Nikola Baytala

San Francisco DJ Nikola Baytala has become a crucial component of the minimal-techno collective known as Kontrol. But don't typecast him as a one-dimensional droid with a M-nus Records logo tattoo. He's been exploring the upper echelons of the techno/house continuum since the early '90s (including the last 10 years at The Top, a weekly event hosted by S.W.A.T., aka Special Weapons and Tactics), gaining a reputation as a DJ's DJ, with acclaim coming from house-music legends like Derrick Carter and Doc Martin. Moreover, Baytala's list of musical influences and loves is vast, eclectic, and impeccable. The following roll call just scratches the surface: dub/reggae (Lee "Scratch" Perry), jazz (Pharoah Sanders), world (Ravi Shankar, Mulatu Astatke), funk (Cymande), soul (Bill Withers), hiphop (Gang Starr), Krautrock (Can), electro (Egyptian Lover, Kraftwerk), disco (DJ Harvey), Latin (Tito Puente), soundtrack/new age (Vangelis), rock (Steely Dan), post-punk (ESG, Liquid Liquid), and post-rock (Outhud). As for his bread and butter, Baytala similarly displays excellent judgment, with a heavy preference for quality-pushers like Jeff Mills, Gas, Monolake, Robert Hood, Theo Parrish, and Mr. Fingers. When you see a DJ possess such wide-ranging, outstanding taste, it instills confidence that he/she will rarely, if ever, veer into wackness. Baytala clearly has put many hours of study into his craft, and it's paid off with smooth mixes and world-class track selection. Besides his formidable technical skills and profound knowledge, Baytala reportedly exudes a lot of personality and passion behind the decks, which must have served him well while opening for acts like Jane's Addiction. Everything I've heard by Baytala suggests that his sets avoid the supposed pitfalls of minimal dance music. They're kinetic, dynamic, and, of course, cheese-free. I can't believe I've only just recently found out about this mensch. club dates and festivals Fabric - London Panorama Bar - Berlin Detroit Electronic Music Festival Club Luxy - Taipei Weekend Club - Berlin Decibel Festival - Seattle Symbiosis Festival Love  Parade - San Francisco Yoshis Jazz Club - San Francisco Avalon - Los Angeles Made Events Sunday School For Degenerates - New York City APT - New York City Bunker - New York City HAWT - Los Angeles The Egg - London Winter Music Festival - Miami Electric Pickle - Miami Mansion - Miami Karu & Y Ultralounge - Miami Snatch Tampa - Florida Queen Club - Paris Mezzanine - San Francisco Ultra Festival- Miami H20 - Belgium Retox at Club Sosha - London The End - London Folies Pigalle - Paris Club Fellini - Barcelona Lollapalooza Festival - West Coast Tour The Fillmore with Kraftwerk- San Francisco The Warfield with The Prodigy - San Francsico