Ghosts on Tape likes raving. Mind you, not the glowstick-powered, trance-laden nonsense that masquerades as raving these days. The San Francisco resident wants the real thing: dark warehouses, big soundsystems, sweaty walls and even sweatier bodies, and the pulsing sounds of gritty house and techno.

It’s those kinds of sounds that Ghosts on Tape (a.k.a. Ryan Merry) assembles on his dual Yamaha SU700 samplers. Although the ’90s-era machines are undeniably antiquated—new sounds literally have be loaded on the fly via floppy disk—he’s thoroughly mastered these vintage weapons, putting together jaw-dropping live sets that combine the ominous underbelly of classic house and techno with upfront, bass-heavy futurism. Those sonic principles also drive ICEE HOT, the influential monthly party in San Francisco which Ghosts on Tape co-founded and where he continues to serve as a resident DJ.

A native of St. Louis, Ghosts on Tape relocated to San Francisco in 2003 and began garnering attention for his blistering DJ and live sets and the warped, occasionally tropical-flavored bass sounds he was creating. His 2009 Predator Mode EP on Wireblock—which included a white-hot Roska remix of the title track—exploded Ghosts on Tape’s profile even further, as did an exclusive mix for Mary Anne Hobbs’ BBC Radio 1 show, and remixes for the likes of Rainbow Arabia, Lemonade, Cardopusher, Chrissy Murderbot, Subeena, Mexicans with Guns, Thunderball, among others. In 2011, he was selected to be a participant in the Red Bull Music Academy in Madrid. His sound has evolved over the years, moving away from equatorial beats and back towards his Midwestern house and techno roots, but one thing hasn’t changed: Ghosts on Tape likes raving.

bio by Shawn Reynaldo

some links to mixes and whatnot :
Live from Red Bull Music Academy Madrid 2011: http://redbullmusicacademyradio.com/shows/4647/

mix & interview (en Español) for Playground Mag: http://www.playgroundmag.net/podcast/25816-pg-podcast-052

mix for Big Chill Bar London/DJ Mag: Big Chill Presents Ghosts On Tape Exclusive Mix for DJmag by djmag

Resident Advisor page: http://www.residentadvisor.net/dj/ghostsontape