Indeed, the crossover support for Umek’s work on Recycled Loops, Bugged Out! and End Recordings and the Mumps and Voices Of Africa series as well as for the dubby, tribal tech-house house sound of his Earrisistible label – which he launched in 2000 – has been remarkable, with mainstream names like Pete Tong charting and supporting his work.
That’s not to suggest that he has deserted his underground roots: apart from the Slovenian producer’s Consumer Recreation releases, his Zeta Reticula series for Electrix – which is at number four so far – show Umek is also adept at making underground electro and Maurizio / Basic Channel inspired dub tracks. “I want to be an all round producer, I need new challenges. I’ve got to a stage where my tastes have changed: I love electro, tech-house and percussive house, so what’s the point in just putting out banging techno?” he asks.
2003 also saw Umek release his debut album, ‘Neuro’ and make a break with the dance floor. Inspired by abstract artists like Autechre as well as industrial artists like Nitzer Ebb, the album was a brave move for Umek. It might not have appealed to fans of his club techno, but it satiated his need for making new, innovative music.