Selections: Anastasia Kristensen
In this series, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Anastasia Kristensen spotlights ten idiosyncratic techno gems and electronic experiments
Anastasia Kristensen debuted on Tiga’s Turbo label last month with three club-ready cuts. The swaggering, synthy ‘I’d Love To Do It’ has something of Marie Davidson about it, while ‘Paradox & Puzzle’ is all pressurised low-end and acid aggression. Lead track ‘Moments Of Inertia’ is epic, thundering techno begging for a warehouse full of speakers.
The EP marks the continuation of a prolific period for the Copenhagen-based artist, who featured on the cover of DJ Mag in 2019. Since August last year, she’s released the futuristic drumfunk track ‘On A Better Side’, and launched her own label, absorb emit, with the delightfully freaky ‘Cordyceps Disco’ — four tracks of squelchy synths and industrial tones with plenty of swing. She followed that in February with a huge remix collection featuring Scottish menaces Clouds, Munich’s Sam Goku, Wheeze-ie, Okitap, Mayo and many more, plus dropped her pulsing ‘Superstretch’ collab with CTRLS via Essen-based label The Third Room.
Having always championed an outsider take on techno, incorporating elements of electro, funky grooves and wonky sonics into her sound, it’s no wonder her Selections are equally idiosyncratic.
“Rhythmical sexiness in one release. Alexandra has really nailed the percussive workout with an incredible drive on this one.”
“Been very impressed with this underground label from Lyon, France. Unconventional thinking and beautiful soundscapes on this V/A.”
“An old release, which turned out to be one of my personal classics. The remixes really expand the vision of the producer further and offer completely different vibes with each version.”
“This release has it all: atmosphere, breaks, robotic voices. Very aesthetic and can be mixed into many DJ sets out there.”
“Latin music meets deconstructed rhythms — exactly what NAAFi and label boss Lao have been pushing for years.”
“Everyone has contributed with their styles on these remixes. Particularly love playing the Anémi and Peder Mannerfelt remixes.”
“Going avant-pop is not for everyone, but Larry McCarthy nailed it. The lyrics are so spot on, exploring dynamics in the queer universe, and all the sound textures complement the overall romantic melancholia.”
“Released after his LP, Coloray returned to the heavy synth work, drums, and a playful dance cadence on this one.”
“Outsider, weird techno — just as I like it. Great textures and rhythms here — always great to spice the dancefloor with.”
“Could not not feature this here. Every remixer has done such an incredible job — this ‘Cordyceps Disco’ universe has just expanded much, much further. Featuring sound giants Clouds, Nadia Struiwigh and Sam Goku, alongside new names in the scene like Kichi Kazuko and Rask.”
