FIBER Podcast 004 Mohlao

FIBER Podcast

The fourth podcast by Mohlao picks up where he left off his live set at FIBER festival earlier this year; with grim electro sounds of a dystopian techno future.

The talented producer, who is currently studying film in Brussels, grew up in Leeuwarden. This city in the north of the Netherlands is a breeding ground for talent with artists like Delta Funktionen (DF) and Conforce; frontrunners in the Dutch techno scene. Earlier this year Mohlao and DF released their spacious dubtechno experiments under the moniker Inward Content. The influence of Versalife aka Conforce is also clearly present in this podcast. They all seem to explore a more spiritual approach to techno that expresses their personal feelings towards music and life.

Is it the vastness of the Frisian countryside that is responsible for these gloomy sounds? According to Mohlao his visual inspiration comes from movies like Vozvrashchenie (2003) by Russian director Andreij Zvyagintsev. The characteristics of this movie, with its empty landscapes and impressive cinematography, clearly resemble the moody atmosphere of dubtechno. On the other hand, his electro vibes could be drawn back to Weimar cinema.

The visual techniques employed in Robert Wiene’s Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920), a motion picture also mentioned by Mohlao, were iconic for the German expressionistic film style; diagonal lines, geometric shapes, chiaroscuro effects and slanting rooftops all together creating a disturbing and emotionally charged atmosphere. This electro set with its dystopian miasma and punishing beat could serve as a perfect soundtrack.