mixes, set recordings, etc.

Techno has been reclaimed and refined in the last few years. For Ghanaian-American Discwoman associate Akua (@akua_b), that means a deep dedication to bringing forth narratives about the genre's history. It's about original, authentic and rebellious old school values of the sort that Underground Resistance defined so early on. It's about breaking modern expectations with a fresh sense of attitude. Her recontextualisation of techno centres its long lineage for contemporary audiences. All this most often plays out in Akua's blazing sets, most often during the late-night and early morning hours of the clubs around her New York City hometown. They find her transmute 90s nostalgia while connecting the dots between past and present. "Playing fast feels cathartic," she says, "and helps me deal with the nostalgia I have for a time that I never got to experience but remember and connect with so fondly.”

This week's mix is a testament to that: it starts with 1994's 'Global Warning' from the late great K-Hand and goes on to cover decades of history at warp speed. There are frenetic layers of percussion and hammering kick drums, bouncing bass lines and arresting rave synths all threaded together into something hugely powerful and muscular. It is only a DJ with Akua's sense of control that can serve up a chaotic collision of sound in such a compelling way.

Tracklist
K-Hand - Global Warning [Warp, 1994]
Voltage 9 - Untitled B1 - Candema [Synewave, 1994]
Drax (Thomas P. Heckmann) -  Search [Trope Recordings, 1998]
Mike Dearborn - Warning [Majesty, 1994]
Gene Hunt - Juno 106 [Contaminated Muzik, 1998]
NYCO - Plasticity [ESP Collective, 2021]
DJ Shufflemaster - 808 Cosmetics [Self-Released, 2018] 
Mike Dunn - Damn You All [Trax Records, 1994]
DJ Powerout - Lift [Synewave, 1995]
DJ Slugo - Taris Sleeps Wild [Dance Mania, 1995]
DJ Rush - Control Yourself [Djax-Up-Beats, 1999]  
Fuzz Face (DJ Hyperactive + Woody McBride) - New Ones [Communique, 1996] 
DJ Slip - Bushwick Birds [Kanzleramt, 2001]
DJ Hyperactive - Get In [4 Track Recordings, 2008]
Joey Beltram - Caliber [Warp, 1994]
Surgeon - THX-1139 (Level) [1996]
Creeper - Spoke [Cluster Records, 1997]
DJ Jes - True Honesty [Contaminated Muzik, 1998]
Tevatron - Molekule [Re-load Records, 1998]
Jana Clemen - Momentum [Convex, 2001]
Decoder - Populations [Self-Released, 2021]
Unknown Force - Internal Drive [430 West, 1995]
Bios - Basic Black [Black Nation, 1998]
DJ Apollo - Hooligan Stomp [Head In The Clouds, 1996]
DJ Genderfluid - Dirty Funker [Wet Trax, 2021]
Woody McBride + DJ T-1000 -  Test Three [Generator Records, 1995]
Fumiya Tanaka - Micro One [Torema, 1995]
Max Watts - Ichi 3 [ESP Collective, 2021] 
DJ Rashad - Acid Bit (Feat. Addison Groove) [Hyperdub, 2013]

Tracklist

Dekmantel Podcast 350 - Akua

There are DJs, then there are DJs who capture—and live—a moment in dance music's evolution. Born in Los Angeles, but based in New York for the better half of a decade, Akua has established herself as the latter, an important voice in the North American techno scene. Akua's DJing practice is fueled by her research in the '90s techno music archive, with a special interest in the history and roots of techno within America. 

Akua's sets are raw extensions of the foundations laid by the pioneers of '90s U.S. techno. Most prominently, the work and influence of DJs like Jeff Mills, Claude Young and Jay Denham can all be heard across her mixes, as well as the spirit of Underground Resistance. Her interest in fast-paced techno comes from these traditions as well as own individualist streak—while there's no shortage of DJs who play high-BPM techno, you won't hear anyone else play it quite like she does.

Her old-school meets new-school sound has catapulted her from the New York underground into the European techno circuit, where recent gigs have seen her perform at dance music institutions like Berghain and Dekmantel. Akua's RA Podcast is her in full-throttle mode, featuring all the stripped-down, hypnotic groove of early techno aside rushes of searing acid, carefully speeding up until closing at a healthy sprint.

@akua_dj

Read more at https://ra.co/podcast/878

RA podcast

RA.878 Akua

Akua is a Ghanaian-American DJ with roots in North American techno but exemplifies a sonic force that reverberates worldwide. A powerful fixture in the NYC scene for the past six years, she's cemented herself as one of the most distinctive techno DJs coming out of the U.S. in recent years. She has been at the forefront of a new generation of techno artists who find inspiration in the raw, innovative and rebellious spirit of old school techno. Her practice is a passionate dedication to archiving & activating timeless strains of raw and mechanized expression - fusing the new school of North American machine funk while harkening back to the innovation of Detroit, Chicago, & New York City DJs throughout history. A recent move to Berlin, a city that has held a crucial role in the evolution of techno, has provided her with the opportunity to further develop her craft by embracing the transcontinental connection that originally ignited the techno movement.  

All this plays out in Akua's blazing sets heard around the world - from exerting her renowned vigor behind the decks at hometown haunts like Basement and Public Records to unleashing landmark sets at Dekmantel, Draaimolen, & Berghain. Already seasoned on the European tour circuit, she continues to garner respect and delight from the most discerning of DJs & dancers alike through her fierce mixing finesse and constantly expanding repertoire of futureproof classics.

Tracklist via
-Spotify: http://bit.ly/SRonSpotify
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Archive on Mixcloud: www.mixcloud.com/slam/

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Slam Radio is produced at www.glowcast.co.uk

Akua

#SlamRadio - 572 - Akua

Recording of Akua B2B Luke Slater at The Tunnel, Draaimolen Festival 2023, Day 2.

Akua B2B Luke Slater at Draaimolen Festival 2023

A new SPANDAU20 mixtape is here to bless your ears!📼
Meet our guest, Akua, a trailblazing DJ rooted in North American techno and a driving force in the scene's new wave of machine funk. In recent years, this Ghanaian-American artist has dedicated herself to reviving the innovative spirit of techno's golden eras, paying homage to the revolutionary sonics of Detroit, Chicago, and New York City's DJs. Akua's no-nonsense style brings a necessary and poignant intensity to contemporary dancefloors, seamlessly blending old-school vibes with the authentic energy of techno's turn-of-the-century peak. Her boundless legacy continues to expand each year, earning respect from international DJs and dancers alike, thanks to her incredible mixing finesse and a constantly evolving repertoire of future-proof classics.🛸

In her Spandau20 mix, Akua takes a vinyl-focused, high-energy, and 100% old-school approach. Endlessly inspired by older techno mixtapes and radio shows, she channels a raw and funky energy reminiscent of Detroit in the '90s. This mix is a nod to the real heads — an "if you know, you know" vibe transporting listeners to an era where techno pulsated through the airwaves with unbridled spirit.😎So be ready to take a deep dive into this immersive experience!🖤

#spandau20 #akua #mixtape #techno

SPND20 Mixtape by Akua

Guest mix I did for Martha's show on BBC Radio 1 - originally aired in March 2025 :) 

Tracklist:
Truncate - Dust 2 [Truncate]
FBK - To Stand Firm [Northern Parallels]
Head Front Panel - Spatial [Repetitive Rhythm Research]
Kr!z - Ipso Facto [Token]
Miha Klemencic - Columbo [Potential]
Rod20 - Portapre [Rod20]
B. ROD - Unreleased 
JB3 (Joey Beltram) - Time (The Advent Remix 1) [NovaMute]
Floorplan - Shop [M-Plant]
Speedy J - Glov [NovaMute]

Akua Guest Mix for Martha on BBC Radio 1 - Mar 2025

*pronounced [ah-quee-yah]*

bookings: 
eu/worldwide: julia@triangleagency.com 
americas: ricky@visionarytalentgroup.com
send tunes and luv to: akuabdj@gmail.com

Akua

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