For nearly a decade, Sweden has been associated with a singular strain of cold, menacing techno, and Dan Vicente (a.k.a. Acronym) is the man behind some of its most affecting embodiments. Having risen to moderate prominence as part of Sweden’s Northern Electronics label, where he released two brilliant albums—June and Mu, both from 2015—Vicente has gone on to establish himself as one of the more singular and enigmatic producers in a bustling global techno landscape.

Vicente grew up in central Stockholm, his father a classical Spanish guitarist. He progressed through heavy metal—bands like Slayer and Celtic Frost—into techno, leading him to Anthony Linell (f.k.a Abdulla Rashim), of a similar age, who had ambitions to start a label. In 2013, Northern Electronics was born, with Vicente as the oft-forgotten third member quick to avoid any whiff of media attention. His music on the label, which channeled the depression after a friend’s suicide, was integral in its success. As Northern Electronics became a landmark of modern techno, Vicente peeped out, looked around, and decided it was time to move on. “I wanted to break free because there’s other stuff to build,” he told XLR8R in 2018.

Nowadays, outside of touring and producing, Vicente heads up the Stilla Ton label, launched with a minimal synth-leaning record from a group called Post.23. Now in its sixth release, the label explores a diverse tapestry of sounds, and it’s not afraid to reach back to Vicente’s metal roots and present them through a techno lens. He’s put out three releases on the label, including a collaboration with Kali Malone.

With no touring, Vicente has used lockdown to work on new music, but it’s also been an opportunity to reflect on the sounds and styles that have inspired him. For his XLR8R podcast, he’s presented some of these in a 70-minute mix rich in records that he wishes not to disclose. His goal was to recreate the pulse of a typical Stockholm night, when he’ll head out late and rave into the early hours, entrenched in the techno sounds that he’s committed his life to recreating.

01. What have you been up to recently?

I’ve mostly been enjoying nature. Running, climbing, walking, and swimming while eating good food with my family.

02. How has lockdown been for you?

To be honest, my life has not changed that much because I already naturally practised physical distancing before the pandemic. Not being able to travel and play shows took some time to get used to though.

03. What music have you been listening to?

I have been listening to a lot of Brazilian Bossa nova and some jazz too.

04. Where and when did you record this mix?

I recorded it in my studio, which is located in a basement in Stockholm.

05. What can we expect with it?

Some techno, some trance, some house, and some things in between.

06. How did you go about choosing the records that you included?

I have wanted to do a DJ mix for a while and so I started to select some records that I thought fitted together. The selection usually takes about 80 percent of the time it takes to create the mix. For this mix, I wanted to pick music that, in my mind, kind of feels like Stockholm by night.

07. How do you go about finding your records?

I’m always searching for things on the web and in record stores. There are several good local shops where you can find interesting stuff.

08. What else do you have on your agenda at the moment?

I don’t think I will be playing many shows in the near future. So I am going to try and make as much music as I can, while adjusting all the other parameters in life.

09. What are your long-term ambitions with music?

I’ve never really have had a goal or an ambition in music, I’ve just always needed a way to express myself. Music has a therapeutic effect for me, especially when words fail to explain what is going on inside.

XLR8R has now joined Mixcloud Select, meaning that to hear the podcast offline you will need to subscribe to our Select channel, or subscribe to XLR8R+ to download the file. 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.

Full XLR8R+ Members can download the podcast here.

Editor’s Note: No tracklisting will be added to this mix.