All My Friends Ep#8 Plastic Fruit

Plastic Fruit is at the helm for episode 8 and are guiding you through an extended exploration into techno and dub. The two-hour session samples a myriad of emotions, tempos & grooves. An off-kilter mix that revels in shuffling hi-hats, serene soundscapes and stabbing bass.

The team pride themselves on making mixes for the most forward-thinking of dancefloors. Actively seeking to engage and challenge their listeners through a carefully curated selection of songs that would be at home in any Berlin basement (or Manchester one for that matter).

Check out their mix series ‘Blac plastic’ for more music.

I caught up with James from Plastic Fruit to chat about music and his influences.

Hi James, thanks for taking the time to chat with me. You did two events at Soup Kitchen in October & November and Plastic Fruit were playing with the Traffic MCR crew in February but you’ve been a bit quiet since then. What are the future plans for Plastic Fruit?

Hi Liam! Thanks for getting in touch. Yeah, unfortunately, there’s been a whole bunch of stuff that has cropped up over the last 4/5 months which has unavoidably diverted my attention. It has however been a great opportunity for me to really refine my style of music and to understand all of it’s slightly obscured features. Naturally, the two shows I put on towards the back end of 2017 were in many senses embryonic editions of the project I have envisaged, but they were nevertheless a great initial experience from which to expand upon. Future shows are in the works, pushing the sound deeper and further away from the norm. I will continue to book artists I deem to be more off the radar and maintain an emphasis on all night sets, which in my opinion offer an unparalleled opportunity for the DJ to exercise their full artistic potential.

You’ve recently released your second mix in your all vinyl mix series ‘Blac Plastic’. What are the plans for the mix series? And how do you approach your All My Friends mix?

My aim as a resident is to book DJ’s who, when judged consecutively, form a very particular strand of electronic music. The mix series is a great outlet for me to echo this sentiment in an audible format because the whole project is utterly revolved around the sound and the listening experience. On a more technical level, I try to focus on the synergy between each track, thinking of them more as tools to create something higher. While I still have a long way to go, choosing to solely mix records has been an important step in learning this. Another bonus of vinyl is that because it is physical you have a much better idea of your collection and hence a more vivid imagination of what to play next, so in that sense, I try not to plan before the mix, only during. And this, of course, is the truest art of DJ’ing to people, so why practice a different style?

Are there any standout tracks on the mix you wouldn’t mind sharing?

Sure. Cristi Cons is a Romanian DJ & Producer who co-runs Amphia Records along with Vlad Caia, occasionally playing together as SIT. He was originally trained as a classical pianist but has in recent years become an integral component in keeping the electronic music scene as fresh and innovative as it’s early days under the guidance of the ar:pi:ar affiliates. The track was released on Dewalta’s immaculate Berlin based and vinyl only Meander label, and finds the perfect balance between an introspective, otherworldly soundscape and irresistible rhythm, appearing roughly at 58 minutes into the mix.

For some more Techno check out Ayrtan’s mix.