In many ways, it’s difficult to believe Wehbba only dropped his first full-length EP on Drumcode this year. Released in February, the four-tracker Eclipse was a monster statement piece of the Brazilian’s talents and followed on superbly from ‘Fake’, his contribution to last year’s A-Sides Vol.6 – inarguably one of the biggest tracks on the compilation.
With the confirmation that Wehbba would take part in Drumcode’s Off Week party in Barcelona, followed by the brand’s takeover of Resistance in Ibiza, it’s indisputable proof that his crisp, chord-driven take on techno has become a vital component to the expansive palette of sound Adam Beyer has drawn for the label in 2018 and beyond.
His latest EP on Drumcode, Catarse, marks the rapid-fire follow-up from the prolific producer. Opening with the eerie ‘She Lost Control’, Wehbba says he took inspiration from the Joy Division track of almost the same name (‘She’s Lost Control’), but instead of crafting the dense sonic atmosphere with vocals, he employs an analogue kick drum and stealth-like moog bass with dramatic results. ‘Process’ follows, a cut which begun as a cover jam of Laurent Garnier’s ‘Crispy Bacon’ and ends up incorporating the cut-up vocals of legendary minimal composer Steve Reich, who is one of Wehbba’s chief inspirators. The resulting track is an ice-cool percussive work that’s rich in dancefloor functionalism. The title track will be familiar to many who follow Drumcode Radio, a goose-bump inducing highlight of Beyer’s DCR392 at Awakenings in Eindhoven, ‘Catarse’ is driven by a memorable melodic riff resplendent in 90’s techno euphoria. The EP concludes with the terrific ‘Mind Awake’, a powerful concoction of reverb heavy basslines and glitchy effects, that’s been thoroughly road tested by both Beyer and Wehbba and kicks like a rodeo bull.
With a Los Angeles gig coming up as part of his North American tour and this massive EP now out, we took the time to chat with Wehbba and ask him one simple question: “What are five things you like to do when not touring or working in the studio?”
Enjoy his answers below.
I’ve recently decided to get more involved with one of my main activities, which is having a good cup of coffee. Being in studio for long hours, and needing regular boosts of energy, while touring every weekend for years, had me going from coffee addict to coffee enthusiast. So I took a little barista course and started studying and researching specialty coffee, discovered lots of local roasters from Spain where I live, and I try to discover and learn more as I travel, always trying to bring home a nice package of freshly roasted coffee to use on my Aeropress or V60, while I’m building up enough knowledge to get a proper espresso machine and start making those at home. Who knows…maybe something I can expand into a side business someday!
I’ve been meditating since I took a TM course about 8 years ago, and have since explored and learnt about different techniques, all of which have been interesting and helpful. I try to go to a quiet place where I can be immersed in nature and do my thing, it’s a much-needed relief from the insane psychological load that being an artist incurs. I’ve recently took on a Vipassana course, an ancient kind of meditation dating over 2,500 years, which has turned my life upside down, for the better. I try to apply my achievements from meditation and spiritual research into my everyday life and social relationships, either business or personal, and hopefully reach people in a better way.
OK, so I’m not the athletic type. I am still a techno guy, no tan, puffy eyes and so on, but I try my best to balance it off with some gym action, treadmill and sauna being my favourite activities in there, but when I get a chance to round up some buddies I really love to play some streetball. Being a basketball player since my very early teenager days and a Lakers fan just as long, I’m happy to finally be living in a city where it’s easy to meet friends to hang out and play ball on one of the many courts available for the public. I also love to watch F1 and UFC when I get a chance.
Yeah…the foodie touring DJ, big cliché I know. I’ve been through all the stages…the Michelin star buff, the junk food junkie, you name it. Nowadays I just love to go out to eat with great friends and enjoy quality, mostly healthy food. Been through a major change in my diet over the past year and it’s been a blast discovering new places that offer what I can and like to eat and still keep it interesting. It’s somewhat more challenging finding out great spots that aren’t over hyped and over expensive and can still blow you away. Any good tips?
I just love all forms of art, and it brings a huge amount of inspiration just by walking around, whilst being immersed and surrounded by it. Street Art can still be really interesting, despite the hype that brought a lot of “noise” to the scene, but I’ll also visit the odd gallery or museum here and there, research online, go to art festivals, check out multimedia installations, read different books and so on. It’s really cool to experience art in person as much as possible, the energy you can get from it is real.
Wehbba’s latest release on Drumcode Catarse is available now
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