Artist of the Week: Seth Troxler

“I'm an actress and I moved to L.A, but things aren't really working out and now I'm a stripper and addicted to meth.”

Seth Troxler is one of the few DJs that matches his supreme talent behind the decks with incredible character. None sums that up more than his recent ‘promo’ video for Eastern Electrics. Forever the prankster, larger than life and yet effortlessly cool, Seth has established himself as a down to earth fun loving musical genius, that gains more and more fans as his career progresses.

Born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Seth relocated to suburban Detroit as a child, invariably immersing himself in the world of electronic music and the typical sound the city pushed forward; techno. With both his parents being heavily into the local club scene, Seth was destined to find his way into the field through one way or another.

Things really kicked off when he started working at Melodies and Memories, a record store in downtown Detroit, which brought him into contact with the likes of Reggie Harrell, Terrence Parker, and even Theo Parrish. By the age of 16, Seth had begun his DJing career, later moving to Berlin at the tender age of 19 with fellow house music obsessive Ryan Crosson to pursue producing and DJing full time.

Seth Troxler & Patrick Russell - Doctor of Romance

His production career kicked off with the romantically entitled 'Love Bezerker' release on Berettamusic Grey in 2006. Forming from the minimal, rolling bass driven sounds so big in Berlin at the time, Seth’s first release showed a tonne of atmospheric dexterity and nuance, but it was a few releases later when he teamed up with Patrick Russell that he really developed his own style.

Massive eighties pounding kick drums with muted chord whirrs and chugging bass lines combined with the introduction of Seth’s sleazy vocals, creating a classic that sounds as fresh now as it did then. A producer worthy of note was born, his sound taking its cues from many differing styles to create a genuinely original piece of work. By this time his prowess as a DJ was really getting notice around Berlin and further afield.

Follow up EP 'Sexplosion' saw Seth move further into his sleazy, romantic beat laden stride, under the alias Sex Trothler. Releases on Spectral Sound, Wolf + Lamb, Circus Company, and Crosstown Rebels saw him gain further recognition, his signature sound becoming ever more defined. Marrying leftfield innovation with an irresistible groove and eerie vocals with staggering ease and simplicity, Seth had announced his arrival as one of the most original house music producers for some time.

Visionquest was born in 2011, his own label along with Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss. The imprint heralded the arrival of perhaps the most innovative and exciting new breed of DJ and producers to come out of Detroit in a generation. Skillfully combining the deeper, soulful, and emotional aesthetics of quality electronic music, it maintained its roots in the Motor City, borrowing vibes from Detroit forerunners like Theo Parrish and Moodymann, and delivering the quality of sound and attitude of Hawtin's Minus excursions rounded off with the dreamy, esoteric vibe of Matthew Dear’s Spectral sound.

Seth Troxler Live @ Time Warp

Alongside his hotly received productions, innovative record label and palpable charisma, Troxler has become one of the biggest pulls on the global scene. His massive tour schedules regularly see him rock crowds at such iconic venues as London’s Fabric, Berlin’s PanoramaBar and Watergate, Tokyo’s Womb, Tenax in Florence, Robert Johnson in Frankfurt, The Rex in Paris, Avalon in Los Angeles and The End Up in San Fran, along with The Detroit Electronic Music Festival and Mutek. His love for music is matched by his party hard philosophy, making him a crowd favourite, a loveable rogue, a DJ who genuinely loves his craft. Check out his recorded live set at Time Warp (above) to get a feel for what it is that makes his sets so great.

Seth’s upcoming appearance at Birmingham’s Circo Loco in the Arena has us frothing with excitement, as does his turn at Creamfields as part of Richie Hawtin's Enter arena. But it's his headline stint in the Autumn that has us looking longingly to the dying embers of festival circuit. That sees him take centre stage at Mint Festival on the 21st September, crowning what has already proven to be a memorable UK Festival season.

In such a relatively short career, Seth has shown beyond any doubt that he is a force to be reckoned with. New productions are rumoured to be in the pipeline, and a continued hectic touring schedule awaits the Motor City native, ensuring Seth remains one of the busiest and most respected DJs in the world.It was only a matter of time before Seth Troxler became our Artist of The Week.

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