Every week I share with you all stories throughout my journey as a raver and DJ that includes music that inspires me on this path. However this week I’ve decided to share with you all something even closer to home by presenting you a track from my label Occultists. The concept has been a true labor of love that I had been dreaming of executing since my early 20s, right in the middle of my techno and house love affair. The concept that fuses my love for esoteric and occult knowledge with a record label concept would bring me artists from far and wide.
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever imagine that the musical output would take me back to my early youth in Las Vegas but the universe has a funny way of making things like this happen. For you to understand I must share the story of how I met this week’s artist. Adra and I actually go way back to our teenage raver youth in Las Vegas. We started raving at a time when we probably were too young but also in a city that isn’t friendly to people under the age of 21.
I remember going to my first rave and how amazing it was only to be met with disappointment as the authorities made all rave events 18 and over the very next weekend. This wasn’t a good mix for a young new lover of techno music. Funny enough I still tried and this is how I met Adra. Trying to devise a plan of how to get past security, we decided we would wait in the back until they opened up the outside area and somehow jump the fence, but for some reason that never seemed to happen. Adra encouraged me to jump the fence in another area and I was super hesitant to do so since it was a barbed wire fence and I was wearing some ridiculous outfit. Eventually I did it anyway which got us to the front door and the promoters’ girlfriend eventually let us in.
Fast forward to 2011 I would relocate to San Francisco and would run into Adra out in the nightlife every once in a while. I remember people trying to introduce me to her and laughing telling them I know her and you have no idea what we did as kids to get into parties. Later I started to hear her techno productions and I remember being completely blown away. Here was someone I knew from Las Vegas producing really killer techno and using a lot of hardware to do so. For those who are familiar with Las Vegas this is not a common occurrence.
When I started the label I asked her if she’d like to release a single on our second release Book of Shadows: Various Spells Vol. 1. She agreed and delivered “Ami” a solid techno groover that works effortlessly on any dance floor. I’m really looking forward to seeing where Adra will go next as an artist but in the mean time get this one blasting on your speakers. Make sure to check out Adra’s label D.A.T Recordings for more of her stellar productions, which you can find on Bandcamp.
Curated by Matthew Pentycofe - James Demon
Find out more about Adra here:
About the Curator - Matt Pentycofe
Musically inclined at a young age, Matthew would play many instruments and perform in musical theatre until he became a teenager. It was during these years that he discovered techno music from attending his first rave parties. These fated events would start a chain reaction love affair that has continued now for 18 years.
Finding in immediate passion as a DJ his musical persona James Demon was born. While navigating through the house and techno scene worldwide he would eventually relocate to Berlin and launch his record label Occultists. The record label features mystical electronic music with an esoteric and occult flair.
