RW025

Hey there,

How’s it going? There’s less than a week to go until the Christmas holidays.

This edition is full of surprises, even before Christmas. Not only are we announcing today’s winner of the $200 Mystery Box, but it’s also our longest newsletter yet.

That’s because none other than Patrick DSP is giving us a TOP 15 of his favorite songs…

And he really took his time to make sure he didn’t pick a single “standard song”, but instead went with “no filler, only killer.”

But first, we’ll start in our usual manner:

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. Top 15 by Patrick DSP - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week by DJs.

5. Community Pick of the Week by Vlad - 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.

Which brings me to a question inspired by the DisX3 record: why do aliases even exist? Why do artists choose to have multiple projects or names? The answer is actually quite simple: different projects for different sounds, different music, different subgenres, different visions. It makes sense to separate things that are fundamentally different. But does that also reduce your overall artistic vision?

Let’s talk about it. I’ll start with myself: I technically have an alias, but it’s more of a joke one that I rarely use. It’s called Distorsten, and I only play fun, playful sounds under that name at a single party, Brutalism Disco Cafe in Cologne. It existed even before COVID and only ever comes out for that one event. Other than that, I don’t have a serious alias. Under my real name, Robin Tasi, I play mainly techno, but also electro, EBM, Ghetto House / Techno, hardcore, gabber, and house, and even old-school trance if the moment feels right. I don’t feel the need to limit my sound. I can play how I feel and how the people in the room feel. It gives me freedom, and autonomy is something I truly need in my art.

There’s an artist from Mülheim an der Ruhr in Germany named Helge Schneider. He’s a completely unpredictable entertainer; you never know what you’re going to get. Is he in a great mood, telling jokes and playing Katzenklo ten thousand times? Or is he in a bad mood, playing piano for an hour without saying a single word before leaving the stage? No one knows. And that’s exactly the kind of artist I take as a role model. At gigs, I like to see where the journey takes all of us in the room together. It’s a beautiful idea, isn’t it?

But there are problems with that approach. I’ve talked to close friends of mine who are bookers for different clubs and parties, and they’ve told me again and again: “Robin, if people don’t already know you, they have to spend time figuring you out, and unfortunately, promoters do that less and less. The more clicks it takes, the higher the chance they’ll lose interest. They don’t dig that deep anymore. And because you’re 20% this, 20% that, 20% something else, and another 20% of yet another style, it’s hard to understand what you actually do. People can’t associate a specific sound with you.”

And yeah… they have a point. At the same time, that versatility means I can be used flexibly, covering different moods and time slots. As a resident at Junkyard, that’s actually perfect, you can serve different slots and subgenres. But if you really analyze what my friends are saying, it seems that you have to put yourself into a box so others immediately understand what you do. Even algorithms work that way now: if they consistently see one kind of content and learn that this is “your thing,” they’ll show it to people who like that kind of content. But if you do a bit of this and a bit of that, the algorithm doesn’t know what you’re offering at all.

It’s kind of sad, isn’t it? I feel like the art of DJs is being reduced more and more. Less room to truly express yourself. Or how do you see it? Would you create a new alias for every subgenre, or are you someone who just blends everything?

Feel free to write me an email and let me know. 🙂 

4. Top 15 by Patrick DSP - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week.

Patrick DSP is a true techno heavyweight. Since the mid-90s, he has been shaping raw, uncompromising techno as a DJ, producer, and engineer. Known for his relentless energy, powerful three-deck sets, and precise productions, he has released on legendary labels, played iconic events worldwide, and continues to influence the scene through his music and mastering work in Berlin.

I originally asked Patrick on Instagram if he’d like to contribute a Top 5. After a reminder message, he replied with “yeah, I’m still working on it,” and I honestly thought: wait… what’s taking so long?
I immediately regretted that thought the moment his Top 15 arrived. What Patrick sent me was an incredibly well-curated, deeply thought-out selection from start to finish. Each track comes with a short description that couldn’t have been more on point. What a guy.

For me, Patrick is a true legend. I even felt a bit guilty asking him, knowing that I haven’t uploaded a single one of his records to Recycling Wax yet, but that will definitely change in the future. Patrick, having you involved is a huge gift to me. A true hero of the techno scene and still one of the most important figures when it comes to techno and schranz walking hand in hand. Thank you so much for being a part of this newsletter!

I’ll hand it over to you now:

5. Community Pick of the Week by Vlad - One favorite from the community.

Marduk - Enhancement Purposes: Yesterday, I once again checked the spam folder of the Recycling Wax email account and noticed that, unfortunately, some emails do actually end up there from time to time. Vlad’s email was one of them. But let it be said: no matter where an email lands, sooner or later, it will reach me.

Vlad sent me a short email without much text, just two links. So I was presented with two EPs and ultimately decided to go with one of them. Marduk – Enhancement Purposes is a minimal techno EP from 1997 by Dietrich Schoenemann, released on Adam X’s label. Adam already knew back then exactly what great music was all about. I run into him occasionally at Audio-In in Berlin, though we don’t know each other personally.

Great track selection, four heavy hitters in true Detroit style. A hot tip! In Portugal, you can even find the record for €5; shipping to Germany adds another €10. Still absolutely worth it, solid all around.

Thank you, Vlad, for this beautiful EP and for being part of the Community Pick of the Week.

 DISCOGS

And just like that, we’ve reached the end again. This was fun, but I’ll keep it short at the end.

One important reminder, though: I usually release the newsletter every Thursday at 6 PM. The next two Thursdays are public holidays, first Christmas Day on December 25, 2025, and then New Year’s Day on January 1, 2025. I still want to publish a newsletter on both of those days. That said, my capacity for these holiday editions will be very limited, so the next two newsletters will be quite short. The next regular, full-length newsletter will arrive next year.

Now, let’s move on to the winner.

This time, the Mystery Box was packed with over $200 worth of vinyl. I keep buying records, often ones I already own or know well, so I can put together solid boxes to give away.

This time, I added a bit more than I did in the first round.

Last time, Magdalena won and seemed really happy with the package. I hope that’s still the case!

And for the next winner, it’s just as important to me not to send out random junk, but high-quality records only.

Alright, I won’t keep you in suspense any longer.

And the next Mystery Box goes to…
… drumroll …
… louder please …
…
..
.

seb**tian-no**[email protected]

You’ve won! Please get in touch with me via email at [email protected], including your address and contact details, so I can ship the package to you.

And to everyone else who didn’t win this time: don’t worry, there will be more Mystery Boxes next year. I’m already putting together another one. So it definitely pays to keep reading and stay tuned! 🙂

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

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