Ep. 10 - Ambivalent

Ambivalent Is Certain About His Life After Minimal Techno Kevin
McHugh spreads his wings with new labels and artistic ideas. Kevin
McHugh didn't set out to be a techno musician. But when his work in
the world of NYC's modern art scene crossed over into the realm of
minimal techno in the early 00s, he caught a wave that took him all
the way to Berlin as part of Richie Hawtin's Minus label. He was
soon traveling the world under the name Ambivalent, spreading the
gospel of Berlin's trendy ambience with compatriots like Magda,
Marc Houle and Heartthrob. "It became a big thing on [Minus] when
that label was a big thing," he says modestly of his 2007 breakout
single, "R U OK," a prime example of the drugged-yet-cheeky,
plink-plonky sound that took over techno a decade ago. Since
departing Minus in 2012, Kevin has debuted two new aliases — the
house-inspired Amber and gritty LA-4A — and launched his own Delft
and Valence labels and to release a broader palette of dance music
than the haus of Hawtin had allowed for in the past. He's also
continued his Ambivalent guise, partnering up with techno stars
Sven Vath, Josh Wink and Sasha to release music on their Cocoon,
Ovum and Last Night On Earth Imprints respectively. Always
self-examining and sometimes painfully honest, Kevin explains the
twists and turns it's taken him to reach this point in his career,
with a critical eye towards both his past and his future.