The Public Works Department presents Marcel Fengler

::Tickets are now available at Moshtix and Resident Advisor for $20 plus booking fee::

Marcel from the Berghain is coming. Marcel Fengler that is. A rock solid DJ, earning his stripes playing extended sets as a resident at the iconic club in Berlin, with a handful of equally solid releases will be treating us to a three hour set. If you haven’t already, wrap your ears around his interpretation of the Berghain mix CD, or his excellent mnml ssgs mix.

Lining up in support is James Manning from TEA. James is the man responsible for tours for Xhin and Lucy this year, and he will be fresh from a recent trip to Europe with a bunch of new tunes. If you haven't already, check out his PWDcast from a couple of months ago, some seriously good techno. Department residents PWD and Sam Bentley round out the bill.

Kindred Studios is only 10 odd minutes drive from the CBD, with Seddon train station only a 10 minute walk. Kindred are a licensed venue, with a brand new full Nexo PS15 rig having just been installed. This party will run from 7:00pm to 1:00am, which will leave plenty of time to head out or home after enjoying an evening of stellar music and dancing. Pre-sale tickets are available at moshtix and from Resident Advisor for $20 + BF, or more on the door. Bam.

PWDcast 03 - Klokes UFO's Over Coburg Mix

It's been a little while between drinks for us here at the Department, but this mix is well worth the wait. The third edition of the PWDcast comes from local (via the UK) badman Kloke, who has been tickling our fancy for quite a while now.

Cio D'or - Magnetfluss EP | PRG022

Cio D'Or
Magnetfluss EP
Prologue

To say that we are fans of Cio D'or and Prologue here at the Department would be a slight understatement. Prologue's dedication to that very deep style of techno is second to none, and the producers who release on the label are of the highest quality. Cio D'Or is no exception. Having been introduced to her by the always excellent mnml ssgs a number of years ago, we have been avid followers ever since, with both her production work and various DJ sets (studio and live) only further endearing her to our hearts. Cio's mastery of hypnotic grooves, coupled with tense atmospheres and natural sounds, puts her at the forefront of a select group of producers. Her latest EP, the first solo work since her 2009 album Die Faser, is no exception, and now that we've had a chance to really digest it, we want to give some thoughts.

Competition Time

That's right, once again we are giving away a double pass to an amazing show. This time round, you and a friend could be going to Berghain via Brown Alley, and watching Marcel Dettmann and Ben Klock do their thing for 8 hours or more, thanks to our friends at smalltown. All you need to do is head to our Facebook, like the page and the flyer we've uploaded, and cross your fingers. The winner will be drawn Friday 7th of October, so get in quick and stay tuned to find out if you've won.

We do have some big news coming up over the next few weeks as well, so keep your eyes open for more Berghain related goodness. Until then, good luck, and keep Working!

Donato Dozzy

With Donato Dozzy’s maiden voyage down under (to play in the Victorian outback at Strawberry Fields 2011!!!!) only a few months away he seemed like the perfect topic about which to write a few words for my first contribution to the Public Works Department blog.

It might seem odd to go into detail on someone from afar, and without any new material (i.e. an interview), but I thought that it could be useful to try to articulate what it is about a guy like Dozzy that sees his followers hold him in such high esteem. You’ll have to excuse me for the mixture of styles between unofficial autobiography and baseless opinion. Once I started I found myself covering things I had no intention of dealing with.

PWDcast 02 - Debian Blak

Hey guys. So to celebrate hitting 150 fans on our Facebook, we've dropped the second edition of the PWDcast. This one comes courtesy of Debian Blak, an up-and-coming beatsmith based in Leeds, in the UK.

Win stuff!

Competition time! This time, we're giving away a double pass to see TEA & Machine present LUCY (Stroboscopic Artefacts). For those who don't know, Stroboscopic Artefacts is leading the way for a new style of techno, and Lucy, the label boss, has a great vision for what techno should be. To win, just like us on Facebook and leave a comment on the flyer we've uploaded. The winner will be drawn this Friday, so get in quick!

To get you in the mood, here's a 3 hour set from the man at Berghain:

Lucy @ Berghain 20-11-2010 by lucy

Terence Fixmer - Le Terrible EP | EDLX.017

Terence Fixmer
Le Terrible EP
Electric Deluxe

Terence Fixmer has been a regular fixture of the techno world for 10 odd years, although it's his more recent work that has been getting our attention at the Department. His Comedy of Menace LP from last year and the Electric City EP (both on Electric Deluxe) are some seriously good techno, as well as a collaboration with Claudio PRC on Prologue earlier this year really tickling our fancy.

The PWDcast #01

Welcome to the first edition of the PWDcast, a series of mixes put together by some of the best and brightest of the Melbourne scene, and beyond. First up, we have our good friend James Manning from TEA, with an hour and a half of deep techno goodness.

PRG022 - Cio D'Or - Magnetfluss EP Samples

Swoon. Prologue have uploaded samples for a new EP by our favourite lady in techno, Cio D'Or.

PRG022 - Cio D´Or - Magnetfluss EP by Prologue

Cio is amazing, both in terms of her production and DJing ability. Every EP she puts out is on the money, great slabs of deep house and techno, and by the sounds of the samples this is no different. September 22 is the release date, so you can safely expect to hear something off it at our next event

Until then, keep working! 

Unbalance - Red | Indeks 026

Unbalance
Red
Indeks Music

Red is the latest offering from Russian techno producer Unbalance, finding a home on the Ukrainian label Indeks Music. This is one that came quite out of leftfield for us, given that the Ukraine is not normally known for techno, and especially techno in this style, although in this case class shines through.

Got tickets?

Hey guys, Melbourne's set to be a bit spoiled for choice in terms of quality techno in the next few months, and The Public Works Department as always will be there to help you be a part of it. Check out the jump for a little wrap up of some events we're selling tickets to, let us know if anything catches your eye at thepublicworksdepartment at gmail dot com and we'll sort you out

The Public Works Department presents

The Public Works Department is proud to present its second venture featuring some of Melbourne’s rising talents, with a focus on deep, driving and hypnotic techno. This time around, The Public Works Department takes over the intimate spaces at Loop, a truly underground venue in the heart of the city, with music by Samari, James Manning, PWD and Sam Bentley.

Espionage presents Marcus Intalex, TOKiMONSTA and Nosaj Thing

June 23 saw the return of Espionage, presented by The Operatives at the Revolt Melbourne Artspace. Quite a bit of hype surrounded the show, on the back of some solid recent releases by the artists, combined with The Operatives stellar reputation for great parties and past history at this unique venue.

The Boiler Room

Can't pass this up: Tonight the Boiler Room plays host to Martyn, Kode 9, dBridge and Jon Convex in their latest online clubbing installment. They'll be on from 8pm - 11pm London time, which unfortunately is 5am - 8am Melbourne time, but I know we have a few European readers so I thought I'd give the show a plug. Check the stream here, and don't forget to like us on Facebook for more news and goodies. We're two people off 100, and we've got a little something special lined up for everyone when we crack the ton, so do us all a favour!

We know we've been a bit quiet...

We've been busy planning a few things, so stay tuned for more info, good things come to those who wait. In the meantime, you should come down to Loop on the 22nd (Friday week), I'll be playing some deep house for our good friends at TEA, alongside James Manning and The Tortoise. It's a free gig, and should be a good night of slow-mo house and disco.

Until then, keep working!

Free stuff!

So, we made it to 50 fans on the Facebook page, and with some illustrious company too. To celebrate, we're giving away a double pass to The Drop Issue 01, featuring The Nextmen, Emalkay, Utah Jazz and Chewie, plus a stack of great locals, thanks to our good friends at The Operatives (website / facebook) and Heavy Innit!! (blog / facebook). All you have to do is like us on Facebook (there's a box on the left hand side of this page, otherwise follow this link) and leave us a comment saying you want some free stuff. Winners will be announced on the 24th, so there will still be time to get tix if you miss out. We do have tickets available for sale, $35 a pop, get in touch if you want to make sure you're there, otherwise best of luck!

Perc - Wicker & Steel | TPTLP003

Perc has offered up his full length Wicker & Steel for stream on his Soundcloud, and it's a doozy. Read our review and listen to it after the jump.

Emptyset - Altogether Lost (The Remixes) | CLR047

Another remix package for Emptyset's Altogether Lost, to go with the SCB and Peverelist mixes reviewed here the other day. This time, Ben Klock and Ripperton take the reins for CLR.

Emptyset - Altogether Lost (SCB + Peverelist Remixes) | CVAN015

Was doing a bit of window shopping just now and saw that Emptyset have organised a couple of remixes for their Altogether Lost, which was released on CLR last year. Remixes come courtesy of SCB and Peverelist.

Mike Callander

As much as I'm trying to not be just a recycled blog with mainly other peoples content, this is a great read about a prominent figure in the Melbourne scene, and someone I remember partying a lot to at Honky's on a Saturday night at the start of my clubbing life.

Mike Callander interview with inthemix.com.au

Also just want to remind everyone to like us on facebook to keep up to date with parties and bullshit, we've got some big things coming up.

RAOB GAB - The Buffalo Club

 The brainchild of Hugo Atkins and partner in crime Dylan Michel, The Buffalo Club (website/facebook) is a whole new class of venue in the heart of Melbourne.

RA.EX035 Haul Music

Resident Advisor have released their latest Exchange podcast, this edition focusing on the boys from Haul Music: Craig McWhinney, Christian Vance and Mike Callander. This is a great interview, highly recommended to anyone with even a basic interest in the Melbourne dance scene. hAUL are doing great things for Melbourne music at the moment, lots of love.

RA.EX035 Haul Music

The Drop Issue 01

Hey everyone, just a quick one, I'll be selling some tickets to The Drop Issue 01, featuring The Nextmen, Emalkay and Utah Jazz. Will post some more details when I get them, otherwise check out the Facebook event here.

Sandwell District

Sandwell District. What can I say. Since I heard rumours of them playing at Creamfields during 2010 I had quietly held my breath for a sideshow announcement, although without much genuine hope. After the day had come and gone, I was pretty disappointed and resigned to the fact I wouldn't get a chance to see one of my favourite acts, and one of the biggest influences on me in recent years.

Hi.

Hi everyone. Just another avenue to promote what we're up to at The Public Works Department. Expect some videos and photos from various events, and maybe more, who knows?

Here's a couple of reviews and some videos from the Easter weekend. First up is Scuba, who played a blinder of a set at La Di Da for The Likes Of You. TLOY have been known to cop a bit of flak from some punters, but I thought this one wasn't too bad. The sound early on downstairs was a bit of an issue, being quite loud during some of Spherix's warm-up, but by the time Scuba took the reigns it was sorted, although still quite bass-heavy. Overselling tickets is another area that TLOY have a bit of a poor reputation for, and it was a bit of a sweatbox until Robert Babicz started upstairs, but those who hung around in the basement were treated to some champagne Scuba. Over the last couple of years, he has developed an amazing sound, a mix of techno and dubstep that I haven't heard anyone else get close to. Over the 3 hours we heard everything from Tommy Four Seven - Surma (Speedy J Dub) to Instra:Mental - When I Dip, Mount Kimbie's Blind Night Errand to his own You Got Me. A bit of a shame that few people stuck around to hear one of Melbourne's finest Craig McWhinney, who was given the closing slot, but only allowed to play for about half an hour. Personally, I would have switched McWhinney and Spherix, I think that Craig's brand of dubby house and techno would have warmed the room up nicely, then having Spherix to bring the bass to close the night would have flowed a little bit better, but that's just me. One last gripe, and that is the lack of visuals or decent lighting. As you can see from the vids, it was pretty dark, and while I normally love this kind of vibe, a little bit more would have been nice. Overall, 7/10

Up next, Sandwell District!