Last week New York producer Pictureplane released Technomancer, a heady rave and goth influenced album that, as he tells it, explores "the anxiety of daily life in an era defined by constant technological interaction and observation." It's excellent—as is the FADER Mix he's cooked up. Inspired by his fascination with mid-to-late '90s Memphis hip-hop—which he likens to Norwegian black metal—it's 50 straight minutes of his favorite tracks, most of which were ripped off cassette tapes. "I imagine people hanging around with their friends and smoking weed to this music," he says. So get to it!
Where are you right now? Describe your surroundings.
I'm sitting in a bar/club in Bratislava, Slovakia. It's extremely dim and the walls are made of stone and brick, and there are chains hanging everywhere. I'm drinking some apple-mate tea soda thing and the people here just cooked me some lentil soup. I just finished sound checking because I am performing here later tonight.
Tell us a bit about this mix—what do you imagine people doing while listening to it?
This is mix is predominantly rap music made in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-to-late '90s. Pretty much all of these songs are ripped from cassette tapes. I love collecting this specific type of rap music and wanted to share some of my favorite songs in my collection. I am really attracted to the lo-fi quality of the recordings and how unique and revolutionary the horror/gothic and satanic imagery and triplicate style of rapping was at the time in Memphis. A style that was basically 20 years ahead of its time. I sort of equate that scene in Memphis to the Norwegian black metal scene in the early '90s. The music is just cryptic, dark, and brutal. And anti-Christian. It's extreme. I imagine people hanging out with their friends and smoking weed to this music.
What’s your most memorable musical memory from 2015?
Maybe filming the music video for my song "Hyper Real." We shot it all in Los Angeles and it really felt like we were making a film. We had lots of actors and extras and I got to take part in some incredible special effects makeup work. I have wanted to make some sort of horror film for a long time now so It was a lot of fun. Shoutout to IHEARTCOMIX for that one. Another big highlight is also releasing my new album, Technomancer!
You’re in Europe right now, what do you miss the most about home when you travel?
I am traveling alone right now and it can be pretty stressful. Lots of airports and train stations running around with my baggage in places where I don't speak the language and don't really understand what the hell is going on haha. I actually miss coffee a lot in Europe. You can only find espresso here or "Americanos" which is just espresso with water. I just want strong drip coffee! With almond milk. And I miss my friends. But I love meeting new people every night. Tour is super tiring but it's a blessing and it's an incredible thing to get to do.
What’s your favorite dish to cook, and how do you make it?
Right now I am really into making vegan nopales (cactus) tacos. I love cooking. It's like art to me.
Tracklist:
CHILDREN OF THE CORN “THINK IT OVA”
RUFF DRAFT “CONSTANTLY THINKING” (GANGSTA WALK)
GANGSTA PAT “DEADLY VERSES”
TRIPLE 6 MAFIA “SLEEP”
DA CRIME CLICK “CLICKED UP MAKIN STANGZ”
ORANGE JUICE CLICK “REMINISCE”
DJ FELA “NO LOVE TO A HOE”
DELROY EDWARDS “BLOOD SWEAT TEARS” (RAW TO SURVIVE)
DJ PAUL & LORD INFAMOUS “TOO DEEP”
KINGPIN SKINNY PIMP “GOOD TO GO”
GANGSTA PAT “I WANNA SMOKE”
DJ PAUL & LORD INFAMOUS “SMOKE A SACK”
PLAYA FLY “CROWNIN ME”
BOBBY CALDWELL “DOWN 4 THA 3RD TIME” (SLOWED BY DELROY EDWARDS)
From The Collection:
FADER Mix