Third Culture Teams Up with Hiroko Yamamura For “She’s Evil” and DJ Minx for Remix Duties
Sian and Sacha Robotti – together under their Third Culture moniker – teamed up with powerhouse Hiroko Yamamura for their new single “She’s Evil,” which also received a remix from the iconic DJ Minx. The track isn’t your run-of-the-mill house or techno anthem; it’s a funky, playful, and yet down-and-dirty sonic ride, complete with a driving bassline, digitized synths, and distorted vocal riffs. DJ Minx‘s remix incorporates her signature “wax” sounds with heavier sonic elements, making for two versions of this dark but fun gem. “She’s Evil” is bound to be a booty-shaking hit on dance floors around the globe and also exemplifies Third Culture‘s and Octopus Recordings‘ commitment to highlighting female talent in the underground music scene. “She’s Evil” follows Third Culture‘s previous successful releases on such labels as Drumcode, Aus Music, Sci+Tec, and Hiroko‘s singles on Octopus Recordings, Trax Records, Impact Mechanics, Slap Jaxx, and Klectik.
“So, we got this idea going with Hiroko, and I guess we all simultaneously felt like doing a wonky, fun, and experimental dance tune. We wanted something completely different from the current House or Techno trends and more in line with our twisted sense of humor and darker aesthetics but still playful enough to rock a diverse dancefloor. The vocal says it all; it’s a meditation on bad attitude throwing shade. Of course, we are all big fans of DJ Minx since way back. She’s a legend in Detroit‘s big musical heritage, and we wanted to showcase that as a US-based label because he has done so much for women in the music industry. Another thing that is important for us is that a lot of our label crew are women working hard behind the scenes, deserving recognition for their work.” – Sian of Third Culture/Octopus Recordings
Third Culture
Hailing from diverse backgrounds, Sacha – with his German-Italian heritage, and Sian – with his Irish-Spanish roots, embrace their individual cultural identities while seamlessly blending elements from different musical traditions, which is evident in their collective prior releases on the likes of Drumcode, Aus Music, Sci + Tec, Relied and Stir Von Talent to name a few. Add their own label imprints in Octopus (Sian) and Slothacid (Sacha), and it’s clear this creative synergy is the foundation upon which Third Culture thrives. Third Culture‘s dedication to pushing artistic boundaries is evident in their ever-evolving discography. From early single releases on Octopus, it was no surprise to see their first of two full EPs under the Third Culture moniker be picked up by none other than Solomun for his Dynamic label in late 2022. Such an early co-sign saw support from heavyweights such as Tale of Us, Michael Bibi, Maceo Plex, and Camelphat, to name a few, and prompted Solomun to invite them to make their Third Culture debut, playing before him on his 8000 capacity-sold-out show in Los Angeles before signing a second 4 track EP to the label in March 2023. With a third EP dropping on Maceo Plex‘s Lone Romantic label in June 2023, it’s clear that the duo has exploded out of the blocks with much more to come.
Hiroko Yamamura
Classic Chicago ride-or-die style DJ/producer influenced by The Warehouse, technology, and straight-up techno, it’s no wonder she has been named one of Chicago’s top 10 DJs by XLR8R magazine. Technology and exploration are at the roots of Hiroko‘s core. Equally enthralled by the beat and the machines generating them, her sound is an homage to every circuit, resistor, patch cord, and application that brings voice and inspiration to her work. Her gothic and industrial roots are evident in her music, as well as her punk rock DIY drive. Taking inspiration from classic science fiction and dark anime, Hiroko‘s studio can often be confused for a booth at a comic convention. Currently calling labels such as Trax Records, Impact Mechanics, Slap Jaxx, and Klectik as home, she just recently returned from a long hiatus from music. Her previous projects under the Bio-Booster and as a member of Monologic have not ceased, however they have taken a back seat to a more focused techno vision. As a Midwest rave staple, Hiroko has toured the globe, spreading the sounds of Chicago, including gigs at the famed Detroit Movement Festival as well as regular Berlin and Ibiza shows. Hiroko currently calls clubs such as Spybar and Soundbar home. She actively contributes to jacking Chicago techno with an edge all its own, along with her like-minded colleagues and collaborators, including Heartthrob, Seth Troxler, Hyperactive, Angel Alanis, Kate Simko, and the Submerge.
DJ Minx
A longtime fixture of Detroit‘s club scene, DJ Minx is often referred to as the First Lady of Wax. Her mix sets, as well as her productions, range from deep and minimal to boisterous and funky, and she’s earned respect throughout the techno and house scenes. Active as a DJ since the early ’90s, she formed the Women On Wax collective and label and started releasing tracks in the early 2000s, scoring an underground hit with the 2003 minimal house track “A Walk in the Park,” which became a hit among minimal techno DJs, and Richie Hawtin re-released it on his M_nus imprint, with remixes by producers like Ricardo Villalobos and Matthew Dear. Minx issued the EP Fuzzy Navel in 2004 and collaborated with fellow Detroit house producer Piranhahead as Animal Trax. Minx‘s Midnite Bullet EP appeared in 2008, and she made a brief appearance on Andrés‘ 2009 album II. More than two decades after she began her career in the club scene, DJ Minx finally started receiving recognition as a dance music legend during the 2010s. In 2015, Mixmag named her as one of the 20 women who shaped the history of dance music, and Time Out New York included her in a list of the Top 10 house DJs of all time in 2016. She was awarded the Spirit of Detroit award by the city council in 2018, along with Stacey Hotwaxx Hale, Underground Resistance’s Bridgette Banks, and other women who played a major role in Detroit‘s dance scene. Minx left her job in the Detroit auto industry and pursued music full-time. She released several singles and EPs during the early 2020s, including Violet Groove, which featured an updated version of “A Walk in the Park.” Minx came out as a lesbian in 2021, during Pride Month. Soon after, her image was featured in a mural on the side of Detroit’s Ruth Ellis Center dedicated to the city’s queer community, and her single “Purse First” was released, with proceeds benefiting the LGBTQ+ community center. She also released an EP titled Queendom on London-based HE.SHE.THEY. and shared a split EP with another veteran Detroit producer, Gari Romalis. In 2022, Minx made her first appearance on BBC Radio 1‘s long-running Essential Mix. Her song “Do It All Night,” previously featured on Carl Craig‘s 2019 mix Detroit Love, Vol. 2, was given a full release on Planet E, with remixes by Craig and Honey Dijon. Minx continued playing at clubs and festivals around the world, and she was asked to curate her own stage at the 2022 edition of Movement. “The Throne” was released by Diplo‘s Higher Ground imprint in 2023.
