Vladimir Ivkovic Selects His Favorite ’90s Trance Tracks That Sound Better Slow
Yugoslavian-born DJ Vladimir Ivkovic has been a flag-bearer for the wacky, weird and unusual sounds that have taken center stage in the underground electronic music scene over the past couple of years. His rise has occurred in parallel with similar selectors like Lena Willikens—with whom he plays frequently—and Jan Schulte, all three of whom are residents at Düsseldorf’s Salon Des Amateurs club.
Part of what’s made Ivkovic’s trademark brand of sludgy and eclectic mixes so unique has been his penchant for deep digging, from out-of-press industrial sledgehammers to re-contextualized Eastern-influenced hymns. Ivkovic has also been known to play high energy ’90s trance tunes at slower speeds, giving them a dark and EBM-influenced feel—a trend that we’ve noticed has been spreading to other realms of the electronic underground scene.
The artist sat down with us to reveal his favorite of these cuts, a few of which he played out with Lena Willikens at Dekmantel Festival São Paolo this past March. Check out the mix—and the tracks—below.
Man With No Name, “Lunar Cycle” (Dragonfly Records 1995)
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“I really like this one played on the wrong speed, as the melody and the bass line get some new and unusual frequencies.”
Koxbox, “Acid Vol. 3” (Outloud Records 1993)
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“This is a great track, and there’s a pressing of this song on the famous German label from the nineties. My friend Mikkel Oliver Brask told me that the original pressing on Outlaid is cut on 45rpm—which made it even more interesting.”
Ramin, “I Can’t Understand” (Planet Core Productions 1991)
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“This one is not on the recent mix that Lena Willikens and I made for Dekmantel Sao Paulo, but it’s an old favorite of mine. On 45rpm, this tune—and the whole EP—is a proper stomper, but on the wrong speed the record unfolds in something unexpectedly melancholic.”
Astral Projection, “Ionized” (Transient Records 1997)
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“This is a big record and a big project. Really euphoric dance music.”
Psychaos, “They Tried To Grab Me” (Blue Room Released 1995)
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“This track is even more intense on 33rpm since there are longer silences between the sounds. Big record.”
Vladimir Ivkovic is part of SHAPE, a platform for innovative music and audiovisual art from across Europe. For more information and upcoming events, visit their website here.
Read more: Lena Willikens’ guide to Düsseldorf’s DIY music underground
Published June 20, 2018.