The brainchild of South African electronic music stalwart, Markus Wormstorm, Drop Shop is a week-long incubator that brings together established and more up-and-coming producers to create a thirty-minute mix of original techno. “It started with this feature film which I was commissioned to do called ‘Sounds of Animals Fighting’ which takes place in South Africa and São Paulo, Brazil. To enrich my creative process I thought I’d set up a system through which I could collaborate with an artist from São Paulo and get to make some stuff in the studio with them and then use this music in the film. When I started putting it together I thought why don’t we go further and get a whole bunch of electronic producers together.” explains Markus.
Meeting in April 2018, the week featured Narch, Maxime Alexander, Felix Laband, D_Know, Whosane and Paulo Tessuto from São Paulo. The latter is known for his Carlos Capslock squat parties thrown in São Paulo as well as his record label MEMNTGN. He has established himself on the Brazilian and Berlin underground, playing the likes of Mezcaleria Lupita, Tresor, Golden Gate, Sisyphos, Chalet, SchwuZ. Describing them as ‘X-Men-like’, each with their own speciality, the week saw each producer bring two original loops which were then remixed and developed by the rest of the team. A stark contrast to the usual conditions in which electronic producers usually work, alone with minimal input from outside sources, Drop Shop saw them crammed together in a room packed with synths and drum machines at Honeymoon Studios working on tracks together and playing these live together as a unit. “When we got together each day was dedicated to a certain amount of tracks, we’d sit down and play each other what we did for a loop and then I’d choose which parts we’d use and then we’d come up with a sequence to play it live.”
From Narch’s bass-heavy Arp Odyssey to Felix Laband’s mysterious vocal samples, D_Know’s driving rhythms, the creative melodies of Maxime Alexander and the curious rhythms of Paulo Tessuto, the various elements were brought together by Markus. Ensuring that everything flowed together rather than clashing. Jamming and recording the tracks live meant that the group was able to record more than 8 tracks over the course of 3 days, which ultimately resulted in a 30-minute mix of original techno that drifts from dark and driving to melodic and uplifting. With a raw sound, it’s clear the mix was made live on machines rather than produced within the neat confines of a computer.
Aiming to continue the concept for the next few years, Markus hopes to bring in producers from other countries. “Maybe Argentina, Mexico, something from the east, Japan would be amazing. People come, play some shows and we make some music with them. What would we be great is if they, in turn, could do Drop Shops there.”
