Richie Hawtin
Magda
Marc Houle [ Live ]
Ambivalent
Krysko
Greg Lord

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Richie Hawtin’s untouchable MINUS imprint takes over the WHP2010 for a unique night showcasing some of the world’s most forefront names in techno, including a headline set from the legendary label boss himself. Joined as ever by his fellow MINUS stalwart Magda, who has opened for him on numerous occasions around the world over the past couple of years at his bequest, fellow MINUS veteran Marc Houle will also be performing a special live show.  Labelmate Ambivalent, a longtime collaborator on Hawtin’s groundbreaking live show, will also be flying in from Berlin. 

Formed by Richie Hawtin in 1998 as a base for his Plastikman alter ego and a small family of similar minded artists, MINUS has built itself a well deserved reputation as one of the best minimal techno labels operating today. Releasing music by pioneers of the scene such as Troy Pierce, Mathew Jonson, Loco Dice, Magda and Marc Houle amongst many others, their roster of artists perform around the world as well as their own MINUS events in their hometown of Berlin.

• Richie Hawtin
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  • Born in Oxford but emigrating to Canada when he was a child, Richie Hawtin is widely regarded as one of the modern innovators of techno, a leading light in Detroit’s second wave. Introduced to electric pioneers such as Kraftwerk and Tangerine Dream by his father at an early age, he began Djing in Detroit at the precocious age of 17. In 1990 he formed the revered plus8 label with John Aquaviva, releasing tracks under the aliases F.U.S.E. and perhaps his best known guise, Plastikman.

    His Plastikman releases such as Ping Pong, Spastik and Disconnected became classics of the genre, masterpieces of dynamic arrangements and percussive innovation. His technologically and sonically adventurous Decks, EFX & 909 series of mix CDs were some of the most influential mixes ever put together, totally groundbreaking in their rearrangement of tracks; breaking down the music and piecing it back together in a way unheard of before. He created MINUS in 1998, based in Berlin where he now resides. Every year he headlines huge clubs and festivals around the world, often under the MINUS name with his labelmates, and he also recently composed music for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games.

     
• Magda
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  • Born in Zywiec, Poland, Magdalena Chojnacka grew up in Detroit, a city steeped in dance music history. Her musical epiphany came when she happened to see Richie Hawtin playing his Plastikman anthem Spastik in a huge warehouse party one night in the city, inspiring her to take up Djing almost immediately. Forging a respected name for herself, she first appeared on MINUS in 2005 with one of her earliest productions. Since then she has released numerous tracks on the label, most recently under her Run/Stop Restore guise. Now residing in Berlin along with many of her MINUS labelmates, her minimal and dynamic sets are in high demand across the globe, exemplified on her Fabric 49 mix. Hand picked by label boss Hawtin to open for her on many high profile events, she is known as minimal techno’s biggest female star.
     
• Marc Houle [ Live ]
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  • A friend of Richie Hawtin since the 90s, fellow Canadian Marc Houle released his debut album Restore on the label back in 2004 and has been a mainstay of the label ever since. He became a resident at Hawtin’s seminal 13 Below night in 1997, playing 80’s electro and new wave such as Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra and Depeche Mode. Meeting Magda through Hawtin, the two became roommates and collaborators, and through Magda’s guidance he started to release his own minimal productions on the label, tracks such as Bay of Figs, from his album of the same name, displaying his trademark style of building up a track to epic proportions. His playful Techno Vocals track remains one of the label’s finest moments, and he recently recorded the inaugural MINUS podcast, as well as touring the globe playing at many of MINUS’ huge events.
     
• Ambivalent
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  • Kevin McHugh, also known as Ambivalent, was born in Washington DC but moved to New York in the 90s where he became involved in the city’s house and techno scene, putting on events with the likes of Carl Craig, Matthew Dear, and Thomas Brinkmann. It was here he met MINUS’ Magda and Heartthrob, who he lived with for a period. Through these connections he began to release his own tracks on MINUS, with recent track Rumors a huge success on the label, a dark, bass-driven groove with an arch, deadpan vocal pinning it together. Moving to Berlin in 2004, he worked with label boss Hawtin on his groundbreaking Plastikman live shows, utilizing the latest music technology and hardware. He has also released music on labels such as Clink, Klickhaus, Esperanza, and Leftroom.
     
• Greg Lord
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  • WHP resident Greg has also previously held residencies at Sankeys and the former Paradise Factory, and over the last decade has played alongside artists as diverse as Dave Clarke, Francois K, Jeff Mills, Basement Jaxx, Carl Craig, Giles Peterson, Steve Lawler and Jamie Jones amongst many others. His residencies have enabled him to master a wide range of styles, ranging from souful and jazzy deep house all the way to uncompromising techno. Recently Greg has played high profile gigs outside of Manchester at the likes of London’s Matter and a set at V Festival.