Avtex
Avnish Kiri (Avtex) is a Techno and Drum ‘n’ Bass DJ. Av’s fascination with music technology began early when at the age of six he used to play with his dad’s phono turntable, scratching back and forth a copy of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, experimenting with the different sounds. Av discovered electronic music much later in his latter school years, and dissatisfied with chart music he set about unearthing new sounds from obscure sources in a kind of voyage of discovery. He developed an interest in the turntablism side of Hip-Hop and hastily acquired a set of cheap turntables and practiced scratching as a passive hobby. Whilst at college studying Film & Media, Av met some influential friends with similar ideologies, and his musical appreciation became more refined. Passion became obsession and the metamorphosis was complete.
After leaving college with a firm set of musical preferences and a far more attentive ear, Av discovered Drum ‘n’ Bass, a genre he had previously dismissed. The technical finesse of a DJ set from LTJ Bukem caught his attention, and after going to a local specialist (Intense Records) and asking for something similar he discovered artists such as Calibre, Amit, Breakage and Noisia. The meticulous precision of the tracks eluded him and he immediately bought a pair of Technics and set about practicing assiduously, for up to six hours a day, working relentlessly to re-wire his mind for the mix. Two months later he was asked to play for PlanetDNB.com after being heard mixing at Intense Records. He soon earned a place on the Intense roster and started playing in clubs locally and in London. Avtex has played on Rise FM and was soon asked to play on Bassdrive.com. Avtex started his own night in 2006 (PULSE) at Chelmsford’s Cellar Bar. The night has been very successful and is now hosted at Barhouse.
Avtex started to take his passion more seriously and decided to study it further. He enrolled at the School of Audio Engineering (SAE London) and was soon introduced to Minimal Techno. Artists like Oliver Huntemann and Dominik Eulberg caught his ear as he found their production techniques captivating. Avtex has played Techno sets at London’s Public Life for Lost Souls. Avtex is known for his cohesive DJ sets, his surgically precise mixing skills; his ability to make two records unite in a delicate equilibrium. Avtex also operates two Podcasts for Drum ‘n’ Bass and Techno respectively which are highly successful and between them have amassed over 50,000 subscribers (at last count). Avtex is currently in the studio working on his own productions which draw from the multifarious influences of his eclectic taste
