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Fresh Kicks 93: Reka

Tresor and BITE resident, Reka, steps up with an 80-minute mix of immense, psychedelic and industrial EBM, electro and techno as part of our Fresh Kicks series...

Featuring Madrid-born, Berlin-based DJ/producer, Reka, in our Fresh Kicks series might feel a little strange. In truth, she’s been embedded in electronic music for over 15 years. After several eras of change though, it has only been in this decade that she has truly found and flourished in her artistic identity.

2018 saw Reka releasing her first ever solo EP, ‘Diving The Innermost’ on Phase Fatale’s BITE label. She also debuted at Berghain, Katharsis and Tbilisi’s club Khidi where, after a BITE party she was offered a residency with them to add to her already reputable residency at Tresor.

Her musical background is charted, with earlier influences of Italo-disco, new beat, acid house and “synthy stuff” veering into Depeche Mode, The Cure, Front 242, Orchestral Movements in The Dark before entering a thorough metal phase in university with the likes of Tool, System of A Down, Korn and Nine Inch Nails being on regular rotation. While studying genetics she began to fall in love with IDM, trip-hop and electro, with Portishead, Andrea Parker, Aphex Twin moulding her DJing style as she decided to embark on music as a more full-time pursuit.

As a member of duo leChic (a part of the International Deejay Gigolo crew), Reka toured extensively as an electro DJ, but over time wanted to embark on a solo career where the myriad influences she was raised with could merge into a more deep, trippy and industrial sound.

2018’s ‘Diving The Innermost’ was the perfect encapsulation of that, with the track ‘Purge’ – that we premiered – presenting a shadowy, dense cut of dark, industrial EBM, and a fine example of her irresistibly spectral,  engulfing sound.

Looking to the coming year, Reka has a collaborative EP on the way with Imperial Black Unit on Fleisch Records. With more production time pencilled in and gigs lined up such as Tresor’s 28th birthday party in March (also featuring Oscar Mulero, Cassegrain and others) the future is looking appropriately heavy and rapturous for Reka.

For her Fresh Kicks mix, Reka has delivered 80 minutes of immense, psychedelic and industrial EBM, electro and techno. Not at all for the faint of heart.

Last track that blew your mind?
“Ancient Methods ‘Walking on a Cursed Soil (feat. Prurient)’

Last film you watched?
“Ah-ga-ssi by Chan-wook Park”

Favourite album to relax to?
“Tropic of Cancer ‘The Sorrow of Two Blooms’ or any other release of hers. Or  SDH ‘Semiotic Department of Heteronyms’

Favourite producer?
“This is not an easy question. I can’t have one favourite but I can name a few: Orphx, Traversable Wormhole, Umwelt, Silent Servant, Phase Fatale, Gerald Donald, Andrea Parker…”

What record is top of your wishlist?
"Identified Patient & Sophie du Palais’ ‘Aborting Your Dreams’ on Pinkman. I am playing it a lot in digital but still didn't manage to get a copy on vinyl. And Zeta Retícula’s ‘EP 2’ which has been out of stock since I started Djng and it´s only available on vinyl.”

What's the best club you've played at?    
“I don´t think there is an absolute best (of anything), at least for me. But my favorites at the moment are definitely Berghain, Khidi and Tresor”

Who would you most like to play b2b with?
“ Silent Servant, Terence Fixmer or Andrea Parker come to mind first”   

Tracklist:

REKA - Purge [BITE]
Le Syndicat Electronique -Ewigkeit [Invasion Planet Recordings]
Identified Patient -Peaceful Panic [Pinkman]
Imperial Black Unit - Access Denied [Unreleased]
Beta Evers - Only for my Satisfaction (Bodyvolt dmx) [Discos Atónitos]
Multiple Man - Prime Cut [Fleisch]
Lapse of Reason - Take the Control [Unrealeased]
Ancient Methods - Walking On Cursed Soil (feat. Prurient) [Ancient Methods]
Traversable Wormhole - Centauri Dreams [Sonic Groove]
Orphx -Solipisit [Sonic Groove]
REKA -Polarity [BITE]
Fractions -Welcome to 303 City [Fleisch]
Acid Vatican -Repent motherfucker (Sarin rmx) [Aufnahme+Wiedergabe]
Terence Fixmer -Ton Espoir [Planet Rouge]
Phase Fatale - Reverse Fall [Ostgut]
Unconcious -I Am Your Servant [X-IMG]
SARIN -Advantage [BITE]
D-Saw - track 10.30 [Superstition]
TESTE - Thieves Rec [BITE]
Denise Rabe - Lucy´s Dream (Orphx rmx) [Rabe Records]
Silent Servant - Glass Veil [Hospital Productions]

Want more? Check out our recent Fresh Kicks mixes with TR One and our Recognise mix with Zozo

Eoin Murray is DJ Mag's digital staff writer. Follow him on twitter @eoin_murraye