Techno has always been a driving force in Chicago, and now more than ever it seems to be gaining a jump started resurgence.
One of the big proponents of the push in Chicago is local DJ and producer Microdot, whom with his 2nd Saturdays at Exit and his one off events and afterhours, is showing a lot of heart and a lot of heat. You can see him at the IHeartTechno Droid Behavior Showcase coming this Friday August 11 at Smartbar with Drumcell, Truncate, Raíz and Microdot playing B2B with DJ LT. Tickets are on sale at Eventbrite.
And here is an exclusive mix to start us off:
Microdot: 5 Magazine Mix
iTunes HearThis Mixcloud Soundcloud
Tell me about your project PuftDank and what gave you the inspiration to do this? How long have you been producing music?
PuftDank consist of long time friend Lorenzo Vektor and myself, we’ve worked together in past projects but finally managed to have the time and means to start this long awaited adventure. We have our influences from artists like Anthony Rother, Green Velvet, Plastikman, Hyperactive, DBX, Future303, DJ Deeon, Paul Johnson, Robert Armani, DraXXx, & DJ Rashaad just to name a few. I’ve been producing for 5 years now with my teachers Rob Threezy and Lorenzo Vektor, so big ups to my brothers.
What is it about Techno that moves you more than any other form of music?
As a Chicagoan I started listening to classics and breaks but then in the ’90s I saw Daft Punk and Hyperactive at Route 66 and I never looked back. Witnessing the Dolton Expo Center, Dolton Soccer Dome and Rainbow Roller Rink was something these kids can never witness unless we bring it back.
Aside from Detroit, what other cities around the world do you see making serious waves with this genre of music?
Los Angeles, New York, Miami and various cities in Europe. Techno is growing everywhere.
Your upcoming show at Smartbar…that’s quite a lot of impressive names. What made you choose this group of DJs?
We’ve worked with Tio Truncate before in one of our Gotham Undergrounds 3 years ago for our ColliderLab Presents projects, thanks to Hyper for the LA connection! The opportunity came up to book him along with Drumcell and Raiz so we definitely couldn’t pass it up. We’re looking forward to working with Droid LA more in future projects. Shout out to Nicole.
What are your plans for the future after IHeartTechno on August 11? I understand that ultimately you’d like to throw your own Chicago Techno festival?
Well Our huge event is in September 1st: our wedding but we also have our 5 year Anniversary with my brother DraXxx & the ColliderLab. One of the missions of the production is to grow a big enough audience to sustain a worthy festival considering Techno comes from the Midwest. Shout out to all our #IHeartTechno family and fans for the continuous support.
