Pangaea (Hessle Audio) [Extended Set]

Amalgamation: Washington DC's premier multi-genre night. Hip-Hop, House, Techno, Drum & Bass, Juke, Grime, etc. Anything goes. Amalgamation is here to provide a public outlet for DJs to showcase what they do as an art form. The art of selection, the art of mixing.

For our one-year anniversary, we are proud to present Hessle Audio boss Pangaea for an extended set. Hessle Audio is the critically-acclaimed label from Pangaea, Ben UFO and Pearson Sound, whose influence was integral to London's identity following the fall of dubstep.

Pangaea

hessle audio | soundcloud | facebook | resident advisor | twitter

Pangaea (a.k.a. Kevin McAuley) is something of a mystery. On the one hand, he's one third of the braintrust behind Hessle Audio, a label that's widely recognized as one of the most innovative and respected imprints in electronic music. On the other, he's someone who seemingly prefers to operate in the background, often allowing his partners Ben UFO and Pearson Sound to do the talking and soak up the accolades. As such, Pangaea's talents and body of work can sometimes be overlooked, despite the fact that he's been responsible for a steady stream of quality tracks over the past seven years. In 2013, Pangaea did step out on his own a little more assertively, setting up the Hadal label as an outpost for his dark, increasingly techno-oriented creations. Pob, his excellent and most recent Hadal 12" from earlier in the year, stoked our desire to hear a more substantial dose of McAuley's individual artistic outlook, so we invited him to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

What he ultimately came up with is a 74-minute session that largely consists of intense, unrelenting techno. Granted, Pangaea has long been tabbed as the most "techno" of the Hessle Audio gang, but this podcast truly hammers home his love of pounding, four-on-the-floor rhythms. Sure, there are stark aesthetics and elements of noisy ambience sprinkled throughout the mix, but what defines the proceedings is the insistently thudding pulse of the kick drum. McAuley may come off as shy, but as this podcast demonstrates, there's absolutely nothing meek about his DJing.