HIV+

The author of the mix is Pedro Peñas y Robles (b. 1968), known as HIV+ (Harsh Industrial Virus Positive), a Franco-Spanish artist, DJ, and musician based in Murcia, Spain. Pedro’s musical journey to a frozen and somber sound began in France. He has been exploring wider regions of Industrial and EBM music since the late 1980s. For more than a decade, Pedro was DJing at various underground Dark/Gothic events in Southern France and consolidated his career at Trolleybus of Marseille in 1993 with the fetish-industrial festivals titled Armageddon. He has performed as a musician at various industrial festivals (l’Usine/CH, Infest/UK, Nocturna/ES, Noxious Art Festival/FR, and others) and in many countries (Spain, Belgium, UK, Mexico, USA & Canada, Chile). Moreover, Pedro has organized and co-organized over 100 Electro-Dark events and concerts featuring performances by Dive, Das Ich, The Hacker, Les Tétines Noires, Mlada Fronta, Mimetic, Stefan Alt, and many more.

Pedro’s first rhythmic noise record, “Hypnoise Movement,” was released on Divine Comedy Records in the early 2000s. Later on, he has produced numerous industrial, dark, and penetrating records for such labels as Signifier, Black Flames Records, and D.C. Moreover, from 2000 to 2011, he has remixed music by such legendary musicians as Nitzer Ebb, Hocico, Sonar, Morbid Angel, and others. Pedro is also part of the Fluxus group, a collaborative project between him and Mauri, and is also participating in the Adán & Ilse project together with Michel Lecamp. He was recently involved in a new noise project, H.U.H., too. In 2013, he founded Unknown Pleasures Records, which is “the answer to the lifelessness and mediocrity of the current music scene,” dedicated to various synth music.

In the records

With numerous compilations made in the past, Pedro is here to present his latest view on the depths of the underground music scene with his exclusive mix for Secret Thirteen.

STM 124 is a rhythmical and noirish audio selection, which was recorded at HIV+’s own home studio using mainly vinyl. Pedro’s thoughtful and playful mixing of the tracks and perfectly maintained overall sound mood clearly show his mature musical knowledge and skillfulness. Pedro has selected music from new and forthcoming releases on his Unknown Pleasures Records, and other dark gems mostly released in recent years. Durable works by such respectable artists as Haus Arafna, The KVB, Black Lung, Herz Jühning should leave no one indifferent. Please, open your black-hearted soul for this exceptional beauty.