In a city that has produced a metric ton of techno and house producers that have achieved international acclaim, Tomas Jirku lurks, silent and deadly.
Seeing Jirku play live again recently reminded me of just how multi-talented he is. Vancouver has produced names like Jay Tripwire and Mathew Jonson, who have gone to fame on peddling the same brand of beat, where over the years Jirku has shown he can mix it up with ease.
Jirku’s most recent release is his Illectrodubs on his own Rivers of Recordings label. It’s a mutant beast, all minimal techno sensibilities meeting west coast dubstep vibes uptown, there’s nothing else quite like it out there and it speaks to the nature of his production. His recent live version of the record suggests a bigger and badder version of the album, but with more sound system bump.
Between his work with the Killaz or Robin Judge and his recent explosion of solo work, Jirku provides a lot of music to dig deep into. The Rivers of Recordings website is worth checking for a good overview of his visual aesthetic.
An avid fisherman and heck of a of a graphic designer, Jirku’s visual mind is one planted in a very strange version of the Pacific Northwest. Combining beauty and whimsy (Bob Ross anyone?), it creates a package hat while not Hipgnosis, is distinctly Jirku.