mnml ssgs mx fnl - peter van hoesen

After more than 4 years of doing mixes deciding how to finish should have been difficult, but somehow the answer presented itself in a very easy and natural manner. The two artists that have most strongly shaped and defined MNML SSGS have been Donato Dozzy and Peter Van Hoesen. It is fitting that Donato opened our fnl series, and now with Peter we close our mixes.

The mix that PVH has provided is the live recording from last year's 'Enter the Labyrinth' party, which was held at Unit, Tokyo on 3 May 2011. The context for this set is vital: it took place during Golden Week, approximately 7 weeks after the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan. The weeks that followed March 11 were incredibly difficult for those of us here: discovering the extent of the damage to the Tōhoku region, dealing with the way this tragedy had impacted on loved ones, watching the disaster unfold at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, trying to stay calm amidst the constant aftershocks. Life in Japan was not normal, far from it, yet the people here did their best to manage in these tough circumstances. Within our circle, the majority of the electronic music community was incredibly generous and supportive during these difficult times. Slowly things got easier, but still there was a strong sense of unease. Golden Week - a traditional holiday period in Japan around the end of April / start of May - felt like an important turning point when a greater level of normality began to return. One sign - at least for us - was that people felt like it was ok to start going to parties again. This was the setting for the Mindgames party, which featured Eric Cloutier and Peter Van Hoesen. After Eric gracefully warmed up the Unit dancefloor with his distinctive deep-burning take on techno, it was Peter's turn. Over the following hours PVH constructed one of the most beautiful, emotional and powerful sets of techno music I have had the fortune of experiencing. The defining element of his set was how incredibly fluid and natural it was. The music snaked through the night, changing styles and BPMs, with the crowd following the whole way. After all the sadness, the anger, the stress, the fear, on this night we were together and we shared something very special. Often live recordings fail to do justice to what actually happened. But sometimes, just sometimes, the magic carries over.

Some words from PVH:

The last mnml ssgs mix. Here it is. I've been asked to provide some words to go along with it. Let me see. There are so many things to write about, as the connection with my ssg friends over in Japan and Australia is a multi-layered one. I could write about Japan in the aftermath of the Tohoku quake. I could write about courage, stamina and the will to persevere and to party on in the face of adversity. I could write about being supported in a heartfelt way. I could write about opinions and how you can disagree and enjoy the disagreement. I could write about a place up in the mountains. I could write about witnessing people developing a particular taste and share it with others. I could write about music, tying us all together, without end. But let's not. All I want to say is that May 3rd 2011 was a very special night for many reasons, linked to a unique group of people. It is a pleasure to present this mix to my friends from mnml ssgs and their loyal readership. Most of all I dedicate this mix to the people who were there at Unit, that special night. Let's do it again, soon. 
Peter





PC and I would like to thank Peter for this recording and his previous ssg mixes, as well as Mindgames who put on the party and kindly agreed to let us use the recording. Once again we would also like to express our most sincere thanks to all the artists who have contributed mixes over the years, to official.fm for their incredible support, and to all of you for trusting us and listening. Doing these mixes has been an incredibly powerful and worthwhile experience, and we are incredibly grateful to have been able to do this. Thank you.