[Ostgut Ton]

For a label that’s only been around for five years, Ostgut Tonträger has done a fine job of canonizing itself at an alarming rate. At this point, if the almighty Ostgut isn’t mentally evoked at the very mention of techno, you must not be paying attention. As the official release outlet of the mythical Berghain/Panorama Bar club in Berlin, they’ve not only reinforced the club’s lofty reputation but have steered the gaze of an entire world of techno toward the doors of the abandoned power plant. In 2010, steely banging techno meant for the Berghain is the standard.

Ostgut Ton have always had a stoic austerity about them. Their music speaks for itself, and the stark, beautifully designed sleeves only add to the chilly indifference. Yet they’ve tried their hand at grand gestures as well, namely 2007′s ambitious Shut Up And Dance! Updated compilation. A ballet set to techno curated by the label, it made for a uniformly great accompanying CD but the performance itself engendered a mixed reception; safe to say, one of the few possible slip-ups the label has ever committed. It seems they’ve learned their lesson. The celebration of their fifth birthday (a few enticing celebratory club nights aside), Fünf is a purely musical affair, a 2-CD compilation containing all new material from nearly everyone ever associated with the Ostgut crew and then some. Each track on Fünf is built from a field recordings made by the Berlin-based UK producer Emika (“Cooling Room”), recordings of the very inner-workings of the club itself. It’s an enviably brilliant idea that audibly stitches the very character, the very essence of the Berghain into the music.

Two possible worries need to be dispelled before continuing. Label compilations like this are rarely cohesive and are often patchy collections of leftover rejects; not so here. Similarly, the idea of a 2-hour-plus album composed of the same palette of sounds seems a bit frightening — but thankfully, not so. Each producer imagines Emika’s field recordings as a blank slate on which to project themselves, taking a shared sound palette and constructing their own idiosyncratic grooves and sounds. Every tune is a neat little portrait of each artist painted with the same brush — like a casting call for the label’s growing cohort — in one fell swoop solving any issues of continuity or dullness.

While it’s a mammoth listen to digest in one go, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better collection of singular techno tracks. It’s difficult to pick highlights out of a collection so consistent, so varied, and so thoroughly impressive, but there are a few blinders. Label head, one half of MyMy, and hush-house producer Nick Höppner provides the compilation’s most fragile, transcendent moment with “I.S.P,” a syncopated house track that spills out delicate percussion, the sound of tube amps lightly knocking together. Marcel Fengler throws down one of his typically violent rhythms in “Shiraz” and Fiedel contorts the industrial noise into a thrashing raver characteristic of this year’s anthemic “Nous Sommes MMM.” Meanwhile the big names maintain their reputations: Herr Dettmann drops a track far more brutal than anything on his debut album in “Scourer,” which strips and polishes the source material into a typically sleek banger, while Ben Klock continues in his new hollowed-out house(ish) direction with “Bear.” Perhaps most surprisingly, Shed drops his most straightforward track since “That Beats Everything!” with “Boom Room,” the industrial sounds a natural match for his breaky techno.

The house quotient is well-represented — no one’s forgotten about Panorama Bar. Prosumer’s “Daybreak” sounds like it was dug up out of a time capsule, and Elif Bicer lays a lovely vocal on top of the pillowy production from Murat Tepeli on “Hold On.” Other producers find an encouraging middle ground between deep house and minimal; Cassy’s contribution features a haywire drum machine, Dinky wraps warm samples in fractured minimal arms, and Tama Sumo’s debut production “Iron Glance” is a gaunt, wiry thing. There are enough experiments to keep even the most jaded, fairweather dancers interested. Len Faki drops a downtrodden electro-ambient weeper with “Kraft Und Licht,” Norman Nodge provides a near-ambient thing that sounds more like a field recording than the actual field recording and SCB’s “Down Moment” is almost painfully sharp, kicks and snares refashioned into daggers. Soundstream even makes a hallowed appearance with “Wenn Meine Mutti Wüsste” where he fashions misty dub techno chords out of the industrial sounds, cutting his soft clouds with bits of metallic impurities and factory detritus.

In spite the kind of backward-looking introspection a birthday often instigates, Fünf has its eye firmly on the unknown and uncompromising future. It’s so very Ostgut of them to give us two whole discs of new material rather than a label best-of which itself could have been the best thing released this year anyway. But nothing less should be expected from the label that relentlessly pushes forward, the label that not only sets the trends but predicts them and then moves on while everyone is catching up. You might as well get used to the sounds of Fünf because you’re going to be hearing their influence ringing in the tinnitus-riddled ears of techno for years to come.

[Cocoon]

When Cassy Britton released the inaugural Panorama Bar mix back in 2006, her selection preempted attempts to blur the boundaries between deep house and minimalism. However, as her sets so fluently attest, the devil really is in the detail. The prevailing flavour on Panorama Bar 01, after all, was a tendency to fuse timeless reduced techno — Ø, DBX, Baby Ford — with the warm tones of Rick Wade, D5 and Redshape, not a convoluted combination of one-dimensional tinny mnml and coldly rigid interpretations of deep house.

Given her previous form, it’s no surprise that she employs a judiciously sharp approach to track selection for Simply Devotion, her mix CD for Cocoon Recordings. This time however, it seems Cassy has been caught in the house headwinds. Soulful house music has a greater showing than tracks like the complex yet timeless soulful “Make Your Own Sunshine” by Baby Ford — available here in its remixed format, which Ford did with the recently deceased Ian Loveday as Minimal Man. Following one of Cassy’s vocal a cappellas, the Ford-Loveday opens the mix. However, the Panorama Bar resident quickly changes tact with Trus’me’s disco-y house “Good God,” the bassy groove of Anton Zap’s “Spain” and DJ Qu’s take on Jitterbug’s “No Pressure,” a warm track with the first freaky vocals of the mix.

Just as the listener starts to feel comfortable with what seems like an emerging narrative, Britton surprises with the unmistakable jazzy hooks of STL’s “Silent State,” his biggest moment to date — if big is really a word that can be applied to Stephan Laubner’s music — and the epic chords and strings of Future Beat Alliance and Quince’s versions of Danny Howells and Taho, respectively. From this point onwards, Cassy reverts to deep house, but again, the selection is loose enough to render this term redundant. From the swinging rhythm of her own “Magnificent Cat Won’t Do” to the gloriously melodic A1 cut from Kassem Mosse’s “Workshop 8″ into the sexy, sassy disco of Linkwood’s “RIP” and the ecstatic old school piano keys of Pierre LX’s “Gabita,” she ends the mix with the hilarious “Whateva” by Ralph Falcon, which features an elastic bass underpinning a cheeky south London inhabitant intoning the track title ad infinitum. It may be short on stripped back techno, but the closing section is a sublime affirmation of everything that is right about house music in 2009. For this reason alone, Simply Devotion deserves our attention.

When discussing her music, Berlin-based producer/DJ Cassy Britton admits she wanted to start “as simple as possible” to leave room for improvement and details as time went on. The simplicity tying together her productions for Perlon, Beatstreet, Uzuri, her own Cassy imprint and others is absolutely captivating, locking listeners into single-minded grooves too effective to resist (and just imagine what happens when those details arrive). Her DJing style has a similarly singular drive — documented on the essential Panoramabar 01 mix — that traces stylistic links throughout the history of house music, all of which makes her one of the most in demand jockeys around. We were lucky enough to sit down with Cassy after her (absolutely cracking) debut performance in Chicago to discuss her label, an ongoing project with her husband, Tobias Freund, the Atlantic divide in dance music, and uplifting house.
(Interview by Steve Mizek)

How have you liked your time in Chicago?

Cassy: Yeah, very much.

Did you have time to go record shopping?

Yes, it was *so* great. I went to Gramaphone. It was fantastic.

Did you get much while you were there?

I think I got… (to her friend) How many records did I get? 15 to 20.

So I wanted to thank you for this [a promo of Margaret Dygas, "See You Around"], and I was just curious what it means when it says, “production and mix by Tobias” and “all music by Margaret.”

Yeah, she did the tracks, she composed and arranged them and everything. It’s a matter of, she has the home studio and it she wanted to make it sound its best so she went into Toby’s studio.

Cool, I look forward to hearing it. When we were talking at the Afterschool Special party at The Yard, you mentioned that you and Tobias were working on a new project. I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about that.

Well, the thing is we started working on the new project three years ago. *both laugh*

So it’s only new in a sense, then.

It would be new if it would come out and people would listen to it. We have to finish it and everyone has so much going on by themselves that its’ really hard…

Do you have a lot done?

What we wanted to do is an album. It’s actually more like Toby’s project that I’m singing on.

I see. Well, I hope it comes out soon.

Yeah, I hope so, too.

What’s it like working with Tobias on records?

We never work together apart from this one projected. Sometimes I go to his studio to listen to my stuff; and sometimes I have problems with the 909, making it sound like the 808 sounds and we look at the problem sound-wise. But we never work together.

Do you two offer suggestions back and forth about each other’s music?

Yeah, yeah.

I’ve heard you were at least partially responsible for getting Tobias to make music again, or at least under his own name. Is that true?

I guess. He was doing stuff… and, you know, you do stuff and you change and you don’t know… you need reassurance. I think I just reassured him majorly; that’s probably a way of pushing, but I just reassured him that whatever he was doing was fantastic.

And that’s so true, he’s had an unbelievably good stretch lately.

Yeah, absolutely.

But of course, so have you, so you two do well together. (both laugh) Why did you choose to start Cassy the label?

I did it actually three years ago because I wanted to release music that no one else would release. (laughs)

Really, no one else would release it?

I don’t know, maybe someone would release it, but…

I suppose that was closer to when you were starting out.

Yeah, kind of. I had been producing myself for about four years, and I guess it was the second year that I thought, ‘Maybe this isn’t going to be releasable for some people, so I’m going to do something that’s completely on my own, with my own fuck ups — make mistakes publicly, try something.’

Generally your tracks are reduced to a couple parts that repeat with a few changes for however long. What about that sort of minimal groove approach really appeals to you that keep doing it, that it’s become your style?

I think… (pauses)… what I appreciate about music is the details. And of course the masters of house and techno have many brilliant details. I guess it’s just a way for me to test how I can progress. Maybe I’m going to add more later on, but I think it’s good to start out as simple as possible.

That’s an interesting theory. And your own musical style works well with the sort of tracks you play out as a DJ.

Of course. It’s a kind of reinterpretation of what I listen to.

So you’ve been playing a couple U.S. dates now, and obviously there are huge difference between the American scene and those of Europe. These days it seems the birthplace of house music doesn’t offer as much support for the scene as you’ll find all over Europe, where it’s actually somewhat popular. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Yes, the club scene is strong in Europe, of course, but in the end it’s also easier to play here [in America] because people actually get it — in a way they actually get it even more because it’s in them, they know it. In Europe you have to trick people a little bit more to play house,  especially in Germany where techno is favored.

Does it surprise you at all that house music has become more popular again in the last year or so?

No, it doesn’t at all. Maybe in the end it surprises some, because of what the music industry is like and that it [tends to] dictate crap. It doesn’t surprise me, though, because it’s the most uplifting dance music I can imagine.

Berlin, being the current hot spot of dance music culture, has seen a lot of producers and DJs from around the world moving there to be closer to things. Have you noticed any sort of impact from this influx?

It’s a form of concentration at the same time it’s a form of spreading out. It’s weird. People go to one point, Berlin has that sort of concentration, but everyone is from somewhere else or knows someone from somewhere else, and we all go back and forth from there.

Do you think Berlin has gained from having all these people move there?

Absolutely, absolutely. It’s gained a lot.

So when you’re not DJing or making music, what do you do for fun?

Well I love going to concerts, and I like reading and informing myself.

About the news or certain subjects?

History or literature, or…

What’s one of your favorite subjects to read about within history?

Russian history. Russia the country has had a great turn historically, so everything’s quite fresh and mad, and a lot of problems that stem from from the past.

Have you been there?

Yeah. One time in Moscow. It was great, it was just like everywhere — people appreciate uplifting house music.

You and I first started talking last year when I mistakenly propagated a rumor that you did not produce your own music, which I now know is false (and I’m still quite sorry for). I feel like situations like this one plague a number of female artists in particular. I was curious if rumors like that have affected you in any way.

When you start off, you know that you’re going to do something that’s going to be strange for a lot of people. You kind of try to behave like a man in the way that [producing music] should be natural, it should be natural for me do that because it’s natural for a man to do that. But of course, you’re thinking about it, maybe in a different way [as a] form of pressure. There is a form of pressure that you have to go against and in the end, not really care about.

Is that something you and your fellow female producers ever talk about?

No. There’s no misogynist or sexist comments I have to suffer. Of course there’s problems sometimes, but I guess that’s normal.

The question of vinyl versus digital is one that gets bigger with each year. I was curious if it matters to you what format people play?

It does matter to me because it changes the sound of the music, and even if people say it doesn’t really make a difference. It’s different quality, it’s a different form of feeling. When I have this vinyl feeling… This is how it started and I think there’s a purpose behind it.

I only ask because I personally use my laptop to DJ and I feel like, if you’re not watching the DJ and you’re just having a good time and dancing, it doesn’t really matter to me what format the DJ uses.

It doesn’t, it doesn’t.

But I will say there is a different feeling.

Maybe it’s a matter of taste in the end, but for me it that’s with records it sounds even hotter and sexier.

That’s true, you do get a warmer sound from vinyl. What’s coming up from you in the coming months?

There’s a remix for Loco Dice that will be on the album remix package. There’s another remix I’m working on at the moment. I can’t talk about it, but it has to be very good because it’s for someone I’ve admired for years who, by accident, asked me. It has to be good. And I’m working on some new tracks.

One last question: When you’re making a track, who do you have in mind? Home listeners, DJs, dancers…

I think it’s the same as with DJing — I try to stop myself [from] thinking. I try to be as organic as possible.

Chicagoans who salivated at the Afterschool Special line up are in luck: This Sunday Cassy makes her debut performance in Chicago during Listed Events’ Varsity Allstars at Moretti’s (1645 W. Jackson), supported by an insanely long list of DJs which can be found here. Show is 18+, starts at 12pm and lasts until midnight, and food will be available as Moretti’s is a pizza place. RSVP at the aformentioned site for reduced admission before 3pm. Hope to see you there!

This past weekend Made Events served up Sunday School for Degenerates, a 26-hour clubbing marathon which left many with sore limbs, ringing ears and fewer brain cells, yet ultimately quite happy. While I can’t say I was in attendance the entire time (this Chicagoan rarely gets to club for five hours, let alone 24+), I found much to enjoy. Thoughts and more pictures after the jump.

Overboard Boat Party: Sunday, 5-10PM

Things started off a bit bumpy as a lack of organization left ticketholders, guestlisters and those vying for one of the few remaining tickets all lumped together and struggling to board. But after braving the entry queue (and the bar “queue,” sheesh), things evened out as Adultnapper kicked things off with a surprisingly tuneful set. Air conditioning rendered each indoor deck quite comfortable, but the crammed rooftop was the place to be. The temperature was warm but breezy, and while the music struggled from the two small speakers, the setting was serene enough to just sit back and absorb it all. The crowd was friendly and enthralled with Steve Bug’s diverse and masterfully blended set — highlights from which included My My’s “Everybody’s Talkin” and King Britt’s remix of Josh One’s “Contemplation” — which lasted until we returned to land.

Sunday School for Degenerates: Sunday, 10PM-9AM

I must admit defeat here. Although I heard good things about sets from Kate Simko and the James What/Dan Berkson live set, I only arrived at the unusually maze-like Rebel in time for Martin Landsky’s 6am set. The thinned out but surprisingly charged crowd worked it out to a more minimally-flavored set than this preview mix had led me to predict.

Matthew Dear checks the levels.

Afterschool Special: Sunday, 10AM-9PM

The Yard, a small stretch of industrial property which lives up the the name, was the perfect venue for the last and most entertaining event of the Degenerate weekend. Early attendees lounged on folding chairs in the shade, letting Brendon Moeller’s muscular dub techno float towards them on the gentle breeze. Zip ended up canceling being denied a work visa, but Made quickly slotted Matthew Dear in his place to fill the air with dark percussive textures. Dear’s support for Oslo was loud and clear, playing two tracks from Nekes’ “Cristal” EP and Johnny D’s “Walkman.” Joe Mull only made things murkier and less melodic, but was embraced by the growing crowd.

Cassy gives us a smile.

By the time Cassy took to the decks (the only DJ to play actual vinyl, in fact), the Yard had grown comfortably crowded, split evenly between those bouncing in the rocks in front of the “stage” and those enjoying some truly tasty Mexican food from the seating section. With an unhurried grace, Cassy wound up stark minimal rhythms over which she laid soulful vocals — somewhat emulating the winning formula of her own tunes. With the crowd appropriately sauced, the dancing got on in earnest and trainspotters were left in the dust. Steve Bug (unexpectedly) closed out the mini-fest, but which point I’d had enough “oonce, oonce” to last me for a few days. Although I felt a bit oversaturated after the Degenerate experience, I’m glad to say I attended Sunday School and its attendant events.