Jennifer Touch: The 'Wednesday Alternative' Mix

Music

It's pretty easy to hear the inspirations and influences behind Jennifer Touch's music as soon as you hear it. She had an early introduction to 80s pop and new wave through her father's tapes of Duran Duran, Human League and Karat, and later, when she began to make music as a singer, it was the likes of PJ Harvey and Karen O that motivated her productions. The results have led to her putting out releases on Catz 'N Dogz' Pets Recordings and Lunatic records, as well as making regular appearances on Riotvan, the Liepzig-based record label run by Peter Invasion and co-owned by Panthera Krause.

With her latest release Chemistry dropping on the German imprint just a few weeks ago, and another in the pipeline for John Osborn’s DRED Records this Friday, what better time to invite her to give us her spin on our 'Wednesday Alternative' mix.

Taking an abstract approach, Jennifer provides a brooding soundtrack of leftfield electronics and harsh industrial soundscapes to take you over humpday.

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you?

I'm Jennifer Touch and I'm a musician and DJ, based in Berlin.

What does your music sound like?

Like the moon.

Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Where was the mix recorded?

In my studio, at home, on the run.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

By the stormy sea, drinking tea with your grandma and reading poems of Allen Ginsberg.

What should we be wearing?

Sunglasses and an old Chinese dressing gown.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

At the moon or on a rocket / don’t mind / digital, vinyl and field recordings.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Alan Vega – 'Why couldn't it be you'

Depeche Mode – 'Any Second Now'

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

No idea, I never thought about it. Maybe the 1BTN radio show from Alex Knight (Fat Cat Rec) – a great selection of music!

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

I would love to play a set with Veronica Vasicka from Minimal Wave, our sound could be a great match and I guess she would bring the best records anyways! Helena Hauff is also a cool woman I would love to share the decks with! Love her music and I think she has a great collection of synthesizers we could talk about.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

I came from only playing live into DJing, because I liked to showcase beloved music from other artists. I just bought two old Pioneers CDJ 850 and Korg KM 402 when I started to mix. I was happy to work with only a usb stick, because my live set up includes always lots of stuff. Now I'm about to buy one record player to include music that is only available on vinyl, and sounds better on it too. But I will keep my old set up, because its not working really good, the tracks always run out of time so you have to stay awake mixing, and its always much more easier than with the better set up in the clubs.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

For a podcast or an online mix it's the track I start with.

In the club it's the final track.

What were the first and last records you bought?

First: Cause for Alarm / Warzone split

Last: Robert Görl – Paris Tapes

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Like toasted dark bread with butter and a gin after midnight.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Half an eagle, half a panther.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Manfred Krug – 'Evergreens'