Thoughts On Love Smoking Podcast #15. Robert Bergman (Rush Hour/Dekmantel)

Robert Bergman is your favourite DJ’s favourite DJ, or so his tongue in cheek biography reads. But all jokes aside, it’s not far off the mark at least in Amsterdam . A mainstay of the cities vibrant club culture, Robert brings a huge amount of experience to the (turn)table. A local lad and lynchpin at one of Amsterdam's (as well as Europe's) premier record shops, Rush Hour and member of the Dekmantel line up since 2013, Robert has also been a regular guest playing at the likes of Trouw and De School, raising eyebrows and carving out something of the reputation as one of the scene's more forward looking selectors.

Growing up as a music obsessed kid in Holland and finding himself spending an unhealthy amount of time in Rush Hour refusing to leave their store, he ended up becoming something of a protege of the label's Amsterdam shop – so much so that they eventually gave him a job. Since then Robert has continued to feed his insatiable thirst for music in all shapes and forms, becoming an incredibly knowledgeable crate-digger and well-respected DJ in the process. He regularly plays at clubs and festivals all over the world with the Rush Hour crew and recently, after releasing on cult labels like Trilogy Tapes, Dog In The Night and Clone he's been stepping up his work in the studio too launching a new imprint 'Brew' to house his weird and wonderful analogue techno with the first couple of releases coming from Bergman himself. Crucially, his sets always push the boundaries of what is considered club music. A skill he acquired while collecting insane amounts of music.
Robert's life really is music. He produces, collects, DJs and studies music and he is opinionated; the guy actually graduated in musicology while partying at ADE. There are no restrictions in what he loves, as long as it is good. He's just constantly making a noise that he wants you to love and this passion is more than apparent in the wonderful cosmic journey around the sci-fi tinged corners of his record collection which he's put together with this utterly sublime mix for us.

Simply press play and blow your mind. X

Due to Soundcloud being a dick, you can now download the mix, as well as all our previous podcasts, from our HearThis.at page below. X


Till next time.
Big love. Mark. X

Mozhgan * Hugo Ball/Daphne podcast.

The Hugo Ball mixes are always a highlight for us here at TOLAS and this one is of particular note, not least as this installment was put together by one of our earliest podcast contributors, rapaciously talented San Francisco selector, Mozhgan Shariat. A DJ who definitely goes many places and touches on many genres, she's been draining the fevered sweat from San Frans' underbelly since 2011 alongside Jason Greer and Solar as part of the We Are Monsters crew and has crafted a truly cosmic perspective on sound tapping into a wider spectrum of influences than most. Comfortable throwing together sets which touch base with everything from dub, disco, afro, techno, rock and industrial sounds, it's these ideas that mark Mozhgan out as a truly great selector and the reason we're always excited to hear her work. For a long time now she's been described as a 'best kept secret' of sorts, a tag now however that is becoming wholly inappropriate given her current rise.
This mix comes as part of Hugo Ball's contribution to Smart Bar's Daphne series, which celebrates the marginalized women and non binary voices in electronic music presents a month long series that focuses on some of our favorite artists currently working in the trenches.
Dive in.

Follow Mozhgan on Soundcloud, here.


Till next time.
Big love. Mark. X