Subkutan

Subkutan is the moniker of German artist and DJ Tobi, who has been active for more than 10 years. He was initially part of the electronic scene in Erfurt, centred around a squat on the former Topf & Söhne factory ground. He later moved to Leipzig and regularly plays at the Institute für Zukunft (IfZ), where he is also a resident. Coming from a punk and industrial background, Subkutan is very into the dark, atonal side of techno. He builds his sets by layering different cuts together and mixing excerpts from audio dramas to add an individual note. His sets and notably his podcasts always hold a narrative structure, which can be described as „a tangle of sounds, sometimes just a memory of sound, an acoustic labyrinth, where you first run away and then find yourself in a sheltered room in the dark. The sound that swells through the darkness like quicksand, as tentacle wraps everything under the skin and gets stuck there.“

In his mix „Diary of Craving“ for the New Blood series, Subkutan crafts a thoughtful and emotional story based on the diverse selection of fresh techno and experimental electronics from labels such as Blackest Ever Black, Downwards or Avian. Voice samples from William Burroughs’ „Junky“ and „Naked Lunch“, as well as Johann Hari’s Ted Talk „Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong“ provide conceptual clues to the very nature of craving and addiction that Subkutan is trying to capture with this profound take on our theme.

In the records

Subkutan on the mix

“In my mix “Diary of Craving” I do not focus on a special drug but rather the desire that can become overpowering. It is about pain and numbness but also the desire to feel yourself and others. As it says right at the beginning in a sample: “All addictions are a desire for true connection“.“

spoken word-samples:

Johann Hari: Everything We Know About the Drug War & Addiction is Wrong
William Burroughs – Junky
William Burroughs – Naked Lunch