‘It Takes Grit’ is the 4th release on Kerrie’s Dark Machine Funk label. 4 tracks that were initially ideas from her ever changing Live Set performed in clubs and festivals such as Freerotation, Freedom Medellin, Tresor & FOLD and have made the final cut to finished tracks. All tracks have elements of Kerrie’s signature gritty machine funk sound, and carry her notable influences from Detroit / UK techno especially the Birmingham sound. Gnarly sci-fi infused sound design meets a raw stomping groove, the ‘It Takes Grit’ EP is aimed directly at the dancefloor. This one bangs!

W&P by Kerrie 
Mastered by Paul Mac 
Artwork by Hankohooligan
Record Design by Kerrie

Vinyl Distribution via Rubadub

Release date 29/09/23

Kerrie - It Takes Grit (DMF004 previews)

Dark Machine Funk is delighted to welcome the first guest producer into the fold, Head Front Panel. A huge source of inspiration to DMF since those highly sought after HFP 12”s hit the record store racks in 2014, Head Front Panel delivers a superb well rounded 4 track EP titled ‘Tactile’ for DMF’s 5th release.

The opening track 'Panama' opens with some otherworldly pads, sweeping resonances tickle the ear before signature HFP drums hit you with pure engaging energy. Broken kick drums and rattling percussion perfectly sit on this hypnotic tribal-esque sonic dream, a depth and area that we've not heard from HFP before. 'Tactile' brings the perfect tool, loopy rhythms that stretch the perception of time whilst getting lost in subtle rides and eerie door creaking atmospheres, deep listening will provide a new journey on every repeat. 'Surdo' open's side B, and we're catapulted into the fire with shaker/hi hat percussions that grab your attention immediately and vocal samples scatter across the stereo field. Shimmering pads take the track into deeper territory but all while keeping in a constant state of forward motion accented by the occasional double kick drum. A huge baseline swings the track to give it it's funk. 'Them' probably the most recognisable HFP track hammers with a thunderous...  more
credits
releases March 1, 2024

W&P by Head Front Panel
Mastered by Paul Mac
DMF Artwork by Hankohooligan
Record design by Kerrie

Pre-Order

Head Front Panel - Tactile (DMF005) PREVIEWS

Live from DMF's 5th anniversary @1520 studios Manchester. 100% vinyl!

Live @ DMF - Gary Sloan (DMF @ 1520 Studios, Manchester 01/02/25)

PREMIERE : Kerrie - Good Intentions (Dynamic Forces remix)

Record label owned by Kerrie, founded in 2020

Producer - DJ - Live Act
Label Owner: @darkmachinefunk 

DJ/Live Bookings: mike@berytus.art

Irish-born, Manchester-based Kerrie is a multidisciplinary artist and resident DJ at Tresor Berlin. She performs live sets, produces music, DJs, and runs her own label, Dark Machine Funk. 

Having garnered a rich musical education through working at and holding a DJ residency for one of the UK's most respected record shops, Eastern Bloc, Kerrie's in-depth knowledge and unwavering dedication to music shines through her notable back catalogue and bolshy, unforgiving DJ and Live sets. Honing her craft for over a decade, Kerrie achieved a milestone at the start of 2024 when Tresor announced her as a resident DJ. Playing several shows (both live and DJ sets) at the Berlin-based space, Kerrie also represents the seminal club at showcases worldwide. Celebrated venues like Berghain, fabric, FOLD, Elsewhere NYC, and festival bookings at Freedom Medellin, Freerotation, Drift, Basilar and many more have shaped her schedule along the way. 

First learning to mix via her brother's turntables in the early 2000s, it wasn't until 2009 that Kerrie invested in her own set-up and built an extensive record collection, covering everything from ambient, electronic, house, EBM, acid, electro, and her go-to genre, techno. Kerrie delivers tough moods from the turntables, as conveyed in her mixes for Reclaim Your City, Bassiani, SLAM and Crack, where she carefully blended high-energy styles of UK, Detroit, and European techno, many of which stem from the 90s and the 00s. It's frequent to hear Kerrie weave broken elements into her mixes too, chopping up the 4/4 groove at just the right moment to keep things propulsive. Kerrie's Live sets are renowned for their trippy motifs and high impact on the dancefloor; her set from Freerotation in 2019 was one of the festival's most talked-about debuts. 

Following well-received releases on labels such as Don't Be Afraid, Cultivated Electronics, I Love Acid and Symbolism, Kerrie launched her imprint Dark Machine Funk [DMF] in 2020. The label homes her distinctly raw aesthetic and honours her love for dark, gritty, metallic and industrial sounds melded with elements of funk, heavily influenced by second-wave Detroit artists, UK techno and music by some of her favourite artists: James Ruskin, Blawan and Surgeon. Kerrie's first release on DMF, "Inner Space PT1", was praised by Resident Advisor, who credited her ability to make "lean, fierce techno that knows how to groove."

2022 was a watershed year for Kerrie's productions. She debuted on the monumental UK techno label Blueprint with her EP "Raw Regimen", which landed acclaimed reviews. Truly welcomed to the Blueprint family, Kerrie delivered her second EP in 2023 and joined the crew at label showcases around the globe. In the same year, she marked her tenth release on vinyl called "Transient Belief" which Blueprint added to their discography. In 2024, Kerrie's output continues to captivate, with Tresor releasing her EP "Machine Alliance", further solidifying her connection with the club and label and fulfilling one of her many goals (and dreams) as an artist.

Coming to international prominence in more recent years, regardless of her decade-long tenure in Manchester's vibrant scene, Kerrie is deeply invested in the culture of electronic music, starting from her teenage era as a raver in Ireland up to her innovative projects today. In 2017, she founded Eastern Bloc's in-house event space to nurture local talent, which remains at the heart of Manchester's music community. Having ended her 11-year stint at the shop in 2023 to fully commit to the studio and accommodate her increasingly busy tour schedule, Kerrie is forging a long-lasting path fuelled by drive, passion, authenticity and a community-first way of thinking.

New tracks tagged #darkmachinefunk