After a long week and a half, I have created my what seems to now be becoming traditional annual promo mix. This of course, as with the last ones, is a collection of tracks that I feel really did something special for my sets over the past year. This year has been a first of many things for me with my newfound techno career, and certainly one of the highlights has been my shows in Europe, namely Berghain in Berlin. I was humbled by being even in the presence of such a legendary place, let alone be in the cockpit of it, and it should go without saying that gigs like that changed the way I would DJ potentially forever. I used to be bound and determined to play the newest, most secretive, unreleased tracks, but then reached a point where I was simply playing many unreleased tracks simply for the fact that they were unreleased (refer back to the days of the white labels). When I played at a place like Berghain, the crowd, energy, and overall intensity at a place like that makes you carefully evaluate everything. It put me back to somewhat of the mindset when I first started buying records. When I first started shopping for music as a DJ, it was a very simple process. I put the record on the turntable, listened to it, and if I thought it was a great record, I would buy it. Questions, "Is this too commercial?","Is this a new release?", "Is this what DJ A or DJ B are playing?" Those special nights, are what brought me back to playing tracks that were quite simply best cut out for that given moment, no questions asked. I learned that tracks like Hyperactive's "Reptilian Tank" which was probably produced before I even knew techno existed will still set things off more than a lot of things on the release schedule of that given week. This year has undoubtedly made me a better more thoughtful DJ, and it has certainly brought back that child-like enthusiasm when I play. If you're reading this, weather you know it or not, you most likely have inspired me someway or somehow, so I thank you. Consider this mix hopefully a form of gratitude to the beloved listener. I hope you enjoy!
After many requests, and a long time coming, I have put together a new promotional mix that I'm very excited about. People sometimes will ask how long it takes to put a new mix together, but I feel that there are many answers to that question in that I think as soon as I put together a promo mix I start making the next mix in my head and see the ideas and concepts develop with each and every live show I do, learning what does and does not work well together, crowd responses, etc. I always try to take steps to make each mix CD suited for the environment(s) which the CD will most likely be listened to...cars, iPods, computers, and living rooms alike. I feel very strongly that the only way to truly experience the sets that I play at clubs is from actually within the club at that given night. It is my greatest hope and desire that this compilation will simply be a means of enjoying what I do beyond the club setting, while still giving a window into what to expect when you see me live. I hope you enjoy this mix as much as I have enjoyed the numerous mixes out there that inspired me so greatly over the years to do what I do now.
North and South American Bookings: vivien [at] kylegeiger [dot] comEurope and all other Territories : alan [at] kinetic-am [dot] com