Born in the Netherlands to Dutch-Chilean parents, and a father who was known for his musical talent, it was pretty much set in stone that Ramon Tapia would end up with a profession that involved creating and performing music.
Now based in Belgium, the Dutch talent has made a permanent impact on the world of techno, with his 2020 releases alone including appearances for Suara, Say What? and Filth On Acid.
We welcome him to our Five Tracks series, where he shares five of his all time favourite dance productions. The list spans techno, house and disco, and includes works from Johannes Heil, Timo Maas, Air Frog and more.
Push – Acid Hysteria (1994)
USA Import Records
This was Mike Dierickx’s first record under his world famous stage name: Push. A format acid record in the typical rave style that Belgium was known for in 1994. The funny thing is that a few years later I started working in the record shop of this label and shared the same studio there as Mike. It blew me away then and it still does now. Pure nostalgia.
Johannes Heil – Golden Dawn (2000)
Kanzleramt
Johannes Heil is a producer who has always very much inspired me to this day. The man has made lots of timeless records for labels such as Cocoon and more. This record was one of the first to completely blow me away! His distinctive style is simple, but so effective and this one is no exception. Dance floor beast!
Sound Stream – Rainmaker (2008)
Soundstream
I have always been a sucker for disco loops as I love sampling. When I came across this record, he just had to be on this shortlist. This man arrived with a sound that few can match. To me it feels like a cross between Sneak, Daft Punk and Ian Pooley. In the time that I played more house and tech house, it was often dropped and left many people swinging. Funky, warm, simple and soooo groovy. Wish I made it, but I didn’t. Timeless.
Air Frog – Bon Voyage (2001)
Svek
This is one of the plates that never left my case or nowadays usb. Jesper Dahlback & Stephan Grieder as Air Frog were truly a gift from the gods to many electronic music lovers. As soon as you put this record on and the bass pounds through the speakers, it won’t let you go. It took me a while to recreate a bass like this, nowadays it is a bit easier to find a preset compared to 18 years ago. Techno with a groovy underline, just my cup of tea.
Aaron Carl – Crucified (Maas Michigan Bass Mix) (2000)
Soma Records
This is truly one of the remixes that has stood the test of time. I always thought this was a Timo Maas remix but later found out that this is actually a pseudo from Ewan Pearson. Next level production and that vocal, to die for!