With his penchant for big room techno permeated with thunderous drums, is it any wonder tracks by New York DJ and producer Avision tracks are finding homes on influential labels like Ellum, Drumcode and Intec, to name just a few?
Growing up around the rich club culture of New York City and influenced by the sounds around him, Avision – aka Anthony Cardinale – secured his first residency playing a teen night at Club Abyss when he was just a young pup of 16.
“I’m forever grateful for these days as it showed me at a young age what nightlife was about,” recalls Avision. “As a DJ it taught me so much. It really showed me how to read a crowd and take people on a journey. Being a DJ that young in a club was a huge accomplishment and a dream for me at that time. I always carry those memories wherever I travel to and play. How I was just a 16-year-old kid with a big dream, and I still have a lot more to do.”
New Wave
Fast-forward more than 10 years and Avision finds himself helping to usher in a new wave of techno for the New York scene. Yet he humbly describes himself as just “getting started”. And that’s despite clocking up gigs at The Brooklyn Mirage and Time Warp in NYC, Fabrik Madrid, Pacha Barcelona, Stereo Montreal and Space Miami, as well as at The BPM Festival, and Dockyards in Amsterdam – all before COVID-19 put the kybosh on his gigging schedule.
After releasing the Feeling You EP on Mindshake during the summer and hooking up with Cevin Fisher and Layton Giordani for Power, out now on Drumcode, Avision is also locked in for an Ellum gig, in the Tulum jungle, Mexico, on 9th January 2021. There he’ll play alongside Ellum label boss Maceo Plex, Seth Troxler, DJ Tennis and Haai.
We asked Avision to spill the beans on the five techno tracks that changed his life…
1. Ben Sims
I Wanna Go Back (Drumcode, 2011)
First thoughts: I was at Pacha NYC the year this came out, about a year after I started going to clubs. I got snuck in to see my cousin Victor Calderone DJ that night. It was maybe four or five in the morning. The whole club was red, and it just had this insane vibe the whole time the record was playing.
Why it’s so special: It just has that New York vibe written all over it. That funky, chunky sound reminds me of the city. Even though Ben is from the UK, I think NY has had a lot of influence here – the rolling bassline and driving percussion. Overall, this one just sounds timeless.
Career impact: I was 17 and that era of techno was just a huge year for me. All these kinds of tracks are classics to me, and it opened my eyes to see what else was out there, especially from Ben. This record helped to push me into digging more, and learning and seeing what else someone like him plays. I’ve since released on Ben’s labels Hardgroove and Machine so it definitely had an impact!
If I were to remix this track… I’d have to be very careful. It’s a classic!
2. Continuous Cool
Automatic (Cyber Records, 1996)
First thoughts: This is a classic NY techno record. I heard this in a Junior Vasquez mix recorded when he was playing at Sound Factory. It just made me stop, and I needed to figure out what that track was. Little did I know it was Steve Rachmad! I was talking to Truncate at Amsterdam Dance Event a couple of years ago and he was the one who told me it was Steve Rachmad. I had no idea. I’m a huge fan of Steve, and over the years it’s been a true honour that he’s played some of my records in his sets. He’s a real legend.
Why it’s so special: It starts off with those 909 toms and instantly gets me hooked. It’s that in-between house and techno groove and the swing is just coming along on that 909. What makes it so special is the peaks and valleys throughout the record, and it ends lifting up the crowd again.
Career impact: Before this, I was always a huge fan of Steve’s. When I found out this was also him, that just took it over the edge.
If I were to remix this track… I don’t think I’d touch this one, not sure what I’d do with it. Sometimes it’s best not to mess with a good thing.
3. Victor Calderone
Give It Up (Empire State Records, 1997)
First thoughts: It’s a huge track. Heard it and immediately loved it.
Why it’s so special: Big room, tribal, techno – a real example of that classic ’90s NYC sound.
Career impact: It’s influenced me musically, big time. The way the vocal is sampled and how it brings such a huge vibe to the dancefloor, it’s influenced my sound as a producer. I often try and bring that similar vibe in some of my tracks.
If I were to remix this track… I’d love to rework the vocal and the synth. What makes it so special are both of those parts. To give it a new approach would be cool and dynamic.
4. Moderat
Bad Kingdom (Marcel Dettman Remix), (50Weapons, 2013)
First thoughts: A raw warehouse vibe. Straight, stripped down, deep, dark techno.
Why it’s so special: Whenever I hear it, it just transports me to a steamy warehouse.
Career impact: It helped changed my approach on techno. All of these tracks did. This one showed me that you can still have vocals and still be “techno” today.
If I were to remix this track… I’d love to use the percussion. That dungeon big room sound, and the pads and the vocal I’d like to work into a different feel. Lots of the parts I’d use in a remix.
5. Diego
Mind Detergent (Robert Hood Remix), (Kanzleramt, 2004)
First thoughts: Constant, fun, groovy, uplifting.
Why it’s so special: Robert Hood – every record he makes is amazing! I started going back in his catalogue and picked this one out. Definitely a classic. I played it out the first time at Club Space in Miami a couple of years ago.
Career impact: He keeps it real, keeps it simple and his music just speaks volumes. Incredible music and another huge influence on my sound.
If I were to remix this track… I’d probably make it a bit more big room, as opposed to so stripped down. But, to me, the original is perfect.
