlin) were now presenters and DJs at the EstimuloShow. We have occasional guest slots for non-regulars that have been filled by people like the Keep:On Posse from Berlin or Miles Demizen from Zürich. We all share a very similar understanding of deepness that focusses but is not limited to deep electronic music whether it be house, techno or electronica, with an open interface towards jazz, funk and dub.
Every DJs brings an own view on music in general and deep music in particular, so you could pretty much sum it up as: Everything goes as long as it’s TRUE and withstands to an understanding of quality control that we’ve all came to grow over the years as music lovers and collectors. That means you will certainly not hear the latest dance sale charts but instead a wide variety of quality dance music related styles from the past four decades, from the ocean floor dubby deepness of Roxnadz to the funky, rhythmic and sometimes dark detroit techno and house style of Makarov.
You can hear us every saturday at 7 PM CET (Berlin, Paris)/ 6 PM BST (UK) / 1 PM EST (Toronto, New York)/ 10 AM PST (San Francisco, Los Angeles) at http://www.estimuloshow.org. We always love to hear back from people so hit us up on the chat and give us some shouts and you’ll get a shout live on air for sure!
2) Estimuloshow is pretty international then! Can people catch up with the past show’s somehow? Any really memorable ones you’d like to recommend?
We have an archive of shows that goes back to about one year ago, this archive can be accessed directly on the show page.
There is also an archive maintained by PinkyChukkles, one of our DJs, at TipTopMusic.com. This archive sticks to principle of providing three hours a week for permanent download, whereas you might be lucky and catch the full download of a week’s show (can be up to 8 hours!) on the show webpage – those are usually temporary though and will be removed after a while.
One particular show I really love to remember is the second show from Toronto with Mike Bishop when he invited Linley, another long-term friend from Toronto to do a guest DJ set and he delivered a session of pure old school deep house sweetness, you can check it out here:
3) There’s been a lot of talk lately about deep house getting commercialized or about dj’s just hopping on the bandwagon calling just about any style deep. What’s the essence of deep house in your opinion? How do you see the current scene, is it healthy or is there something you’d like to change?
Sadly this is true: Deep is a music industry buzzword that has been coined by many of the years. My take on this is the usual old “don’t judge your book by a cover” story really. There is fantastically deep music hidden on some B-sides where you would least expect it. On the other hand, the “deep” stamp is on many things that aren’t really deep in my opinion.
A big bandwagon-jumping has definitely happened when the minimal craze ebbed in 2006, many DJs and fans from the minimal scene that was the predominant scene in Berlin for years before suddenly started to play deeper stuff. Now we have a big scene here for what we call “minimal in house envelope”, which means giving minimal tracks a housey feeling.
The essence of deepness goes beyond music, it’s a way of life. Therefore, a set of musical deepness can contain just about any kind of musical style or mood, fast or slow, happy or sad.
The scene is okay from what i see but if there’s one thing I’d like to change is, please, dear people, don’t pay so much attention only to the “big names”. There are a lot of crazy bedroom DJs and people who play in smaller venues who deserve your attention too. Just check out the Discogs mixes forum and see what those people have in store.
I appreciate the democratization process though that has kicked in with internet media in general and platforms like Resident Advisor or different music-related forums.
4) I know you are an avid vinyl fan and record collector (and am envious about you knowledge!). Tell us a little about your collection and how you go you on about finding records to buy? Should all deep house dj’s know the roots of deep dance music?
In my opinion you can’t even think about every DJ having the background of 25 years of vinyl collecting, that’s not what is necessary either. What is necessary is the constant will to “dig out” new and old music, spend your days in record stores and listen to those 1000 pieces of the most appaling crap just to find that 1 piece of heaven inbetween. Thats really what it is about, it’s the passion to collect and find those rare gems that don’t have to be expensive, but very often are hidden between a lot of bullshit. A certain amount of tolenrance towards frustration is needed as you will have to invest. But it will rewarded each time you can hit the decks and present your finds to the people who appreciate your effort.
My collection is not so big compared to some other DJs, it’s around a few thousand pieces at the moment. I find records in second hand shops in Berlin and all over the world when i travel, and lately more and more with the internet sellers, though i have to say i love the feeling of being able to see the item before i buy it and take it with me right away.
Vinyl for me – and that’s a very personal issue – is just the medium of music that I first grew familiar with . I can understand others who have grown up with CDs or even digital audio files won’t have this kind of affection for the medium. For me it’s a complete artwork, from the sound to the artwork on the label and cover to even the feeling and the smell of it. It just appeals to much more senses than a single audio file – though of course the most important content is the music itself. That being said, I’m very open towards using digital audio files and I’m on the verge of getting a system like Serato Scratch that lets me integrate digital music from CDs or downloads and vinyl.
5) What’s your take on digital distribution and digital dj’ing? Does the format matter and how do you feel about dj’ing with software?
As already said, I’m all open to it. I’ve been using the first version of Traktor DJ Studio by Native Instruments when it first came out and it was amazing. I’m actually still occasionally using it when I’m making mixes.
I think that the formats can peacefully co-exist in the future and not having the barrier of having to digitize your vinyl anymore to integrate it into a digital mix certainly raises the attractivity of systems like Traktor or Serato. Also I love the thought of not having to carry 30 kilos of records around 😉
6) You mentioned Deepcore, what is it?
Deepcore, a forum on Discogs and now a social network on ning too is a forum for those who see deepness as their way of life. This includes DJs and producers as well as listeners, the core of the people around the show as well as around Altered Moods Recordings but we’re very open towards new people who keep coming in all the time. We appreciate it growing to a certain extent and we love to spread the word, the music is out there, let’s make it heard.
7) Deep Summit is around the corner – tell us about it and why we should not miss it? If we can’t make it to the events, is there a way to enjoy the show’s online?
Deep Summit is our yearly gathering taking place in different places. It seems that a constant in all that seems to be Berlin, because I am from Berlin and also it seems to be advantagous for a lot of people to meet in Berlin because it’s located in central europe. Deep Summit is our yearly approach to presenting our music in a dance club and party context – other than what you might hear, we are very convinced that deep house is great dance music and should be played in night clubs on big sound systems and not just in the background of some coffee houses.
Deep Summit has taken us to Frankfurt and will take us to Toronto this year and hopefully to Berlin again, London and another venue in the USA next year. It’s just a so much more enjoyable experience to hook up with people eye to eye, dance with them, chat with them, get drunk with them 😉 Nothing can beat that, I mean, the internet communication is nice and a big part of our lifes but once a year we want to show how we really are.
I hope many people will be able to make it to this year’s events in either:
- Toronto (28 August)
- or Berlin (4 and 5 Sept)
- Check Deep Summit wesbite for details
We would love to see you there. If you cant make it, there are plans to stream the event at least for the Berlin part, but that is yet to be settled. We will certainly have our sets recorded. By the way, the sets from last years Deep Summit can, amonst all other info, be found on a dedicated web page at http://www.deepsummit.org
8) Thanks for your time, Esti! Now, about the mix itself…
This session represents my vision of the deep summit and the people surrounding it as i see it today.
Each of the tracks represents a version or a view of deepness and though some might put all of them into their own distinct drawers, as they originate from different context and different eras, yet they do still form a connected picture. These tracks for me are some of those building bricks of the deepcore, some classics and some of the latest offers thrown in for a versatile journey.
I hope you enjoy and looking forward to see you on this years deep summit to celebrate.
Playlist
00:00 A.M.C.A. Feat. Eddie Parker – Jihad (Sensory Productions Remix) [Luxury Service]
07:56 Estelle Montenegro – Lakeside [Elektrolux]
12:52 Atjazz – Peanuts [Diversions]
17:18 Crane A.K. – Beyond The Flow [Force Tracks]
21:40 Donnacha Costello – Gatsby [Look Long]
27:00 Rising Sun – Untitled [Workshop]
30:16 Rndm – Third Hand Smoke Dub [Laid]
34:49 AFX – Bwoon Dub [Rephlex]
39:10 DJ Aakmael – Headknod (Rugged Mixx) [Earthrumental Music]
44:29 E.S.O.M. – Blue Pyramid [Emphasis]
50:11 Quince – Vitjazzdepth [Delsin]
55:55 Anton Zap – Can’t Wait For Snow [Uzuri]
61:24 Legowelt – Deerdrive JX 10 [M>O>S Recordings]
65:46 Specter – Night Hawk [Tetrode Music]
72:58 $tinkworx – MKB [W.T. Records]
80:20 Keith Worthy – Deep Sea (The Original Deepstrumental Mix) [Aesthetic Audio]
84:36 Kinoeye – Mean Old World [W.T. Records]
89:02 Lowtec – Stamping Ground [Source Records]
93:25 Ismistik – Bulb [Djax-Up-Beats]
98:55 Bvdub – Mingtian [ruin]
105:30 Homebase – Constant Love [Guidance]
111:00 Urban Sound Gallery – Paradise Regained [Future Vision]
118:30 Fallout – The Morning After (Sunrise Mix) [Fourth Floor Records]
125:00 Linkwood Family – Miles Away (Intrusion Sunrise Dub) [Firecracker Records]
133:30 Intrusion – Seduction (cv313 Morning Dub) [Intrusion]
DJ profile
Estimulo
Estimulo started listening to music in the age of 4, when he recorded music from the radio (mostly RIAS Berlin, FM station of the US-Army in Berlin), cutting them, producing his own radio shows containing his favorite tunes and announcing them. In this age the musical taste was still quite undefined and broad, but the music by black r&b/disco bands like \’\’Chic\’\’ and \’\’Kool and the Gang\’\’ drew his attention to them.
Later on, in 1983, he got presented his first vinyl 7\’\’ single by his grandmother. It was \’\’The Haunted House of Rock\’\’ by Whodini. Since then, Estimulo started to record everything from the radio which sounded electronic and groovy. A big influence was the NY and LA electro-funk as well as black music in general. But there was still no special radio show for this kind of music, so it took until 1988 when he first heard the sounds of a radio show called \’\’The Big Beat on Fridays\’\’, that aired on friday night and was pumping all the hot import shit, from disco to early house music, soul and funk, rap.
He couldn\’t get enough of sample house tracks from the UK like MARRS \’\’Pump up the volume\’\’, Coldcut \’\’Doctorin\’ The House\’\’, Bomb the Bass \’\’Beat Dis\’\’, etc which meanwhile also aired on normal radio during the daytime, becoming major pop hits in Germany as well as in the UK.
Desperately Estimulo started searching for any \’\’house\’\’ record he could get a hold of, but he wasn\’t very lucky in this time. So the radio with shows like \’\’Big Beat\’\’, run by the visionary Monika Dietl, as well as Marusha\’s show on the GDR station \’\’DT 64\’\’ remained the main source for the new sounds.
As techno exploded in Berlin after the wall came down, the sound was getting harder and harder. Though he made some excursions into hard techno, gabber, etc. he always felt unsatisfied with the lack of soul in this kind of music, so he got focussed on US (mostly deep) House and Detroit Techno and started buying records, which was possible because meanwhile some specialist record shops for this kind of music had opened in Berlin. Every single cent of rare pocket money was spent for music, music and only music.
In 1990, Estimulo set up his own little FM pirate station to broadcast electronic beats of all kinds to the neighborhood. The station had a range of about 1 kilometer, so it was mostly his friends who tuned in. Still he got busted after just a few months and the police took all his equipment. Being a programmer and electronics tinkerer, he didn\’t take long to replace it and went on broadcasting for some years.
The years from 1994 on were spent with studying at the university (computer engineering) and buying and listening to music most of the time, wandering thru the realms of all house genres, techno, drum & bass, breakbeat, jungle, hardcore techno, industrial, dub reggae, digital dub, ambient, lounge, trip hop, basically everything electronic except for a short excursion to punk. First tracks were produced around 1990 on a very simple Amiga500 setup with a very simple program which could basically only play drums and some noises.
Later in 1993, the first tracks with the famous \’\’Fasttracker\’\’ on the PC were created. Always being more a DJ and selector & collector than a musician, though he was playing flute and guitar for quite a long period in his childhood, he started to produce mixes and publish them on his personal webpage at the university. There was almost no response at all. In 2001, Estimulo met SpIn through filesharing client soulseek, and they had the idea of setting up a professional page to release their mixes.
Mixomat became a success from the start, getting highest acknowledgement in the deepest of deep house circles for the quality of the mixes and the selection of timeless, sensual and passionate music.
Apart from being one of Mixomat Recordings\’ (www.mixomat-recordings.de) directors, Estimulo was working in the development of internet database applications and doing honorary work for several – mostly leftist intellectual – internet magazines.
Mixomat Recordings managed to successfully launch and distribute up and coming artists like Marco Nega, Immer.Chic, Igor O. Vlasov who all got the chance to release their music on vinyl with other labels later on as well as early work by Rezkar, who is now one of the hottest talents in Deep House with releases on Altered Moods and Meakusma as well as upcoming ones on Running Back.
In 2007 Estimulo felt it\’s time to move further and back to his interest and passion for making radio so he started to broadcast a weekly show simply called the \’\’EstimuloShow\’\’ in Summer of 2007. The word of the show of featuring quality music spread fast around the deep house community and the show grew from being a stand-alone showcase of Estimulo\’s record collection to a global affair, including many known und unknown DJ talents who all have in common that passion for the deeper sounds of house and techno. Even disco and jazz-funk can have their place on the show, it\’s all good as long as it\’s deep but it does have a definite focus on electronic music.
Estimulo\’s core styles are deep house and deep techno with an open interface towards jazz, funk and dub. It\’s largely instrumental, but everything is possible as long as it fits into the flow.
In the past 2 years EstimuloShow has featured (amongst others) DJs such as Estimulo, Makarov, TomTomGroove, Mo\’Joe, Marcustic, Keep:On DJ Team (Jochen Otto, Christophe Degars, Maciej Szalonek), Annette Sihler, Tanja Harde, Kandismann from Germany, Malcolm Moore AKA Roxnadz (AlteredMoods.org) from the San Francisco Bay Area, Pinky Chukkles (tiptopmusic.com), Truly-Madly (truly-madly.net) and Conradio (tiptopmusic.com) from London, Michael Bishop and Linley from Toronto. EstimuloShow had a live performance by Dekay (Danny Kotz). The EstimuloShow webpage and archives can be found at www.mixomat.org.
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