Josh Reid
DJ | Producer
Berlin is home to a heap of Irish DJs and producers like Jamie Behan [Bastardo Electrico] Diarmaid O' Meara [Gobsmacked], Byron Yeates [Radiant Love], Murrin & Gill [Fandango] and Dublin-born Josh Reid is another head amongst Ireland’s diaspora in the German capital.
Josh’s sound is unhinged. With a stack of shranz, early techno and newer material from the likes of AnD, aahan, Endlec, Basswell, Ôneyra, Offtrack and many more making up his vinyl and digital collection, Josh’s library is an evolving assortment of stone-cold bangers which he has been building up since his teens.
Having learnt the skill of mixing back home in Dublin from a circle of musically-inclined friends and family, Josh accumulated a bunch of records and practised mixing to a religious extent, and by the time he was 20, Josh got his first gig at an afterparty on Dublin’s Parnell Street in 2012. At this point, the city’s club scene was thriving thanks to a generous selection on the circuit, counting Sweeneys, The Twisted Pepper, Hangar and The Button Factory, many of which Josh went on to play in and garner the experience of DJing in front of a paying crowd.
Although he’s been collecting and mixing music for close to a decade now, Josh’s taste has mostly remained on the tip of aggressive techno for which he is now known. His studio set-up in Berlin consists of three CDJs, two technics with a Pioneer mixer, allowing him to nail his style of precise, rapid mixing down to a fine art; his RPM and HÖR Radio sets affirm this statement.
Berlin’s music scene has evolved with the pandemic and in the case of some clubs, the future is looking uncertain but many have survived the year so far by utilising their spaces in different ways - Berghain being one of them. A few months ago, Josh went down to the long-running institution to visit the Halle’s exhibition of sound, and shares more about life in Berlin during Lockdown 2.0…
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it?
This was taken during the last week of August in the Halle in Berghain for a sound installation by two Berlin-based artists known as TAM TAM (Sam Auinger & Hannes Strobl).
I chose it because sadly it’s the last photo I have of me in a ‘club’ haha. The speaker installation turned the huge room with 20m high ceilings and gigantic coal chutes into a resonance space, where they then played eleven ‘track's’ consisting of different sonic conditions, moods and sonorous perspectives. Basically using the room as an instrument.
It was a nice way to be back inside the place, and also nice to see such a club during the day! The Halle is the room off the main Berghain dancefloor beside the stairs to the ice bar, mostly it's just opened for larger and special events so it was sweet to see it in this brighter setting. Even if it did just leave me crying to hear a kick drum on a sound system again!
How have you found the last couple of months?
Ah it's been ok, Berlin managed to open things back up almost as fast as they closed them for the first lockdown which was good, with the exceptions of clubs of course. 😔 So maybe for us here being able to go to a bar, or chill in the park kind of raised morale a little bit. Not to say that it hasn't been shit haha but maybe not as difficult and derailing as other places. Obviously nightlife and parties were still not back to anything normal but slowly small parties were starting to happen, although with strict protection measures. It was a small step in the right direction, and kinda gives me a bit of hope anyway that we are getting there. 😊
At the moment we’re obviously back in the middle of another lockdown until December so that’s kind of dampened things a bit, all restaurants only open for takeaway, no bars, no parties etc. ☹️I’m just hoping that come December there could be some small sort of, I dunno…small musical get togethers, or even open-airs for new years if we can survive the cold!
Have you been listening to certain genres or looking for new artists and sounds since this all began back in March?
So at the start of the first lockdown I was super motivated, constantly looking for new stuff and also was promising myself I would try and make some music. But after a few weeks, I kinda just stopped. I think just maybe starting to see that clubs weren't going to open anytime soon, I got a bit lazy because I knew the tracks I was finding I wouldn’t get to play for a while.
I was also finding that Discogs was also eating all my money! The last two months or so I’ve kinda picked back up again, had a few mixes due out so that put me back in gear! From the techno side of things I’ve really been liking some of the OBI releases and also been going back through a lot of old mix compilation CDs hunting for tracks which is always a goldmine, I find.
Since Corona and clubs being shut, the amount of class music being put out has gone through the roof, it’s been hard to keep up with everything but the premieres and VAs from the likes of Ismus, Voight-Kampff, Wonderlust, RAW…I’ve found so many tunes from!
As Berlin is back in lockdown and the option of being inside a club is quite slim again for the next while, do you miss the atmosphere of a club or perhaps this thought hasn't even occurred to you?
Ah sure how could you not miss it! I think I was kinda really lucky in a sense in that the last weekend before Corona really hit and lockdown started, I managed to get to Unpolished so that kinda tied me over for the first couple weeks of lockdown!
Then as things started to open back up I managed to go to a few little parties and open-airs which was nice but it's not the same with the threat of Corona hanging over your head haha. Unfortunately it looks like it might be next year by the time were enjoying a ‘normal’ party again, but on a positive note, clubs here were starting to plan a few bits and demonstrate that they could run safe parties where hygiene and whatever social distancing rules in place were adhered to - ://about blank had Pornceptual in the garden for example, with a smaller amount of people to allow social distancing and other bigger collectives were starting to throw open-airs while sticking to all the rules that were set out by the authorities. So we're on the right track for when we do come out of all the increased restrictions I hope!
In terms of your own plans in music, have you got anything coming out over the next while?
I've just been doing a guest mix each month since lockdown which has been fun, been lucky to get on a few channels that I really liked and admired anyway. Just had a mix come out for Voight-Kampff and on the Raven Sigh series in the last two months which was sweet. Have another coming out at the end of the month for SUBSTANTIV in Sweden whose stuff I’ve been a big fan of for a long time and get some serious tunes out!!
Also been on Threads radio in London a bit doing some bits with Nizax so that was a buzz. Obviously some gigs would be great but I guess there are few and far between now haha, I had one open air with friends which was cancelled just as things started to shut down again. I was really looking forward to playing that one, so now like most of us, I’m just hoping next year doesn’t take too long to come!
Despite the uncertainty and disruption the pandemic has brought, has there been any unexpected positive moments for you throughout it all?
I finally completed GTAV!
Listen to Josh’s Voight-Kampff mix here and follow him below: