Despite living today in London, Sam Wilson is a pretty influential character in the South American hypnotic techno scene, for having hosted more than 50 events for local artists, for having toured various times in the subcontinent, and for owning the Chilean label Dosis Records, with its dedicated podcast. The label name highlights the notion of “dose” (no, not “Dozzy”), which is central to Wilson’s creative process. As a DJ and producer, he subtly “doses” each musical layer to form a deep meaningful balance. Unlike most of his South American peers, he’s not into tribal techno, but in a genre that particularly fits his well-polished approach: the tunnelling and ambient rêveries of the Scottish School, “ascendant Affin”. This is particularly obvious in his self-released works and numerous beautiful DJ sets, worth exploring. For the rest, have an extra hint of his musical taste through his deep chart below.
THEMATIC SELECTION
CLASSIC
Tangerine Dream – Love On A Real Train [Virgin, 1984]
Sam Wilson: “A classic”, for me, is linked to “primal influences”. When thinking of my biggest one, Tangerine Dream comes first. In my opinion, the synth atmospheres, sequences and drones of the mystical band set an instant bridge to the ambient, atmospheric and deep techno that I enjoy today. “Love On A Real Train”, in particular, is for me a high representation of such a bridge.
DEEP
Claudio PRC – Black Hole [Prologue, 2017]
Sam Wilson: Nobody can deny Claudio PRC’s influence in deep techno, and when I think about atmospheric tracks, he has the touch. His “Inner State” EP is one of my all-time favourite deep techno albums, alongside his other works “Volumi Dinamici” on Semantica and “Lyra” on his own imprint 012. “Black Hole” was a hard choice between so many masterpieces.
MENTAL
Mike Parker – Undulating Frequencies [Spazio Disponible, 2016]
Sam Wilson: I love Mike Parker’s loopy and trippy style. His synth work and sound design are incredibly unique, and when it comes to “mixing tool tracks”, his pieces are the best to pick. I like to play his music, especially when DJing on three or four decks. Among his amazing releases, “Undulating Frequencies” is the hypnotic techno track that I enjoy the most.
DARK
Joachim Spieth – Dispersion [Affin, 2017]
Sam Wilson: Joachim Spieth is by far one of my top three biggest influences in techno. His label Affin manages to deliver masterpieces all the time, and I often find myself inspired by him in my own works. His “Irradiance” LP is one of the greatest ambient, deep & atmospheric albums ever produced in my opinion.
EXPERIMENTAL
Klauss – 3 + 1 [WD Records, 2021]
Sam Wilson: When I was on my first tour in Argentina, my great friend Forest On Stasys took me to the “Avant Garden” Pub. Klauss was performing over there, which I didn’t know, and I experienced one of the greatest IDM concerts ever. The band is one of the most influential Argentinian electronic music projects I know, highly recommended to follow.
DOPE BASSLINE
Marcelo Antonio – Yo, Run! [Out Of Sight, 2021]
Sam Wilson: My dear friend Marcelo Antonio is the Chilean techno artist who you must listen to. His productions, charged with complex rhythmic sequences and sci-fi synths, always amaze me. If you like hypnotic grooves and serious minimal dancefloor-oriented techno, I will tell you “he’s the man”.
DREAMY
Alfred Czital – Passenger [Harmony Rec, 2022]
Sam Wilson: About this track, I only want to say that it has been a fulfilling light to me in my latest dark times…
TO START A MIX
Polar Inertia – Side A [Climate Of Fear, 2020]
Sam Wilson: Next to Joachim Spieth in my top three comes Polar Inertia, whose discography contains nothing to throw away. “Side A” is the first part of a live set and if you would like to travel through space and time, the whole journey is fire! This was my opening track in my debut at Under Club in Buenos Aires, and it did not disappoint. In fact, every piece by the maestro is an intro & outro banger.
FOR THE PEAK TIME
Oxygeno – Anesthetized [Nachstrom Schallplatten, 2023]
Sam Wilson: If we are talking about peak time tracks, Oxygeno has been my most-played artist for the last two years. I love his raw and electric sound; it makes me imagine putting my fingers to the sockets and jumping to the dancefloor. His label “Lost Verses”, alongside his last release on Mord, just keeps blowing my mind every time.
BONUS – TOPIC BROUGHT BY OUR GUEST
A DOPE MIX
Vril – Boiler Room Tbilisi (2017)
Sam Wilson: This mix by Vril has reached my heart since the first time I listened to it. Dub techno is not my strong point, but I have always thought Vril’s influence in techno music goes far beyond that, so putting him into this deep selection makes sense to me. His pads and atmospheres are just brilliant. I would name his work “Feeling Techno”.
WRITING BY: SAMUEL WILSON & CEDRIC FINKBEINER | 8 DECEMBER 2023
