Back To Mine with K.A.S.H

It’s no secret that Vancouver has a pretty banging house and techno scene. Long-time purveyors of top quality house and techno, the city’s underbelly without doubt reverberates to a 4/4 beat. One man centrally involved in all of this is K.A.S.H, a man who’s played alongside some of the scene’s foremost names in some of his city’s foremost nightspots. A prodigious DJ, K.A.S.H is no slouch in the production field either, with credits for the likes of Get Phyical and Ovum in his locker. His latest release is the intriguing Made of Kings II, a brilliant full-length whereby the producer has reinterpreted his own tracks to great effect. An unusual way of working it may be, but it yields great dividends in this case. We checked in with the main man recently to find out what hed’ be bumping at one of his Back 2 Mine parties…

1 Nina Kraviz – Aus Feat. King Aus On The Mic (DJ Qu Remix)

It’s a trip starter, a trouble maker. Dj Qu adds a moody vibe to the deep minimal original. You gotta love those old school vocals layered on top with emotions of echoing effects and a squiggly, sinuous acid bassline. It’s definitely got a story to tell with its lyrics and pattern progression throughout the track. That blurry breakdown never breaks the flow of the song making it a late night must play. 

Nina Kraviz - Aus Feat. King Aus On The Mic (DJ Qu Remix)

2 Poxy Music – War Paint (Claude VonStroke Remix)

When you’re ready to that set the groove dark and dirty. This release was before the Dirty Bird sound found its signature style, and still stands apart from VonStroke productions far in the left-field. Being said, It still has that dirty energy that can heat up any room. With a patented bubble gum bass and hip hop influenced minimal structure, this track can hit the spot at the beginning, or end of a night with ghostly vocals that just add the icing to the cake.

Poxy Music - War Paint (Claude VonStroke Remix)

3 Chris Liebing & Green Velvet – Auf & Ab_Kinda High (Dustin Zahn Mix)

This one gets those hands up real high. It’s a song that I carry in my case as a sure-shot party starter. Green Velvets charming voice on Chris Liebing’s architecture, with Dustin Zhan’s interpretation, It’s hard to deny this track from being a rave classic. It does a lot without fancy effects, breakdowns or overwhelming melodies. The focus on the kick and ride keeps the momentum in high energy for the entire song.

Chris Liebing & Green Velvet - Auf & Ab_Kinda High (Dustin Zahn Mix)

4 Ladytron – Destroy Everything You Touch [Sasha Invol2er Remix]

I first heard this in a mix during my University days, it was love at first listen, making it one of my all-time favorites. The track has a perfect combination of haunting vocals and a dark bassline. Given their reputation of purveyors of fine, futuristic electro-pop, this remix was ahead of its time. Sasha’s take on the track lets you ride the wave with a minimalistic yet grinding techno-progressive groove. It’s something I’ve made many entrances with or sneaked during an uprise in my DJ sets. 

Ladytron~Destroy Everything You Touch [Sasha Invol2er Remix]

5 Matt Nordstrom & Orlando Villegas – Spanglish (Len Faki Edit)

This one could cause a fire in the house. I feel like it is one of the most underrated remixes by Len Faki. If you like a minimal techno percussive groove with dark as hell Darth Vader voices, this song is the flex. It’s an after-hours weapon choice for me. During my sets, I like to swing-in tracks that have as organic sounds in the mainframe, tracks like this add flavor to machine sounding techno.

Matt Nordstrom & Orlando Villegas - Spanglish (Len Faki Edit) [SAVED]

6 Radio Slave – Screaming Hands (Wink Interpretation)

A classic that I rediscovered last summer. The depth of the track is in bassline and the unassuming build up, making it one of those songs that always gets the vibe going regardless of time and place. Echos of acid and hidden snares are spread across the track, making it layer and well with others during a mix. 

Radio Slave - Screaming Hands (Wink Interpretation)

7  Maetrik – Relax

I remember playing this track for the first time and just smiling for its entirety. I thought the idea behind the production was genius. The vocals are inspired by hypnotherapy scripts, backed up with a raw tech-house beat makes this an absolute late-night favorite. I mean it’s literally hypnotic. 

8 DJ Sodeyama – Miles

A track that you can get lost into. This track was my intro to DJ Sodeyama, still one of the best works from the producer in my opinion. Within a few seconds of lead-in, you realize that the beat is not your usual minimal. The bass and drum patterns will throw you off your dance moves. The song is only complemented with drunken singing that will send a chill to your bones, along with modulating percussion making no two bars the same.

DJ Sodeyama - Miles (Original Mix) HQ

9 Ben Klock – Subzero

I like to play this track when it’s time to smash! It’s stripped down, dark and pounding with a hidden progression its way through. A bassline that is probably being studied in colleges right now the song set the standard of what minimal techno should sound like. It has a synth that slices through the thick bass to become clearer and clearer with a subtle twist after the breakdown. The man shaped many techno dj’s of our time myself included, I think this has to be his masterpiece. 

Ben Klock - Subzero

10 System 7 – Space Bird (Dubfire Remix)

Simple but impactful. Good minimal techno finds room for character within a few elements. Which is what comes through with this underplayed gem. It’s a song that doesn’t try too hard by over saturating the atmosphere with effects and dramatic elements. The solid groove makes it a dancefloor kicker that I’ve used as a bridge to more complex counterparts in a mix.

System 7 - Space Bird (Dubfire Remix)
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K.A.S.H’s Made of Kings II is out soon