Yellow and Magenta Are Not The Primary Colors of Techno, Sian Is

Sian is a DJ and producer who has had quite a fruitful decade based on his hard work behind the decks and in the studio. Although Irish in descent, he spent his entire childhood moving from city to city throughout Europe with his family. In a way, this sort of prepared him for the chaotic gig schedule he boasts in 2010, although he now traverses the globe at a much faster pace than as a child!

Although raised by two parents, it’s pretty obvious Sian’s third was music; each country he lived in affected and influenced him in a different way. It shows in his work; not only is he unafraid to intertwine different genres and BPM rates, you can also hear everything from the Brutalist and rigid framework of German techno, to the eclectic usage of Spanish instrumentation in select pieces, along with the sensible use of vocal chants which are extracted worldwide. You could literally throw three darts at a map of the planet, and easily find a song where Sian combines elements from the countries they hit (well, as long as you didn’t hit an ocean!)

Nowadays it’s getting increasingly difficult to find a producer who’s energy and technical skills behind a pair of turntables echoes that of what is produced in the studio. The fact that being a well-known producer is a requirement these days to secure high profile gigs can only exacerbate the situation. However, Sian knows he wants no part of this bush-league. He spends as much time piecing together sets and building an immense knowledge of house and techno music; his insurmountable record collection consisting of tens of thousands of pieces proves it. Every set is distinct; Sian tailors each journey differently to cater to the crowd, the atmosphere, the size of the club, and probably 99 additional factors. I’m willing to bet that his set in Boston will be completely different from his preceding gig in Paris, and also from his gig in Portland the following night.

Sian’s work runs across a variety of labels; all of them very well known. They include Bedrock, Soma, Trapez, Poker Flat, even drum and bass legend LTJ Bukem’s label Cookin’. Commissioned remixes keep him very busy as well. 

Be sure to check Sian out at Make It New at the Middlesex, on Thursday February 11th, 2010. And strangely enough, the key image I downloaded for this headliner incidentally came straight from Basstown’s site; it’s actually a nice little journal entry titled “Wear Your Scars Like Medals” from two years ago- check it out! 

Looking for a DJ mix from Sian? Look no further. Link below.

Sian mixes on www.samurai.fm (scroll through the bar on the left to stream them, there are several to choose from)