(00)? (05) ? (10)? (15)D5-Compumotion (21)Gerd-Tape Machine (26)? (33)Tensal-Inertia 1 (36)? (39)?  (44)?  (47)? (50)? (52)? (57)ID? ...

The German minimal DJ returns to the spotlight with two hours of artfully subtle house and techno.

There's an old German proverb that goes "Der stete Tropfen höhlt den Stein." Literally, it means a constant dripping wears away the stone, but the point isn't about force but patience: slow, steady repetition can leave the deepest mark. It's an apt metaphor for the career of Kosta Athanassiadis, better known as XDB.

Active since the early '90s, first as a DJ and then producer by the decade's end, Athanassiadis has built a career less on hype than persistence. His catalogue spans labels like Dial, Metrolux and Echocord, alongside a steady trickle of EPs and remixes that have quietly cemented his reputation as one of minimal house and techno's undersung heroes.

That patience carries into his sound and production ethos. Where many of his peers embraced software upgrades and new workflows, Athanassiadis has long stuck to Cubase, a handful of trusty instruments and 30-year-old speakers he claims to have run "hundreds of thousands of tunes" through. He also still prefers to use inexpensive, straightforward gear—what matters, he insists, is not the tools but the feel. The result is a sound that’s stripped back, direct and enduring.

Lately, Athanassiadis has found himself back in focus. With minimal enjoying fresh attention, his calendar has filled, and with it a run of back-to-back sets—most often alongside PLO Man, a regular sparring partner this year. True to form, though, you won't find that his style has changed much. Over 30 years after his first gig, you can rest assured you'll still find him playing with patience, carving out long arcs rather than sharp peaks.

His RA Mix captures him in a reflective mood. Running just over two hours, RA.1003 is a hushed yet absorbing affair, moving seamlessly from the delicate atmospherics of Valentino Mora and Caldera to the machine funk of Robert Hood, Solid Gold Playaz and Marcellus Pittman. There are left turns folded into XDB's patient narrative arc, too: John Carpenter's brooding scores here, DJ Sprinkles' melancholic work with Will Long on "Acid Trax N (Acid Dog)" there.

It's the sound of a DJ who has been quietly chiseling away for three decades, and who understands the value of persistence as much as restraint.

@xdb

Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1021

RA.1003 XDB

Very kindly recorded live on the night by @mucaromusic and given some mastering love by @alignrepeat, this is my opening set from the 2nd room at Vent for Mind Off. I really wanted to dig out lots of old deep and warm sounding records for this set and slowly build as people ventured into the room, so I spent a lot of time trying to pack my record bag with old favourites and others I've hardly played since getting them 10+ years ago! Those that have seen me play a lot in Manchester will likely recognise the odd 'Slagbat classic' in there so hopefully that'll bring back some good/questionable memories too. So pour yourself a brandy, turn on your lava lamp(s) and get come take a dip in the deep end.

Move D and Benjamin Brunn - On The Magic Bus | Smallville @benjaminbrunn @move-d
Sven Weisemann - Deep Passion (Sven's Repassion Mix) | Styrax Records @svenweisemann
Subsequent - Diode | Verdant Recordings @verdant-recordings
Baaz - Untitled 2 | Office Recordings @bastian_fatma
Mixthoven - Circuitry | Superb Recordings @mixthoven
Pistol Pete - Garlic Express | Lampuka Records @lampuka-records
Mr. Fingers - Outer Acid (Upsammy Hearing Voices Remix)  | Alleviated Records @al
Orion 70 - Enki | Soul People Music https://orion70.bandcamp.com
Sven Weisemann - Floating Dub | Meanwhile
Stereociti -  Tsukayga | Mojuba @stereociti
Sam Goku - Earlier Forms | https://samgoku.bandcamp.com @samgoku
Gilbert - High Rising | MOS Recordingsm @gilbert_sound
Tekseven - Sunday Blue | Black Economy @tekseven
I can't remember...please help!
Marcus Paulson - Brutal North | MOS Recordings @marcus-paulson-189657009
Tin Man - Sawying Acid | Acid Test @tinman
Sam Goku - Silver Rushing Streams | https://samgoku.bandcamp.com
Gilbert - Reflections | MOS Recordings @mosrecordings
As One - The Ladder | De:tuned @detunedrecords

SBat - Live at Mind Off 2025-09-05

A standout contribution to the platform, the latest Off-Kilter mix comes from Germany's Franziska Berns. This one, instantly gripping and charged with propulsive, trippy and mind-melting techno channeling raw and dynamic non-stop energy. 

//

Franziska Berns was born near Offenbach am Main, Germany. Its proximity to Frankfurt became her gateway into the world of electronic music. Her journey began working at several Record Shops and Vinyl Distributions such as Freebase Records and DBH Music in her youth. 
Launching her own Event Series at a number of Clubs and Venues in Frankfurt and Offenbach, her drive and perseverance earned her a residency at Robert Johnson Club.

Guiding clubbers through unique musical journeys her DJ career has continued to flourish, taking her to venues and parties across Europe such as Waking Life in Portugal, Butik in Slovenia, Nachtdigital and Berghain/Panorama Bar in Berlin.

@franziskaberns


OK041 - Franziska Berns

A true craftsman of deep, timeless house and techno, XDB delivers a mix that captures the essence of his sound: hypnotic, patient, and beautifully refined. Drawing from decades of collecting and playing records, he pieces together a journey that feels both classic and current, with subtle shifts and warm textures woven throughout.

“The invitation to contribute to the fabric podcast series and do my debut in the club, playing room one together with Craig Richards and Peach, added big time to an already fantastic year.

What I did for this mix, was going through the shelves to pick a bunch of solid records in combination with a selection of my newest purchases, included a few promos and some unreleased dubplates. Deep stuff as always, but also a quite diverse mix, 32 tracks in total stretched into a 2 hour journey for your listening pleasure. I hope you enjoy”

He makes his fabric debut on the 15th November.

Tickets: https://ra.co/events/2206620

069 - XDB - fabric podcast

Obsession 

https://www.instagram.com/margaretdygas
https://www.soundcloud.com/margaretdygas



Margaret Dygas @ The Lot Radio 11-10-2025

Live @ Cadavra Club [Madrid]

Chill-out rooms emerged in the late ’80s and ’90s as places to step back from the main floor to breathe, reset and tune into a different pace.

At our Birthdays and Continuums, Room 2 has become that space. Matteo Manzini has been central to shaping its sound and atmosphere.

This weekend he returns from 10:00–14:00 and 17:00–20:00, with special guest Margaret Dygas taking over 14:00–17:00.

069 - XDB - fabric podcast

fabric

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