5 facts / 5 Tracks with Saytek

Saytek (aka Joseph Keevill) is regarded as one of electronic music scene’s most innovative live acts, winning fans worldwide with his improvised live sets that journey between Techno, Acid and House.

His tour schedule has seen him grace some of the best club and festival stages in the world. These include Carl Cox’s Intec Arena at Creamfields, Danny Rampling’s Shoom 30th anniversary party; Awakenings ADE; the legendary Terrace of Space Ibiza (RIP); Printworks; Mysteryland; and fabric London. He is also a regular on the Berlin scene performing at the cities most prestigious venues including Tresor, Watergate, Sisyphos’s Hammerhalle and last year played Love Parade founder, Dr Motte’s Birthday at Suicide Circus.

After the cancellation of Carl Cox’s Megatructure at Resistance, Miami because of the Coronavirus outbreak, Carl invited Saytek to perform live at the Awesome Soundwave Online Festival last weekend.

As a recording artist, Saytek has released 8 live albums, Live Jam tracks, EPs and 12” singles, on his own Cubism imprint as well labels such as Awesome Soundwave (Carl Cox’s new home for live artists) KMS, Superfreq, Liebe*Detail, Soma, Bedrock, fabric, My Favorite Robot Records, Wiggle and My Favourite Freaks, to name a few. His brand new release hails the launch his ‘Live On Tour’ EP series, with the first edition including a selection of fresh jams recorded live at Awakenings (ADE), The Hammahalle of Sisyphos (Berlin) and the Basement Of Chapue Rogue (Prague) on Cubism.

Today we welcome Saytek to our 5 Facts, 5 Tracks feature, where we find out a bit more about him and what tracks have influenced his career.

5 Facts:

1. Although I have loved electronic music since the age of 11, when I discovered ambient and slightly later house, techno and rave, I was obsessed with the workings of sound at a much younger age, using cassettes and a commodore computer to do rudimentary sound design. When I was 6 I tried to make a speaker from an earbud and a frisbee using the plastic to amplify the bass frequencies.

2. I am a recovering drug addict. From a very young age I started taking drugs and was quickly addicted. I lived a crazy lifestyle, putting on squat raves and working as a sound engineer in clubs, but eventually the drugs completely took over my life! I have now been clean (and sober) for 11 years.

3. I am a bit special! My exact diagnosis is Autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia. I was a very bright kid, but also found some things very difficult! My mental health was very bad for many years as I self-medicated with drugs, but I have since done a lot of work on myself. I am now very proud to be the way I am and see it as a gift. I believe its part of the reason I am such a geek when it comes to performing live electronic music. 

4. I almost died from eating kiwi fruit once! I suffered severe anaphylaxis to kiwi fruit and it was pretty touch and go for a while! It was one of those times I thought about “getting healthy” in the height of my drug days. It was a great excuse to get back on it after all I told myself “ The drugs haven’t killed me, but a healthy fruit nearly did”, so I gave up the thought of getting healthy for quite some time!

5. A hot air balloon nearly crashed into my house once while I was tripping on acid! When I was a teenager, my mum and dad, were out and me and my mates were tripping when we heard a noise that turned out to be a hot air balloon. We thought people were waving at us, but they were shouting for help! I was on the floor laughing hysterically, but the most scared I have ever been at the same time! The next thing we knew the balloon crash-landed in the field of a school near my house and the balloon itself flopped into my garden! Next thing there where Police and ambulances all over the place! My mate hid in my bedroom for 4 hours, he was so paranoid the Police where coming! Luckily no one got hurt and its a story I have told for many years. 

5. Tracks

1. Tangerine Dream “Love On A Real Train”

A moving ambient track from the film Risky Business from 1983! I love the emotions and simplicity of this kind of ambient music and many ways when I am writing more melodic and melancholy music, my inspiration comes from tracks like this!

2. AFX – Arched Maid Via RDJ

Aphex Twin’s AFX pseudonym! Aphex is one of my favourite all time artists and here he is showing what he does best – strong emotional melodies presented in ways that have never been heard before, love it!

3. Illum Sphere – ‘Ritual’

A more up to date example of the kind of simple ambient music I like, really rich in harmonies. its emotive without being cheesy.

4. Aphex Twin – Analogue Bubblebath

More FX! It wasn’t long after discovering ambient music as a very young boy that I found Aphex Twin to be one of my biggest inspirations, There are so many of his tracks that I could list here, but I chose this one because it has some really nice Housey chords and melodies.

5. Bicep – Kites

Another simple emotive piece of electronic music! Classic Electro breakbeats and glorious melodies!

Saytek ‘Live On Tour Volume 1′ will be released on Traxsource promo on May 1st / Full release May 15th 2020 On Cubism – GRAB IT HERE.