Rickers and Ted Krisko are Ataxia, an electronic duo serving up a raw and unfiltered take on dance music that’s inspired by formative years spent in hardcore and punk bands. The electrifying amalgam of house, techno, breakbeat and rave found on their latest release, Out Of Step, is produced using a formidable arsenal of analogue machines, pedals and outboard gear, along with a few strategically deployed stock plugins from their DAW of choice, Ableton Live. We caught up with the pair to delve into their creative process.
When did you start making music?
Ted: “Guitar in the early ’90s was my initial swan dive into all the ruckus. Punk was the first route that had the most immediate gratification. Three chords, sometimes less, sometimes none. Early staples were Fugazi, Nirvana, Black Flag, Minor Threat, and loads of Beastie Boys jams. My cousin gave me an original ProCo RAT distortion fuzzbox – this set the pace early on. My bands recorded on Tascam 4-tracks relentlessly throughout my youth… oh how things come full circle.”
Rickers: “I started making music genuinely when
