"Sam Barker asks more from techno. The artist, known simply as Barker, is one of electronic music's most consistently conscientious and curious producers, challenging listeners to question the norms we accept about our shared culture—whether it's the music that fills the room, the process behind it or the purpose of the space itself.

British-born yet based in Berlin since 2007, Barker forged a connection to many of the city's leading institutions, including Ostgut Ton, and over the course of a long and fruitful relationship, he carved out one of the more singular paths on the club and label's roster.

Not one for orthodoxy, Barker challenged the four-to-the-floor techno framework in favour of melodic experimentation. By decentering or completely stripping away the typical trappings of kick drums and claps, releases such as Debiasing and debut album Utility showcased his ability to craft music that's both light and immersive, buoyant in low-end presence and shimmering in weightless space. As Philip Sherburne wrote of Utility, "Barker [borrows] ambient's billowing forms and reinforces them for the needs of the dance floor."

Six years after Utility, his second album, Stochastic Drift, arrives on Smalltown Supersound this month. Shaped by pandemic-driven reinvention, it burrows deeper into harmonic twists and freeform drift. "At some point I became conscious of the process," he wrote of his latest album. "The only thing you can do is embrace the uncertainty and see every change, as a potential positive.""

https://pt.ra.co/podcast/982

#Techno #Berlin #IDM #DJSet #ElectronicMusic

Attention, this is nothing but an announcement of…

RADIO IRRTUM!
↓↓↓ German version far below the English one ↓↓↓

Yes, the upcoming issue of #RadioIrrtum! will happen this Saturday, 2025/01/18, 8:00pm UTC+1/Berlin time. At Alex Berlin FM at 91MHz or DAB+ K7D around #Berlin and worldwide at https://www.alex-berlin.de/radio-livestream .

#Radio Irrtum! is a German language #radioShow exploring the sonic vastness of the #underground. Emitted transmissions may raise your attention for new unheard #music all over the genre spectrum all over the planet. Also it's totally fine to ignore that German language aspect - 'cuz it's all about the #music!

This issue felt strange to produce, as it happened abroad, with only my microphone and my laptop: Because of a difficult to handle issue with my parents (still going on). On the other hand, doing that helped me to stay sane… and that's partially because there is:

- #ArabicPop - #Beatmaker tracks
- #Triphop - krauty #Shoegaze - Dubby #Acid - #IDM with various flavors
- Dubby #Postpunk - #60sBeat (are The Kings back?)
- fierce #Punk - #ElectricCello music

There are #fediverseArtists featured, like @xylander@mastodon.social (with a track not yet available!) or @RobertaFidora@mastodon.social with her unbelievable energetic work. There will be #CreativeCommons Tracks (one once again by Xylander), and lots of music not (yet?) available at Spotify.

If at least a bit interested in kewl new unusual #music, tune in! 📻
I'll post playlist + manuscript later here (provided I’m home, else it will come up the day after). And if you have questions? I'll gladly answer! Just ask!
CU all on Saturday! :)

↑↑↑ English version above, the German one below ↓↓↓
Radio Irrtum! kündigt sich an → für Samstag (18.01.), 20:00 über Alex Berlin auf FM 91MHz/DAB+ K.7D (Stream URL oben).

Die seltsam funkelnde Radiosendung, in der wir die planetenumfassenden Weiten des musikalischen Untergrunds erforschen.

Es fühlte sich übrigens komisch an, diese Sendung unterwegs zu produzieren, nur mit Laptop und Mikro – aufgrund eines (andauernden) heftigen Krankheitsfalls bei meinen Eltern. Aber irgendwie hat es mir mental geholfen, das durchzuziehen; vielleicht auch, weil folgende Genres dabei waren

- Arabisch-sprachiger Pop
- Triphop
- krauty Shoegaze
- Dubby Acid
- IDM verschiedener Richtungen
- Dubby Postpunk
- 60s Beat als wären The Kings zurück
- krassen Punk
- Electric Cello Musik

Fediverse Künstler:innen sind dabei (u.a. @xylander@mastodon.social mit einem bislang unveröffentlichtem Track oder @RobertaFidora@mastodon.social mit ihrer wahnsinnig energetischen Musik), Creative Commons Musik ist dabei und jede Menge Tunes, die Ihr (derzeit?) nicht auf Spotify (und ähnlichen Services) finden werdet.

Playlist + Manuskript nach der Show (spätestens Sonntag) hier drunter. Fragen einfach stellen – ich antworte (spätestens Sonntag)!

Bis zur Sendung… vielleicht? :)

#EndSpotify