SWAYMIX SERIES

008 Earl Grey

DJ Earl Grey aka Nik Thorup takes us beyond the dancefloor and into the realm of the cerebral. During his month-long residency at Waxflower, Nik spun a cornucopia of captivating and unique records that always left us hungry for more.

We’re still not sure how Nik managed to intertwine so many polarising genres so effortlessly. Few DJs can stroll from ambient to jazz, from folk to dub, making it sound so organic. Maybe there’s a link to be drawn between this kind of musical curation and some of the more adventurous wine-making processes we’ve come to love at Waxflower. Skin-contact wine often leads to bolder, more intense, and less predictable palates. 

Shady wine-making comparisons aside, it was an honour for us to have Nik play for the whole month. We’ve spent plenty of time listening to his recorded sets, so it was a treat to experience his talent live at Waxflower.

Recorded live @Waxflowerbar

008 Dj Earl Grey

B.P.T. Radio 036: Tornado Wallace

017 Daniel Pisano

Nearly 4 hours of being so smooth it's slippery. The fun kind of slippery. Sliding you downtempo into Boogie, slowly burning you through streets of Soul, touching you like only RNB can. 

Put down that ruler in your hand, because this mix from Daniel Pisano, we assure you, is very good measure. 

Recorded live @Waxflowerbar

017 Daniel Pisano

"She rode with her hat pulled down in the front and fastened under her chin with a drawtie and as she rode her black hair twisted and blew about her shoulders and the lightning fell silently through the black clouds behind her and she rode all seeming unaware down through the low hills while the first spits of rain blew on the wind and onto the upper pasturelands and past the pale and reedy lakes riding erect and stately until the rain caught her up and shrouded her figure away in that wild summer landscape: real horse, real rider, real land and sky 
and yet a dream withal."

Artwork by @tamara-marrington

Cassette

...and yet a dream withal

SWAYMIX 001 - Telephones

SWAYMIX 002 - Eternal Love

SWAYMIX 003 - Alias Error

SWAYMIX 004 - Loveshadow

SWAYMIX 005 - Jeremy Castillo

just-us records is a collaborative dig, online shop, and sometimes record label by Bill Spencer, who lives in detroit and Izaak, who lives in San Francisco. the two of them dj frequently in their respective cities and occasionally elsewhere. their mutual obsession with and love of all kids of sound has catapulted them, together, through the vastness of recorded music and the possibilities of sharing it with others. this particular mix is put together from a multi-year effort to explore the worlds of independently-produced R&B, Soul, Jazz, Hip Hop, etc. etc. from the CD/PC era of the early 00’s. We hope you enjoy just as much as we did!

Just Us Records (Bill & Izaak)

First up in 2023 is Los Angeles based Juan Izguerra (@juanizguerra) who runs his residencies at Dublab and Homage Brewing. Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com

MFM: Hi Juan, welcome to the series. You're based in Los Angeles, right? Can you tell a bit about what keeps you busy? 

JI: Hey there! Super stoked to contribute. Well, I was born in Pomona, California and I started DJing about six years ago. I recently found myself as the event coordinator at Homage Brewing in 2021 and It’s been a great experience to be on both sides… I love being able to DJ at some of my favorite parties, and then host locals and out of town friends at my own events with Homage. My girlfriend and I made the move to LA in the summer of 2020. Early on in the pandemic rent was pretty much the same in Pomona as it was in LA so we thought we’d just live in the city. When clubs/bars opened up again I got involved with Homage. Since then I’ve been able to host parties at our space and focus on bringing people together for the music. 

MFM: What triggered you to initially get interested and involved in buying and playing records?  

JI: I’ve collected records since my teens but it wasn’t until I was 20 that I met one of my now super close friends Josh da Costa (Confusing Mix on NTS) who put me onto crazy records he found during his time living and touring in Europe. He showed me things like Roberto Musci, Thomas Leer, The Antennas, Cherry Red records, and weird compilations. Hearing things like that made me so curious. I saw Josh DJ one day and I was fascinated with how he made people dance. It made me want to learn how to do that! 

MFM: Nice. Did you have any other role models you felt inspired and motivated by?

JI: Definitely. My friends Josh (who I mentioned), Jimi Hey, and Shags Chamberlain were an early influence on me. They toured all over the world and would come home with bags of records, share their discoveries, and give a story about where they found it. I saw that as a way to connect with people and It inspired me to travel and want to find things of my own to share. As I got more curious on the DJ’ing side of things, I definitely got a lot of inspiration from my good friend Bianca Lexis. She’s one of my favorite DJ’s!

MFM: You've done quite some traveling yourself too, within the US but also intercontinental. How is LA nightlife compared to some other places you've been? What's the LA style?

JI: LA’s nightlife definitely needs some work. In New York, Europe, and Mexico City, there’s an audience for every genre and a club for it as well. I think that’s what we struggle with most. People have to resort to attending warehouse parties which involve a lot of financial strain on the organizers. Still, we do have a lot of people putting together great parties here such as Third Place and Moony Habits. Lots of great house/outdoor parties which are really fun and unique to LA. 

MFM: Where and how do you go finding new records and music? Do you have your secret or not so secret methods?   

JI: When it comes down to record shopping I typically like to leave LA. Visiting suburban areas is where I get the most luck. Something about those areas feels more zen since it’s less competitive. It puts me in a mental space where I’m able to focus on looking through records thoroughly. 

MFM: Looking forward to anything specific in '23? Any future plans you'd like to share maybe? 

JI: I’ll be visiting Tokyo for the first time in May so I’m super psyched about that. Also planning to be in Europe in August/September so I'm looking forward to setting up some gigs there!

MFM: Tell us about your mix! How did you approach selecting and recording it?

JI: I wanted to make it a bit cerebral but still keeping it rhythmic and having plenty of songs with lyrics. It has an ambient start that works into downtempo tracks and slowed down Italian house. Hope everyone enjoys!

MFM Mix 047: Juan Izguerra

Booyakasha! Handing the keys to the '94 Ford Capri over to one of the most dedicated 12" sleuths on the the internet right now! Mirren is perhaps best known for resurrecting a trove of tantalising 90s/00s cross over jams through his own youtube channel, and for wowing local listening bar enthusiasts lucky enough to catch him in full flight. Sit back, relax and enjoy the smoothness personified. Safe to say he's left no stone or obscure white label unturned for this one! 

@mirrens

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcdX0mF2T8lgQHiWivSH-Q

Q. I get the sense you are a guy who finds real enjoyment in digging deep for long neglected jams and resurrecting them for fresh ears, with frequent uploads to your YouTube channel regularly blowing minds on the internet (speaking from personal experience here!). While there’s a wide range of styles uploaded to the channel, has there been a general theme developing or certain characteristics that you look for when deciding what to share?

A. Glad you've dug the channel! I mean I've been massively influenced by others (e.g. Archive Digital, Modern Art, Mike Who) who were casually dropping heat across their channel/mixes years ago that I never would have come across otherwise. So trying to find and share songs in a similar way has always been the motivation. But you’re at the mercy of what you stumble across, which is why I’m not uploading exclusively mid tempo hip house bangers like I really want haha. I think the variety keeps things interesting though, or at least is hopefully providing a broader appreciation for what’s out there - especially for us Aussie folk.

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting the mix together? Is there a sound, feeling or time period in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. Truthfully this mix is a collection of fun music I've found first-and-foremost, so it might say more about my searching patterns than it being an intentional narrative.. catchy 90/00s hip hop cut-throughs seem to be in no short supply! I think the wealth of music available in the genre does say something about how versatile (and enjoyable) it is and how it can be used as a vehicle for different cultures, ideas or influences. So maybe the mix is me highlighting this :`)

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are particularly close to your heart, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment? If so, what’s the story behind those and how might you have stumbled across them?

A chunk of the mix is from lucky discogs pickups or random spotify dives so they’re not the most romantic stories, but finding a song in that deep internet corner definitely adds a fondness. There’s also a few dope tunes from some great channels/crews scattered throughout. But 'Njen Grad' and 'Wuck U Right' feel particularly sentimental due to how many hours I’ve clocked listening, so I’m excited to share them!

MDC.283 Mirren

SWAYMIX 007 - Tess Roby

The breezy sound of the Canadian Riviera, from Mood Hut's Pender Street Steppers.

https://www.nts.live/shows/pender-street-steppers/episodes/pender-street-steppers-25th-july-2023

PENDER STREET STEPPERS w/ Break Mode 250723

For home use only’ is an anti-club social, a chance to get to know someone/something. A series of transmissions purely dedicated to exploring the other side.

Well Well, welcome back. Open arms hug. Stern Handshake. Slight bow. High five (eyes locked on each other’s elbow). Pat on the back. Kiss on the cheek. Warm embrace. All the things we’ve missed are now awkward parts of life that we must get used to again. However, one thing that eternally remains is the need for a fucking good mix to bump, and boy has Chico G delivered (as if he wouldn’t?!?!). Chico has summoned his esteemed vibe smith abilities on this one, dishing out nothing but head jerkers and neck workers. 

Chico, Chico, Chico, a multifaceted diamond in the rough. The man can do no wrong. Seeing him go from strength to strength over the last however many years has been an absolute delight. Whether it is curating your tastebuds or your earbuds, he’s done everything with a certain pizzazz that only he can muster up. A consistent testament to his character is the never-ending hard work he puts into Skylab Radio, which almost single-handedly floats Melbourne's love for good music. He’s established himself as a bit of a cultural cornerstone in Melbourne and we’re all for it. This is just a friendly reminder of what Chico can do when he’s able to step back from his other duties and get behind the decks. 

Now for the important part; the finely curated musical selection, poetically arranged. This mix absolutely slaps, guaranteed 100% good vibrations. From the very start when you hear Missy Elliot singing her piece you know you’re in good hands. Classic after classic, beautifully strung together like washed-up shells around a surfer's neck. This will be one of those ‘forever’ mixes you keep on a USB that your grandkids will find in 70 years' time and unearth some old laptop, which will ultimately lead to Rush Hour repressing it onto a traditional compact disc and Chico doing hologram sets at pizza joints around the world. 

Enough bullshit. Just listen to it.

be good. 

His sounds >>>> https://soundcloud.com/chico_g

Skylab Radio >>> https://skylab-radio.com/

FHUO # 53 // CHICO G

With an impeccable record collection spanning all that is interesting - and likely full of music you’ve never heard before, from left of centre pop to ambient soundscapes and anomalous house & techno - we are very happy to be putting out this sublime mix from Jamie Tiller. 
The London born, Berlin resident is a veteran digger and co-founder of the indisputable Music from Memory imprint, renowned for unearthing hidden gems. Recorded back in June 2019, Jamie takes us on a unshazamable-ambient-electronic-synth-pop journey of bliss.

SWAYMIX 007 - Tess Roby

Bar Sway

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