Castle Nights @ Undertone, Cardiff
Fri 9 Dec
In house and techno, it’s rare to discover a 90s Detroit artist that you haven’t heard of before – such is the acclaim deservedly heaped on the influential producers from the so-called Motor City. Nevertheless, I’d never heard Tim Baker’s name before seeing this night advertised – one of the reasons for his lack of press could be that he’s actually been based in Chicago for most of his career, though his sound has often borne the rushing techno-futurism associated with his birth city’s techno style. He’s also from the so-called ‘third wave’ of Detroit techno bods, I’d say – a contemporary of DJ Bone, and his excellent early tracks had a similarly driving style also in tune with the pioneering work that Surgeon was making during the nineties over here in Birmingham, as well as the Detroit techno overlords Underground Resistance.
Aside from a couple of releases on Novamute and Ovum, Baker’s tracks haven’t been released on well-known labels in the scene – mostly on his own imprint Elephenthaus – and this could be another reason for his relative invisibility. His current sound also comes from a different angle to that of the late 90s onwards when he started out; cleaner now, away from the raw machine-burn of his beginnings, and the crisp aesthetic suggests the staid plod of tech-house as well as the raunchy pump of ghettotech.
Admission: £5-£10. Info: 029 2022 8883.
words GWYN THOMAS DE CHROUSTCHOFF