Standard Time x Untold Stories presents Robert Hood, Zoi and faisalkon!

"I remember Isaac Hayes, the soundtrack from ‘Shaft’ had come out. My father was a jazz musician; he played piano, trumpet and drums. My mother was in an R’n’B group.
 We listened to a lot of Motown – in fact, my grandfather’s first cousin is Berry Gordy. “I was influenced by my father – I wanted to play trumpet like he did.” Robert’s father tragically died when he was just 6. The photo of Robert sitting down holding a trumpet is his fathers. ”I had to beg my grandmother to let me borrow the trumpet to take a picture with it”

Robert Hood needs little introduction. Founding member of the legendary group Underground Resistance as a ‘Minister Of Information’ with ‘Mad’ Mike Banks & Jeff Mills, his seminal works on Jeff Mill’s Axis and his very own M-Plant imprint paved the way for a wave of stripped-down dancefloor minimalism that directed much of techno’s path throughout the late Nineties.

Robert Hood makes minimal Detroit techno with an emphasis on soul and experimentation over flash and popularity.

Having recorded for Metroplex, Jeff Mills’ Axis label, as well as Patrick Pulsingers ‘Cheap’ label, Peacefrog, and more recently Music Man, Hood also owns and operates the M-Plant imprint, through which he’s released the bulk of his solo material.

the early 90’s he began to concentrate on his own production ‘Vision EP’, the ‘Riot EP’ and X-102 were big stepping-stones for him as they were the first releases he worked 100% on his own. The X-101 to X-102, were Waveform Transmission projects with Mills for Tresor. He slowly progressed to work more and more on his own, but collaberated on some of the first Axis releases with label owner Jeff Mills as H&M (Hood & Mills) with ‘Tranquilizer EP’ and ‘Drama’.

 He soon decided it was time for him to start his own label to focus on what was in his soul musically.

M-Plant started in ’94. I had developed this “grey area” sound – what I mean by that is that in Detroit, even when the sun is out, there’s something in the atmosphere. I don’t know if its pollution or whatever, but the sky has that grey haze over it. It’s got to be something from the industrial factories there. I’d never really heard a sound like that before and it came from a Roland Juno – it was a chord sound that really went along with my depiction of what Detroit was at that time. A lot of buildings were abandoned and there was a lot of lifelessness in the city, especially downtown. The M-Plant, in minimalism, kind of reflected that.

I remember thinking of Detroit like a museum. You know, like a work of art standing still, suspended in time. There wasn’t a whole lot of activity going on.

Zoi is a Karachi born, Toronto based producer, DJ, and programmer. Zoi launched his music career as one half of Talal & Zoi (T&Z), a duo that gained traction in the electronic scene with releases featured on Dirtybird, Kindisch, Dantze, Moodfamily, Rawthentic Music and Traum Schallplatten. Having played at some of the most respected clubs and festivals around the world, Zoi also invests himself in nurturing Toronto's music scene through his collective Untold Stories and is also the Lead Programmer for an underground electronic music venue called Sub Division.

Toronto-based faisalkon, originally from Pakistan, is a passionate curator of diverse sounds who finds purpose in cross-cultural collaboration. As the cofounder of collectives Scene Series and Untold Stories, he champions an eclectic set of artists. His sets blend infectious disco and Hi-NRG beats mixed with a treasure trove of his South Asian disco records, ensuring these sonic gems are both preserved and enjoyed.

Clearly its going to be a night to remember!