DJ Nobu has long been Japan's best kept secret, but lately it feels like the cat is well out of the bag as his global touring schedule fills up for 2016. Nobu has been producing the legendary Future Terror parties in Japan since 2001 and launched his Bitta label in 2012. More than anything though, he is known for his completely unpredictable yet always mind-melting DJ sets. We were completely floored by both his prime-time set at The Bunker in Tokyo and his opening set at The Bunker in Osaka in September, 2015. He will be playing the closing set of The Bunker NY takeover of Berghain in February. Few DJs demonstrate the depth of vision that seems to come naturally to Nobu. Check out some of his podcast and you'll see what we mean. We are thrilled to welcome Nobu to close out The Bunker for his debut North American appearance!

Marina Rubinstein loves to DJ, but even when she’s perched in the booth, weaving together a invigorating assortment of hypnotic acid, ’90s rave and pumping techno, her mind is on the dancefloor. After all, it was on dancefloor that this Russian-born, Israeli-reared artist fell in love with techno in the first place. Long before she started playing records and adopted the Dr. Rubinstein moniker, she was a self-declared “true raver” in Tel Aviv, and it was during those long nights of partying that she eventually came to see dancing as a kind of meditation. “When the music is right,” she explains, “you can free your mind and just dance without thinking of anything. For me, it’s the best feeling in life, something that brings absolute happiness.”

That “special feeling,” as she describes it, is something Rubinstein is constantly seeking, not just for herself, but also for those who come to see her play. While her ceaselessly cheery personality certainly goes a long way in this effort, it’s her adventurous spirit – not to mention her unabashed love of all things acid – that truly sets her apart as a DJ. Now based in Berlin, she’s become a regular at places like ://about blank and Berghain, but her talents have increasingly taken her around Europe and the globe to spin alongside a wide array of techno luminaries.

Wata Igarashi has quickly emerged as one of Japan’s leading DJs and producers. He has been exploring the deeper side of techno through well-received EPs on Midgar, The Bunker NY, and DJ Nobu’s Bitta label, as well as standout tracks on compilations on Semantica and Time to Express. By day, Igarashi works as a sound producer and the skills he has developed through his work are reflected in his productions, which are distinguished by their subtle and carefully polished feel. Igarashi pursues a similar sound in his DJ sets, developing a distinctive take on the more trippy and psychedelic brand of techno Japan has become known for.

Many DJs have reputations defined by a certain place and time. Not so for Derek Plaslaiko, whose 20-year career behind the decks has seen him gather a loyal fan base wherever and whenever he may be.

Some will know Derek as a favorite of the mid-90s Detroit warehouse scene, which lead to a personal invite from Carl Craig to appear at the inaugural Detroit Electronic Music Festival in 2000. Others recognize him from his near decade-long residency at The Bunker New York parties, during which time he was named “Best Techno Party DJ” by the Village Voice in 2006. Then there was the summer of 2011 spent behind the decks at Berlin’s infamous Club der Visionaere, as an honorary resident at the weekly Visionquest nights—a worthy introduction to the city he now calls home.

Of late, there is a new generation of party people who will know Plaslaiko from his extended sets (up to 12 hours) in New York, Paris, Seattle, Los Angeles and Philadelphia, or his regular appearances at clubs like Tresor, Hot Mass, Beta, Output, Smart Bar and Berghain, and festivals like Decibel, Communikey and Movement. Or some who caught his name on the flier for the No Way Back series of parties put on by Interdimensional Transmissions, the Detroit imprint that has put out several of Plaslaiko’s rare original releases, along with Perc Trax and Minus.

There are tens of thousands of others who caught on to Plaslaiko following his record-breaking 12-hour Boiler Room set, where he gave viewers a look into his living room, while friends and friend’s toddlers enjoyed the day. This landmark session properly archived the full Plaslaiko musical experience, from flawless house and techno, to hip-hop, classic rock, and whatever other musical moment this life-long record obsessive chooses to share. And let’s not forget the thousands of folks who have befriended Plaslaiko while sharing the dance floor with this committed clubber who refuses to hang out in the booth and will always skip the DJ dinner in favor of catching one of his peers behind the decks.

Wherever one picks up Plaslaiko’s story, maybe during his days dealing discs in Detroit’s famed Record Time dance room or possibly the years spent moving serious weight at Watts and Syntax Distribution, the one constant is top-shelf musical taste, as defined by Plaslaiko’s personal heroes—names like Laurent Garnier, Daniel Bell and Zip, and colleagues including Carlos Souffront, Jason Kendig and Mike Servito—and a passion for music that over-rides the usual trappings of the modern DJ industry.

This may mean to some that Plaslaiko is still unsung. But for those who know better (and there are many all over the world), praise for Derek has been sung for decades.