RW017

In partnership with

Helloooo,

Here we are again. It’s Monday, October 20th, 2025, 8:52 PM, and I’m starting to write because… I… am… on vacation! Only for a full week, but still: I have time. There are three things I’ve come to consider pure luxury now that I’m in my thirties: having time, going to bed only when I’m actually tired, and third, not setting an alarm. Ahhhh, how I love that. During vacation, I stay up until my eyes start closing while sitting upright. And that’s why I’ll keep writing tonight until I can’t anymore. Good plan, right?

Today, I’ve brought along a topic that’s been on my mind for quite some time, and honestly, it’s been increasingly annoying me. The electronic music scene is becoming more and more divided, which we’ve already talked about before. Some DJs focus their primary values on mixing skills, flow, set structure, empathy, reading the crowd, and connecting with them. And then there are performance artists, whose main values lean more toward entertainment, looks, peak moments, and creating instant energy.

Today, I also want to talk about how DJs themselves are becoming increasingly separated when it comes to sound. And there’s one particular phrase that keeps catching my attention…

But first, let’s start with our usual newsletter structure:

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 Justin Tinderdate - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week by DJs.

6. Community Pick of the Week by Cwtch - 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.

Tuesday, October 21st, 2025 – 12:04 PM.
At some point during the night, my eyes just closed on their own. No surprise, really, I had deliberately saved this section for last. It’s a topic that has been on my mind for quite some time, and, to be honest, it also triggers me a little.

A few days ago, I watched an interview with several DJs from a festival. They were talking about Techno in general: how fast it has become, how big the scene is growing, and that the interest in deeper sounds seems to be rising again. And then one person said, “Intelligent Techno is coming back”. That’s the moment something inside me tightens up.

You know me by now; I’ve already written about the term “real techno”, which I find awful because it carries a sense of hierarchy. This “I know what real Techno is” attitude feels arrogant. Because in the end, music is a matter of taste. If someone doesn’t like the old-school Techno sound and prefers today’s hard Techno instead, that’s totally fine. I don’t have to love it personally, but as long as people are having fun, why diminish it or put yourself on a pedestal?

And that brings us to “intelligent techno”. The real question is: how do you determine whether something is intelligent or not?

In science, things must be measurable. Even observations can be translated into numbers and analyzed statistically. As a psychologist, I work with standardized intelligence tests such as the WIT-2 (Wilde Intelligence Test) and the CFT 20-R (Culture Fair Test). These tests measure things like numerical, verbal, spatial, figurative, and logical reasoning skills, different aspects of cognitive performance. With them, I can evaluate how a person’s psychological profile aligns with certain professional or educational goals.

But intelligence is more than numbers and logic. According to Howard Gardner, there are also emotional, creative, social, and musical forms of intelligence.
So intelligence can also be recognized through behavior, expression, and problem-solving strategies.

But then, how can the intelligence of a music genre be measured?
Music itself cannot be “intelligent” because it has no consciousness, no intention, and no cognitive processing. Intelligence requires conscious information processing.
Music is a product of different variables, sounds, rhythms, and structures, but they don’t assemble themselves. It’s not a thinking system.

However, we can speak of intelligently made music: complex compositions, refined harmonies, creative sound design, and a logical development within a track. These are expressions of human intelligence. But the music itself isn’t intelligent; the human who created it is.

The truly intelligent ones are, and always have been, the people who built the machines that made all of this possible: the minds behind Roland, who created, e.g., the TR-909 and TR-808, or the engineers who developed modular synthesizers, countless circuits generating vibrations.

Still, I can’t help but wonder: Why do people call it “intelligent techno” when, from a scientific point of view, that makes no sense?

What do you think?
Feel free to share your thoughts with me by email. 

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

Last weekend I played at an off-location party in Berlin. It was an “Only Vinyl Night”, no photos, no videos. The organizers really care about keeping that old-school vibe, and that’s exactly why they asked me to play at their event. Of course, I said yes, and ended up packing over 70 records, hauling them all the way from Dortmund to Berlin.

To be honest, carrying that much vinyl is no fun at all. I’ve digitized a lot of my records over the years, just so I wouldn’t have to drag them around all the time, and to reduce wear and tear. But for a good party, I’m always happy to bring them along, and this time, I was genuinely excited about it.

Whenever I’m in Berlin, I don’t actually do much else. Even when people ask if I want to hang out, do this or that, I usually just wander from record store to record store because I love digging and shopping for vinyl. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy spending money on things that bring real joy, right?

So naturally, that’s exactly what I did, I hit the shops and picked up a few records for the night. In this section, I’ll show you three records I bought: #1 and #2 I got from Spacehall, and #3 I found at Audio-In. I’ve actually had #1 and #3 as digital files for years, but I just had to have them on vinyl, too. Enjoy!

5. Top 5 by Justin Tinderdate - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week.

Normally, it’s not hard for me to introduce the person providing the Weekly Top 5, but this time I honestly don’t know where to start. Justin is one of my best friends; we’ve known each other for over ten years. We really got to know each other through music and by moving in together with another close friend, Dennis.

Even though Justin has been living in Berlin for quite some time now, he actually grew up near Dortmund and even spent a few months here before sadly moving away. These days, he produces and plays more modern trance, but back in the day, under his alias “Reshift,” he played exactly the kind of techno that gets featured here every week.

At parties, we used to have to be careful not to play too similarly. I remember this one time, I hadn’t heard him play for about two years. Then I booked him for one of my own parties, and while I was standing at the entrance, I could hear what he was playing… and I knew every single track. Same for him when I was playing. It was so funny, despite living hundreds of kilometers apart and not sharing the booth that often anymore, our taste and knowledge in music had evolved in the same direction.

As part of the team at the old Record Loft in Berlin, Justin had daily access to thousands of records. His shelves are filled with treasures. I slept @ his and his girlfriend's apartment last weekend, and I just randomly grabbed two sections of about fifty records each, nothing but bangers. Absolute goldmine.

We’ve been through so much together, always up to no good, and every track we ever produced was basically created in a drunken haze. Empty head, no overthinking, just do it, that was the motto. We released records, started a label, and even once did a blind DJ set using only white labels. The rule was: the next person to play had to reach into a crate filled with 50 white labels, while wearing sunglasses covered with stickers so they couldn’t see anything. Whatever record they pulled out had to be played. It was hilarious, and yes, it’s actually on YouTube! 😄

I could go on for hours about all the stories we’ve lived through and what connects us, but I think I’ll save some of those for future newsletters instead of giving everything away at once.

I’m really happy that Justin curated today’s Top 5. He’s an excellent DJ and producer, a great friend, and honestly, one of the most important people in my life.

Thank you for being you, Justin! LOVE U!

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

Kobaya - Blackmail: After my last call for you to send me emails to help fill the Community Pick of the Week section, you actually did it! This time it’s Kobaya – Blackmail, submitted by Cwtch.

I actually used the track “Blackmail” once as an intro for one of my podcasts, so I already knew this record, and I’ve grown to love it! Let me just show you what exactly Cwtch wrote:

“Hi Robin,

First, thank you for all that gold digger you share, pure class!

This is my all-time fav vinyl, especially track ‘Nucleo’!

Kobaya is Belgrado’s finest producer ever!

All the best,
Cwtch”

A true banger from 2005! Thank you, Cwtch, for sending this one in.

DISCOGS

And here we are, at the end once again. I hope I didn’t get too carried away with this topic. But somehow, it’s just hard for me to let go of. In that sense...

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.

Keep it spinning,
Robin Tasi @ Recycling Wax

Email Was Only the Beginning

Four years in the making. One event that will change everything.

On November 13, beehiiv is redefining what it means to create online with their first-ever virtual Winter Release Event.

This isn’t just an update or a new feature. It’s a revolution in how content is built, shared, and owned. You don’t want to miss this.

Save your spot