Some afternoons simply fall into place. For the latest edition of absolutely on music, we got together in Hamburg with Argentina’s Guile, Enzo V8 and TTA’s Holger Breuer for several hours of records, conversation and gradually increasing volume. With all three sets recorded through our Union Audio four.valve, the session unfolded without much need for a plan beyond putting on good records and seeing where they would take us.
Enzo V8 was first to steer things firmly towards the dancefloor. His selection carried a distinctly UK-ish character, moving through House, UKG and broken rhythms with plenty of bass pressure underneath. Loose drums and restless grooves gave the set its momentum, while the constant shifts in rhythm kept it playful rather than straightforward. Still early enough for the room to feel relaxed, but already club-oriented enough to suggest where the day was heading.
Holger Breuer followed by digging into the groovier and Housey corners of his record bag. House remained at the centre, but Hip-House attitude, UKG swing and stripped-back Minimal repeatedly slipped into the picture. Vocal snippets appeared and disappeared between rolling basslines and loose percussion, allowing the set to move across different shades without losing the thread connecting them. Less concerned with staying inside one genre than maintaining a certain feeling, it was all about keeping things moving while leaving enough room for the records to breathe.
It was then over to Guile to close the session. The Argentinian selector settled into a deeply groovey and increasingly percussive stretch of House, introducing subtle Progressive shades along the way. Rhythms rolled patiently rather than rushing towards obvious peaks, with small details and shifts gradually changing the atmosphere underneath. Percussion remained a constant presence, giving the final part of the afternoon a hypnotic pull and bringing the session towards its natural conclusion.
What began as another afternoon around the decks had, several hours later, turned into something considerably closer to a dancefloor – before we would all meet again later that night!
Three distinct record bags, several hours of music and one of our favourite absolutely on music sessions so far.
Words by Holger Breuer
Torture the Artist 