MOODY EXPERIMENTAL AND TERRESTRIAL ATMOSPHERICS BATHING IN JAZZY UNDERTONES.

Sydney bred, Berlin based selector Bekk Tate steers the series into double digits with an intimately crafted journey through the weird and wonderful.

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Could you please tell us a little bit about your journey into electronic music? How/when did the dance music bug bite you and when did that lead to DJing? Because of dancing, music has always played a pretty significant role in my life. Probably the most defining influences on my taste was the era of Massive Attack, The Prodigy and Portishead. I began mixing because I was collecting a lot of electronic music and was always thinking about what tracks would go well together. So I got some equipment and things evolved from there.

How did you decide to approach your lazydaze mix? Any favourite tracks or moments in there for you? It was inspired from a few too many nights out listening to techno and electro. I was craving a more relaxed vibe to offset the madness. I haven’t recorded an ambient mix for a while, so it was nice to search for some new music. I guess for this mix I was drawn to some jazz influences for the musicality, and to avoid getting too dark or deep. My favourite track in the mix is by Eli Keszler - ‘Measurement Doesn’t Change The System At All.’

What setup did you record the mix on? A pair of CDJs and a Xone DB4 mixer.

You’ve been living in Berlin for a few years now. What makes it such special city for a creative? Musically, there is really a scene for every kind of music. There are some amazing artists and events focused on ambient and experimental music. But also, I think some of the more influential aspects are the diversity of people in the city, the increase in politically motivated parties (particularly in the queer community), and also the time you can have for yourself. I really need time alone to process my thoughts, and you are free to do this here.

Any standout gigs you’ve played there so far? Last year at Garbicz Festival was a really special vibe, I played on the ambient floor and was humbled by how kind and appreciative the crowd was. I also really enjoyed playing a downtempo set at an exhibition opening in the artist's atelier. It was a journey just finding the place, as it was in the outskirts of Berlin. But these days I prefer being on the dance floor or in the audience at concerts, so you can fully immerse yourself in the sound.

Which artists inspire you in the ambient/downbeat/electronica realm? Baby Vulture, Evano, Jon Hassell, Joel Graham and Objekt.

What’s your all time favourite album or DJ compilation in the realm of home listening? In recent months I’ve been listening to Jan Jelinek’s podcast for XLR8R and Borusiade’s mix for Radio Comeme a lot.

You can check out the tracklist for Bec’s mix over at SoundCloud.