Darin Epsilon knows what it takes to curate a listening experience that transcends the play button. Frequently donned as one of the leading early influencers of the Melodic House & Techno and Progressive House genres, he has been making his presence known with a continuous stream of top-quality records since breaking into the scene in 2006. The industry veteran has since elevated his profile by sharing the spotlight with leading dance music tastemakers such as John Digweed, Sasha, Hernan Cattaneo, Nick Warren, Above & Beyond, Eric Prydz, and countless others. In addition to crafting exclusive edits for his forthcoming EINMIX, 2022 has seen him take the release reins on several top imprints including Family Piknik, Desert Hearts Black, and Ritter Butzke.
Epsilon’s EINMIX marks the first offering from the series this year and features 17 exclusive edits of the Einmusika back catalog plus two of Darin’s own productions. The tracklist boasts select cuts from the likes of Eelke Kleijn, Henry Saiz, Hernan Cattaneo, NTO, Sebastien Leger, Township Rebellion, and Einmusika head honcho himself, Einmusik. This is Epsilon’s first long-form release since delivering his WE ARE KATERMUKKE DJ mix last year, a stunning compilation that celebrated the essence and underground sound of his current home base, Berlin.
THE INTERVIEW
CR: Hello Darin, Glad to have you on Canadian Ravers. How are you doing? Tell us a little about yourself?
DE: Thanks for having me! I’m a DJ and producer from Chicago. I also lived in Los Angeles for eight years. In 2017 I relocated to Berlin and am currently a resident at one of the top clubs here, Ritter Butzke.
I’m primarily known for producing various styles of electronic music, including Melodic House & Techno, Indie Dance, Progressive House, and Deep House.
CR: How did you connect with Einmusik for your EINMIX?
DE: We’ve known each other for several years. I’ve had two releases on his label Einmusika Recordings, which did well. I’ve visited his studio in Berlin on several occasions and even recorded a live stream there last year. His label manager Philipp was the one who approached me with the idea of compiling an EINMIX.
CR: What was your thought process behind selecting the tracks and creating the mix? Did you already have some tracks in mind?
DE: Creating the mix was very challenging and time-consuming! Einmusika has such an enormous back catalogue that it took me five days to listen through every track they’ve ever signed. Then it took an additional two days to sort out which ones I wanted to use for my mix.
There were a few tracks that I knew for sure I wanted to include. The real challenge was ensuring they all fit together and flow into a cohesive set. There were some tracks I liked that I had to leave out simply because they didn’t work or vibe well with the rest of the mix.
CR: It has been more than a decade running Perspectives Digital and there are many releases under your belt. What is one thing that you think an artist should know before starting their own imprint?
DE: I would say that you should only start thinking about launching your own imprint after you’ve already released on a number of high-profile imprints and built up a name for yourself in the industry. It’s totally OK to be patient and wait until you gain a few years of experience.
Too many producers start their own label prematurely, thinking it’s an easy way of getting their music signed and out to the public. The reality is that the market is already heavily over-saturated. Just because you have music out doesn’t necessarily mean it will do well or be heard by the right people.
The last thing people need is more mediocre music flooding Beatport and Spotify, so be sure that you’re at a certain level of your career before deciding to open your own label.
CR: You have played so many different venues and festivals. Which was the most memorable so far?
DE: That’s a very tough question to answer! For 2022 I would say my biggest surprise of the year was Pakistan. I didn’t know an underground music scene existed in Islamabad, but the show was massive.
They don’t have any clubs that regularly play electronic music every week, so whenever someone decides to throw a party, everybody shows up!
I greatly respect those promoters in Islamabad because they built their entire stage setup from scratch. The lighting and visuals at my show were way more impressive than many cities I’ve been to that have an established nightlife scene!
CR: What is the single event that has changed you and the way you view life?
DE: Another very hard question for me to answer! I guess it would be Sasha & Digweed’s Delta Heavy Tour. In 2006 they came to the Allstate Arena in Chicago along with The Chemical Brothers and Paul Oakenfold. It was my first time hearing electronic music in a big stadium. I was 16 at the time, so I wasn’t old enough yet to enter any nightclubs.
This show had a really big influence on me. I remember dancing for 5 hours non-stop and being connected with the rest of the audience. It felt like I belonged there, and this music made up my identity.
CR: You moved from the US to Germany; what was the one thing that was a culture shock for you?
Well, there are some things that I can never get used to as an American living abroad, like paying for water or for using a public restroom.
I think what surprised me the most when I moved here is that some clubs in Berlin play music continuously from Friday night until Monday morning. And it’s not just ONE club; quite a few of them go non-stop all weekend long!
Being from California, I had gotten really used to clubs closing at 2 am, but people in Berlin often don’t even start going out to the clubs until like 3 am!
CR: What does a regular day look like for you when you are not performing or producing?
DE: It’s mainly just routine stuff like working on my record label, listening to demos, downloading new music that gets sent to me for feedback, checking my Instagram feed, etc. When I’m not working, I’m probably just chilling out and watching YouTube videos or Netflix.
CR: What are some of your goals for the remaining of 2022? Anything our followers should know about? Also, when will you be returning to Toronto?
DE: I just finished six weeks of touring every weekend, so I’m feeling quite cozy being at home right now :) I would like to finish another EP or two before the end of the year.
My last show in Toronto was with the Euphonic Union crew, and we had a great time! I don’t have a date confirmed in Toronto right now, but I’m hoping to be back really soon.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Texting or talking? If it’s something important, then it definitely needs to be talking. If not, then texting is OK!
Coffee or tea? Green tea because I’m Asian :)
Hard liquor or Wine? Wine
Cake or pie? Cake
Hot dogs or hamburgers? Burgers
Xbox or PlayStation? My iPad??
Movie theatre or arcade? I don’t think arcades are around anymore, so movie theatre
Music or Podcasts? Music
Guitar or piano? Piano
Marvel or DC Comics? Marvel all the way!!! X-Men is my favourite :D
Dog or cat? Dog
Hot weather or cold weather? If I’m forced to choose between the two, then I would say cold weather because you can always bundle up to stay warm. Being too hot without any A/C is the worst!
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