Steve O’Sullivan

Initially influenced by Underground Resistance founder Robert Hood, techno mainstay Steve O’Sullivan’s slowly evolving, minimal club tracks have been a prescient component of his sound for three decades, on releases under his own name and versatile aliases including The Wise Caucasian and Blue Spirit. O’Sullivan has released music on numerous labels, including his own Mosaic, Bluetrain and Green, the latter of which recently showcased his signature take on raw, minimal techno via the compilation Green Trax, charting releases from ’95-99. Meanwhile, lockdown has seen O’Sullivan rejuvenated with a new 20-track collaboration taking shape for early summer release.

What appealed to you about making minimal techno over other subgenres?

“I’d say my biggest influence was probably Robert Hood who simplified his sound down to its bare essentials. Even now I don’t think he’s put a shit track out, which is always a sign of a good artist. In those early days I was listening to a lot of Chicago stuff from Beneath Records, which was basically just drum tracks, and if you listen to my music you can hear that all over them. I think that minimalism is the key to my music and the sound is really what it’s all about. The production is as important as the musical ideas, including this whole idea of making music out of nothing and not overkilling it with huge chord progressions or cheesy snare rolls.”

You were a big fan of the Street Sounds compilations back in the day…