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Clocking in at nearly 11 minutes, “Acid King” stands out nearly as much for its artfully distorted snare drums as its Plastikman-reminiscent 303 lead. The release also includes a “Stripped Mix” and a “F.U.S.E. Bass Dub,” in addition to a track consisting of isolated percussion samples as well as one of the echoing spoken word vocal.

“As a teenager growing up on the other side of the river from Detroit it was impossible not to be heavily influenced by the sound of Detroit radio and the music being produced there,” Hawtin recently wrote of his early musings. “Listening to my earlier productions of 1990 you can hear those influences, first more as imitations and then slowly developing into something more.”

Richie Hawtin rose to fame in the ’90s not only for his own recordings, but those of the artists signed to his and John Acquaviva‘s influential Plus 8 imprint. Time Warps marked his first “dance floor-focused EP” since 1999’s Minus Orange.

“Acid King” arrived August 6th via From Our Minds. Purchase it in digital format via Richie Hawtin Bandcamp and look out for a vinyl release in late September.

The film, titled PLASTIKMAN R E W I N D, comes from director David Terranova. Virtually no other clues as to the content of the documentary have been given, save for one quote from Hawtin himself: “Imagine waking up from an acid trip and trying to put all the pieces back together… ten years later.”

Speculation is that the film will highlight some of Hawtin’s releases and performances as Plastikman, potentially covering his 2014 live album, EX and more. The press release doesn’t offer much insight as to the content of the documentary either, but does note that R E W I N D‘s screenings will be a one-time-only event.

The documentary will air on December 4th at midnight CET for Europe, and midnight EST for North America. It can be viewed on Beatport‘s website and official Twitch channel, or at plastikman.com.

Richie Hawtin’s latest solo release, Time Warps, was his first since 1999. Len Faki and Tres Demented remixed Plastikman’s “Hypokondriak” and “Brainfreeze” last year.

In an interview with High Snobiety, Hawtin discussed a range of topics including his early years, DJ equipment and fashion. In response to a question about how DJ culture has evolved, he said:

My ex-label partner John [Acquaviva] and I have an investment firm now, where we’ve invited nearly a hundred different DJs to pool their money together to reinvest in companies and technologies that empower creative people. In a way, it’s so far removed from where we were 25 years ago as a little record company. That shows you the size and the complexity of the scene, how it’s truly become an industry. No DJ or electronic musician, save for Kraftwerk and a couple others, have reached this age. Many of us don’t really know where it’s going, or how we’re supposed to act. How long is the career of a DJ? Where do we go from here? Should we be slowing down as we’re getting into our 50s or 60s and not be in the booth in a club for 20-year-olds, or is that part of the magic?

Hawtin’s insight into the quandaries facing DJs of his era illuminates modern electronic music’s unique cultural context. A handful of elder statesmen now task themselves with devising a blueprint for their successors to follow – even if only for the sake of their own career longevity.

In a separate interview published three months ago, Richie Hawtin recounted how the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995 nearly derailed his career. He will continue his tour with a performance tonight, October 20th, at Blue Marlin Ibiza in the United Arab Emirates.

Source: Mixmag

In the wake of the Oklahoma City Bombing of the same year, Hawtin had been barred from the US. He recalled that the day after the tragedy, in which 168 were killed, he “had a gig in New York which was supposed to be a pivotal point, it was the first Plastikman live show of New York.”

After driving across the border with his brother, Matthew, Hawtin was pulled over by authorities. After being detained for several hours for not having any working papers, the two were sent back to Windsor, where Hawtin’s family lived at the time. He explained:

I remember going home after being in detention for six or seven hours and just crumbling on my mum and dad’s floor because it was like my career was over. My girlfriend was living in Detroit, all the parties we were doing were in Detroit [it was] everything that Plastikman had become. It was like cutting the umbilical cord. It changed everything for me.

When One Door Closes

As luck would have it, Richie Hawtin’s dilemma influenced him to become an international superstar DJ. Since he still held a passport he shifted his focus to European bookings, and by the time he had permanently relocated to Berlin in 2004 he had played no small role in helping pioneer the minimal techno genre.

It bears mentioning that Hawtin still still experiences the occasional barrier of entry; visa issues forced him to cancel his performance at the 2016 edition of Movement in Detroit. Of course, the situation was far less grave this time around, and the ENTER. mastermind has found his way back onto US soil since then.

Richie Hawtin will bring his CLOSE – Spontaneity & Synchronicity stage show to Primavera Sound in Porto, Portugal in the next stop on his world tour.

Source: Mixmag