XLR8R’s first ever official podcast was published on August 3, 2006. It came in the form of an exclusive hour-long mix by Plug Research, featuring cuts from Thomas Fehlmann, Flying Lotus, Ammoncontact and many more. In the 10 years that have passed since then—yes, this week marks an entire decade—a whole lot has changed. Firstly, the mix series that started all that time ago is now updated weekly by an artist of our choice; each submission is now shared via our channels every Tuesday of the year—without fail. XLR8R, too, has grown considerably, evolving from a San Francisco-based newsprint ‘zine to a web-only music publication with a more global audience than ever before and offices on both sides of the Atlantic.

Settling on a fitting way to mark this milestone proved to be no easy task. Initial ideas revolved around compiling a list of our favorites from the past decade and sharing these with our readers once again, but we decided against this for two reasons: it didn’t do justice to the occasion, and picking a favorite among such a diverse bunch is either going to lead to a remarkably long list or exclude too many others. After all, there has been no shortage of memorable additions to the series. Gerd Janson’s 2015 submission springs to mind immediately, as do those of Alex Smoke, Nicolas Jaar, Helena Hauff and, more recently Andrew James Gustav—but there really is something in there for everyone. Even mentioning these names leaves out some of the leading pioneers in the global scene, names like Daniel Bell, Laurent Garnier, Gaslamp Killer and Floorplan, all of whom have submissions that can be checked out if and when you please. Picking favorites just wasn’t going to cut it.

After some careful consideration we also concluded that we wanted to serve up some new music for the occasion—and that sparked the following plan. Beginning Monday, August 1, and ending on Saturday, August 6, we are sharing a brand new mix each day for your listening pleasure. And to reflect XLR8R‘s growth into a global media outlet, each of these submissions is coming from a different continent; the artists chosen to mark this occasion with us all originate from a different corner of the globe. The task for them was simple: to compile a mix between 90-120 minutes that best represents their musical roots. There have been four mixes thus far—Seekae on behalf of Australia, DJ Nobu on behalf of Asia, Tama Sumo on behalf of Europe, DJ Stingray on behalf of North America, and Culoe De Song for Africa—and up next, representing South America, is Nicolas Lutz. 

It’s often said that the cream will always rise to the top, though in the world of electronic music, sometimes it’s hard to believe. Too often the most popular artists are the least talented; however, reflecting on the last few years in Nicolas Lutz’s life does restore confidence in the sentiment. Spearheading a new breed of record diggers, the Uruguayan selector is probably one of the most passionate, interesting DJs out there at the minute, and the past few years have seen him getting the kind of recognition he deserves.

Currently residing in Berlin, the South American migrated from his home in Montevideo back in the late ‘90s, and has since plied his trade in all corners of the world—from Montevideo’s Phonotheque to the likes of Concrete, Fabric or Panorama Bar. It was the German capital that would really be his making though, and one of its most unique, special institutions in particular—Club der Visonaere. The Spree-side shack has provided the forum for generations of local DJs to cut their teeth; today, alongside cohorts Binh and Vera, he is one of the venue’s most recognizable faces.

Trying to pigeonhole Lutz’s style is a fruitless endeavor (though the label he launched back in 2014, My Own Jupiter, goes some way to elucidating his tastes). He pools seemingly endless supplies of lost techno gems, with acid, electro, minimal, breaks, and more or less anything that sounds good. In a recent interview with us, friend and fellow turntablist Andrew James Gustav reflected on the first time he heard him play as a turning point for him, realizing “that there was a higher quality of music out there, somewhere, if you look for it.” His podcast for us captures that idea perfectly; a fluid journey from Lutz’s mind to yours.

XLR8R Podcast 450 [10 Years] – Nicolas Lutz