Episode 79 is coming from one of Manchester’s newest techno brands. Refractiøn has put together an hour of heavy-duty dance music perfect for Manchesters’ darkest basements. Run by duo Liam aka DUTS & Adrian aka SKZ Refractiøn has thrown parties at Derby Brewery Arms and they have their sites set for more events in 2023. Blog founder Liam Oliver caught up with them to talk about building a brand in Manchester and their musical influences. Catch our interview with the pair below.
Hi Refractiøn (Liam aka DUTS & Adrian aka SKZ) thanks for coming on the AMF blog and putting a mix together for us. I always like to start these interviews by asking my guests to tell us a bit about their musical journey and what led them in to DJing. How did the two of you meet and when did you decide to start Refraction?
L: All my life I’ve found an attraction to electronic music, from my mum playing 90s house to my teenage years listening to DnB. Eventually, I found my way into techno and discovered such an affinity for the genre that I wanted to get behind the decks and express my passion for the music.
A: I used to rave to house and techno music as a teenager in my hometown (Olsztyn, Poland) but I started Djing and producing jungle and drum and bass about 7 years ago when i moved to manchester, over lockdown I got bored of the daily routine of production and started experimenting with different genres and really loved jamming techno grooves.
Me and Liam first met at a Meat Free that happened after lockdown and started djing together at house parties. We found we really had a similar taste and style. We decided to start Refraction to have a chance to showcase ourselves to the world while simultaneously adding to the passionate techno community in Manchester.
Musically speaking Refractiøn is on the heavier end of the dance music spectrum. What drew the both of you to techno and can you cite any inspirations in Manchester or beyond that have really helped shape your sound?
L: Heavier sounding music has always been a bit of me. Apart from techno I’m into metal, heavier sides of rock and punk, so naturally I was drawn to techno. My biggest inspiration techno wise, producer and DJ has to be Oscar Mulero. Locally, there’s so much talent that’s come out of Manchester and surrounding areas recently – shout out to Yant, A.Morgan & Setaoc Mass.
But for me my top inspirations are Blasha & Allatt. Not just for their flawless vinyl-only DJing style, but the community they’ve helped evolve over the years with their Meat Free parties. It’s very inspirational to see as a promoter and we would be proud to curate a party half as good as theirs.
A: I try to get inspired from different genres especially when I’m producing. Techno wise I love
energy and groove but with some depth to it ! If i had to choose one DJ/producer i get inspired the most I would probably say Kaiser.
You’ve recently thrown a party (20th August) at Derby Brewery Arms, how did you find that experiences and since it was your first event, how did it go?
A: It went really well ! We pretty much sold out our first event so we were buzzing! It really gave us motivation to keep doing it !
Are you excited to get more involved in the Manchester scene? You first event was at DBA in August but I’m guessing you’ve got a lot more in the pipeline! How have you found getting established in Manchester?
L: It’s been a nervy process putting parties on in Manchester, but the scene and community is so healthy right now. We’ve had a fantastic response from those who’ve attended our events, some comments have been very humbling, it makes us extremely excited and motivated for the future!
Moving on to your mix can you tell us a bit about how you put it together? Did the two of you go B2B or did just one of you take the reins for this one? When you’re recording mixes and playing at events how do you both tend to approach your sets?
L: For this one we did a traditional B2B at Adrian’s setup at his house and a few cans of Polish lager! Personally I’ll approach a mix/set depending on the slot time. I tend to like going deeper and slower but also like throwing some slammers into the mix if the vibe is right!
A :When I prepare my live sets I usually prepare a few tunes at the start and then go with the flow trying to read a crowd, when I record podcasts I usually spend time and plan a full tracklist for it.
Are there any standout tracks from the mix you wouldn’t mind sharing with us?
A : For me it’s probably gonna be one of mine that I made and self mastered just before my laptop died and lost all the projects haha, it’s never gonna be released but it sounds good enough to give it a spin.
L: I dropped ‘Roll Dann – In Spain’. I’ve been absolutely loving this track since its release, full of layers, grit and energy, just how I like it!
Lastly, what’s on the horizon for Refractiøn? Have you got anymore events in the pipeline or gigs you can tell us about?
A & L : Since our debut event we had one night in Olsztyn (Poland) and two weeks from now (19.11) we got an event at the DBA, this time 2–2. Next year we are moving into bigger venues, January – (Gdansk) Poland and February in Manchester. We can’t really say much more about it right now but stay tuned! Thanks for having us guys : )
