Techflex.
Let the loop carry it.
Techflex on groove without distractions, his version of Mechanium and the personal instinct behind Shadow State.
Techflex
Before the effects arrive, the track has to work on its own. Techflex listens closely: does the groove hold up, is the sound design right, does the music feel like him? We talk about why every release is only a snapshot, how he brought his own signature to Mike’s Mechanium, and why the club does not dictate what happens in the studio.
Techflex is a Vienna-based techno producer and DJ who runs the label Shadow State. His music explores raw, hypnotic and dark techno. We received these answers to our five questions on 29 October 2026.
A sound shaped by every release
How did you arrive at your raw, dark techno sound in your own productions? Do you remember an early track that first made you think: this really sounds like me?
I have always had a clear idea of the direction I want my music to take. The technical side took a little longer, though. Especially at the beginning, I often found that the tracks, which remain unreleased to this day, did not convey what I actually wanted to express. So I first had to learn how to create exactly that vibe, and keep questioning myself while producing: does this really capture the style? Back then, that quite often led to me scrapping a track.
I identified with the tracks I released from day one, but I have also kept developing and trying different things over time. So I would not pin it on one particular track. Instead, I see every release as a snapshot of a journey, with the sum of those snapshots defining my sound.
When the loop stands on its own
Stripped-back, hypnotic tracks keep appearing in your catalogue. When you are working, how do you know a loop has enough life to carry a whole track? What small details do you tend to change?
I need to be completely convinced by both the groove and the sound design. Once I reach that point, I work on the main arrangement, and it is important to me that the track does not sound boring even without further variations in effects. Those usually do get added afterwards to reinforce the arrangement.
But the basic rule is this: if I feel I constantly have to vary the lead with effects to keep it interesting, the loop was not strong enough and needs another pass. Adjusting the rhythm or timing can usually make a big difference.
I need to be completely convinced by both the groove and the sound design.
A signature within the remix
You remixed Mike’s “Mechanium”. Which element of the original gave you a way in, and what did you have to change or leave out for it to become your own version?
The original was already very strong, so I did not want to change the lead fundamentally. Instead, I decided to expand it with a raw/hypnotic stab and bring the groove further to the foreground.
Since I also knew there would be several remixes, it was all the more important to introduce new elements of my own that carried the Techflex signature. That way, I could create a contrast with the original and help make the EP varied. Props to the other remixers for their great work, too!
Shadow State: a definite yes
What role do you take on at Shadow State, and how has that developed over time? What does a demo need to make you feel for you to want to spend more time with it?
To the question of which roles I take on at Shadow State, I can give a clear answer: yes! It has always been that way, and there are no plans to change it. It is a passion project with techno at its centre.
With demos, it is the same as with loops when I am producing: they simply have to grab me. With releases, I also always try to set myself the standard that there should be at least one track I would play myself.
Music that resonates with you
How do DJing and producing influence each other for you? Tell us about one of your own tracks that you revisited after its first club test because you heard or felt something completely different there.
As a rule, I only play unreleased tracks in public when it is too late to change anything. Whether that is the best approach is, of course, open to question, but in general I do not produce with the thought of what might go down well in a club.
Instead, I try to make music that resonates with me, that I feel and can get excited about. If the track then works well in the club, that naturally makes me all the happier.
Techflex
Interview by email · Editorial and image art direction: SCENE:ID. Courtesy of Techflex