My 5 Favorite Things: Robag Wruhme
German producer Robag Wruhme has a habit of being quietly excellent. This isn't suggesting he's not well-known — far from it — but more that he excels at crafting superb, techno-laced records without any kind of song, dance or limelight-grabbing. He seems happy to just… create. Which is fine by us, especially when he covers so many bases so well throughout this process, having journeyed subtly through house, techno, electronica and more over the years — 2011’s Thora Vukk was a particularly fine example of refined, intelligent techno that refused to stay still long enough to be categorised.
Wruhme’s latest release is a fitting testament to this diversity. Entitled The Olgamikks, it’s the first release on the self-titled label of boutique German festival Nachtdigital. It’s a celebration of the Nachtdigital festival concept and vibe, as well as allowing Wruhme to flex his eclectic musical muscle, putting in a series of tailored, thoughtful remixes to tracks from Modeselektor, Gui Boratto and Claude VonStroke, as well as two new tracks from Wruhme himself. We asked Wruhme for five of his favorite things.
1. New/upcoming producer or DJ: Recondite. The productions on his label, Plangent, have been consistently great, and his album On Acid was beautiful. Look out for his forthcoming release on Hotflush.
2. City to party in: Hamburg. I had such great experiences there this year — especially at the Golden Pudel Club’s Open Air garden, and during the three days of Dockville Festival. My connection to Hamburg is now stronger than ever.
3. Bar: There is a small temporary bar in Jena called Grünowski that I’ve been frequenting. The bar staff are great and the place has definitely resulted in moments of great personal creation. I recommend trying the Aviation.
4. Festival: Sea of Green Festival in Osaka blew me away. I had only ever really spent time in Japanese cities, but this time round I made it into the countryside, and it made for an incredible experience. The festival was very special. One thing that stood out was the volume of the whole thing. The audience was so quiet. As always in Japan, I was blown away. I can’t wait to go back.
5. Track to close a DJ set with: The Streets' “Weak Become Heroes”
The Olgamikks is out now, on Nachtdigital.
Image of Robag Wruhme by Katja Runge
