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Kenji Tanaka

3 listings in 2 named rooms, over the last three years · one ahead · Berlin

My approach to my music: I love loopy and trippy techno. When dancing, I love to let go of everything around me and enter into a deeper dialogue with myself. At this stage, I am 100% in tune with myself. This works for me when the groove drives me and the elements I hear are interesting but not too intrusive. That's exactly what I try to create on the floor.

To achieve this and also to create the necessary element of surprise, I combine different loops randomly and blindly. Since I never know exactly what will happen, I am also surprised and inspired by it.

My instruments: -Drums (TR8S) -Bass (Modular) -Rumble Bass (TR8S) -Atmos (Drumrack, Ableton) -Synth 1 (MicroMonsta 2) -Synth 2 (Polysix VST, Ableton) -Vocal Samples (Ableton) -Misc Samples (TR8S)

More nerdy Information: For each of these instruments, I have prepared about 30 different loops, most of them 1 bar long. Using the Streamdeck and a self-built ‘Max for Live Tool’, I can select a completely random loop for each instrument with the push of a button. The tonality can be set. To make sure it’s not completely random, I can choose between different categories, such as chords/arpeggiator. I can control the complexity of the loop using controls.

The rest of it — three more paragraphs

All instruments run through Ableton (RME Fireface UCXii). With the help of ‘Launchcontrol’ and 2x ‘Midifighter Twister’, I can control all the parameters that are important to me. Filters, reverb, random delay and pitch effects glue everything together.

When playing, I rely on my intuition. I can sense what should happen 2-4 bars in advance. If I feel like I want to hear a new chord pattern, I press a button and let myself be surprised. If I like it, I develop it further. If I don’t like it, I move on.

Since the whole structure is improvised, I am correspondingly excited before the gigs. Because almost nothing can be planned in advance. My biggest clue is whether I dance. If I get myself to dance, I am satisfied with what happens.

Their Resident Advisor profile, in full and unedited.

SoundCloud ↗

The nights

2025 — 1 night

Who they play with

Four nights on the books, and no name on more than one of them.

170 people have stood on one of these bills; none has stood on two.

The nights, the rooms and the bills are the listings themselves. The biography is Resident Advisor's. Nothing on this page was written for it.