Patrick Gräser’s life looked very different in the ’90s. Growing up in the East German town of Fürstenwalde, he filled his days training to be a carpenter in a forest workshop; music, at this point, was nothing more than a side-hustle and an escape from the mundanity of daily life. He’d spend any free time listening to the cross-genre selection the records he’d purchased from Hardwax and Delirium over the weekend.

Nowadays, as Answer Code Request, he’s a touring DJ, resident at Berghain, and a staple on Ostgut, the club’s affiliated label, where he’s released two EPs, various remixes, and two albums, Code and Gens, both pushing the envelope of contemporary techno. He connected to the label through Marcel Dettmann, a friend from Fürstenwalde whom he joined in a post-reunification Berlin, then dominated by a rapidly maturing techno scene still to solidify into rigid categories. A 2012 debut on Marcel Dettmann Records caught the attention of Ostgut Ton, who signed him up soon thereafter.

The fall of the Wall, when Gräser was aged just nine, opened the door to hip-hop, acid, jungle, and early UK hardcore, and these wide-reaching influences have given him a defined voice in what’s an increasingly saturated techno landscape. Melding pad-driven harmonies, intricate breaks, and an industrial techno sonic palette, Gräser’s XLR8R podcast accurately reflects this background; it features tracks from label mates like Shed, Ryan James Ford, and Planetary Assault Systems with with from a little further afield such as Overmono and the pioneering µ-Ziq. At just over an hour in length, it’s a condensed version of what you can hear him playing in a club.

What have you been working on recently?

I am currently working on several projects, new EPs and remixes. But also on a film project that I’m producing together with musician and sound engineer Jan Wagner. We’re also spending a lot of time in the studio working on new music that we want to release in the near future.

How do you balance life on the road with family commitments?

It’s never easy combining family and being on the road all weekend. During the week, I take time off, but I also work a lot in the studio these days; I try to bring everything in the right balance. It is always good to take a few weekends and vacation days off. But then you have to plan a lot for holidays.

Where are your favourite places to dig for records?

Hard Wax in Berlin, Serendeepity in Milan, Bandcamp and Discogs online.

What do you look for in the music that you buy?

I’m seeking a lot of experimental tracks, but also music that I can listen to at home. I like to collect records.

Where and when did you prepare this mix?

Last week, on Thursday, I started recording the mix. Preparing it and selecting music had started some weeks prior, so I had time to prepare the mix in peace and quiet and then go all-in for the recording.

What’s the concept behind it?

There is no concept behind this mix, but I was inspired by the last closing in Berghain following the SNAX party two weeks ago.

How does it compare to what we’d hear your play in a club?

It’s pretty much where I’m at music-wise these days, only in a shorter version. With a three-hour mix, I could pack everything into a longer story.

What’s next on the horizon, as you look forward?

New projects with other artists. Spending more time with my own label, ACR, and, of course, new EPs by myself. I’ll also start to work on a third album.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to download the podcast you will need to subscribe to our Select channel. The move to Mixcloud Select will ensure that all the producers with music featured in our mixes get paid. You can read more about it here.

Tracklisting

01. Shed “Der Wolf kehrt zurück” (Ostgut Ton)
02. Rhubarb “Flying Limiter” (Blocaus)
03. Silicon Scally “Formulant” (Cultivated Electronics)
04. Stave “Pi07.2” (Pi Electronics)
05. Philou Louzolo “Space Rebel Sakura” (WOK)
06. Ryan James Ford “Branston Pickle” (Unreleased)
07. Chris McCormack “What Kind Of Sound” (Materials)
08. Adlas “Spherical Wave” (ACR 505)
09. Syberian “Fastball” (ARTS X)
10. Jonas Kopp “Solar Maximus” (Tremsix)
11. Elad Magdasi “Silent Thrust” (Sinfol Remix) (Front Left)
12. Ø [PHASE] “The Crossover” (Tractable Version) (Token)
13. Planetary Assault Systems “Spell A” (Ostgut Ton)
14. Shed “Seelower Höhen” (Ostgut Ton)
15. Clouds “Chained to a Dead Camel” (Tuned Version) (Overlee Assembly)
16. Sinful “Drum Spirit” (Front Left)
17. Jerome Hill “The Wist” (Next Recordings)
18. Overmono “Le Tigre” (Poly Kicks)
19. µ-Ziq “Ritm” (RJF_1992 M25 EDIT)