Mix of the Week 3/4: Jenö in a Punk Junk VOID PART 2 - March 2019
Photography eno Void @ DV8 Basement SF, early 90s
Founder of the Wicked Crew, Jenö Void has been a pioneer of US west coast dance music since the 90s. Launching his Noise From the VOID vinyl label in 2015, he promotes a wide variety of experimental music, ranging from acid house, dance music, psychedelic rock, soul, funk and, as this week’s mix highlights, punk. The first Jenö in a Punk Junk VOID was a personal retrospective on late 70s and early 80s punk rock influences, broadcast in November last year. Now he is back with a follow up that not only shows off the refined taste of this music veteran, but also the wide variety of genre influences within the punk style.
This mammoth of a radio show, clocking in at three and a half hours, after being edited for the mix format, covers that late 70s and early 80s punk era. However, it is not limited to this, branching off into more danceable post punk and industrial music, as well as some experimental tracks from the time. While Jenö tells listeners at the start of the mix that he will bounce between songs both connected and disconnected, the transition never feels jarring. That is because everything is not only grounded in a similar production style and texture from the late 70s and early 80s but also in the consistency of Jenö’s refined musical taste. The resulting tracklist is wildly varied and educational in its obscurity.
The wide array of tracks include 2004’s ‘Robot’ by the alternative/indie pop group Futureheads, 1983’s ‘Try’ by New Wave/Post-Punk synth-pop group Beat the Drum, and 1981’s ‘Avant-après Mars’ by the EDM pioneers Liaisons Dangereuses. These three examples would be nothing if not for the best part of the mix, Jenö’s commentary throughout the show. He is able to concisely explain the significance of the song in its time, what the song experiments with musically and why he has chosen it. As a result of the mix’s variety and Jenö’s corresponding explanations, it not only is a treat to listen to, but also essential listening for fans of music and those interested in its evolution over the twentieth century.
