Helsinki based DJ, collector & selector extraordinaire Janne Rasi provides a three deck vinyl mix showcasing his exquisite taste for deepness, both new and old.
Hi there, how’s things? Can you introduce yourself briefly to our listeners?
I’m a Helsinki based DJ and record collector who is trying to keep things deep.
What’s been keeping you busy of late?
It’s the holiday time and I’m happy to be occupied with music now. It was a nice feeling to have a couple of gigs last week, although the pandemic here seems to be getting worse so the near future looks quite uncertain again. I’m also trying to find some time for producing music again.
What drove you to electronic music in the first place?
Having grown up in the Finnish countryside, the only source was the national radio channel ‘Radiomafia’. A couple of friends tipped me to switch on the radio at a certain time of the week and pretty quickly I was hooked.
Thinking about it, it’s a pity that there’s no national radio like this left in Finland. While finding music is easier than ever for those who are willing to look, we’re missing the chance to expose ourselves to different kinds of music by chance just by switching on the favourite station on a Tuesday or Friday night.
What about DJ’ing, and how did you get started?
The passion for music always came first. I had purchased a few 12” records and my highschool friend suddenly asked if I wanted to purchase a pair of 1200s he had found somewhere. I got excited about the idea and went for it.
I didn’t know anyone who could mix and of course there wasn’t Youtube with all those instruction videos either. So I just tried to guess how the radio DJs would be mixing and learned all by myself. I slowly proceeded to play at student parties, make mixes/podcasts and finally, also started to get gigs at bars and clubs.
You are an avid vinyl fan and record collector. Tell us a little about your collection and how you go about finding records to buy?
I’d say I buy 50% new records and 50 % old. This is the boring answer but I like to buy the new stuff online because you can go through so many more records that way and use time to hear the audio clips. When it comes to old records, Discogs is obviously the main source but I also love crate digging at record stores or fleemarkets.
I’m trying to be picky though because I already have more records than shelf space or time to play them.
When you select records for your sets, what’s your approach like?
The vibe of the venue combined with factors like set time is the basis for the selection. I’m trying to imagine how the set might proceed and pick records that serve that purpose, however trying to avoid too obvious paths and keeping things deep.
Playing back to back sometimes brings its own flavour too because you need to make sure you can connect with the stuff the other DJ is playing. I guess my method is that of a selector’s, as I always bring some old crate digged gems as well.
Name three to five secret weapons that you almost every time carry in your bag?
I could tell you but they wouldn’t be secret any more, would they…?
What have been your most memorable record finds? Any good stories?
Getting records delivered from Italy in a pizza box. Luckily they hadn’t added the extra cheese.
Name five tracks or releases that are currently on heavy rotation?
While I’ve had few gigs during the pandemic, there aren’t many tracks that I’ve really played numerous times outside home recently. Overall, I usually avoid overplaying tracks.
Also included in this mix, this whole record was one of my favourites of 2019 and especially Newspeak has been in heavy rotation ever since. It’s a really cool track that is hard to classify, as it’s somewhere between deep house, electro and deep techno.
This Session Victim record just came out in May and it’s one of the few records I played on both of my gigs last week. It starts with percussive breaks but morphs into a 4/4 deep house track reminiscent of Jimpster productions.
I came across this little known italo house gem a few years ago while I was picking Italo disco records from an Italian seller. It’s a little darker and tribalish than the typical italo house sound, which is probably I often carry it in my bag.
Briefly about Helsinki, what’s the scene like today from your viewpoint?
It’s obviously been a tough time for the scene but there are some interesting phenomenons nevertheless. We no longer take things for granted and even small scale events are appreciated in a new way when there are any.
While the clubs have been closed or the opening hours strictly limited, smaller events and underground parties (usually open air in the summer) have taken over, although the police has started to cease the UG parties now, I hear.
Can you name a few local acts, events or locations that should be on people’s radar?
My DJ friend Mihut is just building up a new listening bar at restaurant Old Boy. I’m looking forward to seeing the result because it’s going to be something unlike what we currently have in Helsinki.
So the mix, can you tell us a little something about that?
The idea was to make a mix that has an electro-ish (or sometimes breakbeat-ish) feeling without really being an electro mix. It’s the mood that ties the tracks together, rather than genre. I mixed this on one countinuous take with three 1200s and an Allen & Heath mixer in May 2021.
playlist
01) Audio Tech: Dark Side (Vocal Remix) (Metroplex)
02) Bowyer feat. Jimi Lattice: Friends Of Gravity (Free Voyage)
03) SFV Acid: Trillium Tower Two (Dassault Systems) (SFV)
04) AC$: Analog Bass (Banoffee Pies)
05) Duplex: Isolator (Ostgut Ton)
06) Steven Tang: Some Solace (Smallville)
07) The Nuclear Family: Surface Noise (The Nuclear Family)
08) Camarade: Newspeak (Duke's Distribution)
09) Tim Jackiw: Planet Fall (Red Ember)
10) Emotional Dials: Part 3 (Foundation)
11) Ecar: Untitled Wave (Royalties Rates Records)
12) Mr. Ho + Mogwaa: Bail-E (Klasse Wrecks)
13) BT: Deeper Sunshine (Perfecto)
14) Jori Hulkkonen: Tähtien Suojaan, Toistensa Maa (Keys Of Life)
15) 1-800-Girls: Don't Wanna Stop (Lost Palms)
16) Arne Weinberg: Fighting The Demon (11th Hour)
DJ profile
Janne Rasi
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Instagram | Soundcloud
A Helsinki based DJ and record collector who is trying to keep things deep.
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