Listening to Dead Memories on Subsist Records will always be a unique experience, as it takes us to utopian, arid, and very acidic places and times. The way they work the sound is always wonderful. Text by Club Furies
Melbourne based DJ & producer Dead Memories stands tall in the shadows, crafting his own blend of introspective techno with clear nods to Acid and IDM. Reigniting a once lost love with electronic dance music, the eclectic and enigmatic producer brings his unmistakable sound signature back to Subsist Records, his spiritual home, with a new 12 inch EP ‘Zen’.
A star in ascension and a masterful engineer, the Zen EP showcases his love and use of the classic machines used by the pioneers of house and techno. This is a release full of ambivalence. Walking between hard and velvet, he treads these two opposites with a light hand and ingenuity evident in the sonic nuance he is known for.
In his own words: ‘The idea behind Dead Memories was to strip everything back and work with only a few select machines. To challenge myself and see how far I could stretch these classic machines. After all, this is what the pioneers of early electronic music had to work with. In many cases, there was a drum machine, a synthesizer, a mixer, a recording device, and a couple of effects units, and maybe one compressor. They didn’t have the luxury of large studios full of gear, or endless collections of plugins, software, and samples. To me, a lot of the most exciting electronic music was written with these restrictions. That’s not to say that incredible tracks haven’t been made without these restrictions, but for me, this is what keeps me the most creative.’
On the A side of the release, Dead Memories is joined by one of his longtime influences and pioneering producer Tobias. who provides his own take on things with his remix of ‘Zen 88’
The remix is a journey all unto itself. While staying true to the original, Tobias. provides a classic electro approach with all of the groove, shimmer and subtle movement he is known for.
