Raised in Berkeley and currently living in Brooklyn, we bring in Bret Winans. Having grown up playing saxophone, Bret's roots in jazz eventually opened up doors towards his passion for music. From being an East Bay hip hop head to diving deeply into the electronic music scene, his interests range from 90s IDM and techno to Japanese ambient and the dubbier side of electronic music.
Aside from collecting records, Bret makes music as CB-R and CB Radio. His productions span from electronic compositions filled with dubby experimental techno and interjections of hazy ambient layers drawing from some kraut elements.
Other music releases can also be found on New York based label, Cut Mistake, Jacktone, 100% Silk's Sunset Silk compilation and S//P//A (a project with long time collaborator Jay Goitia).
Also stay tuned for a new upcoming release on Run The Length Of Your Wildness' compilation.
So excited to have Bret on as we bask under this lazy Sunday, meditative, slow burning summer sun mix :)
CST: Where are you from and where do you live now?
C: I'm from Berkeley, CA. Live in Brooklyn now.
CST: Introvert or extrovert?
C: Introvert
CST: Whats your sign?
C: Scorpio
CST: What is your favorite record shop?
C: Growing up it was Amoeba in Berkeley. These days Diskunion in Tokyo is always fun to visit, although I don't have to go too far to shop for records. The records I get sitting at my desk at Turntable Lab tend to keep my ears pretty satisfied. And there's always Discogs. Living in New York you can get pretty spoiled with all of the shops that have been here for days, along with the ones that have opened up in the past few years.
CST: What is your morning ritual?
C: My cat, Nico, usually jumps on my chest just before my alarm is about to go off. So she usually gets fed and then I do a bit of exercise, make a smoothie for me and my lady, make some lunch and take a shower. After that it is off to work. If it's the weekend, I'll make some coffee and play around with Nico.
CST: What parties/underground spaces did you go to when you first started partying?
C: When I was a teenager I'd spend a lot of nights at 924 Gilman, an all ages punk venue in Berkeley. At the same time, there would be Wicked's Full Moon parties, underground hip hop shows at places like La Pena, and plenty of house parties with DJs playing hip hop or house and pretty much anything else that worked.
CST: What was the first record you ever bought?
C: Either Dirtstyle Records' Toasted Marshmallow Feet Breaks or Digable Planets' Blowout Comb.
CST: Where was the first party you ever went to?
C: I'm pretty sure my first ever DJ and sound system experience was out on a little landfill called Point Isabell in El Cerrito near the Costco there. Either 1993 or 1994, there was a sound system set up, DJs were playing some sort of techno or house, and a fair amount of acid was going around. Unfortunately the cops came and broke it up rather early. It was a formative experience for sure, though.
CST: What are you reading right now?
C: Other Minds by Peter Godfrey-Smith, it's an interesting look at how the consciousness of cephalopods (squid, octopus, etc) evolved congruently, but completely separately from vertebrates.
CST: What are your other interests besides djing?
C: Making music, good friends, cooking, travel, natural wine.
CST: Do you collect anything else aside from records?
C: Synthesizers and other music related gear.
CST: Where is your favorite place to dance?
C: There's no one particular place. I feel it has more to do with the friends that I am with and what kind of trouble we've already gotten into.
CST: Is there a concept or theme for this mix and if so, can you tell us about it a little bit more about it?
C: It's all about mellow Sunday morning / afternoon time. Easing into the day. This is what I like to listen to at home.
