The Bunker 10 Year Anniversary with Silent Servant, Vatican Shadow, Reagenz (aka Move D and Spacetime Continuum), Derek Plaslaiko, Bryan Kasenic, Eric Cloutier, and Mike Servito at Public Assembly
$20
It really doesn't feel like it's been that long since we started our little weekly party at our local hang, subTonic, with Timeblind, but in fact it's been 10 years. Tonight we celebrate this 10 year landmark by bringing together all four of The Bunker resident DJs, our old friends Silent Servant and Move D (in his Reagenz guise alongside Spacetime Continuum), and new face Vatican Shadow. It is only right that we celebrate in our 5+ year home, Public Assembly.
We first became aware of John Mendez in 1998 when a series of amazing records on a new label called Cytrax began appearing in NYC. Mendez founded the label, and recorded for it under his Jasper alias. The label produced tons of amazing records, mostly from new (at the time) west coast techno producers like Kit Clayton, Sutekh, Safety Scissors, and Twerk, all with a very unique and strangely psychedelic take on the sounds coming out of Detroit and Berlin. We cannot underestimate how important this label was in eventually steering us in the direction of founding The Bunker. Jasper also mixed the "Rauschen 15" CD for Force Inc, which made him into a successful international touring techno DJ for a few years. From 2002 to 2006, we heard no new music from Mendez, and thought he had given up on production. Then, in 2006, he started releasing under a new alias, Silent Servant, for the red-hot Sandwell District label. He also took on the duties of creating a visual identity for the label, which you can check out on his Where Next blog. After a great run, Sandwell District has called it quits, but Mendez shows no signs of slowing down. His full length album on Dominick Fernow's Hospital Prosuctions was easily on of 2012's best releases, and he is known worldwide for his uncompromising productions and DJ sets. Mendez has become a fan favorite at The Bunker and often digs a bit deeper into his crates for sets that will incorporate not only techno, but also industrial, EBM, synth punk, and other sounds.
Reagenz is the longtime collaboration between electronic music legends Move D and Spacetime Continuum. The story is that the two of them met in 1994 and recorded their debut album over a few sessions. After having not seen each other for 13 years (!!!) they met up and revisited their old material and began recording new sessions in 2008. In 2009, Workshop released the fruit of these sessions, their second album. The second album is a stone cold classic album that we return to often. Their highyl improvisational live shows are world-renknown (check some of the recordings below). After catching them play an extended opening set at PS1 in 2009, we became obsessed with the idea of them playing live at The Bunker. Due to various work-permit-related issues, this show has been booked and then cancelled more times than we can remember. Finally everything fell into place and we confirmed them for what now feels like the perfect event, The Bunker 10 Year Anniversary.
Derek Plaslaiko has long been the resident DJ at The Bunker, and was widely considered to be one of the best DJs in New York during his stay here. Derek has a repuation for blowing up The Bunker whenever he appears behind our decks, often outshining the world famous special guests he's supporting. In 2010, Derek relocated to Berlin to focus on production and European gigs, and is already taking the city by storm. He has held down a residency at Club der Visionaire, and made appearances at Berghain, Panorama Bar, Renate, Tresor, and many other local clubs. His debut vinyl EP on Perc Trax came out in 2010 and was well received on both sides of the Atlantic, selling out at Hard Wax in Berlin and getting a really great review over at Halcyonline. Earlier this year, Derek released a collaborative 12" with BMG on Interdimensional Transmissions, which you can hear and read about on their site. Fans of this record include everyone from Optimo to Zip (Perlon), and the limited vinyl is moving very fast, so we suggest you get on it.
Bryan Kasenic (pka Spinoza) is known in the electronic music world for throwing many incredible parties, playing adventurous DJ sets, and starting Beyond, his own booking agency. The past few years have seen Bryan take his infamous Brooklyn-based party, The Bunker, to Panorama Bar in Berlin, Unsound Festival in Krakow, Communikey Festival in Boulder, Decibel Festival in Seattle, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Philadelphia, and of course Detroit. The Bunker celebrates it's tenth anniversary in January.
Born and bred in Michigan, and currently based in Brooklyn, Eric Cloutier is one of a new generation of American DJs bridging the gap between dance music's past and its future. His sets have a sprawling depth and sophistication that fuses the brooding intensity of tripping techno with the mechanic funk of contemporary house. In 2006, Cloutier made the jump to New York and quickly established himself, earning a residency at the premiere monthly techno night The Bunker. Word has been spreading too: 2009 saw Cloutier recording two mixes for the mnml ssgs podcast series, beginning to work in the studio for the first time on his own material, making his European DJing debut and getting tapped to play at Japan's renowned Labyrinth Festival. That latter honor may be the most telling of all: Only a select few are asked to spin at Labyrinth. (It's the provenance of studious selectors like Daniel Bell, Donato Dozzy and Peter Van Hoesen.) To not only spin in their company, but to have ably held his own should tell you all you need to know about Eric Cloutier: He's a DJ for whom quality—above all else—is the watchword.
Mike Servito is from a very special yet temporary and partially lost fertile crescent of techno / house / party DJing. It was a time when raves were still a fresh idea, almost felt like a revolution, and DJs like Claude Young, D Wynn, Derrick Carter and Mike Huckaby were informing an upcoming generation. If you look directly to that inspired generation you will find the lost threads of Detroit Techno, House and beyond, you will find a group of DJs with insanely deep mixing skills, the ability to rock almost any kind of party with an improvisational approach that is so skilled it makes everything seem so well thought out that even they don't know where their set will go. But, it will take you there! In the future, this special generation of deep midwest mixers will be remembered and revered as the wizards they are, long after the trendy players have lost their luster. Mike Servito's upfront dirty deep and bitchy taste has had an impact on Detroit nightlife for over a decade. Moving to Brooklyn, Detroit's loss has been our gain, as he has found a proper home with a new residency at the Bunker, and worldwide representation from Beyond Booking.