Compound @ Jacob’s Market, Cardiff
Fri 18 Nov
More techno this month, with the second excursion from a recent addition to Cardiff’s nicely-rolling scene who made their opening statement last year in no uncertain terms, bringing over the Baron himself, UK techno godhead Dave Clarke. Their next headliner is of more recent vintage but perhaps more respected as a DJ in the present day.
Russian-America DJ and producer DVS1, aka Zak Khutoretsky, comes from Minneapolis, after emigrating from St Petersburg at a young age. He immersed himself in the Midwest’s rave scene as a teenager in the mid-90s, running warehouse parties throughout the area – this event is part of a new tour marking the 20 years he’s been involved with putting on techno events. The sound of his own tracks is often grounded and steady-pulsed with wonky, uneasy elements that build and modulate in darkly hypnotic fashion.
With only eight records to his name, for establishment labels like Ben Klock’s Klockworks and Derrick May’s Transmat as well as his own imprint Hush, he considers himself a DJ first and a producer second. That always tends to be a good thing, and in this case it accounts for his frequent sets at Berghain, Berlin’s iconic techno centre. His high-octane DJ style has been said to create “the sense that a hole is being carved into a new dimension and that the universe is collapsing on itself” – just what you need in these strange times.
Admission: £20/£15 adv. Info: facebook.com/compoundcardiff
words GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF