“My brain always fixates on titles, numbers and dates, so collecting records was a great way to nurture this trait.”
Gradually, he became closer and closer with the likes of Chris (C.K), Natal (Central) and Milán (DJ Sports), and soon, Mathias found himself entrenched in a collective he’d so long admired. “We saw eye to eye on so many things. The team just evolved through camaraderie.”
For context, the first Regelbau/Safe Distribution release was over a decade ago, and to this day, Mathias and his friends continue to bring the world some of the bubbliest and most enjoyable club tracks. It has not all been sunshine and rainbows; heck it never is. Throughout his life, Mathias has battled bouts of depression and illness, which he explains, “can rob you of the things that used to bring you joy…it creates a negative feedback loop which makes you question why you’re not enjoying this like you used to? The love and support he receives from his closest confidants and his “belief in the power of collective effort” keep his passion for music burning bright.
Mathias’s willingness to contribute to this series is an indication that love is very much alive and well.
1. Clark | “Knowledge”
First up is a track from Clark, aka the late great Mark Bell, from his Lofthouse release on Planet E. Mark Bell is perhaps most known as a founding member of LFO, and he also did some work with Björk in the latter part of the 90s. I really enjoy his output as Speed Jack and Counterpoint, but this particular Clark record has a special place in my heart. I stumbled upon it by listening to the DJ-Kicks mix of Claude Young, whose DJ’ing and producing I adore. He plays three tracks from this release in that mix, so I’ve picked one of the tracks not featured in that mix, which is my favorite at the moment, but that changes ever so often. The track itself is just quite peculiar with its gliding bassline, rough drums, and sparkly melody. As the track progresses, we can hear Mark fiddling with the drum machine, changing the release time on the snare and whatnot, creating a chaotic and lively sound, which kinda shouldn’t work, but it just does!
