Risa Taniguchi (CLR / Second State / Kneaded Pains)

Risa Taniguchi is arriving at the forefront of the dark techno wave that has washed over the underground in recent years. The Tokyo born - and based - artist has spent the last four years cultivating a lo-fi sound of distorted textures, fizzing synths and a quietly burning energy, which consumes all who hear it. Preferring to play sets which are "late night, for the weirdos", Risa has a knack for getting crowds in a nocturnal trance, before delivering shocks and surprises with a curious motif or unpredictable element. For those who like to cut loose in a dark environment, she is the perfect selector. 
In the studio as well as the club, Risa focuses on the drums, programming kicks that bring visceral and often aggressive thrills next to a uniquely addictive layer of well designed snares and hi hats. Her signature has become her own subtle and intriguing vocal samples, best heard on Slipped My Mind and This Guy. She adds layers of acid bass and an always raw, edgy aesthetic. Having experienced them first hand whilst living in London, in 2010, Risa also has an enduring love of underground UK bass sounds, which can be heard in many of her tracks. The multi-talented act is also formally trained and a skilled player of the piano, who continues to play daily. 
Since her first release back in 2018, Risa has attracted high profile interest from A-list players Amelie Lens, Dense & Pika, Pan Pot, Perc and Daniel Avery; has hit the Top 5 of the Beatport's Leftfield Techno Chart and played everywhere from De Marktkantine in Amsterdam to Watergate in Berlin, and of course all the most revered spaces all across Japan including Contact, Womb, and Vent. 
Despite the pandemic, the recent years have proven to be a high watermark for Risa as she has delivered a continuous flow of new music, primarily on Pan Pot’s Second State and on Dense & Pika’s Kneaded Pains. With both of these mighty techno duos giving Risa their support and platforms, it has enabled her to start taking her first major footsteps into Europe, picking up her first headline bookings there. 
In 2022, she teams up for the first time together with Black Asteroid, a former engineer for Prince, and the duo will deliver three gritty, hard-hitting techno tracks on Chris Liebing's CLR.

All inquiries: info@risataniguchi.com
Bookings (EU): tiziano@district4.berlin
Bookings (Asia +): tommy@womb.co.jp

Mike Kivits isn’t your average DJ/producer. A veteran of some 30 years behind the turntables, the man best known as Aardvarck has spent three decades defying conventions, mixing things up and successfully overcoming personal demons. His story, soon to be published in an autobiography offering advice to those battling depression, is nothing less than extraordinary.

Now based in the Asian paradise of Bali, Kivits continues to divide his time between DJing and music making. Outside his native Netherlands it’s the latter he’s best known for, having built up a bulging discography over the last two decades. While lesser producers would focus on one or two key styles, Kivits has released everything from floor-filling house and techno to broken beat, jazz, jungle, ambient and electronica. Given his now legendary status in Holland, it’s unsurprising that he’s recorded for many of the country’s most acclaimed labels, including Delsin, Djax-Up Beats, Rush Hour, Kindred Spirits, Music For Speakers (an imprint he had a hand in founding), and Voyage Direct. Soon, he’ll also be appearing on Dekmantel, another Dutch imprint that has been wowing critics in recent years, and has an album for Skudge in the pipeline.

It’s DJing, though, that remains Kivits’ greatest passion. “You just give and take them higher,” he enthuses. “It’s fun. I do my best always, and am always happy when I’m DJing.”

He’s been doing this longer than most, of course, and has the scars to prove it. He bagged his first residency in 1985, in his home city of Den Bosch, where he’d join the dots between soul, funk, hip-hop, disco and B-boy electro. As the 1980s progressed he began adding the new sounds of Chicago house and Detroit techno to his repertoire, earning more residencies and a number of regular guest spots at Amsterdam’s legendary Roxy Club, mostly at Joost van Bellen’s infamous Wednesday night parties.

As a musical magpie, Kivits was not content with simply playing the latest house and techno, and spent much of the late ‘90s and early 2000s “avoiding the 4/4 beat”, instead playing a mix of jungle, broken beat, trip-hop and breaks. During that time he extensively travelled the world, playing alongside good friend Steven De Peven with lauded eccentrics Rednose Distrikt.

Since moving to Bali a few years back, Kivits has got his passion back for house and techno. Now, he enjoys playing sets that make connections between contemporary productions and tracks rediscovered in his vast collection of early house and techno. “I love the warm feel and raw energy of early house and techno,” he says. “So many of those records still sound fantastic. It’s great to see the reaction to these records from a new generation of dancers.”

More importantly, he’s now happy. “I spent 20 years battling with depression,” he admits. “I’ve never been happier – I’m better than ever. I’ve lived that life, now I have a new life. I changed my surroundings to help myself, and it worked.”

This newfound happiness is reflected in the quality of his club sets, which have rarely been better. While rooted in 30 years of house and techno, he often finds time to throw in tracks from his other musical passions – a trait that marks out the greatest DJs. “House is about the four to the floor beat, and you can get in and out of that easily if you know music,” he says. “If you keep the energy up, you can play anything.”

Booking: Jorn@voyage-select.com
Management: Christaan@societyfools.com

🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬🐬

north america: 
eselz@paradigmagency.com erik selz
mbraun@paradigmagency.com max braun
europe:
crispin.hearn@paradigmagency.com cris hearn 
cecilia.chan@paradigmagency.com cecilia chan
asia: 
august@alchemistasia.com august cohlmia

解体新書 (Kaitai-Shinsho) was launched in January 2017.

解体新書 focuses on reconstructing various styles and contexts of old and new electronic music which are transmitted from all over the world to Tokyo. We are aiming for a unique sight that can be realized because it's from Tokyo's underground dance floor. 

And the label project〈KTSNS〉focuses on releasing music that can be used as a DJ tool in a broad and radical sense.

Residents: 
Romy Mats (DJ, founder)
VJ Camel (VJ, space director, founder)
Albino Sound (Producer, label director)

Ayami Suzuki is a musician based in Tokyo
Contact: info@ayamisuzuki.jp

Prcls is following