DETECT

For our new bi-weekly series Detect, we are shining a light on our favourite artists who are all on their own unstoppable rise in the industry, profiling their musical career, upcoming projects and more alongside accompanying mixes for those frequent indoor weekday breaks away from the home office.

Kicking off the recommendations we have the rebellious duo Blasha and Allat, who have hit their own stride since the catalyst of their Meat Free parties and other projects based in and around Manchester since 2013. It’s been a flourishing subsistence since then, with their punitive brand of techno, breaks and electro generating copious waves of influence despite the competition in their busy city. A demanding calendar has ensured that their sound is never out of attention, with bookings everywhere from Printworks and Dimensions to Freerotation and Headroom validating their capability in tackling large or little crowds with a discerning ease, balanced awareness and stable reputation. 

With FOLD, the pair have always been a guaranteed choice for the booth, operating a sweeping and comprehensive appearance back our extended MORD takeover in February, as well as closing our Room 2 space with a driving, guttural set at the RA twenty four/seven coup just before last Christmas. This mix, recorded at FOLD during the MORD party, flaunts a carnival of absurd and thrashing records right from the bottomless void of the twosome’s record bags.  With an impressible proficiency at interchanging moods and genres with little effort, Blasha and Allat lecture to crowds with a tongue that takes no prisoners.

DETECT [001] - Blasha & Allatt (Mord x FOLD)

Our very own @voicedrone is the next artist stepping into the limelight for DETECT. Lasha Jorjoliani is an often-unreadable enigma, lending much of his time to his studio, curating line-ups and sharpening his performances in the booth. Although an undeniable figurehead of the scene, Voicedrone is by no means explicitly tied to co-founding FOLD. Before our inception, Lasha travelled his own personal journey into the scene, hailing originally from Georgia and arriving in the U.K. solo to pursue a music career he built his reputation through sheer will. In 2016 he established his label Imprfct., which along with his ever-expanding network and dedicated grind within London directed his path towards creating and curating parties. 

Four years on, Lasha is in an indestructible one-way lane, having developed a graphic, dynamic sound that we come together to experience. At his core is a passion to create and nurture community; this purpose is channelled into every event he plays - here at home, in Europe and beyond. Playing at influential venues and parties included his beloved HTBX London has preserved his significance in the underground scene and his constant admiration from the FOLD family, and his closing set from our Unstream two weeks ago was testament to this. Broadcasting live from his own home, Lasha took us through the best reasons why UNFOLD is what it is now.

The phrase “leading by example” may be somewhat overused, but in the case of Voicedrone, such a statement is entirely appropriate.

DETECT [002] - Voicedrone (Unstream001)

When you think of Natural Selection, Michael Silmon is one of the people you have to thank for its existence. As one of the founders of the collective, Natural Selection is now in its tenth year, returning frequently to Canning Town with killer lineups after having migrated south with Silmon from Newcastle where it was formed in 2010. On the many occasions that we’ve invited Natural Selection to host nights at FOLD, the result has always been an incredible marriage between sounds, our threads woven together to create a blazing tapestry of sonics that seek to pay homage to the legends and veterans of the scene. 

Meanwhile, Michael’s performing alias, Kodah, is doing equally as well. Brought up upon a diet of hardcore and gabber which was prevalent in Newcastle when he was a teen, Michael satiated this interest initially by collecting tapes from the raves that were running at that time. This inspiration from collectives such as Rezerection and Judgement Day became the primary creative motivations in discovering his musical vocation, and went on to seek how to develop this, eventually entrenching himself deep within the experimental, warped allure of techno and electro. A common face at UNFOLD, his most recent set at our 6th instalment back in November was unforgettable, reminding our community of why we took him on as a resident at FOLD; he is an artist with true knowledge, passion, and appreciation for the past.

For this DETECT accompanying mix, Michael recorded a very special hour of towering, alien selections from his own home in isolation. Keep your ears peeled in particular for the closing track; as he put it himself when he sent this over, this mix was the precursor to an exquisitely Good Day, and he hopes that the message speaks for itself, and that it precedes only positivity to those who listen to it.

DETECT [003] - Kodah (Natural Selection)

Despite there being just four years between her arrival onto the scene and the present day, McKenzie Simone has explored a broad groundwork of music and locations before discovering that her true home lay nestled deep within Eurasia. Kickstarting her career in Dubai, the 25-year-old American native has since settled into her current home of Tbilisi, Georgia, her attachment to the underground circuit earning her both a familial reputation and regular bookings across the city in venues such as Khidi and Drama. Her appreciation for a culture that finally celebrated and encouraged individuality and free expression was the motive for her permanent move there following a short visit prior, and in July 2019, McKenzie risked everything she knew by choosing to call this new place home. Her gamble was rewarded and she is now a true rising star of the city, subscribing to a fresh approach on techno within the tangle of bustling clubs that scatter the streets at night. 

For this next instalment of DETECT, we were lucky enough to present a love-letter to the scene from McKenzie in the form of an exclusive mix that she recorded from home for us. Acidic, wild and full of focused determination, this hour-and-fifteen of selections is a punchy statement on the confident direction that McKenzie has with her career, and a declaration of the devotion she has for the city of Tbilisi.

DETECT [004] - McKenzie Simone

@S_RUSTON has been the perpetrator of a mean set of accomplishments throughout her career. Since landing in Berlin in 2010, Sophie has focused on building up the scene she found and felt at home in; imparting her musical know-how to ongoing residencies with femme collective Lecken and at Wilde Renate, plus nurturing an array of queer parties in the capital. Before then, Sophie was shaped by the Bristol drum and bass/jungle scene in the early noughties, eventually reassigning this energy into her ensuing move between countries and from her 170 roots into the turbulent rave sound that she is now known for. 

Notwithstanding her finesse behind the decks, Sophie has also produced an admired discography, moving between bassy cuts and hefty drumwork with her releases on labels such as Suspension, as well as heading imprint One4Ho. Her unorthodox approach to production and mixing has been a bubbling recipe for success. Since FOLD launched she’s been a habitual presence, most recently stepping up to our centralised booth for UNFOLD in January, and also playing side to side with Voicedrone in Autumn last year for a fusion between European exports with UVB heading up the night.

For this exclusive mix for our DETECT series, Sophie bestowed upon us her notorious selections in an uproar of a mix, presenting to us the noble reasons why everyone craves a second helping when she appears - and how sometimes, in the uninhibited situations she attends, more is more.

DETECT [005] - S Ruston

It just doesn’t get much more legendary than Hanno Hinkelbein.  A veteran of the techno world but with roots spanning from death metal, industrial, rave, house, and electro he brings all of this to his energetic sets. Making a name for himself in Berlin from the mid 90’s he was drawn to the radical dance music he saw fuel now-famous parties like Ostgut, E-Werk, and far beyond. Playing his records there and worldwide he has seen plenty and incorporates that all into his music.

Hanno became a regular part of Killekill parties, revelling in experimenting and actually having fun with music. He has since started sublabel Death By Rainbow which showcases darker queer techno with a razor-sharp edge.  

When DJing and producing Hanno’s unique mixture of rough and rave is joyous and infectious. We’ve been fortunate that he recently moved to London where he’s been keeping very lucky crowds dancing.

We are honoured to present his extraordinary set from our Unstream series.

DETECT [006] - Hanno Hinkelbein

With sensitive adaptability to dance music’s spectrum, Stratton trax often plays an intersectional role when playing sets. Beyond his enthusiasm for slamming techno, 90s breakbeat, and even piano house, his main proclivity lies with speed garage - the rough-and-ready genre born from the late 90s.

Commencing his intrepid streak back in 2016, Luke has since released on the likes of natural sciences and Of Paradise, his most recent EP ‘Hardcore Live Forever’ on the latter calling upon the pre-00s era of UK rave. Garnering support from Aquarian, Zenker Brothers, and more, his exceptional output has not gone unnoticed, and in Summer last year he made his first appearance at one of our UNFOLD parties.

Back in February, Stratton appeared for an epic peak-time eruption at our Ilian Tape takeover, and for this episode of DETECT, we’ve got an hour of his old and new-school flavours to two-step to.

DETECT - Stratton

DETECT [007] - Stratton

Growing up in Madrid, where she garnered her DJing experience, Alba Heidari has consistently sought to explore a range of different genres. With a comprehensive knowledge of drum n bass, breaks, hardcore, hardtek, electro, and even gothic industrial, she defined her technical prowess and discovered the raw industrial techno that pulls together her versatile sound. 

Whether she is utilising vinyl or digital sources for her blistering DJ sets, Alba’s uncanny mix of punishing and playful has made her a growing staple at parties in Spain and in London. She formed the collective "D.T.V" ( Decoding The Void) with frequent collaborator Manson X to further sharpen their skills and bring their and other artists’ music to a broader audience. 

Alba’s bold sound stands in sharp contrast with her modest character. Her passion for finding unknown, local, and underrated releases benefits the underground dance music community at large while the original tracks charge her DJ sets with a unique energy that defies mainstream trends.

We are excited to present her fierce set from one of our early Unstream series events.

DETECT [008] - Alba Heidari

Tbilisi’s @ETERRR could easily be considered somewhat of a musical activist, which has seen a steady rise in her underground presence over the last year. Recently she took this crusade further when she co-founded the deviant event series Riot Forge, supplying the city with another creative string to its bow.

Her far-reaching musical knowledge has formed her a reputation for sets that bounce easily between genres - but this ability isn’t without careful deliberation on her part. The young artist’s intention of unifying her audience into one rhythmic collective always runs true when she steps up to play. With line-up curation and wild bookings already under her belt, ETERR is showing all the signs of hitting her stride this year. 

She has take the time to record this exclusive mix for our DETECT series.

TASCAM DR-100

DETECT [009] - ETERR

British-New Zealand producer and DJ Keepsakes has always had his focus on introducing crowds to previously unheard music. Out of a realisation that New Zealand was woefully deficient of the experimental, hard techno he favoured, his co-run party series Haven was born. Haven soon developed a loyal community and, in 2018, expanded to the already revered vinyl-focused record label now based in Berlin. Becoming familiar with his unbeatable bold techno, we had to invite him to come and play at UNFOLD 008. 

For this next episode of DETECT, we’re sharing the recording of his set that afternoon, which took stock of Haven’s stellar achievements and adventurous ethos for a blistering blast-off into the stratosphere.

DETECT [010] - Keepsakes

It’s certainly no easy act juggling such a diverse range of musical projects, but Blazej Malinowski seems to carry it all off quite effortlessly. Aside from running his own ‘Why So Silent’ live performance venture and co-founding renowned events and radio collective ‘Funfte Strasse’, the Berlin-based artist is also a viciously sharp producer and DJ.

With releases on Semantica, The Gods Planet, and Phorma he showcases a sound that leans into the cinematic, moody verge of techno. This immersive approach has been carried through into his event series and solo performances. Switching between both live PA’s and DJ sets on his bookings, Blazej is an artist with depth and a fearlessness.

He has taken the time to record this exclusive mix for our DETECT series.

DETECT [011] - Blazej Malinowski

Prolific DJ and producer Sébastien Michel, aka @UVB, first became known within the techno scene for his outstanding debut release on MORD Records. Boldly mixing influences rooted in EBM and New Wave with industrial, he has carved his reputation by harnessing his surgeon-like production skills to create hypnotic rivers of percussion and barbaric dancefloor rhythms.

The Marseille-Berlin based artist has been invited to the world’s most illustrious techno clubs, where he delivers raw, relentless DJ sets backed by his productions. Further releases on MORD, @STOOR, @Monnom-Black and on his own label, @BodyTheory, have kept UVB on the cutting edge.

For his third appearance at FOLD, UVB joined our Mord Records takeover, and for this episode of DETECT, we present that recording.

DETECT [012] - UVB

Copenhagen based Troels Knudsen most known as @CTRLS has been immersed in music for most of his life. Having his main focus on club culture from an early age, he spent the last 10+ years producing, performing, engineering, and DJing. This passion led him to be part of classic projects such as the eccentric Pyro drum'n'bass moniker, house-influenced sound as part of 2400 Operator on Underground Quality, and the industrial-tinged techno project Northern Structures on Sonic Groove before finally deciding to go solo. 

With his fast-paced and futuristic style, he seeks out the various nuances of techno and the surrounding genres. CTRLS was born with the release of the Interface EP on the new home base Token Records. 

CTRLS has been busy with upcoming releases including a remix for Seaworld, a collab track on Ismus, and a new key vinyl EP ready to come out soon. 

Enjoy a mix recorded exclusively for us.

DETECT [013] - Ctrls

Anthony Arcana known as @Ayarcana is an uncompromising artist heavily influenced by industrial and metal. His music feeds from unrelenting noises and crunchy, harsh sounds.

Ayarcana’s productions have appeared on various well-known labels such as Pls.uk, Parachute Records, RIOT Radio Records, HAVEN and S.L.A.M. Also generating EBM and metal project COAL with Oliver Kolhemberg and his own Deathcrush Recordings label which focuses on noise, power electronics, industrial and black metal music. His S.L.A.M. EP 'Laminator' this year came in expected hard-hitting fashion. 

Ayarcana brought his undeniably heavy sound to UNFOLD for a menacing set that is presented here.

DETECT [014] - Ayarcana

German-based @l-v-z-1-e debuted her brand-new alias DJ TABLEDANCE for the very first time at Berlin collective @warningberlin’s FOLD takeover last November. Having long been associated with an eclectic array of soulful house, punch-drunk breaks, and rapid techno her new moniker was an innovative opportunity for her to showcase original material and sounds alongside the affiliated label. Diverging from her regular tendencies, DJ TABLEDANCE set out to explore a sonic territory more indebted to the acutely candid tone of electro, techno, and acid. 

Marrying both aliases together has been a natural accomplishment, co-existing like a diplomatic Jekyll and Hyde of musical tastes. With a highly demanded repress on Warning’s imprint as LUZ1E dropping soon, this thunderous mix from her FOLD appearance teases the very best parts of her split personality as DJ TABLEDANCE.

DETECT [015] - LUZ1E AKA DJ TABLEDANCE

Keeping things as industrial as possible, @Duellistuk has never strayed too far from his resolute style and in doing so has made a name for himself in the UK and abroad. The British producer, DJ, and live performer has maintained his fervent attitude for several years now, with releases on Obscuur, Bulletdodge, and more demonstrating his consistency in creating dark productions for techno raves.
 
In April last year, Duellist launched his own label, Trialz Records, alongside Axel Sohns, with the first EP presenting 13 tracks from an exceptional array of artists who he co-assembled for the inauguration. The imprint - focusing on raw, distorted techno – has gone on to deliver eight searing releases in total, with the most recent EP in July.
 
For our next DETECT, we present an exclusive mix from Duellist. As those who have become familiar with his presence in the booth understand well, this one hour recording is mayhem of the most addictive kind.

DETECT [016] - Duellist

@operation40_cathooper is the latest project from Cat Hooper; DJ, producer, founder of events, and radio host who has been heavily involved in the UK scene for many years. She has performed under various aliases which have given her space to explore a multitude of genres but always rooted in high energy techno. Born unto the dancefloor, along with DJing she is also a radio host with a monthly show on Aaja radio and holds DJ residencies for both Overdrive and Somnus London.

Operation 4.0 is the accumulation of expertly weaving together hardcore, techno, EBM, electro, and psytrance but principally showcases Cat’s passion for acidic 90’s rave. With a soon to be released EP Operation 4.0 illustrates the fast, fun, and furious sound that she is known for. 

Here is her Unstream set which is guaranteed to get you up and dancing.

DETECT [017] - Operation 4.0

For our next instalment of DETECT, we welcome STRUCTURE head honcho @mosaiartist.

Mosai’s reputation for deep, trip-inducing textures has been well-established within London’s techno scene, leading many a crowd down the psychedelic rabbit hole. With various performances at FOLD, Mosai is an artist who has been a part of our community from the start.

We are excited to present his performance from one of our early Unstream series events.

DETECT [018] - Mosai

@Exium were already established names in their own right before coming together in the late 90's. Immediately earning attention from imprints like Tsunami, Warm Up and Zet, they have released hundreds of significant records that evolved from their foundational knowledge of hard techno, downtempo, classic Detroit, electro and more.

When the pair connected with Spanish techno label’s PoleGroup collaboration Seleccion Natural in 2008, their musical scope and creative potential became even greater. Joining forces with the expert veterans Oscar Mulero and Reeko, two became four, heralding in an electrifying new act that incorporated additional decks, FX, and two mixers for an all-star show that has been wildly popular across Europe.

In April last year, we invited the quartet over to FOLD, where they disseminated their progressive sound that not only held a complete fidelity to their vision but has also been a benchmark in how to move with the scene authentically.

For our next DETECT, they recorded this exclusive mix that gives another glimpse into their innovative realm.

DETECT [019] - Exium

@Perc (aka Ali Wells) needs no introduction. The renowned DJ, producer, and label owner has always used his extensive knowledge of electronic music past to present to bring us cutting edge sounds. A FOLD favourite, he has played infectious sets including this mix recorded at our very own LIFT series for the 'REBELTEK X FOLD' stream. 

For this instalment of DETECT, we are honored to present that mix. 

If you know PERC, you already know what you’re in for.

DETECT [020] - Perc

FOLD is an artist-led, community-driven nightclub and arts space. Positioned at the forefront of electronic music, audio-visual performance, and live streaming. FOLD prides itself on striving to be a safe space for our predominantly queer techno community.

Resident Bookings: Gemma@fold.london


FOLD RESIDENTS: 

Voicedrone - https://soundcloud.com/voicedrone
Anabel Arroyo - https://soundcloud.com/anabelarroyo.
Andromeda - https://soundcloud.com/andromedaldn
Gareth Wild - https://soundcloud.com/eartoground
James Newmarch - https://soundcloud.com/jamesnewmarch
Alba Heidari - https://soundcloud.com/lemmiwinks
Lockhart - https://soundcloud.com/lockhartsj
Riva - https://soundcloud.com/riva999