RW012

Hey there,

Don’t ask me why, but I’m now writing the newsletter every Monday. Monday is, of course, the day I go back to my everyday life as a psychologist. That means: talks, talks, talks, behavioral observation, and writing reports. I’m usually pretty exhausted afterwards, but I try to keep myself active. And since the day is already a bit more demanding, I make use of it to write. That’s fun too.

I was once asked how long a newsletter takes me to put together. Roughly 4 to 5 hours of writing and (mostly correctly) adding everything into the template we’ve set up! It’s a lot of fun, especially because I always write exactly the way I think. No long pauses to consider what I should write, I just let it flow. The part that takes the most time is the research. But hey, you always lose a little time somewhere.

So, let’s start today the same way we did with our last newsletter:

1. Recent Cuts - Fresh vinyl and digital releases worth checking out.

2. Essential Oldschool - Records from the 90s and early 2000s that still matter today.

3. Behind the Booth - Personal stories, lessons, and perspectives from life as a DJ.

4. What’s in my Bag? - A peek into recent gig selections, new digs, and timeless records.

5. Top 5 by Jeffrey aka DJ Saunameister - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week by DJ’s.

6. Community Pick of the Week by Mika - One favorite from the community.
   

1. Recent Cuts - Fresh vinyl and digital releases worth checking out.

2. Essential Oldschool - Records from the 90s and early 2000s that still matter today.

3. Behind the Booth - Personal stories, lessons, and perspectives from life as a DJ.

Today I want to share a perspective that feels completely normal to me, but often doesn’t seem “normal” to others. But then again, what does “normal” even mean?

As you already know, I’m not a full-time DJ or artist. For me, playing music is pure passion. A space where I can truly be myself and disconnect from everyday life. That’s the same reason I went to clubs when I was younger: to forget the daily routine and dive into a world where I felt understood. Outside of that world, when I told people I listen to techno, the reaction was usually something like: “Oh really? I listen to electronic music too, like Avicii or Scooter sometimes”. That always annoyed me, because people didn’t really understand what techno or electronic music actually is. But inside the club, surrounded by like-minded people, I never had to explain myself. Instead of justifying my taste, I could share what I liked and talk about artists with others who understood.

Of course, I also realized early on the economic side of things: being a full-time DJ is a privilege. Fifteen years ago, fees were often low, if they existed at all. In my early years, I invested a lot, but I could never cover rent or daily life with the occasional €50 gig. I never did it for the money, though. Even today, I see other DJs who earn four or five times as much with more commercial music, filling clubs easily. And while I might be hauling crates of vinyl and hear someone say, “Wow, you still play records? That’s way too much work for me.” I don’t feel envy. I consciously chose this path, and I’m proud of it, even if I sometimes wonder whether it was the “right” one. In the end, what matters most to me is looking in the mirror and being able to say: “You’re doing what you love, without pretending to be someone else.”.

At some point, I asked myself: “Where do I want to go in life?” By coincidence, I ended up studying psychology. Now I work as a psychologist, helping people, which I truly enjoy, and it pays the bills. But the 9-2-5 lifestyle has its price: less time and energy for my creativity. Especially in production, I feel stuck. I work sample-based, because I don’t have hours to spend tweaking a synthesizer. While others spend nights exploring sounds on their 909 or any synthesizer, I use 909 samples just to finish a track efficiently. I even started my own label and have five projects open on my laptop, but after work, I often lack the motivation to finish them. Vacations should be for rest, but the thought “Now you finally have time, get something done!” keeps nagging me. When I don’t finish a track in one evening, it feels like wasted time, instead of progress.

Maybe I need to release that pressure and just create, switch off my phone, empty my mind, lose myself in the process without worrying about outcomes. Recently, after half a year of not touching my projects, I listened to them again and thought, “This is actually great, keep going”. But then, instead of working on them, already thinking about the next workday.

I love my job, but sometimes I wish I could wake up without obligations, spend the day experimenting, enjoying small things, and letting time pass without worrying about tomorrow.

So what do you think? Do you have any tips on how to break out of this cycle? Or do you feel the same?

Here’s one of the five tracks I’ve made so far, which is still lying around as a sketch:

 SOUNDCLOUD

4. What’s in my Bag? - A peek into recent gig selections, new digs, and timeless records.

This past weekend, Kathi and I played at a festival called REACTŌR in Kalkar, near the Dutch border. We had a one-and-a-half-hour playtime. To be honest, 1 ½ hours is just way too short. It doesn’t really allow you to build up tension or ease yourself into the music. You simply have to deliver straight away. In my opinion, so much artistry gets lost when the set time is that limited. I often wonder what it must have been like for DJs at the Love Parade in the ’90s and early ’00s, when set times were sometimes even under an hour. I remember DJ Hell once mentioning in an interview that he played for 45 minutes and brought maybe five records. Legendary.

At the festival, I once again brought a bunch of records: way too many, honestly, especially considering you’re playing B2B and don’t even have enough time to get through all of them. But I always think, better to have than to need. Such a typical German saying. Still, I picked out four records that I just can’t live without at the moment.

5. Top 5 by Jeffrey aka DJ Saunameister - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week.

For today’s TOP 5, I asked one of the best DJs in Berlin right now (in my opinion): Jeffrey aka DJ Saunameister. He’s a true lover of the old sound. Not only is he well known in the Berlin scene, but his name reaches far beyond. Most of the time, he mixes three records at once and is constantly in motion. I first came across Jeffrey on Instagram, and we quickly connected through our shared passion.

One moment that really stuck with me was his set at Ater Cosmo in Madrid. I also remember a gig at Else in Berlin, where I played between more trance-oriented DJs. I opened the floor after the open-air session, and as always, I went for old school techno. The crowd loved it, but what really gave me confidence was Jeffrey dropping by after his shift at a sauna. Even though I consider myself pretty self-assured, having him there during my set just felt great. He would immediately call out track IDs I was playing and gave me so much inspiring input. I truly enjoyed it and was grateful for his support.

So, I’ll hand it over to Jeffrey:

Firstly, thanks a lot for featuring me in this week’s Top 5. This time we’re looking at a quite underrated nation in terms of musical history and contribution to our beloved old school techno. Usually, we hear about artists from the US, Germany, the UK, many mid- and Western European countries, Sweden, and Japan. But let’s take a closer look at five artists, and one release each, from a beautiful country located in the Balkan area, with a small coastline between Italy and Croatia.

Slovenia!! (And a little apology to all the other great places that brought us amazing artists. It’s a global phenomenon for sure.)

But it’s high time we acknowledge their effort and appreciate their output!

6. Community Pick of the Week by Mika - One favorite from the community.

Ben Sims - Momento En El Tiempo: A little over a month ago, I received an email from Mika. He sent me his current favorite record. And funny enough, it’s another Primate release. We just can’t seem to let go of that label. Back then, Ben Sims truly lived and breathed tribal. And with remixes from Bando and Leandro Gamez on top? It can only be good. Just give it a listen yourself and judge for yourself. Mika, thank you so much for submitting this record and for your continued support!

DISCOGS

10:52 p.m., time to slowly head to bed. But writing is just so much fun, even if my left hand hurts a little. This time it’s just a short intro. See you next time, and thanks for your support!

And don’t forget: keep sending me your favorite track or record. Who knows? Maybe you’ll be the one curating the next pick in the Community section.

Simply reply to this email or comment here with a link to your favorite E.P.

Catch you next week! Be ready to drop the needle on my next picks.

C U NEXT TIME,
Robin Tasi @ Recycling Wax