Etnik
Origin: None
Within a year and after just a few releases, including some of the most acclaimed DJ sets on the planet, Hamburg phenom ETNIK has played himself to the forefront of the global techno scene. Born in 1992, ETNIK is already being dealt internationally as the next wunderkind of German techno. When producing, his ambition is clear: “I want each of my tracks to have a strong identity, while remaining distinctly different from one another. The danger in seeking a signature sound is that, in the end, many of your productions will pretty much sound the same. I definitely try to avoid this at all costs.” The result is his undeniably merciless yet amazingly confident sound, as put forth in his previous EPs, namely “Vino” and “Neon Daze”. Both garnered so much attention internationally, that his releases are also being distributed via OWSLA in the US. This comes as no surprise, considering that OWSLA label boss Skrillex himself is a huge fan of ETNIK’s work!
ETNIK produces a powerful brand of techno, destined to be played at a club night’s peak hours. He refuses to commit himself to just one genre, endlessly seeking unusual drum patterns that further emphasize his love for hip hop. “I am an absolute perfectionist, constantly seeking the ultimate,” he explains. “I’ll be quick to complete 80% of a track. However, the final 20% may take me months.” ETNIK thus spent two entire years working on his first tracks until he considered them good enough to be uploaded to SoundCloud. His efforts have paid off. The tracks and remixes uploaded to his SoundCloud channel currently boast close to 1 million plays and counting.
“Unclassified”, the title track to his upcoming EP on OWSLA, to be released on October 17th, is already at 100,000 plays. ETNIK perfectly blends his techno influenced background and his deep-rooted passion for hip hop, creating an impressively dense track that features Mykki Blanco’s heavy-hitting rhymes; a dark club anthem at the helm of future rap. The new EP also includes the mysteriously simmering “Take A Shot”, infused with a driving Tech Funk beat, the extremely minimalistic “N7”, decked out in a pumping, classic ‘90s beat, set to wreak havoc on the dance floor, as well as the crisp, funky techno track “Nighthawk”. ETNIK has once again produced an EP that absolutely stands out from the current electronic crowd. Or in the words of the man himself, his music is “In your face, but always in style!” More to come…
