Having started mixing in his bedroom in the early ’80s, influenced by by the Italo-disco scene in The Hague, Intergalactic Gary—the alias of New Zealand-born John Scheffer (“I was actually called Gary, that’s the name my New Zealand birth mother gave me,” he told RA in a rare interview)—began his DJ career at the turn of the decade with the city’s squad and club parties. Among these was the LA D.S., where he appeared weekly from 1992 until 1996, delivering house, garage, and disco on Sunday nights. In 1994, he became a weekly guest DJ for regional pirate radio stations (Trend FM, Radical Radio) together with I-f and crew, and also produced his first record, Cold Turkey, released on Top Secret Records as Silverstream. 

Fast forward five years and he’d established himself as a pillar of The Hague’s electronic music scene, a fine purveyor of the local “West Coast sound”—think a mash of Detroit techno, Italo, and electro—and was beginning to see regular booking requests from promoters all across Europe, despite a reluctance to stray too far from home turf with much frequency. These progressions were certainly supported by his “Lift Off” track, released in 1998 in collaboration with I-F as The Parallax Corporation, but Scheffer’s reputation has been built predominantly on well-composed DJ sets and a complete dedication to his craft. Two published mixes for Intergalactic FM and Crème Organization respectively have raised his profile further, so much so that he was booked at Dekmantel, Dimensions, and this year’s Houghton Festival. And soon he’ll perform at Berlin’s Tresor and at London’s XOYO alongside Hunee on November 23, symbolic of the high regard in which he’s held by those in his orbit. 

And Scheffer’s podcast shows us why. At just over one-hour in length, is more compact and intense that some of his mixes, but it’s no less hypnotic or captivating. Interestingly, much of the material included is new, including Balaban’s “Takarini,” A Strange Wedding’s “Meta Romance,” and “Las Maquinas,” the latest from Argentinian producer Nehuen, all of which are dated 2018; 1984’s “La Edad Del Bronce” is unique in that it comes from another decade. Tracklisting aside, tune in now for a stylish mix of left-field techno and electro.  

What have you been doing recently? 

I have been busy traveling around Europe playing gigs and, while at home, collecting new music to play out. Also, I have been working on new music at my studio.

How and where was this mix recorded? 

This mix was recorded at home, with two x Pioneer CDJ-850s, and a Pioneer DJM-850 mixer. Recorded straight to a Sony digital recorder.

Is there a particular theme or idea behind it?

The theme or idea was to make a mix on a slow pace with hypnotic, driving tracks.

How did you choose the tracks that you included? 

I wanted to include some of my current favorites, mainly new tracks and upcoming material. 

How do you think it differs to your regular club mix?

This could be a selection that I would play on a radio show, or during an opening set in a club. 

What else have you got on the horizon? 

Currently working on new music in the studio, and about to finish a track together with Pasiphae for a compilation release of the Stroboscopes & Smoke machines documentary which is focusing on the current state of the “West Coast Sound of Holland.” Some of my newest music will be also released in 2019. 

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the podcast here.

Tracklisting

01. John T. Gast  “Jettison II”

02. Mecanica Popular “La Edad Del Bronce”

03. Balaban “Takarini”

04. Elements of Joy “In Every Man”

05. Block del Sur “Megaperiferia”

06. A Strange Wedding “Meta Romance”

07. Exhausted Modern “Minutes to Midnight”

08. Half-Mute “Xyncroton”

09. A Strange Wedding “The Wedding”

10. Autarkic & Hektic “Dolphin Dub”

11. Isatooment “Kijyoka”

12. In Flagranti “Sensory Cue”

13. Nick Mackrory “Uneven Keel”

14. The Horn “Injector”

15. Kris Baha “Something Something”

16. Nehuen “Las Maquinas”

17. Imre Kiss “Whipromance”