Spektre

Spektre is a Leeds-based UK electronic music duo consisting of Paul Maddox and Richard Wakley. The project starts in 2006 and works in techno, minimal techno and tech house, with a sound centred on dark, driving club music.

Style and influences

The duo builds tracks from heavy, atmospheric foundations, twisted vocals and sharp rhythmic patterns. Their music draws on early Detroit techno, including the work of Joey Beltram and releases on R&S, as well as later producers such as Dubfire, Martin Buttrich, Trentemoller and Stephan Bodzin. Their live sets focus on rave-influenced, melodic beats aimed at underground dance floors.

Releases and labels

Spektre releases music on a range of labels, including Yoshitoshi, Great Stuff, Dekadent Schallplatten, Dance Electric, 303 Lovers and Weave. Their remixes appear on Craft, Audio Therapy, John Henry and Spectrum, among others. They also found their own label, Respekt Recordings, which serves as a platform for their own productions and for emerging artists.

The duo features on Renaissance and Umek compilations, and their Live At Glade Festival album appears on VeryVeryVeryWrongIndeed in 2009. They also work with Matt Cooper on the track “Cuenos Cubanos” and later issue the solo release From The Deep EP. Their first studio album is planned for Spring 2010.

Recognition and performance history

Spektre’s productions receive support from Carl Cox, Sven Vath, Richie Hawtin, Dubfire and James Zabiela. Their profile appears in Mixmag, DJ and IDJ, and they are described by DJ Mag as home-grown producers with the potential to challenge Berlin’s minimal scene. On stage, they play internationally in countries including Mexico, the United States, Ukraine, Spain, Greece, Israel, Romania, Germany, Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. In the UK, they perform at venues such as Matter and Ministry of Sound in London, and they play the official SW4 festival after-party with Eric Prydz.