Hardwired is a new compilation curated by the Berlin-based DJ and producer JakoJako (aka Sibel Koçer) for the NYC's Air Texture label.

Across the twenty-three tracks of Hardwired, a genre-ranging roster of artists shows off its take on modern hardware-based production — the compilation’s title being a reference to the interpersonal connections that can emerge out of a shared passion for making electronic music with hardware, as JakoJako herself explains:

"A hardwired synth has connections already soldered into the machine — it comes with certain functions without needing to patch cables externally. As a hardware producer, I feel whenever I meet someone who creates music as I do, we have this immediate connection, like a hardwired synthesizer. There's no need for small talk — we can speak about gear."

Having had the compilation on repeat for a while here, we reached out to Sibel to learn more about her approach to curating the project. We also reached out to three of the featured artists — Mareena, Sacha Ketterlin and Francesco Devincenti — to learn more about the making of the tracks they contributed to Hardwired. 

JakoJako on curating the Hardwired compilation

Where did the idea for the compilation originally come from?

The owner of Air Texture approached me with the idea and said that I could do whatever I would like. He liked that my work [process] is focused on hardware, hence we set the focus on likeminded artists.

How long did it take for the compilation to come to fruition?

Quite some time — I think it took almost two years up until the final release. The most difficult part was managing all of the communication. Melissa from Tailored Communications was a great support, this was the beginning of us working properly together, so it feels mature and a bit more professional — team work makes the dream work!

Were there any collaborations you were particularly looking forward to?

Hard to say! I wish I could have done more collaborations, but obviously, everyone lives in different parts of the world, so it's not always possible. Still, it was nice to see other artist’s studios when possible. Acid Pauli’s studio is quite impressive and cozy! The studio of Rødhåd and Frank Wiedemann, too, but I had went there already so it wasn’t new to me. One day I’d love to make music with Kuss — I think we have a vibe even though we've never met in person! 

How did the tracks that you yourself have contributed come about?

I contributed two tracks – one with Frank Wiedemann (“Acknowledgement”) and one with Mareena (“ah”). The track with Frank is a track that we wrote together while performing live in Austria for a festival called More Ohr Less, where we played along the legend Rodelius! We both quite liked the tune and wanted to release it. The track with Mareena was done with a MfB drum machine and has a very recognisable sample in it, probably the only sample we used, haha! With Mareena, she always comes to my studio when we make music together – we usually laugh a lot! 

Mareena on the making of “ah” (/w JakoJako)

Sibel asked if I wanted to collaborate on a track, and after having made a few tracks together before, I thought „why not“! We’ve known each other for years through SchneidersLaden. Up until then, we’d mostly made ambient stuff together, so we figured it was time to try our hands at some techno. We both share a soft spot for intricate rhythms and that chordier kind of techno, so it felt like a natural evolution.

I used the MFB Tanzbär2 for the hi-hats and percussive elements. If you are a MFB nerd, you might even recognize a certain signature sample from it – the “ah” that inspired the track title also came from there. For the FM bass, I used the Elektron Digitone with a drastic high cut. I believe those were my main contributions, but you know how collaborations go — sometimes you lose track of what is who's!

Sacha Ketterlin on the making of “Escape”

The track is taken from a live set, like most of my music. It was directly inspired by a night at Berghain — the sound, the energy, and the feeling on the dancefloor. I love the process of going clubbing, then coming home and translating the emotional imprint of that experience into sound. It’s a pure, instinctive way of working — driven more by feeling than by technical thinking.

It was performed live on my modular synth, which is dedicated to live performance. The bass comes from a Macbeth X-Series oscillator running through an opto distortion, and the main voice is built with another Macbeth X-Series VCO, processed through the Macbeth Dual SVF filter. The delay path is one I always come back to: the Modcan Dual Delay into an old Dynacord DRP-5. The chords are generated by the Mannequins Just Friends in „Plume“ mode, filtered through Three Sisters — a combo I really enjoy for shaping textured, evolving harmonies.

This patch has been my foundation for years. I only make subtle changes to it over time, which helps me focus on expression, rather than the technical setup. For real-time control, I use the Intellijel Planar and Tetrapad to bring a natural, hands-on feel. The drums come from a TR-909 processed through Eurorack modules, including the Frap Tools Fumana and the TouellSkouarn Strakal Orsel.

My focus has always been on performing live and building music in real time from a fixed, expressive system. I treat my modular setup like an instrument — one that I’ve shaped slowly over years. Every track is a kind of document of a live moment, where instinct and physical interaction drive the sound more than pre-planning or editing. That’s very central to how I work.

Francesco Devincenti on the making of “Ohrid

I made the track right after returning from the wedding of one of my dearest friends in Macedonia. That’s where the name and the inspiration came from.

I created the track by synthesizing every drum sound using the DSI Tempest, except for the snare, which comes from Tiptop’s 808 Eurorack series. The pad comes from the Waldorf XT, and the bass was made using various Eurorack modules. As I usually do, I mixed the track using classic dub techniques with a mixing console and several effects — like the Roland Space Echo, a Mu-Tron [phaser], and the Fisher Dynamic Space Expander [spring reverb].

You can find the Hardwired compilation on various platforms here (link.tree).