RW038

Hey there,

What’s up? I just had a Smashburger and some fries. The diet is slowly coming to an end, and I’m maintaining my weight now. I’m adjusting things, and it’s working. So yeah, a burger and fries are fine again. Behavior change is the key. So yeah, I’m doing good, people. But this isn’t a weight loss guide, it’s a music newsletter. Today we’ve got an extended version because there’s so much good music dropping at the same time.

And remember: I’m giving away a Mystery Box of Vinyl Records worth over $100 exclusively to one of my beloved newsletter subscribers.

To enter the raffle, simply refer at least one friend to subscribe to this newsletter using your unique referral link. The more people you refer, the higher your chances of winning. As soon as one person signs up through your link, you will automatically be entered into the prize draw.

IMPORTANT: Next Thursday, April 2, 2026, there will be NO newsletter. Why? I’m taking a week off. The giveaway will run until April 1 at 11:59 PM; after that, no further entries or actions will be accepted. So feel free to join the referral program!

The winner will be announced on April 2, 2026, on Recycling Wax Radio @ Mono Dortmund on YouTube from 4 to 8 PM. Good luck, and make sure your friends confirm their subscription!

But first, let’s begin as usual, as follows:

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

2. On the Horizon - Upcoming releases to keep an eye on.

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 Tortured Records - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week by DJs.

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

2. On the Horizon - Upcoming releases to keep an eye on.

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

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what kind of topic I want to focus on here. Just complaining again and pointing out what I don’t like feels too negative and shallow in the long run. At the same time, I currently don’t have any noteworthy topics related to DJing that I feel like addressing. As you all know, nothing good ever comes from forcing ideas. While we were eating, my girlfriend Kathi came up with a great idea: why not simply involve my circle of people more? Just listen to their stories and give them a platform to introduce themselves and talk about what it’s like, for example, to experience the scene in your early twenties. People always say, “We old veterans know how to party.” That’s nonsense; we just did things differently. With that idea, Kathi immediately thought of people like Max, also known as Kuschelmaus, Nils, also known as Backz, and others. I decided to ask Max for his perspective. Max is someone who often comes to Junkyard, even got the logo tattooed on his ankle, and is always around. Last weekend, we played B2B together, and he really enjoyed it. A young person who loves the old sound, but is also interested in the old techniques and everything that comes with old school sound and DJing. I’ll hand things over to Max now:

Hello, I’m Kuschelmaus, and I became a DJ through Robin Tasi and DJ Autobahn/Paco. From a very young age, I had a passion for electronic music, influenced by my parents. With early exposure to hardcore, hard trance, and techno, it was already clear to me: this is solid music. Riding in the car with my parents as a kid sometimes felt like a little rave. Sounds like RaveBase, TunnelTranceForce, HyperRave, Bonzai, and everything in between were played, all the way to 2 Unlimited. My father is a hard trance ultra and my mother is a 2 Unlimited fan. In 2017, things really started for me with old gabber, which completely hooked me, but techno also kept growing bigger for me. A year later, I was regularly attending “not entirely legal events” and got to know the scene for the first time. Back then, there was a lot going on in places like Unna, Werl, and Soest. That’s where I danced to techno for the first time and finally found my place. On April 22, 2022, I went to Junkyard Dortmund for the first time with two friends. I had no idea how much this would change my life. But that night, everything went off. Robin Tasi was on the decks, and I loved it so much that I even had to shed a tear now and then because it was just so much fun, and yes, completely sober. To this day, Junkyard is my home. I’ve experienced so much there, danced so much, and even started DJing myself. BACKZ and I were so incredibly happy.

But how did it all actually happen?

My girlfriend at the time gave me a Hercules controller for Christmas. From that moment on, I started mixing regularly. Whether it was back then in the barracks, at home, or at BACKZ’s place, mixing became something I did constantly and turned into a huge hobby. I uploaded my first sets to SoundCloud just like that, and they were actually received really sweetly. Robin even shared an Instagram story of my set “TECHNO 90 RaveBase” on September 15, 2023, pure trance and hard trance at its finest, which is private now. Shortly after that, I got my first gig request for Junkyard from Robin via Instagram DM. Halloween 2023 was my very first gig, a B2B with BACKZ, and it was incredible. Since then, everything has continued to develop. My interest in techno keeps growing because there will always be something new and unknown to discover. Today, I love playing old school, tribal, acid, and techno. Just a few days ago, on March 20, 2026, I finally got to play B2B with Robin for the very first time on my all-time favorite stage, H57 at Junkyard. At first, I felt a bit nervous, but I quickly realized that I wasn’t just playing with my favorite artist, but with a friend. If you think dreams can’t come true, I’m living proof that they can. My friends supported me so much that night, and I’m truly grateful.

Starting at Junkyard, and hopefully staying there until the end. That place, the music, and the people have given me something I never want to lose. 

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

Last week I played at Junkyard again. Kathi and I run our own event called Equal. The idea is to host Sunday daytime parties from morning to evening. There’s brunch, people can eat, have a glass of champagne or something else, and just enjoy their Sunday. We also invite many local DJs, some of whom have never played in a club before. It’s a great concept in my opinion because it creates a very relaxed vibe and gives space to new artists. This time, however, we hosted a Friday event with Daria Kolosova. Kathi and I both played with DJs who were inspired by us, I guess that’s a fair way to put it. Max, aka Kuschelmaus, calls himself a big fan of mine. I honestly don’t handle that very well when someone sees me as an inspiration or a fan. I’m just a normal guy playing records. So I kept things pretty humble and thought it would be nice to just play a B2B together. And it worked perfectly. We barely discussed anything, just stood there and let the music speak for an hour and a half. You could really feel the connection, and I enjoyed the night a lot. Hierarchies among musicians are just silly. Things like follower count, number of gigs, and all that don’t matter. Every artist tells a story. So today I’ll show you which tracks I brought for our B2B.

5. Top 5 Tortured Records - A handpicked selection, carefully curated each week.

Today, I’m showing you my top 5 from the label Tortured Records. A UK label by Billy Nasty with two great sublabels, Painkillers and the incredible electro EPs on Electrix Records, including legendary releases by Zeta Reticula, also known as Umek. Tortured Records has been around since the late 90s and carried into the early 2000s. For me, it’s a legendary label, and the catalog numbering with “PAIN” fits perfectly. I love scaring my girlfriend Kathi, aka Krackk, when she’s recording reels in our shared workspace. In one of her videos, a Tortured Records track was playing in the background. That’s probably how it feels for her sometimes when she gets scared like that while being super focused. Today I’m showing you a top 5 without ranking, just straight picks without too much explanation. Enjoy!

And just like that, we’re already at the end again. Next week I’m on vacation, so I’ll finally have time to work on getting external top 5s and more interesting stories. I think it’s totally fine that this newsletter has a personal touch and includes my own stories. But sometimes it feels a bit repetitive, like I’m just talking about myself too much. It can come across a bit narcissistic, like someone who can’t stop talking about themselves. And that’s exactly why it’s important to bring in other perspectives as well. I’ll take care of that. Please don’t hesitate to send me things. Community pick of the week, top 5s, stories, whatever. I can’t promise everything will make it into the newsletter, but I’m always interested in exchange. Thank you!

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