Boris Brejcha: The Maestro Behind The Mask

On June 10th and July 22nd we’re excited to welcome renowned German DJ and producer Boris Brejcha to ANTS 10 YEARS STRONG.

Perhaps one of the most unique artists active in the electronic music scene today, Boris Brejcha is instantly identifiable not just from his iconic Venetian mask but also from the High Tech Minimal genre he pioneered. This unceasing innovation and dedication to individualism has seen him rocket to the highest echelons of the industry, release a staggering 13 full-length albums and perform on the biggest and most respected stages across the globe.

Since debuting with the itchy minimal techno of "Blumenbeet" in 2006, Brejcha's sound has taken many turns from stadium-sized techno of "Redemption" to ambient minimal of "Bleeding Heart".His daily routine sees him locked away in his basement studio making music for nine hours a day, Monday through Friday, from December to April.As a result of his intense devotion to his craft, Brejcha has developed a deep catalogue of tones and styles that ensures his DJ sets are always 100% his own production..

Such a reserve of quality tracks would be the envy of any artist, but perhaps the most impressive aspect of Brejcha’s journey to date has been his mission to craft his very own signature sound. The High Tech Minimal genre has been developing throughout his career but emerged fully formed with 2021’s studio album, Space Diver.

Taking influences from techno, tech house, minimal techno, deep tech and melodic techno, High Tech Minimal is the core of who Brejcha is, not just as an artist but as a person. Speaking to Attack Magazine in 2021, Brejcha said: “I created my own genre High Tech Minimal, because it’s my personal style of music, so I considered it better for it to have its own name. I’m tired of music being put in boxes. I wanted the people to open a ‘new box’ for me. To put it simply: it’s ‘Boris Brejcha Music’ —it’s MY music. I wanted people to associate my songs with ME and not with a genre. Because it’s neither trance nor techno. It has my own specific touch.”

A software evangelist, Brejcha makes 100% of his music using a computer. He does not use analogue hardware in the studio, preferring the diversity and adaptability of plugins and digital production methods. With only a laptop and a midi keyboard, Brejcha has produced an enormous amount of high-quality music. He is unusually open about his production methods, frequently sharing his plugins and Cubase workflows on social media.

His prolific output has allowed Brejcha to achieve eye-watering feats beyond most artists. Most notably, he has played 8-hour sets of entirely his own music. Taking the crowd on a sonic journey through his myriad tastes from techno to trance and, of course, High Tech Minimal before slipping into his ambient productions at sunrise. His infamous Christmas Mixes have become an annual tradition that sees Brejcha compile epic mixes of all the more unusual cuts he’s created in the previous year.

Brejcha’s live performances generally consist of two halves. The first will see the DJ appear in the booth donning his Venetian mask and blasting through his more intense productions. Then about halfway through, the mask comes off, and a more relaxed Brejcha will slip into party mode, playing groove-focused and off-kilter tracks. This two-pronged approach has made him one of the most in-demand live artists in the electronic music scene and has seen him perform at iconic venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Coachella. Brejcha has even had the distinction of being the only electronic music artist to perform at Elon Musk’s Gigafactory, the Billionaire industrialist being a personal fan of the German DJ.

Boris Brejcha will make his highly-anticipated return to ANTS with two headline performances at Ushuaïa Ibiza this summer. First, on June 10th with Andrea Oliva, Franky Wah and Wheats and then July 22nd alongside Joris Voorn, Davide Squillace and Eli & Fur.