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Mike Parker Summons an Underwater Sea Creature on Latest Record

The American techno producer evokes the Trojan Sea monster in his latest track.
JW

For almost 20 years, Mike Parker has been delivering productions and gaining worldwide renown as a singular voice in deep and abstract techno. The producer, and fine art professor in Buffalo, NY has collaborated with like-minded heads such as Donato Dozzy, Sleeparchive, and Audion, and runs his own label Geophone as an outlet for his own releases and remixes.

In 2014, Parker released a split EP with Sleeparchive on the Berlin underground techno label REPITCH Recordings, and now returns to the label with "10inch 03," a two-track single of looping and hypnotic techno abstractions. This is the third release in REPTICH's "10 inch" series, previously releasing split singles from a variety of artists on their roster, like Marcus Suckut and Marcelus. Parker distills melodies and slowly builds shifting and evolving loops to infinity, as evidenced in "Ketos Troias", the B-side track from his new release. "Ketos Troias" is premiering today on THUMP, listen to the exclusive stream below the interview with Parker.

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THUMP: Ketos Troias is the Trojan Sea Monster from Greek mythology—can you talk about how this creature inspired you, or in what ways mythology inspires your music?
Mike Parker: I've always been interested in the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean, their artworks, monuments and mythological images. As some people know, I teach art at the university level, and figures from art history continue to inspire me. I wanted to evoke a powerful underwater sea creature with the track "Ketos Troias".

Have you introduced any new gear to your studio that has had an effect on this?
Lately, I've been experimenting with a new Roland phaser module. I'm always researching new gear and ways to implement a spatial dynamic.

Your productions are certainly characterized by loops, ever so slightly shifting and building, but rarely with a release or break in momentum, making them both ideal DJ tools, and also potentially difficult to present in a club environment. How do you think these tracks are best experienced by a listener?
Some people say my music sounded at its best during the outdoor Labyrinth festival in Japan. But I can place any of my tracks at the right moment in a club environment also. It's all about the pacing of the set, the peaks and the transitions…

For almost 20 years, Mike Parker has been delivering productions and gaining worldwide renown as a singular voice in deep and abstract techno. The producer, and fine art professor in Buffalo, NY has collaborated with like-minded heads such as Donato Dozzy, Sleeparchive, and Audion, and runs his own label Geophone as an outlet for his own releases and remixes.

In 2014, Parker released a split EP with Sleeparchive on the Berlin underground techno label REPITCH Recordings, and now returns to the label with "10inch 03," a two-track single of looping and hypnotic techno abstractions. This is the third release in REPTICH's "10 inch" series, previously releasing split singles from a variety of artists on their roster, like Marcus Suckut and Marcelus. Parker distills melodies and slowly builds shifting and evolving loops to infinity, as evidenced in "Ketos Troias", the B-side track from his new release. "Ketos Troias" is premiering today on THUMP, listen to the exclusive stream below the interview with Parker.

THUMP: Ketos Troias is the Trojan Sea Monster from Greek mythology—can you talk about how this creature inspired you, or in what ways mythology inspires your music?
Mike Parker: I've always been interested in the civilizations of the ancient Mediterranean, their artworks, monuments and mythological images. As some people know, I teach art at the university level, and figures from art history continue to inspire me. I wanted to evoke a powerful underwater sea creature with the track "Ketos Troias".

Have you introduced any new gear to your studio that has had an effect on this?
Lately, I've been experimenting with a new Roland phaser module. I'm always researching new gear and ways to implement a spatial dynamic.

Your productions are certainly characterized by loops, ever so slightly shifting and building, but rarely with a release or break in momentum, making them both ideal DJ tools, and also potentially difficult to present in a club environment. How do you think these tracks are best experienced by a listener?
Some people say my music sounded at its best during the outdoor Labyrinth festival in Japan. But I can place any of my tracks at the right moment in a club environment also. It's all about the pacing of the set, the peaks and the transitions...

Jesse is THUMP's Intern. Follow him on Twitter.

Jesse is THUMP's Intern. Follow him on Twitter.

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