Pyramid Lake, NV (CN) – Photek has everything going for him. Not only is he from England, he resides in Los Angeles! He has a handsome, gaunt, serious face best captured in black and white.
Photek was one of the pioneers of drum and bass; his first release coming out in 1994. A master producer, he’s done remixes of everyone from Pinch to David Bowie to Roni Size to, yes, Evanescence. You’ll find movie soundtracks and a Grammy nomination in his CV. And yet Photek isn’t a headliner; he is in the same milieu as the Venice Beach Dub Kirtanistanis and some dude from Glitch Mob.
Photek represents the tension more mainstream electronic acts have encountering the Burner/New Age festival scene. He wants to be there, playing to all these dubsmart tribal trendsetters. If only he could just translate Photek into sanskrit, incorporate some samples of Bulgarian folk music into his set and jingle when he walked he’d be top of the bill.
For all that Symbiosis has it right.
Photek will probably sell as many tickets and bring as much enthusiasm to the dusty dance floor as can be expected of a DJ listed 21st on the bill. You wonder if flavor of the month James Blake ain’t exactly selling Symbiosis tickets like honey from a telephone either.
Part of this is Photek’s fault. He music veers to the minimal, icy matte steel halls of some dystopian Japanese sci-fi flick.
Japanese Sci Fi or 90s DnB?
But give Photek his due – his well crafted tunes play complex, deep and like Burial get under your skin.
If you still associate Photek with 90s DnB hits like Rings Around Saturn (still an awesome track), listen to some of his new tunes like Fountainhead and go check him out at Symbiosis, you may just have your sonic socks blown off.
Twitter: @photek
photek.fm
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