if you think about it DJ-ing is the new-age journaling. there’s truth in that. curating playlists isn’t new—mixtapes on cassettes/CDs—all precursors to the DJ-ing subculture. it’s a process that holds love: collecting your favourite sounds, aligning them in a way that tells a story, maybe done in the cozy memory of someone. simple, yet deeply intimate (and effective). that’s tenderness right there.
it’s the same underlying sentiment that is the root of all archived radio and mixes on the web—they’re extensions of the person, windows into their world. like peering into an apartment complex at night when the lights are on, where every unit shares the same architecture, yet each has been shaped into a home by its inhabitant’s perspective. a glimpse of character, unfolding track by track. the same track, in different hands, takes on a new meaning with every spin.
festival archives have their own grip on me too. a friend wrote to me recently—maybe you know him, Sam Goku (i’ve shared his music before; i’m a big fan)—after spotting me in a Dekmantel Boiler Room mix ft. Marcel Dettmann. i knew that one was recorded but never noticed myself in the playback. probably for the best at the time—no need to witness the sweaty club wreck that was me.
turns out, it wasn’t so bad after all. it’s really nice to have these things to look back on, in retrospect, an unintended online scrapbook that somehow captures every raw emotion of the time. i always know which mixes i’ve been a part of, but the initial embarrassment of being caught on camera always fades into something warmer—a memory i can return to, especially when i learn not to be too hard on myself.
anyway, thinking of festivals, it’s funny how ravers talk after an exhilarating experience on the floor. i remember one such time—it was the end of DjRum schooling a crowd for an hour—someone said, “he needs an open round of Q&A after his mixes so we know what the fuck he did.” in regard to the same set, another one called him truly DJ Jesus. yeh, i think there’s truth in that.
hot tunes for various moods
things i’ve been playing a lot
1/15 Beautiful Freaks w/ A Guy Called Gerald on Kiosk Radio nothing short of legendary. this episode on Kiosk Radio is one for the books, with A Guy Called Gerald freestyling, acid house and techno floating in and out. the man moans into the mic as he goes (YouTube link right here if you care). you just know he’s ready to serve. this is a certified trip back to the good days.
2/15 Panama Racing Club with Marsman on Intergalactic FM i miss being in my Berlin apartment, listening to stuff like this—watching the sun rise and set through my bedroom window, the shadows dancing on the wall opposite. the whole day slips by, and it never feels like a waste. anyway, Marsman does it dirty on this one—so sultry, a sort of punk-goth aesthetic riding that cold-wave electro frequency, hitting all the right notes. i’ve played this back more times than I can count. i love the label he runs too, Pinkman. (have i recommended this before?)
3/15 Hell Of a Club: Twin Peaks Special on NTS a really sweet compilation of Twin Peaks rhythms. the whole David Lynch-dedicated category on NTS is absolutely class, including the Sounds on Screen compilation (which, by the way, is a fantastic series in itself). it’s hard to imagine something like this taking shape without Lynch and his soul-sister Badalamenti. (still optimistic that we have plenty of freaks left to carry on the show)
4/15 Warning 140: DJ Detective & Lae this hits on a personal level, curated by the elusive mister DJ Detective and his enchanting partner-in-crime, Lae. the french couple takes us on a lovely dive into the ‘90s, packed with that rich energy of a bright future ahead—exactly the kind they embody. you’ll only find them in the most niche corners of Berlin underground.
+
5/15 LIVE: Spicetape with Sijya on Refuge Worldwide, my radio show, a bi-monthly show at Refuge Worldwide in Berlin airs today 7 PM Berlin time (or 11:30 PM in India). i couldn’t be happier to have Sijya on this one. a true storyteller, she brings a concoction of experimental, art pop, and noise in the most intimate way & i love it. i’ve had her debut EP Young Hate along with its remix companion Young Love stuck on repeat for me—instinctive, emotional, and beautiful textures. one hour of pure bliss—get involved!
+
notable mentions: 6/15 rRoxymore invites أساس ASAAS, 7/15 Crack Magazine Sunday Mix: NEXCYIA, 8/15 djmag Fresh Kicks 210: Stella Zekri, 9/15 Dekmantel Podcast 474 – Sam Goku, 10/15 Awkwardly Cast 063 / Ecki Pirates, 11/15 Richie Hawtin: Decks, Efx & 909 CD Version (1999), 12/15 54 72 61 6E 73 6D 69 74 69 6F 6E 20 31 by Pugilist, 13/15 Pure Space :: Kaiser, 14/15 Lifafa – Red Light Radio Session (will truly never get over this one, been playing it back for ten years), 15/15 Melina Serser at Houghton Festival
the list could go on and on, but i must stoppp. i try to be mindful of the length of these posts—keeping it balanced so each piece gets the attention it deserves. enjoy the happy, sad, mysterious, dirty, and dangerous listening xx