Toronto-based Canadian electronic music veteran Heiki Sillaste first made his mark with Digital Poodle, a cult EBM project that he began in 1988, going on to release several albums, along with a string of addictive, industrial dancefloor anthems, including “Work Terminal” and “Soul Crush,” which each received the reissue/remix treatment via a pair of 12”s on Suction in 2015, and 2017, respectively. Digital Poodle began releasing a series of cassettes and 12” singles on their own Shadow Canada label. In 1991, Digital Poodle submitted the track “Work Terminal” to local alternative radio station CFNY, where it received heavy rotation alongside contemporary alternative hits by bands like Skinny Puppy, Front 242 and Depeche Mode. Indeed, “Work Terminal” became nothing short of a local EBM anthem; a staple in all of Toronto’s thriving alt/EBM club scene. It even crossed over into the emerging techno scene, with Digital Poodle even playing alongside Detroit’s Underground Resistance, Jeff Mills, Kenny Larkin and Joey Beltram at 1992’s "The Realm Of The Techno Gods" festival.
Like many EBM producers in the ‘90s, Heiki found himself losing interest in that increasingly stagnant scene, and quickly shifted his musical focus towards the emerging techno/rave/ambient scene. Over the years, he’s delved into everything from dub techno, to drum and bass, to ambient drone, but for the past few years he’s been diving deep into hardware analog electro and acid. “Valley Beyond” (suction060) is the result of nearly a decade perfecting his acid/electro sound, finding Heiki at the top of his game.
