- Techno and dark machine funk from an Irish powerhouse.
- Kerrie started a label called Dark Machine Funk, a name which hints toward the kind of music she plays. And while the Irish artist might be a capital-T techno DJ, her idea of "dark" is a little different than the black-clad legions of her generation. You won't find whiplash-inducing BPMs or racy pop edits in her sets. Her idea of techno is more classicist, without veering towards the stuffy or the retro. Her DJing and her productions bridge the divide between Euro and American styles. Hints of breakbeat or other broken patterns bring in ideas from the UK techno that she loves so much, such as the pivotal label Blueprint, where she's become a regular as of late.
With her, the devil's in the details (listen to those deliciously twisted hi-hats in recent track "Transient Belief"), and that comes down to mixing records, too. Her RA Podcast is a fast but measured run-through of 90 minutes of techno by artists like Exium and Tensal and from labels such as Token and Soma. Though none of her own tunes make the tracklist, this mix perfectly captures Kerrie's style. She's someone who appreciates that the real power and force of techno comes from its groove, not just the impact of the kick drum or pure speed.
What have you been up to recently?
I've been enjoying a nice balance of touring, making music and prepping for live sets while also enjoying downtime a lot more these days as it's beginning to become a bit rare! I've also been busy planning for my labels upcoming releases and my first label night.
How and where was the mix recorded? And can you tell us the idea behind it?
The mix was recorded on a set of Technics and a XONE:96 mixer in my home in Manchester. The mix is a condensed version of what you can expect to hear me play at a peak time slot in a club.
What's one club or party that had a major impact on you as an artist?
I would say the Eastern Bloc event space where I used to work and was a resident for, as that's where I first began to play solo or back-to-back all-night sets, sometimes going to ten-plus hours. I learned a lot about pace and progression and really knowing your records and trusting your intuition. It's a really small, intense space, so it's as involved as you will ever be with a crowd.
I would also have to say Freerotation festival. I started going there in 2014 and have been every year since and was lucky to have also played there twice. The music quality is always incredible across many genres and the vibe is really special. Their residents alone are some of the most talented artists I know. I always come away feeling so inspired after it.
You have a distinct sound in the realm of techno. What do you look for in the techno tracks that you play out?
Ultimately whatever I'm listening to has to grab me in some way, usually the main idea or hook and then elements like sound design and how much energy the track has (especially in the low end) factor in too. Sound-wise I tend to gravitate towards machiney, gritty, dark sounds, energy-wise I tend to go for more tougher or slamming tracks that are great for stomping to. In terms of groove I love those tracks that make your hips wiggle that have slightly off-kilter elements of swing to them.
My first love of techno was and still is Detroit, and I guess that's where the love of funk comes into it for me. These days, because of playing out a lot more, I'm looking for a lot more tools to serve a purpose in a set, to maybe create a mood In a section I might want to venture into or to create a change-up. My taste changes all the time though and I have lots of different records covering various styles of techno and other areas such as electro, acid, EBM, house, ambient and electronica as I also like to play longer sets and dive into other territories.
What's next for Dark Machine Funk?
The next release DMF004 is a 12” called It Takes Grit by myself, and is out this September. I have something really special planned for DMF005 which should be out by the end of the year too. My first DMF label night is happening on 15th September in Manchester where I've invited Head Front Panel and Leah Floyeurs to play alongside myself. I really admire these two artists a lot and they both fit with the sound of my label so I'm super excited to have them onboard for the launch night!
What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to?
I think we could all generally be a bit more self aware, aware of other humans (and the planet of course). We sadly live in quite a narcissistic and capitalist society where a lot of people seem to be out for themselves. This is really evident in dance music culture at the moment with the many over inflated egos and personas prevalent on social media. It has become about the person and not the music. It's so superficial and I really wish people would just have some awareness of their actions and the impact that feeds into a bigger narrative, it's damaging the culture that we are part of and also sets a tone for future generations to come. Being creative, being part of a community and human interaction in general is invaluable and I wish people would pay more attention to this and each other and less time on their online persona. Make music, play music, start a night, start a label, learn some engineering skills, learn about dance music and add something valuable to the culture and world in general, and be happier as a result!
What are you looking forward to in the near future?
I'm looking forward to some exciting shows in Europe over the coming months as well as a US tour planned for around October time. I'm also excited to get my next record out, get stuck into the studio where I've just had a revamp and I can't wait to get back on my machines!
TracklistD-Leria - LIbero (Delirio)
Altinbas - Tempest (Observer Station)
Yant - Solidarity is on the line (SK11X)
Altinbas - Tenacity (Token)
Troy - The Rite (Klockworks)
Parano - Disco Ultimo (Emerald)
Dynamic Forces - Wise (Kazerne)
Kwartz - Reinforced Control (Trauma Collective)
Tensal - Revenge (KR3)
Tensal - LA1 (Tensal)
Leiras - Odd Glyphs (Ownlife)
P.E.A.R.L - Redemption - (Tsunami)
Elias The Prophet - Atiras [Exium remix] (Prophecy)
Dynamic Forces - Born (Kazerne)
Reeko - Squirm (Deafmosaic)
Quelza - Arnold (Hayes)
Measure Divide - Minor Cortex (Clergy)
Nørbak - Mirante (Soma)
Milo Raad - Blackmail(Mord)
Kaiser - Nobody(KSR)
Remco Beekwilder / Dold - Red Red Red (Arsenik)
Leiras - Tarmac Domain (Ownlife)
Reeko - Youth Violence 1 - Part 1 (Mental Disorder)