Back from Deep Space.

When I first moved to Michigan to go to College in ‘94, I knew that what was already a borderline obsession with electronic music would likely evolve into something deeper and more profound; I was (after all) moving within a short drive of the city that absorbed much of what had been musically done with machines to date and reshaped it into something else entirely: danceable music with a soul and intensity that reflected not only the capabilities of these primitive instruments, but the unique creativity of the men that were pulling new life and new sounds from within the machines.

It wasn’t until 1996 that I was introduced to Derrick May. The meeting was intimidating, exhilarating and brief. The challenge was to design a group of t-shirts that would later become a line of apparel and accessories for DJs. It worked out, and it led to what would become a working relationship with Derrick and Transmat that celebrates its twelfth year as I write this. You can see an archive of the work here.

Transmat has been around for a long time: just over 20 years actually. To me, the label has always embodied the spirit of Detroit Techno and it has consistently identified, promoted, released and celebrated up-and-coming talent. When Derrick contacted me earlier this year and told me that he wanted to re-launch the label, I was thrilled. When I found out that the first release was going to be from Toronto-based DJ/producer Greg Gow, I was elated. I feel that Greg’s tracks are a perfect fit for Transmat and will go a long way to carrying on the tradition of the label and supporting Derrick’s ongoing mission of “saving the world from bad music”.

The Pilgrimage EP has been released exclusively on Beatport this week. I encourage you all to check it out; Derrick has been playing The Bridge and Black Sun for almost 2 years now, and both tracks get a massive response whenever they drop. The bar has been set high, and we expect to see great things from Transmat artists to come.

You can preview and purchase the Pilgrimage EP here.

Oh yeah, and for those of you who don’t know… now you know.

Your Youtube introduction/education is as follows (1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10)

Your bonus beat

Time: Space: Transmat