All of the studio tech house sets!  Included are the older tribal sets as well.

Studio Tech House Sets (2002-2011)

A loose sequel to Gayclub, Rygar shows how the tribal influence had been affecting me from 2000 to 2002. And from this mix, anyone in the NYC scene could tell I was shopping at Eightball every week!

In 2002, I wrote:

"this is a bit of a new style for me. hanging out in those new york clubs during off weekends has had its influence."

recorded at tetanus studios, 05.16.02 - brooklyn

Daniel Mode - Muzik Pressure - You 
P.I.M.P. - The Light (DJ Vibe rmx) - Future Groove 
U.D.G. - Give Me Fierce (Pro Tek rmx) - Garbage 
Darker Departures - Juice Drums - Low Pressings 
DJ Rasoul - Oh Baby (Chus & Ceballos Iberican rmx) - Hooj Choons 
Kobbe - Shaka - Lunchbox 
Mo Shic & Zidan - 2Loose La'Track (rmx) - Plastica 
Ice Cream Social - Woven Air (Deep Drum mix) - Pitch Black 
Illusion - Put The Needle - Intensiv 
Shared Works Part 1 - Corujo & Sandoval - Kabarett 
Gordon Edge - One Trial - Edge 
Dino Lenny - I Feel Stereo (DJ Dan rmx) - Yoshitoshi 
TUGG - Slippery Fish (Organic mix) - Fuego 
Enamor - I Believe - Episode

Rygar (2002)

A two hour tech house dubathon made exclusively for the Underground Collective TEK Mix series. Compiled by Dylan Drazen and Leon Koronis.

recorded at triboro studio nyc, 06.2011

Agoria - Souless Dreamer - Infiné 
Alex Niggemann - Jewels - Soulfooled 
Le Loup - See Line (Dub) 
Kobaalt - Brick House - Sweet Leaf 
Justin Drake & Kevin Griffiths - Two - 8Bit 
Federico Molinari - Party Faktor (Justin Drake Mix) - Tsuba 
Justin Drake - We Are Many - Tsuba 
Behrouz - Feelin Good (Alex Neri Remix) - Monique Musique 
The Martinez Brothers - The Causeway - Objektivity 
Junior Vazquez - Get Your Hands Off My Man (Dubstrumental) - Tribal America 
David Pher - Guiterra Sin Cuerdas (Okain Remix) - Viva Music 
Danny Howells - Liquid Thang (Daniel Dubb Remix) - Dig Deeper 
Tanov - Mahido (Circus Beats Version) - Freshliss 
The Timewriter - Pasodoble (Kruse & Nuernberg Remix) - Plastic City 
John Creamer and Stephane K - Forget The World (Ismael Rivas Factomania) 
Danny Serrano & Westboy - Bubblegun - Suara 
Carlo Lio - The Little Things - SK Supreme 
Darlyn Vlys & Days Off - Go Out (Westboy Remix) - Espai 
Timid Boy - The New Generation - Amam 
Tobia Coffa - Back From The Moon (Timid Boy Sweet Moon Remix) - Amam 
Hertz - Three Ways (2009 Re-Rub) - Sway 
Pratap - Twins - Hz Trax 
Kolombo - I'm On Your Side (Westboy Remix) - Noir Music 
Praxis feat. Kathy Brown - Turn Me Out (2000 Beats) - Stress Records 
Ross Evana - Magic Lamp - ALiVE 
Butch - No Worries (Daniel Stefanik Edit) - Cécille 
Ross Evena - Foor Floors - Time Has Changed 
Ross Evena - No Disco - Cr2 
Gary Beck - Enough Talk - Soma 
DJ Simi - Dream It (Egbert Remix) - Yoshitoshi 
Samuel L. Session - The Horn Track - Material Series 
Samuel L. Session - Four To The Floor (Part 2) - Ground Factory 
Jonas Kopp - Flanter Filnger - Curle 
Cajmere feat. Dajae - Brighter Days (Leon Dub Mix) - Cajual 
Benny Rodrigues - I Like Acid (Mike Dehnert Remix) - Be As One Imprint 
Nina Simone - Here Comes The Sun (François K. Remix) - Legacy

dd_for_dayz

It's strange that I never made a third Equator mix, since the two of these were pretty popular.  I was just coming down from the tribal bug that bit me pretty hard in 2001, and these mixes were basically my personal answer to where I thought it should go.

In 2003, I wrote:

"equator 2 was recorded on a friday night after eating some bad food. my stomach in knots, i made it a mission to do something constructive with the evening as it was cut short by a rare burger in 90 degree weather. it's best to mix when i don't know where my head is at, and here you have it. one part cunty beats, one part trippy minimal strangeness."

Recorded live at Tetanus Studio, Brooklyn 06.28.2003 

Serious Intention - You Don't Know (Joeski Dub) - Maya 
Tribalation - Do It To The Music - Big Chief 
Dub Monsters - Timewarp - Poodle 
Kevin Freeman - Musicinmylife - Low Pressings 
Logic Box - Home Car - Visitor 
Freaks - I'm An Angry Instrument - Wash House 
LawnChair Generals - One Thing - Westbound 
J&S Productions - The Lift Part 1 (Lance Desardi rmx) - Court Square 
Outta Limits - Mission Control (Montanari & Ruberto rmx) - Azuli 
Dr. Pompeii - Wish - 4th Floor 
Echomen - Thru 2 You (Nova Scotia rmx) - Hooj 
Loudeast - Sonido Profundo (gpal sweet amx rmx) - Shinichi 
Loudeast - Sonido Profundo (gpal etheral rmx) - Shinichi 
Loudeast - Sonido Profundo (loudeast rmx) - Shinichi

Equator 2 (2003)

Came home one night drunk and totally inspired. The result is a 75 minute sinister jog into a cloudy sunrise.

Recorded 5am at Tetanus Studio, 10.19.2002 - Brooklyn 

Steve O'Sullivan - Breezer Dub - Mosaic 
Jay Tripwire - Bobba This - Northern Lights 
Chris Lum - You're Mine - Hooj Choons 
Osmosis - Feeling Me - Visitor 
Blakhook Project - Tropical Feedback - Big Chief 
Lilac Road Productions - Safety Inagenda - Visitor 
Black Light - Kato Kallesa - Intrinsic Design 
Plug - Indian Summer (ATT rmx) - Plug 
Black Light - Ano Kallesa - Intrinsic Design 
Universal Agents - Solomonic Agents - Worship 
Dylan Drazen - Don't Tell Me - Clicktracks 
Poet Name Life - Contemplation (King Britt rmx) - Electromatrix 
The Parallax Corporation - Anti Social Tendencies - Viewlexx 
Robot Love - White 
Playgroup - Number One - Nuphonic

Equator (2002)

This mix belongs with Over & Out as an interesting turning point in my taste as a DJ.  I wasn't only interested in super hard techno or soulful deep house.  I was finally starting to cross over into more accessible styles.  But the two mixes hold personal meaning too, as they helped one of my best friends through a difficult period in his life.

In 2008, I wrote:

"originally recorded for the funk-u show on livesets.com broadcast on august 28, 2008. this is an extention of over & out, but heads into more serious territory later on. you could say this is my take on this whole minimal craze. while i don't see myself playing entire minimal sets, i do see myself working its sound into a broader set. foundation finishes up with a minimix of the best work from mike dehnert, probably the most important new techno artist of the year."

recorded at triboro studio, nyc 08.2008 

intro 
Deepchord - Vantage Isle (Echospace Excursion) - Echospace 
Riley Reinhold - Lights In My Eyes - My Best Friend 
After Tea - Okeechobee - Hotfingers 
Latitude - Confident (Matteo Matteini & Sara Galli Mix) - Hotfingers 
Kasey Taylor - Trapped (Dousk Remix) - Igoba 
Deadmau5 - Duo Cad Sordid - Promo 
Daniel Frontado - Hostel (Techno Mix) - LATINtronix 
Adam Freemer - Underground, Baby! (Tekno Prizoners Mix) - Twisted 
Boris Rush - Miami Push - X-List 
Mike Dehnert - Laufzeit - Fachwerk 
Museum - Give These People Air - Numb 
Museum - Cutting Fingers - Numb 
Dietrich Schoenemann - 19 Bullets - Tension 
Dylan Drazen & Leon Koronis - The Bad Guy (Tony's Beats) - Lost In House 
Ferrer & Sydenham Inc. - Timbuktu (Nagano Kitchen Dark Rob) - Apotek 
Metalogic - Boxed And Warped - Hidden Agenda 
Dylan Drazen & Leon Koronis - Techno Circus (Dum Dum Mix) - Lost In House 
Jose Mixer - Chakram 
Jose Mixer - Destroyed Brains 
Carl Falk - Sticky Fingers - Adult 
Darkrow - Solid State (Umberto Carmignana Remix) - Standbite 
DJ Kodex - Until 8 - Distract 
Mike Dehnert - Cab (Remix) - Fachwerk 
Mike Dehnert - A4 - Fachwerk 
Mike Dehnert - A6 - Fachwerk 
Mike Dehnert - Portal - Fachwerk 
Mike Dehnert - B1 (Remix) - Fachwerk

Foundation (2008)

In 2009, I wrote:

"this is the first in a series of mixes dedicated to my favorite artists of the moment. this one is dedicated to loudon kleer - better known as a.paul - a gifted techno mind from portugal."

recorded at triboro studio nyc, 01.2009 

Loudon Kleer - Psychometry - Parallel 125 
DJ Ferro - Especial (Loudon Kleer Remix) - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Persona - Synewave 
Loudon Kleer - Hidden Hand - Parellel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Law Of Attraction - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Indigo - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Athena - Synewave 
Loudon Kleer - Space (Reworked & Remastered) - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Snapshot - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Parallel (Revisted Mix) - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Oblivion - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Momentum - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Telekinesis (Remix) - Parallel 125 
Loudon Kleer - Ethnocentric - Parallel 125

Tribute Mix: Loudon Kleer (2009)

This studio DJ set is inspired by the tech house sound that has swept New York for the past year.

Gumshoe (2009)

No discussion of underground techno purism and technical DJ mastery would be complete without the mention of Dylan Drazen’s uniquely remarkable life and career, and the myriad of musical influences it has brought. Conforming to no one person, genre or entity, Dylan has fiercely charted his own path since his sonic journey began over thirty years ago.

With the outset of Drazen’s path arriving in the early 90’s at the age of 18, a crescendo would already manifest in the late 90’s when Spain took note of his visionary methods and pioneering sound during the earliest days of the Internet, and he quickly became an originating stalwart of its nationwide underground techno scene for years, putting in over a million air miles commuting from his New York base, crisscrossing the Iberian peninsula many times over, as fans couldn’t get enough of his relentlessly energetic, organic and authentic rhythms that were so novel to a generation of partygoers.

Yet at the height of all this in the mid 2000s Dylan became swept up in the worldwide poker boom and found himself at a crossroads with dual careers. Maintaining both for nearly a decade, he decided to relocate to South Florida in 2012 to take poker more seriously and music took a back seat. By 2020, Dylan’s poker talent would bring him over $1 million in cash and tournament winnings. Then the pandemic hit, the world ground to a halt and everything was reset as he noticed fans begging for his return, bringing him to yet another crossroads…

So let’s reset.

Dylan’s exposure to multiple forms of music began at the age of 16 getting his first job working at his local record store on Long Island, NY. He quickly gravitated to electronic music, heavily inspired by what New York’s FM airwaves had to offer well before the hiphop era would take over. That summer he would sneak out to NYC and into his first club experience, The Limelight, where he instantly fell in love with its debaucherous environment and DJ booth, which he vowed to get into.

By graduation in 1993 he was beyond hooked. Before heading off to college, he took that summer to intern at a few Manhattan based labels: Todd Terry’s Freeze Records, as well as Astralwerks and Instinct Records. All the while insatiably crate digging through NY’s various vinyl shops, Dylan’s teen self was already swimming in local contacts and influences.

But college awaited, and throughout his time at Boston’s Emerson College (obtaining a degree in audio engineering) he launched a weekly radio mix show called “Underground 88” on WERS 88.9 FM through 1997, working his contacts and continuing to hone his technical skills live on air. During these formative years Dylan maintained working at various vinyl shops in NY and Boston doggedly advancing his exposure to every genre imaginable, thus contributing to his encyclopedic knowledge of electronic dance music and all of the wide-ranging influences it would bring him. As a byproduct, his position enabled him to recommend tracks to and influence the taste of bedroom DJs and a myriad of luminaries alike.

Through these years, he even made good on his promise to play at The Limelight before it closed, as well as other infamous New York megaclubs like The Tunnel, Twilo and Save The Robots. And thanks to his stint as an assistant engineer at The Looking Glass Studios where David Bowie was recording his latest album in 1997, Dylan was hired to DJ Mr. Bowie’s private 50th birthday party after his sold out birthday performance at Madison Square Garden.

But by the turn of the millennium it was off to the races and Dylan was spending more time on the road than at home, as he found himself in demand not only in Spain, but also in The Netherlands headlining the Awakenings festival three times, as well as other major events and festivals in Germany, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia, spreading his unique form of techno gospel one city at a time. 

Between journeys Dylan made the most of his audio degree by building out his own studio in Brooklyn, releasing a handful of original releases and remixes on some of America’s more influential labels of the era: François K.’s Clicktracks; Ascend; Blueline; Remains; and Ultra Records. Even after moving to South Florida in 2012, Dylan continued to work on remixes for other Spanish and European labels.

Then as Dylan began to go dark quietly diving head first into South Florida’s world of high stakes poker, he made sure to finalize the curation of his life’s work on his website and SoundCloud page, with that nagging feeling he would one day return…

That day arrived in 2021 when Dylan decided to look for work as a local DJ in his current residence of Fort Lauderdale and its saturation of gay nightlife. To his surprise, there existed a small but thriving underground electronic scene right in his backyard, so he decided to jump right in. Those couple years helped pave his way back and he now feels just as comfortable in today’s booths as he did 20 years prior. Getting tapped to play Ramrod’s prestigious monthly Pig Dance in 2023 sealed the deal. 

Determined to not stop there, now Dylan Drazen is primed and ready to return to the world’s electronic stage showing modern audiences how 30 years of sonic mastery, experience and musical influences can be put on brilliant display in a single set.