n s y d e label and Sun Ra Reel to Reel Session founder Richard Zepezauer / RZ-1 is giving you another episode of mindbending bulldozers to clean up your smutty pandemic brains. New adventures in borderless storytelling by the Berlin based Panoramar Bar regular. Watch n s y d e out and join this brain melting

Richard Zepezauer [15.06.2021]

@xdb is Kosta Athanassiadis – German by birth and in residence, with Greek parentage. His roots are in the central German town of Göttingen. It was here that he began DJing in the early nineties; where he worked in a record shop; where he ran a radio show for five years; and the base from which he established the Metrolux record label in 2006.
For many people, it was at this point that XDB appeared on their radar. His debut ‘Jackintosh EP’ and the following ‘Descap EP’ made a splash with heads, but whilst the shimmering dub techno moments were perhaps the most obvious hook, subsequent tracks defied easy categorisation – an early indication that the person behind the music took a broad view of electronic music, caring not for stylistic pigeonholes.
Further releases mapped out more of a defined aesthetic for the label, with XDB’s own work sitting alongside contributions from Atheus and Arne Weinberg. By 2007, Kosta’s music had caught the ear of other outlets; including Francois Kevorkian’s Deep Space Media (a sublabel of Wave Music) licensed ‘Descap’ and ‘Descap live’ for re-release. @brendonmoeller was the A&R at that time and a 4 track EP on Wave Music followed in 2009.
The same year, @p-scott put out the first XDB release on his own @sistrum-recordings, which saw Kosta tailoring his output to a cleaner, more Detroit-inflected sound. In tandem with his production work, XDB the DJ was coming into his own. An avid collector of vinyl since his childhood (Kosta’s collection presently numbers some 10,000 records); he had honed his craft in clubs and on the radio – mixing monthly on his own ‘Case Check’ show. 2008 brought an early highlight – spinning at Japan’s lauded Labyrinth festival alongside the cream of the international deep techno and house scene.
Kosta’s DJ sets draw upon his expansive record collection, playing right across the board of electronic music. He has no shortage of technical skill but it’s his selection that truly shines – putting the music itself at the forefront, letting songs breathe when need be, and delivering plenty of head-scratching ‘what the hell is this track?’ moments.
It’s on this that Kosta has built his reputation. Tastemakers such as the now-defunct mnml ssgs crew were quick to snap him up for a guest mix in 2009, and several of his online recordings have been picked up for @resident-advisor ‘Mix of the Day’ spot. In 2010, XDB played at the UK’s highly-regarded Freerotation festival – starting a love affair with the event that’s seen him come back every year since. The festival secured Kosta’s place within a fraternity of fellow musicians and DJs who also prefer to let their music do the talking – likeminds who recognise the purity in what they do, and are all the more respected because of it.
That same year, he remixed Detroit heroes Norm Talley - @ormalley and Aaron Carl - @aaroncarl and in 2011 produced releases for the Dolly, Harbour City Sorrow and Echocord imprints. 2012’s highlight was a split 12” with Kassem Mosse and in 2013 he was reunited with Sistrum Recordings for the ‘Frocks’ record. 2013 also saw the rebirth of Metrolux after a 3 year hiatus, with ‘Edition 2’, an excellent Various Artists release.
When it comes to producing, Kosta favours a slow and steady work rate, opting to focus on quality control rather than record shop ubiquity. His DJing keeps him in the public eye, but one gets the sense that XDB prefers to operate in the shadows. There’s a refreshing lack of gimmickry to his approach – keeping it low-key allows him to be judged solely on the basis of talent. Arguably, it’s an innate quality – the way he wants to play it; the way that brings him most satisfaction, but it’s helped establish his reputation as an artist of considerable merit, winning the approval his audience and peers, alike.
Stay Rave with #R13!

#123 | XDB (DE)

Mission Escape: signal incoming...Escaping Earth - file loaded...press enter --> program launched!

When things become too much, escaping might help. Take a seat and join the ride with CYRK’s first full length musical player on CHILDHOOD. After having released outstanding records on labels such as Running Back, Rawax, Burial Soil, Vakant, Avoidant, Dred, Science Cult, Lone Romantic and their own Time Zero imprint, the seminal Berlin machine funk duo launched their analog spaceship studio once again to tell their most advanced and versatile intergalactic tale to date. Escaping Earth is a story that comes in 8 episodes and showcases Sam and Pascals mastered skills in detailed sound design and arrangement, while always keeping a focus on powerful dancefloor oriented electro grooves. Ranging from Detroit influenced bassline bouncers to slower acid variations, this album will let you dive deeply into CYRK’s beautiful musical language and range: a soulful journey from the light to the darkness and back. Above all, this album is at all times pure analog electronic funk and won’t let you go from beginning to end. Sometimes escaping helps. This musical story will make you travel the stars with ease.


The album is pressed DJ friendly on 2 x 12” vinyl and includes a download copy. A limited edition of 100 numbered copies comes in double colored (red/green) records and will be exclusively sold via CHILDHOOD’s bandcamp page as well as the CLONE store. Vinyl to be released on September 13th 2021, followed by the digital release on September 24th 2021

CYRK
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/cyrkmusic
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cyrkmusic

Childhood
https://soundcloud.com/muallem

Escaping Earth

PREMIERE: CYRK - Random Destination (Childhood)

Chevel - Warming Bath (Different Circles)
Raime - Real People Not Actors (Different Circles)
Adlas - Celestial Mechanics (Answer Code Request)
Peder Mannerfelt - Over My Face (Shared Meanings)
Basic Rhythm - Get Dark (Type)
CYRK - Lone4 (Unreleased)
Animistic Beliefs - Molucca Quake (The Exaltics Remix) (Cultivated Electronics)
Dead Man's Chest & Sonic - Pum Flex (Sneaker Social Club)
Struction - Don't Blame (Ilian Tape)
Doc Scott - Dark Angel (Reinforced)
Cloud 9 - You Got Me Burning (Moving Shadow)
Pailhead - I Will Refuse (Wax Trax!)

Sven von Thülen aka s:vt / January 24, 2020 / 8pm-9pm

Jellybean - Modern Tribe
Coming Down Band - Slo Mo Acid
L.T.G. Project - Curly Warp
Jellybean - Jump To It
XX Art - This Moment
Luke Slater - Colonian Space Unexplored
Bam Bam - I Need A Rush
CYRK - Acid Rave
CYRK - Miles Off Your Bassline (Unreleased)
Shawn Shegog - Living In The Dark Side
Sven von Thülen - First Time (instrumental)
Linz - House Sensation (Kevin „Master Reese“ Saunderson Remix)
CYRK - More Cowbell
Rocky Jones - The Choice Of A New Generation (Deep Underground Mix)

The Orange Autumn Tree

anscorm