RA.909 Bake ⟋ RA Podcast

One of the UK's best DJs finally in session.

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909 is a special number for us at RA—the name of one of the most hallowed drum machines in all of music, and one of the foundations of techno music—and we're more than happy to offer it up to a DJ who has been a long-time favourite of our team: Glasgow's Bake. In fact, we commissioned this mix roughly ten years ago, but you can't rush perfection. When Bake emerged as one of the heads behind the label All Caps—a relatively short-lived but influential imprint that released massive tracks like Flørist's "Marine Drive" and Kowton's "TFB"—he also quickly became one of the most impressive DJs in the post-dubstep access, appearing frequently at Hessle Audio events and sharpening his skills behind the decks at the country's best parties. Now he runs his own, Spirit, at Sub Club. He has a wide-ranging style that touches on all kinds of leftfield techno and broken drum patterns. His nearly two-hour RA Podcast finds him at the end of a sort-of comeback year, and it touches on tracks from Shackleton, Laksa, Batu, Karima F and Levon Vincent, to give you an idea. It's the kind of mix that oozes expertise and practice without feeling showy—the signs of a truly great DJ. If you don't know Bake, then now you do. What have you been up to recently? I've been making a lot of soup lately! Besides that, earlier this year, I took on a residency at the Sub Club called Spirit, which has been really fun so far. I've had the pleasure of playing with Batu and Donato Dozzy on separate occasions, and I've walked away with heaps of lessons, experiences and memories I'll never forget. How and where was the mix recorded, and can you tell us the idea behind it? Recording a mix is one of the strangest things you can do in the overall phenomenon of DJing. I was initially asked to make this mix over ten years ago—that's a weird amount of time to be stuck on one thing. This month, I spent a few weeks working on something very technical that could represent me as best as possible, but on the day, I decided to set that aside and record something completely off the cuff, making it up as I went along. It's funny how sometimes things fall into place. The mix itself is quite straightforward and is set around 140 BPM. It feels very UK to me, in terms of the sensory and motor aspects of the music—driving rhythms, broken rhythms, contrasting atmospheres, sharp turns, incredible percussion, deep low end, all the good stuff. What's one club or party that had a major impact on you as an artist? By far, the deepest core memories I have in the club come from the early Fortified sessions in Glasgow during the mid-2000s. It changed my life hearing Skream and Digital Mystikz in a tiny room on the gigantic Mungo's Hi-Fi system. I've not been the same since. What have you learned about DJing—and your relationship with music—after your time away from it? I have never taken time away from music or DJing. However, I did bring a chapter of my life in music that had a little public following to a close, and since then, I've learned a lot technically and theoretically about how music works. The most important lessons are the ones I've learned about myself, though. They've given me insight into the most valuable skill you can develop musically—understanding and believing in what you enjoy. I have struggled with self-belief for a long time. I've always had a voice inside my head that doubts my every decision. DJing is something that puts me in direct confrontation with those feelings, and every time it's painful and tiring. But when I feel like I've unlocked some part of a puzzle by doing it, there's not much else that comes close to giving me a sense of belief that I can feel better. It is at its core, a hopeful endeavor. What's one social or political cause you want the world to pay more attention to? I cannot be silent regarding the escalation of violence in Gaza. Finding the right words to express the depth of what is going on is profoundly challenging. You have to think about if you spent most of your life ruled by another, if you watched your people be flattened, what would have more meaning than your own freedom? I do not know such pain, I do not have the strength they have, but I try to remain with these questions as I learn from those around me. I use this opportunity to ask others to do the same, as it is crucial to join the worldwide call for an immediate ceasefire, and it is crucial to understand that this will not end until Palestine is free. What are you looking forward to in the near future? To be honest, I'm looking forward to making more soup. I'm getting there with this Ribollita. The final Spirit of the year is in a few weeks on November 17th, and I'm lucky to share it with Objekt and CCL. In December, I'll be heading to India to play at the Magnetic Fields Festival, as well as a few other shows dotted around the country.

Tracklist

Sangre Voss - Smyyre Myyrgu Shackleton vs Kasai Allstars - Mukuba Special JD Reid - First Time Around The World Gaffaci - Dragonia Sloucho - Slow Feet Karima F - FHP Laksa - ? Sangre Voss - Brogkl K Wata + Enayet - U D S2S Frazer Ray - Screamer (140 Mix) OMAAR - Terranova Andy Martin - Badman Sound Keek - Sodom & Gomorah Ploy - Vortex (Stripped Mix) Lurka - Dreamtek Tool Erik Luebs - Mutating Limbs Tano - 10-11 Rhyw - Wolf Town Batu - In Tongues Elpac & Mulholland - Dubba Siu Mata & Amor Satyr - Mhkl Surusinghe - Brain Fearz - Waterproof tagi - Monga Laksa - ? Eduardo De La Calle - Camp Detrick Zenker Brothers - Vamp Like Levon Vincent - Sacred Geometry 4 Verraco - How is this even possible Angel Rocket - Metro Hexx DJ DOS - Sasazuka Rhapsody Ben Fester & DJ Plead - Skull Frozen LFO - Blown