Sandwell district

Function lays down the Sandwell District style on this week's RA podcast.

Over the space of the last four years, Sandwell District have managed to carve out a place in the hearts of techno fans worldwide with their austere minimalist sound aesthetic. The label was actually founded by Birmingham-based Peter Sutton (AKA Female) back in 2002, but lay stagnant until it was revitalised with two releases from Sutton three years later. It has since developed into an international effort, with the Sandwell artist roster sharing the label managing responsibilities.

One member of their American wing is David Sumner (AKA Function), who got his first break via a trio of techno twelves for Damon Wild's Synewave imprint. Sumner then went on to launch his own label under the Infrastructure banner, releasing a flurry of his own material before getting in contact with Sutton's Downwards bedfellows Regis and Ian J. Richardson to sign some of their tracks. Their relationship has since grown, with Sumner becoming a fully-fledged member of their techno alliance and using it as a platform for his claustrophobic Sähkö-esque minimalism and bleakly hypnotic warehouse techno. For this RA podcast, Regis and Sumner picked the tracks, while Sumner did the mixing, and, as you might expect, it's a journey deep into the world of techno.

What have you been working on recently?

Finishing up a new Function 12-inch that will form the basis of an album and John's finishing a new Silent Servant 12-inch. Regis has been working with Ancient Methods on a 12-inch for DN.

Where and how was the mix recorded?

It was recorded at our studio in Berlin, Regis and I decided on the records together but it then made more sense to just have me do the physical mix. I had set up a chain that included Ableton, turntables, hardware and effects.

Can you tell us a little about the idea behind the mix?

I think the idea was to somehow represent what we have been doing live/out over the past year (this was a challenge to do in one hour as we play between three and five hours as a rule). From the outset it was about creating tension.

Sandwell District seems to have its basis in a lineage of anonymous techno production. Yet you consent to interviews, do podcasts, etc. How do you walk that tightrope effectively?

I think that's maybe a misconception as artist names do appear on the label. People may come to that conclusion due to operational methods we sometimes employ, as an example, artist names are sometimes added onto a release a few months after it has come out (no doubt due to indecision at the time or some internal squabble). The N/A thing was an experiment in human nature .... probably.

You recently played the Labyrinth Festival for the first time. Can you talk a little bit about the experience?

Macbook Pro, UC-33, Roland TR-808, TR-909, SH-101, Space Echo, Lexicon PCM-80, 24 Channel Mixing Desk, three hour time slot after the legendary DBX in the mountains of Nigori...

Regis and Silent Servant have a reputed love for post-punk. Are you also listening to quite a bit of rock music, or is it all techno?

From Sonic Youth to Rob Hood, Einsturzende Neubauten to U.R and The Jesus and Mary Chain to Mr. Fingers there is a connection that makes perfect sense to everyone involved with this so-called label.

What are you up to next?

A Function longplayer, a Sandwell collective album project, a limited Sandwell Mix CD, a remix package of Function tracks featuring mixes from Ben Klock, Norman Nodge and CH-Signal Laboratories and a collaboration with Jerome Sydenham, among a number of other projects.


HG - 02A - Horizontal Ground
Sweet Exorcist - Testfour - Warp Records
FB - 04A - Frozen Border
Ben Klock - Check For Pulse - Ostgut Ton
Ø - Sähkörausku - Sähkö Recordings
Function - Variance (Marcel Dettmann Edit) - Sandwell District
Silent Servant - Discipline - Sandwell District
Choice - Acid Eiffel - Fragile Recordings
Moritz von Oswald - Watamu Beach Rework - Desolat
Peter Van Hoesen - Face Of Smoke - Komisch
The Vision - A-472.0 - Hardwax
DVS1 - Running - Klockworks
DBX - Losing Control - Accelerate
G-Man - K.6 - G-Man Records
Marcel Fengler - Twisted Bleach - Ostgut Ton
Function - Disaffected (Ben Klock Remix) - Sandwell District
Function - Variance - Sandwell District
Daniel Stefanik - Effervescing Elephant - Freude Am Tanzen
Tadeo - IO (Cassy Movingonmix) - Apnea
Ben Klock - Subzero (Function-Regis Remix) - Ostgut Ton
DJ Slip - Every Time Takes a While - Creation Rebel
Lil' Louis - Frequency - Dance Mania
Ø - Atomit - Sähkö Recordings
T++ - Audio 1995 #8 - Apple Pips
Shed - Estrange - Ostgut Ton
John Carpenter - Police State / Romero And The President - Milan

RA.177-Sandwell District (19.10.2009)

Function Boiler Room Berlin Live Set

Regis & Function (Sandwell District) visited the TweakFM studio in Copenhagen - more info on: 

www.tweakfm.com
www.facebook.com/pages/TweakFM-Co…gen/273576831100
www.youtube.com/user/tweakitbaby

Date: October 14, 2011
PLAYLIST:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8:00 - 9:15 pm - Johnny Fredsgaard (host)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dorisburg - Sinai Hypnosis - Aniara
Vladislav Delay - Recovery Idea (Mike Huckaby rmx) - Semantica
IO - Restaurant Tracks - Cheap
Waterlog - Polo - Funque Droppings
promo
Ribn - No Place - Mildpitch 
Super Collider - Darn Cold Way O' Lovin' (Derrick Carter rmx) - Loaded
JD's Power Tools vol.2 - Blank ltd
WK7 - Higher Power - Power House
Andres Zacco - Dextra (Conforce rmx) - Traut Muzik
Underworld - Dark And Long (Christian Smith rmx) - Tronic
Emptyset ft. Cornelius Harris - Altogether Lost (SCB rmx) - Caravan
Samuel L.Session - Broken Floor (Perc rmx) - Praxxiz
Ripperton - For All The Wrong Reasons (Skudge rmx) - Tamed Musiq
Marc Romboy vs Paris The Black Fu - Dark'N'Lovely (Kenny Larkin rmx) - Systematic
Diego - Holiday For Hypocrites EP - The Chord - Treibstoffites EP - The Chord - Treibstoff
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9:15 - 9:50 pm - Function
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blackest Ever Black, Regis, Robert Hood, Function, Surburban Knight and more
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9:50 - 10:00 pm - Johnny Fredsgaard (host)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2562 - Aquatic Family Affair - When In Doubt
Dino Sabatini  - Daughter Of Phorsys EP - Stheno - Prologue 

TweakFM / Regis & Function (Sandwell District,  Downwards)

The Berghain series on Ostgut Ton returns with volume 07 mixed and compiled by Berghain resident Function. Download the free .WAV file (1.38 GB).  

Tracklist
1. Tadeo - Reqiuem (00:00)
 2. Post Scriptum - Constant Acceleration Drive (01:33) 
3. Rødhåd - Kinder der Ringwelt (05:01) 
4. Christian Wünsch - Auger Electrons (08:24)
 5. DVS1 - Electric (12:26) 
6. Mark Broom - Satellite (14:24) 
7. Rrose - Signs (18:45)
 8. Teste - The Wipe (21:37) 
9. CJ Bolland - Horsepower (26:38) 
10. Cleric - Concrete (31:39) 
11. Blue Hour - Common Ground (33:24) 
12. Peter Van Hoesen - Objects From The Past (Neel Remix) (36:00) 
13. Psykofuk - Psykofuk (37:55) 
14. Steve Bicknell - Transcendence # 3 (41:54) 
15. Post Scriptum - Human Timescales (42:31) 
16. Steve Bicknell - Odyssey # 1 (46:42) 
17. Steve Bicknell - Odyssey # 2 (46:46) 
18. Planetary Assault Systems - Arc (47:15) 
19. Allen - Kepler (48:59)
 20. Cassegrain & Tin Man - Oxide (51:07)
 21. Inland - Sca Fell (53:25) 
22. Truncate - 86 (56:20) 
23. L.B. Dub Corp - Roller feat. Function (Len Faki Interpretation) (59:17) 
24. Function - Golden Dawn feat. Stefanie Parnow (Live Version) (1:02:36)
 25. Carl Craig - Twilight (1:05:40)
 26. L.B. Dub Corp - So Much (1:07:50)
 27. Blue Hour - Parallels (1:13:31)
 28. Abdulla Rashim - A Shell Of Speed (1:15:35)
 29. Silent Servant - Noise Treatment I (1:18:08) 
30. Sandwell District - Untitled A (1:21:54)

  Mixed and compiled by Function 


All tracks used by kind permission of the respective copyright holders.
This compilation: © Ostgut Ton 2015 | OSTGUTMIX02
Mastering Jan Wagner at Faust Studio | Photography Jimmy Mould

for full info, credits and extended artwork go to: ostgut.de/label/record/136

Special thanks to Michael, Norbert, Jenus, Robert, Stefanie, Mom and Ed.


mix releases

Berghain 07 | Function

MIX01 |Sandwell District, Cv313, Surgeon, Minilogue

Function lays down the Sandwell District style on this week's RA podcast.

RA.177 Sandwell District

Function Boiler Room Berlin DJ Set

this is the seventh instalment of our series "ABC plays XYZ" ...

Infos about @svarofficial, Sandwell District and the concept of this series:
http://novafuture-blog.com/2017/02/21/novafuture-blog-exclusive-mix-svar-plays-sandwell-district/

ABC plays YXZ [NovaFuture Blog Exclusive Mixes]

Svar plays Sandwell District  [NovaFuture Blog Exclusive Mix]

WhereNext?
(Sounds) Quarterly #1 // 2012

Black Time - A Boring Day For The Boredom Boys 
Cabaret Voltaire - Protection
The Satyrs - Yesterday's Hero 
Eric Random - Fade In
Front - Polaroid
Powell - The Ongoing Significance Of Steel And Flesh
Delia Derbyshire & Barry Bermange - Falling
Stephen Mallinder - Cool Down
Sandra Electronics - Clean Air
Snowy Red - Sinkin' Down
Karl O' Connor and Peter Sutton - Paralyzing
Vatican Shadow - CIA Contractor Freed Over Pakistan Killings
Young Hunting - Embers From The Pyre
Malaria! - Kaltes Klares Wasser
The Vivids - Mt Radiant
Ike Yard - Night After Night
The KVB - In to the Night
Regis - Blinding Horses
Sandwell District - Untitled B
John Maus - The Crucifix
Minny Pops - Secret Story
Throbbing Gristle - Exotica
Avrocar - Maiden 39
In Trance 95 - 21st Century European Temptation
Raime - You Will Lift Your Frame Clear
Throbbing Gristle - United
Sandwell District - Untitled A
HTRK - Slo Glow
Aphex Twin - I
Death in June - Crush My Love


Sandwell District, 'Wherenext  Sounds Quarterly 1' Mix

Two hours of Sandwell District from Animal Farm @ The Sub Club in January 2012.

Regis & Function + A 909 = REAL FUCKING TECHNO

Sandwell District Live @ Animal Farm 06 01 12

Sandwell District @ ARMA17, Moscow / 2012-05-18

ARMA PODCAST 046: Sandwell District @ Outline

Boiler Room Berlin #010 w/ A Guy Called Gerald, Sandwell District (Live), Anika & Obi Blanche, Session Victim & Silent Servant (Live)

[Broadcast on 30th May 2012]

Tracklist & video at http://boilerroom.tv/sandwell-district-live-in_the-boiler-room/

Sandwell District live in the Boiler Room

Boiler Room Berlin #010 w/ A Guy Called Gerald, Sandwell District (Live), Anika & Obi Blanche, Session Victim & Silent Servant (Live)

[Broadcast on 30th May 2012]

Tracklist & video at http://boilerroom.tv

Silent Servant live in the Boiler Room Berlin

All music by Sandwell District.
100% vinyl

An Ode To Sandwell District

Silent Servant (Sandwell District / Los Angeles) Two Technic 1200s and 2 CDJ 1000s

00:00:00-00:07:55 Function vs. Silent Servant
00:07:55-02:06:46 Silent Servant

http://www.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?372622

Silent Servant AYLI Sandwell District Showcase

Boiler Room w/ Karenn, Surgeon & Regis.

[Broadcast on 20th November 2012]

Tracklist & video at http://boilerroom.tv

Regis live in the Boiler Room

Boiler Room Berlin #022/ Marc Houle, Function, Adam X & Tommy Four Seven

[Broadcasted on 6th March 2013]

Tracklist & video at http://boilerroom.tv

Sandwell district

l2lm