Gary Beck

2017 Rewind: Gary Beck

Yehouda Silverman Leave a Comment

garybeck

How was 2017 for you?
Gary Beck: It’s been another great year with some excellent shows along the way. I recently became a father too which has been pretty tiring, yet so fulfilling.

Highlights?
There were many excellent shows; however, one that sticks in my mind was Cordoba in Argentina. The club was packed and the vibe was extra special. It was my birthday that day and the whole crowd sang “Happy Birthday” to me, which is something I’ll never forget, especially as it was my first time there.

Lowlights?
Walking headfirst into a wall in Amsterdam after having a few too many! The bruise was huge and probably deserved!

Song of the year?
I recently received a track by Dast called “Invictus” which could be the one. Huge tune.

What’s your New Years resolution?
I don’t bother with that anymore. I can hardly make it one hour after the bells without ruining my resolution!
@Gary Beck

Premiere: Gary Beck – “Tomorrow You’ll Know”

Darren Ressler Leave a Comment

gary beck soma

Slam‘s Orde Meikle and Stuart McMillan are techno trailblazers. As DJs, producers and proprietors of Soma Recordings, they’ve created groundbreaking, highly influential tracks like “Positive Education,” curated gems including an early version of Daft Punk’s “Da Funk” and have fostered the careers of too many producers to mention. And that’s only a snapshot of their credentials.

On Soma’s Slam Present: Transmissions: Glasgow, the Scottish duo shine the spotlight on like-minded techno artists living in their beloved home city. Glaswegians Clouds, Harvey McKay, Edit Select and Hans Bouffmyhre are but a few of those who contributed tracks to the compendium.

In advance of the release of Transmissions: Glasgow, we’re thrilled to world premiere Gary Beck‘s floor rocker “Tomorrow You’ll Know.” Those who follow techno will know Beck’s star has been on the rise for some time — his brilliant Bring A Friend album is incidentally Soma’s 100th release — thanks to his raw, edgy and evolving sound which epitomizes the essence of the label’s musical wanderlust.

Says Beck of the cut, “This is a track I made a couple of years ago, it’s a very versatile track and can be played at pretty much any point of a set. I still play it to this day and it never seems to sound old. It’s a pleasure to release it on the Transmissions: Glasgow compilation.” Hit the play button below and discover Beck’s timeless effort.

The 15-track Slam present Transmissions: Glasgow compilation is released June 29, 2015.

Compilation Review: ‘Soma Compilation 21 Mixed by Gary Beck’ (Soma)

Matt Oliver Leave a Comment

Soma Compilation 21 mixed by Gary Beck

★★★★☆

Sixty minutes to get down and boogie, tell others to get out the way, and to hold your head up high and see the light. Gary Beck on his debut mix mans the Soma express, heading into the next double decade with a recap of some of the Glasgow’s label’s ripest.

Easing into the mix with DeepChord’s dub-boiled bubbling, the tide begins to turn when Heiko Laux and Steve Rachmad’s “The Viking” tells you to snap out of whatever dancefloor daydream has come over you. With no time to waste, Beck always giving the turntables a firm push without being overzealous, a Claude Von Stroke mix of Scott Grooves’ “Mothership Connection” applies some staunch tech-house funkiness. Mark Henning gets greater groove going on immediately after, in time for the mix beginning a quick planetary orbit.

Pig&Dan and Mark Reeve restore a supply of techno that goes down a dark alley to fight its own fight. Having hardened the dancefloor and with tribal conditioning still to be inserted, Beck takes it upon himself to open the arena’s roof so radiance comes pouring in with “Algoreal,” without giving up on the stomp he’s paved, furthered by Funk D’void’s “Diabla” flourishing under the tutelage of Christian Smith and Wehbba, and taken to a serene conclusion by Ricardo Villalobos remixing Envoy. A sweepingly concise 21 gun Soma salute.

File under: Alex Under, Matthias Tanzmann, Oliver Deutschmann

Album Review: Gary Beck / ‘Bring a Friend’ (Soma)

Matt Oliver Leave a Comment

★★★★☆

Scotsman Gary Beck is entrusted with serving Soma’s 100th LP release, and his plus one invitation runs around trying to make sure everyone’s techno tastes are taken care off. Attaining mastery to everything he sculpts, Beck doesn’t forget to enjoy himself while looking out for his guests with absorbingly powerful epics on the brink of combustion, picturing the scene of partiers for as far as the eye can see bowing down before him.

You’re not left long to wonder if Beck will ever unleash his wrath. Though commanding early on, there’s only so long you can spectate with bated breath. “D51” is the first party-pooper, checking the pace to force the optimism to eat acid-spiked lead, backed up by “Skiver”, where the slower the beats, the harder they come. “Before the Crash” is a funky brute ploughing through, and Beck settles into a tough dictatorship for whom minimalism or the skeletal are ugly concepts (okay, there is “Hopkin”, but that’s where ugly is a compliment).

The beats are fleshy in their single-mindedness, and the often anxious atmosphere swirls and swoops very really before your ears, including some speculative downtime on “Little Moon” remaining ill at ease. For want of a less dated phrase, Beck is forever full on, blowing out Soma’s birthday candles to leave brains and bodies buckled.
File under: Ben Sims, Mark Broom, Speedy J