Three years ago this month we chatted with techno journeyman Oliver Huntemann about the fifth anniversary of the now defunct Ideal Audio, an imprint he ran with business partner Jan Langer. Cut to the present and the techno troubadour, who is known far and wide for his wildly popular PLAY! DJ mix series, is unquestionably one of the most revered purveyors of minimal. Constantly touring and producing tracks for an ever-growing global following, it would be an understatement to say that he continually ups the creative ante with each endeavor.
Huntemann — who is in the midst of recording his fifth artist album — will issue his sinewy two-track Pech & Schwefel EP on Senso Sounds, a label he launched on his own in 2014, this week. We caught up with Huntemann and asked him to share five songs he currently can’t live without.
Oliver Huntemann’s Pech & Schwefel EP is released December 4 via Senso Sounds.
1. André Winter pres. D-Saw – “10:30” (Senso Sounds)
Unbelievable, but true: This classic track celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2016 and a lot of history comes with it. “10:30” used to be the soundtrack of Sven Väth’s legendary ‘Gude Laune’ shout-out at Time Warp 2006 and was also picked by Kompakt label boss Michael Mayer as one of his all-time favorites for his Immer vinyl label. In addition to the re-mastered original version there will be fantastic new remixes by H.O.S.H., Dubspeeka, Re.You and André Winter himself included within the forthcoming package to soon be released my label, Senso Sounds.
2. Gel Abril – “When It’s Just You And Me” (Mobilee)
Gel Abril boils it down to the essence again. This is the proof that a cool groove paired with a lead sequence is enough to kill each and every dance floor. The energy and drive of the track is simply straight in your face and puts a smile on mine.
3. The Temper Trap – “Sweet Disposition” (Undercatt Remix) (2DIY4)
This is one of the rare vocal tracks in my sets at the moment. The original was already huge but Undercatt brings this wonderful song to another level. I recently played this version as my opening track at Strawberry Fields Festival in Australia and was not prepared for how big it would sound when played it on a F1 sound system. It just blew me and the crowd away.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAwjPRteKyw
4. Rob Acid – “Midnight” (Dirty Cuts)
Rob Acid is back with a new long-player on his own imprint, Dirty Cuts. I’d say old school meets new school almost in perfection. Not many producers know how to bring synths like the TB-303 or SH-101 to a contemporary level without sounding out of date. I’m impressed how Rob combines classic and modern sound structures.
5. Shall Ocin – “The Mist” (Hotflush)
In the end it’s all about the rave, and ‘The Mist’ brings back the rave. I’m not talking about sirens and signals; I’m talking about dynamic energy, power and ecstasy. Let’s create a new genre called Smart-Rave to separate it from the obvious and the superficial. This is techno at its best. Eddy Murphy would say: Party all the time, party all the time…