MFC Records is a Montreal-based independent techno label curated by BitterCaress.

The techno scene has always been on a frontline to encourage social progress and to fight against any form of oppression. We, at MFC Records, come together as activists and a music-based community. With this label, we aim to raise awareness about causes that are dear to us as we believe we can aspire for a better world through music.

This fundraising project has been established as a way to support newcomers, fresh talents and already established artists from all over the world.

All proceeds from the releases will go to carefully chosen non for-profit organizations beforehand.

MFC RECORDS

SELECTED LIVE RECORDED SETS & RADIO SHOWS

My project - Mixing For a Cause : 

I have ideas, a voice, opinions I want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. I also wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe not only I but everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for.  

I hope these mixes can be my small contribution to raise awareness about causes that are important to me.

MFC PODCASTS

SELECTED GUEST MIXES

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @nakamomusic to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 14 : Nakamo - The sound of my voice reaching out

Refusing to be confined to specific genres, Nakamo's sound shifts from techno through hard trance, breaks, electro, and everything in-between.

Nakamo started her DJ journey 2 years ago across the North London party scene, however, in recent months she has begun to push further afield. Her recent set for FOLD’s streaming series Unstream turned heads drawing new attention from those who hadn’t encountered her before and exciting those who had.

Following this, she made her debut on Noods, Reprezent radio. She recently put out a Technomate, Mass podcast, as well as a FOLD, detect series. Finishing the year with an outstanding stream for Krake Festival 2020 and a highly rated podcast for London queer collective, HTBX. 

New year, new resolutions for Nakamo, starting the year with her very first self-released track called Control. 2021 is looking lively for Nakamo. 

Today she wanted to raise awareness about the impact of lockdowns on mental health especially within the LGBTQ+ community. 

Nakamo : “I have seen the impact of the national lockdowns on my mental health and on my friends as well. As part of the LGBTQ+ community, we risk facing discrimination and harassment on a daily basis and during the pandemic we have been stripped of our support bubble. Not being able to see our friends and family alongside the lack of representation in the media makes us feel even more isolated. Rates of Depression and Suicide have seen an increase over the past year and the LGBT Foundation has stated that they have received more calls about suicide ‘than ever before’. It’s important to talk about mental health, raise awareness and stop the stigma around reaching out for help. 

In the UK, more than 1 in 10 people with mental health problems are stuck on a waiting list for over a year before receiving help, the private route to therapy is expensive and during these times most people, including myself, simply can’t afford it. 

Switchboard is an LGBTQ+ helpline providing support on the phone and through email at all times. Switchboard is here to listen and make you feel less alone during this uncertain time.”

Find more information here https://switchboard.lgbt/  
If you want to support Switchboard, follow this link: https://switchboard.lgbt/support-us/

MFC 14 : Nakamo - The sound of my voice reaching out

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @aahan91 to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 15 : Aahan - Freya

Toronto’s Aahan has steadily seen a growing following of techno listeners from all over the world, along with support from industry standout artists, like Dax J, DJ Stingray, Perc, Stephanie Sykes to name a few. With releases landed on labels like Monnom Black and Clergy, the future looks bright for Aahan, who brings his relentless take on techno to BitterCaress’ label, MFC Records (@mfcrecords). 

MFC Records' second release is a Single Artist EP with 3 tracks from Aahan, and a remix by Luna Vassarotti (@luna-violenta-1).

This EP aims to raise awareness about a cause that the artist defends and that is dear to his heart. We are talking here about violence against women in Turkey. Aahan has been watching the women’s rights movement in Turkey for a while now and thinks it is an issue that needs more attention from the media and the public at large.

The non-for-profit organization supported for this release is the Mor Çatı Women’s Shelter Foundation. This was established in 1990 by feminists in order to combat violence against women in Turkey. 

Find more information here: https://en.morcati.org.tr/

MFC 15 : Aahan - Freya

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @carla-schmitt to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 16 : Carla Schmitt – Das Bordell 

Based in Paris, Carla Schmitt is a versatile artist. Professional dancer, choreographer, producer and techno DJ, Carla has wide and varied influences which have allowed her to discover music from a different angle.

Originally from Bordeaux, she decided to learn Djing through the founding member of the KAM collective and made her debut at the Parallel club.

In 2017, she moved to Paris and took up musical training at the Abbey Road Institute. In parallel, Carla continued to train in dance. At the end of 2020, Carla Schmitt decided to get her place on the Parisian techno scene, offering a raw, dark, sensual, and melodic universe.
Today she wanted to raise awareness about the artistic community which has been extremely affected this past year.

Carla : “The art world is a sector that has been extremely affected and has caused a lot of problems in our society, and in the world. Rave culture is not promoted enough, and we are going back into a loop like in the 90's when music was confrontational in England.
This podcast is a message by featuring artists from all over the world on the current situation.
You wanted to knock the artists down, except we came out bigger and stronger.”

MFC 16 : Carla Schmitt – Das Bordell

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @dopamyne to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 17 : Dopamyne – Trapped In My Own Body

Dopamyne is a well-known DJ in the Quebec City rave scene. With her contagious energy, her explosive track selection and her surgical precision mixes, she owned her place at a national and also international level.

Her journey began in 2008, when she first came into contact with gabber and hardcore music. She then developed a serious passion for high energy electronic music, and also a burning desire to share her admiration for the underground sounds. Very active in her local scene, it took only a few months to see Dopamyne appear on the biggest rave line-ups all over the province and country. She then started to produce events and organized more than twenty major shows, on her own, and occasionally as a co-producer.

Exploring various styles over the years, it's the harder styles over all that creates real havoc on the dancefloors. Unfortunately, Dopamyne haven’t been able to produce events for a few years, so now she is using the only means that is at her disposal to reconnect with the rave atmosphere of the good old days. She therefore plunges fully into oldschool & early rave sounds, drawing inspiration from the atmosphere of French "Possession" parties, Berlin's biggest clubs and the classic Dutch rave series "Thunderdome". Dopamyne now describes her style as fast, energetic but also deep & nostalgic rave music. Blending various styles such as corrosive hard techno, early hardstyle classics, UK hard dance, crunchy gabber, hypnotizing acid as well as the epic vibe of hard trance in her mixes, she’ll surely transport you musically in her own universe filled with 2000’s nostalgia.

Today she wanted to talk about our heteronormative world and society. Although there is a growing trend towards the normalization of homosexuality in Western societies, the pervasiveness of the presumption of heterosexuality fuels the idea that homosexuality is a form of deviant sexuality. 

Dopamyne wanted to raise awareness about this situation: “This podcast is dedicated to all people marginalized and categorized by society. This podcast is for all those who have had the courage to face adversity, and all those who may never find the strength to do so. With this podcast, I hope to inspire people to accept themselves and walk towards their individual sexual liberation. Life is too short to waste time living in someone else's body. Listen to yourself & do not hesitate to consult, to speak, the resources are there.”

Links & help resources for Quebec / Canada:
https://www.gris.ca/ressources-lgbt/ 
https://arcencielquebec.ca/ 
https://interligne.co/ 
http://www.miels.org/prisme/services/ecoute 
https://fjcf.ca/ressources/ressources-lgbtq/

MFC 17 : Dopamyne – Trapped In My Own Body

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @noemie303 to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 18 : Noémie – I’m your ally

Noémie is a French DJ and producer based in Berlin. Highly influenced by the 90s Rave music and the Hard Dance movement led by labels such as Possession, Molekül, ISMUS, Monnom Black, Kaos (and many more..) she likes to mix old school with contemporary style, serving 90s peak-time cuts with a modern twist. 

For this “I’m your ally” mix she wanted to support producers and labels from marginalized communities.

To be an ally is to unite oneself with another to promote a common interest.People who are allies are not only helpers, but also have a common interest with those they desire to help. In an alliance, both parties stand to benefit from the bond or connection they share.

If you don’t know where to start your alliship journey, here is a great document to learn the first steps of being an ally: 10 Things You Can Do to be an Ally (ywcahbg.org) 
http://www.ywcahbg.org/sites/default/files/manager/10%20Things%20Allies%20Can%20Do.pdf

For Djs who want to express their allyship through their music, you can find artists from marginalized communities in databases, such as female:pressure (http://www.femalepressure.net/), the non binary/trans artists and creatives database (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/12kGS7MQkq5dxTHYTOICBfZegAY_qzsn6ZKe1WrajizI/edit#gid=833676179 ) by DJ soyboi and the Black Artists database (https://www.blackartistdatabase.co/#/ ).

Tracklist 
Pooja B & Tarik Omar - Freek the Phobes 
DRIADA - Травушка / Travushka (Znzl remix)
Amstra - Trumpet Man ( HAT-R Remix) 
Need Less - No Wake
Sina XX - Break Your Chains
SpaSm - Rising
Shaleen - Break the Pattern 
Go_A - SHUM (obsqr edit) 
Adrestia - Dreamsnatchers
Noémie - Digital orchestra 
Esther Duijn - Deity 
Bones 33 - Untilted 
Don Woezik - Fuck 'Em
La Penderie Noire - Crash Of Dimensions
Illiam Patrol - With My Fist
AHD (Dark Caroussel) - D.r.E.A.ms
Elisa Audi - Raid Tapes 01
Xiorro - The decline of white power
Métaraph - Contaminations

MFC 18 : Noémie – I’m your ally

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @montgomery-gurns to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 19 : Montgomery Gurns – Queer Existence Is Resistance

Montgomery Gurns is a London-based queer non-binary DJ. Myles (AKA Montgomery Gurns) enjoys playing genres such as hard techno, industrial and acid techno with some rave and trance thrown in for good measure.

They fell in love with the techno scene in London at their first party a few years after moving and have been listening to and exploring more genres ever since.

For this “Queer Existence Is Resistance” mix they wanted to highlight black trans and non-binary rights through the non-profit organization, Black Trans Alliance. 

Black Trans Alliance was founded in 2020 and it is a black queer and trans led non-profit organization that supports black trans and non-binary people in London and the wider community. 

“I chose this cause because amongst trans people those who are black face some of the highest levels of discrimination and violence. Therefore, we need to both support black trans and non-binary people who are really in need of our help.”

Link : https://www.blacktransalliance.org/

MFC 19 : Montgomery Gurns – Queer Existence Is Resistance

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @korvn to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 20 : KORVN – Uprooted In Dehumanization

Originally from the French Atlantic coast, KORVN has lived in Montreal since 2016. 
From melancholy to euphoria, KORVN explores the spectrum of emotions in both his productions and his sets. He tries to narrate the sorrows of his heart and the thoughts of his raving brain with a type of music infused by a brutal and powerful techno style. 
He performed at Piknic Électronik and opened for Nur Jaber and Jacidorex in December 2021. 
He recently released his first tracks on promising Montreal-based labels: MFC Records, Vagues Records, Secret Knowledge and Vertige Records.

For this mix, he wanted to raise awareness about refugees’ crisis around the world. 

“With this podcast, I want to draw attention to a problem that will never be exposed enough as it is sadly meant to keep growing. There are so many refugees’ stories to be told around the world and there will be more because of conflicts, instability in certain regions of the world and consequences of climate change. As some people move to get a job or an education, others have no choice but to flee conflicts, human rights violations, persecutions, and environmental crisis consequences. This subject is in a way encrypted in my DNA because the family of my paternal grandmother fled the persecutions of Franco and the famine linked to the meager harvests in Spain before the Second World War. 

I have chosen this title to make people understand that moving to other countries is not necessarily and always a choice. In fact, the definition of “uprooted” emphasizes the violence of how certain human beings can be removed from their home, country or simply their way of life. Forced by their living environment to move, they don’t choose, they only try to survive. 

This crisis is the most important humanitarian crisis that Europe has known since the Second World War, but it is not only a European situation. It is more of a worldwide responsibility that we must take all together in solidarity. As we speak, there are around 30 million refugees around the world and more than 80% are hosted by developing countries and not the richest countries. Moreover, it is more than 70 million people who have been uprooted by war, persecution, or natural disaster and I feel that refugees, asylum seekers or even migrants in general are more and more dehumanized in extreme political discourses that gives credit to discrimination, racism, and xenophobia. Those discourses are only and dangerously used to obtain political gain as simple explanations for our society’s malfunctions. We cannot succumb to this explanation that has been used over and over for decades when things go wrong but we must act as a responsible international community that says, “refugees welcome” in a sense of shared humanity.”

SUPPORT AND DONATE : 
OPEN ARMS - https://www.openarms.es/en
To help protect the most vulnerable in emergency situations in the Mediterranean Sea.
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL - https://www.amnesty.org/en/donate/
To fight for human rights where they are threatened everywhere around the world.
THE UN REFUGEE AGENCY - https://www.unhcr.org/

MFC 20 : KORVN – Uprooted In Dehumanization

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @k657 to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 21 : K657 - Reform 52

K657 a.k.a Khalil Abid is a tunisian DJ and producer based in Montreal.
After joining the tunisian air force academy where he graduated as a Pilot Engineer, he worked as a pilot for tunisian air force for 7 years.

In late 2017, he decided to move to Montreal when he came back to his passion : Electronic music. He began to discover the underground techno scene with collectives such as OCTOV, Bonimenteurs, La North and many others. He started to develop friendships with many Montreal’s producers like Jares, Omar Hamdi, S Y L A, Youg, KORVN, Vibran, from whom he learned a lot. He started later acquiring new skills which led him to his first booking in People Of Colibri Festival in August 2020.

K657 started his techno journey by playing many genres : melodic, deep, progressive, peak techno but he showed more interest in hard techno. He likes to say that he found his identity as a DJ when he first played hard and fast techno.
June 25, 2021 K657 released his very first EP – Passage on the italian records label «Let’s Techno Records» which was ranked 23rd in the beatport hard techno top 100 releases.
He also has a monthly show on Montreal's web radio La Face B called Techno Traffic. The show consists of a 1 hour mix from K657 himself or other guests such as Youg, Xaviera, Polcini...

For this mix, he wanted to raise awareness about the abusive Law 52 in Tunisia.

"Law 52 decreed in 1992 under the dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali stipulates that any consumption of narcotics is punishable by a minimum of one year in prison.
Many young people find themselves languishing in Tunisian prisons for one simple reason: Smoking a joint.
An abusive law which aims to maintain the feeling of fear and injustice in the face of the police state set up by the dictatorship.

12 years after the revolution and the fall of the Ben Ali regime, this law is still in force. Young people full of ambition still see their lives changed for a simple joint. They languish in prisons surrounded by criminals taking away their right to studies, work etc., in a sense: The right to live.
A life changed forever which pushes these young people, in despair, towards crime or in the worst case towards suicide.
It is time to reform this abusive law.

Through my podcast, I seek to mobilize minds in order to force change and preserve our main wealth: Youth."

Tracklist : 
Chemical Brothers - It Began In Africa
18:18 - Gravity
Pavel K. Novalis - Imago
Unwelt - Birds Mansion
B2 - To Be A Noname
18:18 - Force Of Resistance
Mercury200 - Hide Somewhere In The Lab
David Strasser - Ventura
Exil der Schatten - Path Of Despair
Stanz Amor - Increasing Draconian Measures
Ciuciek - It’s Like That
B2 - Open The Gates
753 - All The Lies You Said
Pavel K. Novalis - 199 Fatal
ÄMERTÜM x SYNTA - Heiss (Floorkiller Flex)
ÄMERTÜM - ACAB
Pavel K. Novalis - Copper Gum
Jaëss - Conquête
Slime Coca - Sourness (WZX_O Remix)
Funk Tribu - Phonky Tribu
OMAKS - Back Street Bass
Pavel K. Novalis - Submekano
MATRAKK - Romantic Dream

MFC 21 : K657 - Reform 52

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @mphsxv to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 22 : MPHS - Inmarcesible

MPHS is one of the youngest artists born in the underground music scene of Bogotá, Colombia. Inspired by acid sounds and the influence of techno at an early age MPHS stands for "l'art d'écouter les sentiments" always providing an atmosphere fulfilled by the love for the rave. Currently based in Montréal, she portraits the essence of warm sounds with distorted sequences along with a deep search for abstract expressionism in her music.
For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about women in the Colombian armed conflict.

"Colombian history has been dramatically influenced by the armed conflict. As a result of the government's neglect, the lack of social equity, the violation of human rights, the political bipartidism and the absence of an appropriate political representation, a wave of dissidents decided to create new political movements that matched their ideologies and objectives. Many of these movements considered that the only viable way to achieve people's democracy was through the force of arms. This is how multiple illegal armed groups took place in Colombia's armed conflict. 

According to the Observatory of Memory and Conflict (OMC) from the national center of historical memory (CNMH) 51.919 women have been victims of the armed conflict in Colombia since 1958, from which 18.048 have died. The OMC also reports 14.248 victims of sexual violence, 13.273 victims of selective murders and 9.307 victims of enforced dissapearance. The ACNUR organization recognizes 4.7 million people as victims of forced displacement in Colombia (mostly women, children and elders) since 1997.

As a Colombian woman, I will always be touched by my country's history. We must be aware of our past, recognize that violence will never be the solution, question the oligarchy and the corruption that has ruled over Colombia and what it has done to our people. It is now our responsibility to build a new country. Women in the armed conflict are a clear example of resilience, strength, forgiveness and “verraquera.” Our heritage, culture, music, art and “sabrosura” are the driving force to heal the violence by sensitizing our souls. We all carry a legacy of change. We all contribute towards creating a durable peace. 
La lucha por la paz es inmarcesible.”

Sources : https://centrodememoriahistorica.gov.co/en-el-8m-el-cnmh-hace-un-reconocimiento-a-las-mujeres-victimas-del-conflicto-armado-en-colombia/ 
https://www.cidob.org/publicaciones/documentacion/dossiers/dossier_proceso_de_paz_en_colombia/dossier_proceso_de_paz_en_colombia/conflicto_en_colombia_antecedentes_historicos_y_actores

MFC 22 : MPHS - Inmarcesible

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @carmenelectr0 to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 23: Carmen Electro - Let’s help animals affected by the war

Carmen Electro comes from one of the most Northern parts of Europe, the icy country of Finland. She fell in love with techno and the underground when living in London in 2013, which later brought her to Berlin, and placed her from the dance floor to behind the decks. She’s currently playing at various parties in her hometown Berlin while also looking forward to expanding outside Germany with lineups in the UK, Ireland, Poland, and Israel underway. Although she’s focussed on her vinyl only sets recently, she also enjoys playing digital which is the format she also chose for this mix. In the DJ booth her sound combines darker and lighter elements from various genres of techno; from Spanish techno to old school hard groove, powerful house music, and old-school trance, brought together in an energetic way. 

“With my contribution to the MFC podcast series, I would like to raise awareness to the destruction the Russian invasion in Ukraine has caused not only to humans, but for both wild and domestic animals. 

Besides the Russian troops reportedly having shot animals, hundreds of domestic animals have been found dead, stranded in their owners' homes, farms and cages after their owners have fled or got killed. 

Even though animals stuck inside can’t always be saved due to the areas where war is actively fought, we can help to support those that make it to the border of Ukraine and need care or a new home. The IFAW veterinary border post reports having treated 1,400 animals on the Polish border since late March.
Their responders, veterinarians and volunteers at the tent continue to work nonstop to help refugees and their pets. In 8 to 12-hour shifts, they provide 24/7 access to pet food, triage veterinary care and animal supplies. The work is serious and at times hard, but they say the atmosphere in the tent and along the footpath is also positive, as everyone is working together to help. You too can help by donating here: https://secure.ifaw.org/european-union/emergency-ukraine 
This could act as a reminder of the fact that unfortunately, war destroys all living organisms, not only us humans. I feel horrified for the people of Ukraine, but also for the innocent animals who have died, injured, or lost their owners or families due to the conflict. It’s just a huge shame that we can’t seem to find a way to live in equilibrium with nature, and that so many of our actions destroy, rather than support it.”

MFC 23: Carmen Electro - Let’s help animals affected by the war

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @swooh to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 24: Swooh - Tomorrow's World

Driven by her love for electronic music genres like House and UK Garage, Swooh starts producing her own tracks in 2013. Fastly, she discovers different sub-genres of Techno and searches how to blend House and Techno in a personal way. In 2015, she does her first steps into Djing mixing House and Techno as she does when she creates tracks. She is still exploring all the diversity of these two universes and her latest crushes were for Ghetto Techno and Electro. Warm and federative, her music is designed to make people dance, smile and dream.

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about the environmental emergency.

“The sixth report of the IPCC presents a damning future, ecology is a subject that many people talk about, but it is not taken seriously. It is not at the center of political discussions. Large industrial groups continue and will continue their business without thinking that it is because of the ignorance of the ecological emergency that we will live in a world that will be devastated by the consequences of this over-consumption of fossil fuels and resources.

Earth Overshoot Day is a telling example of this over-consumption. It corresponds to the date of the year from which humanity is supposed to have consumed all the resources that the planet is capable of regenerating in one year. This notion was created and calculated by the American NGO Global Footprint Network.

For example, France reached Earth Overshoot Day on May 5, 2022, and the U.S.A. reached Earth Overshoot Day on 13 March 2022.”

Sources: 
https://www.overshootday.org/newsroom/country-overshoot-days/ 
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/

MFC 24: Swooh - Tomorrow's World

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @eklose-techno to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 25: Eklose - Our bodies our decisions

Co-founder and resident of the association Elemento Records, the French DJ, Eklose passionately defends the role of women, trans and non-binary people in rave culture.
Determined to clear the techno and hard dance scene, she quickly went behind the decks to set bodies in motion. For her sets, she selects ravy and hard techno tracks while oscillating towards acid, trance and hard trance. Always on the lookout for saturated kicks, distortion, and insane synths, she likes to make crowds jump. This incessant quest now extends to production, in which we still can find her libertarian spirit.

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about the right to abortion and more broadly the right to dispose of your own body.

Eklose: “The right to abortion is a cause that I have always supported and which is often at the heart of world news. Today I chose to highlight it because the ban of this right in 10 states in the United States intensely stroke me. How can we regress so much in 2022?

The states where abortion is prohibited are controlled by conservative and religious thoughts (the Vatican has clearly welcomed the revocation of the right to abortion in the 10 US states) which undermine fundamental rights. Abortion is not the only right to be threatened, we could also speak about the right to have access to contraception, the homosexual’s rights, marriage for all etc.
Why would these people want to control our bodies so much?

In France, where I come from, we have had the right to abortion since 1975, and in 2022 a law extended the time limit for appeal, which is rather positive. But it is important to realize that there are still movements like the “pro-lifers” that fight against and jeopardize this right to abortion, a fundamental right.”

Sources: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmfrxVP-b4&t=2830s 
https://www.latribune.fr/economie/international/revocation-du-droit-a-l-avortement-pour-les-etats-unis-une-decision-aux-graves-consequences-sociales-et-economiques-923299.html

MFC 25: Eklose - Our bodies our decisions

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @inesisladj to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 26 : Ines Isla - Finding our true form

Ines Isla is becoming a popular name in the Spanish capital city of Madrid. Sharing the stage with world renown artists such as Milo Spykers, OTTA, Cassie Raptor, Anfisa Letyago, among others; Ines and her powerful, energetic sets leave no one indifferent. This has allowed her to play across several of the best clubs in Madrid, including Fabrik, Goya Social Club, Cafe Berlin, and La Riviera. Currently, she is one of Faraday Music’s Resident, closing of the nights with a cherry.
 
Being heavily influenced by old school vocals, acid synths and trance melodies, Ines Isla has refined her style to create a unique atmosphere of constant energy and power, felt and transmitted to the ravers.


For this mix, she wanted to talk about finding your true self and how hard it can sometimes be to be yourself in a world where not everyone can be open-minded to difference. 

Ines: “Why is it so hard to come out of the closet? It is an issue that disturbs me, since the people who belong to the collective are exactly the same as heterosexual people, however, we have to undergo the process of telling our family, our friends, and surroundings. I believe that in the world we live in and in the future, this should not happen. Children should have an inclusive education in which they feel safe to tell who they love, not having a bad time with themselves or with others, normalising the situation. 

This is about putting yourself in the shoes of others, and not thinking like a heterosexual person, but thinking about what would happen if you had to go through that process or if someone you love had a bad experience undergoing those events.

I have chosen this cause because there are many people who are still repressed or who have been trapped for many years in a person they don’t recognise. I believe future generations will prevent this from happening.”

Links: 
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inesisla/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/inesisladj/
• Resident Advisor: https://ra.co/dj/inesisla

MFC 26 : Ines Isla - Finding our true form

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @djwhattis to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 27 : Whattis - Awareness Angels All Around

Whattis is a Swedish Berlin based DJ who likes her dance floors wet n wild. With a merciless and technical mixing style, she varies between hard techno, hard techno, and multiple hardcore genres. Whattis is also the founder of the ultra-sexy and queer clusterfuck Bleak Narrative, who conducts their mischief in Berlin and Brooklyn.

For this mix, they wanted to talk about awareness within our club culture.

Whattis: “As an organizer, attendee, and observer of parties and events in Berlin - the capital of decadence and debauchery - one is now used to event organizers adding a slur to their event descriptions such as "No racism, no sexism, no queerphobia, no ableism, no discrimination, no hate of any kind". I do not know if it's like this in other cities around the world. In my city, however, it's close to mandatory. A must. You need to put it there to indicate that you will not tolerate this shit at your event.

In the Berlin club culture, there is a higher and higher demand for awareness of awareness. Awareness about consent. Awareness about harm reduction. Awareness about gender identity. Awareness about violence. Awareness about discrimination. I can go on. The result is that the demand for these kinds of statements (such as the one above) is high, and the event promoters supply.

This movement is constructive. And the aim is to neutralize. Utopia is a reality where this is taken for granted. A reality where we do not have to condemn discrimination before pressing play, and the dance floor can exist as an undisturbed room for music and solidarity.

As an organizer, attendee, and observer of parties and events in Berlin, I am questioning how constructive these words are when there are zero strategies in place to actually live up to them. When they are just functional. You-did-what-was-expected-of-you type of thing. When there is no self-reflection behind them. When your operations outside of your club night do not reflect these values. When you tokenize. When you are a slave to profits. When you never question yourself. When you don't recognize your power position. When you refuse to learn from your mistakes. When you constantly defend your code of conduct. When you are unwilling to listen.

How might our clubbing utopia become real? We could start by strategizing and putting meaning behind our beautifully ethical words. 

Ask yourself: For whom am I intending to create a safer space? Why do I (no matter if you are an attendee, an event organizer, or the lightbulb changer at the club) need to put effort into this at all? When you have sorted that out, you can go on by asking yourself if you are actively sharing knowledge about awareness topics and educating your audience through all mediums accessible to you. Are you curating equitable lineups to the extent possible from where you stand? Do you have a door policy that intends to protect the attendees of your events? Do you educate the staff and yourselves on anti-discrimination topics?

Wow! All this sounds very honorable. Self-righteous too. Welcome to the club saint's preaching sesh!

There will never be a perfect answer to any of these questions you might ask yourself. No matter how aware you are, there is no such thing as a 'safe space' in an environment like a nightclub. But there are forces who do everything they can to strive for our utopia. That is why I dedicate this podcast to one of those forces in my city - TS Raver - a grassroots, trans-led team that provides awareness and peer support at parties in Berlin.

Look them up, bish: https://www.instagram.com/ts_raver/”

MFC 27 : Whattis - Awareness Angels All Around

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @djauspex to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 28 : Auspex - A Broken System

Having cut his teeth over the years coming up through Brooklyn’s now imperiled warehouse scene, Auspex has solidified himself as a regular fixture and contributor to its strong underground techno community, very much at home in and a part of New York City's burgeoning and vibrant queer nightlife scene. Known for creating energetic and raucous dance floors and driving them to bedlam, blending skittering techno and blistering industrial with anthemic rave and glitchy breaks to create dense and textured overtures, his uncompromising and unapologetic style has seen him tapped to play as support for many international touring acts from Phase Fatale to Randomer, Kamikaze Space Programme to Headless Horseman, Juan Atkins to Rebekah—as well as being called upon to throw down on the regular at NYC techno institutions and parties such as Unter, The Black Hole and The Bunker New York. As the club scene of NYC has emerged to the forefront of the scene, he has also been tapped by The Good Room, Elsewhere, before settling in with his residency party Altær at new subterranean techno haunt, Basement. The past few years have also seen him making multiple appearances in Berlin at such notable parties as Staub and Pornceptual, and venues like Griessmuehle and ://about blank.  

For this mix, he wanted to highlight Intentional Spaces for Queer and Marginalized Persons.

Auspex: “When I got down to thinking about a cause, I couldn’t help but to feel a bit powerless in the face of so many great causes and questioning how I can really affect change in the world as a mere individual when the systems we operate under are irrevocably damaged. So, I began to question what I am most passionate about and where I most influential, and realized it was in fact in the furnishing and preservation of community dance spaces for queer and marginalized persons, enclaves of powerful manifestations and modern day magics. Recently, this gave rise to the concept of “intentional spaces,” refuges from the capitalistic machinations of corporate money proliferating the dance music landscape, spaces where the purpose of what these cells of counter-culture influence has been lost over the years. So, my truest passion and cause lies within the continuation and proliferation of these spaces—how do we preserve them and their intent? How do we coalesce behind similar ideals and affect real change towards the greater causes that need our attention by using these spaces as think tanks for the greater good? All questions with no end point, but what’s most important is in positing them within our communities in the first place and creating action where we can. The rave isn’t simply a place for hedonistic excess, although it very well can serve one’s needs in those ways, but rather, a place in which like-minded and forward-thinking individuals can begin to redefine the parameters of what society can and should look like, if only on the micro level. So, in setting a mission statement to create “intentional space” we are setting forth with a purpose to provide and accomplish something broader and grander than simply a night out and re-establishing a framework for the necessary and cathartic work that nightlife spaces can provide for marginalized but also reinterpreting them as opportunities for the coalescence of ideas that fuel the resistance to tyranny in all its forms all around us.”

MFC 28 : Auspex - A Broken System

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @xiamusiccc to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 29 : Xia - A voice for Iran

Based in Montreal, Xia has developed her passion for electronic music in recent years. Always on the lookout for new sounds, she currently draws her inspiration from hard techno, breakbeat, and ghetto techno, diversifying her sets as much as possible. Co-founder of the 100% female collective T.I.T.S and DJ resident of the collective La North, she has made a name for herself in the Montreal’s nightlife, just like her collective!

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about what is going on in Iran at the moment.

Xia: “As you probably heard protests have been going on in Iran for the past few weeks after the death of Mahsa Amini, thousands of women and men have gone out in the streets to claim their freedom and defying a deadly crackdown by security forces. 

“The government has blocked internet access because it wants to prevent people from sending evidence of the state’s atrocities to the outside world. We must continue to amplify the voices of the Iranian people to prevent the societal outrage at Amini’s death from turning into a scene of mass carnage.”
“World leaders must forcefully condemn the state’s violence and publicly call on the authorities in Iran to allow the people to exercise their right to protest without the threat of arbitrary arrest, physical violence, or death.” 
Center for Human Rights in Iran Executive Director, Hadi Ghaemi.

I want to raise awareness about governments staying silent and the lives of thousands of Iranian protesters, especially women being threatened for wanting to be free.”

If you want to know more in detail about this situation: https://iranhumanrights.org/
To support: https://fundraise.givesmart.com/form/_TNnXA?vid=vrn8s

MFC 29 : Xia - A voice for Iran

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @nopolicemusic to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 30 : No Police - You are not alone

No Police invites rebellion through art as a fresh face in the Montreal scene. Listening to her hard-hitting and hedonistic track selections definitely hints at her adventurous mind, which highly influences her sound. Her mixing style proves her curiosity for exploring the depths of the techno, acid, breaks and trance genres.
Through over a decade of consuming electronic music, she discovered artists that share a familiar sentiment of art as a means for collaboration. She launched her own podcast with SASS.& called SPACES on La Face B, a web-based radio dedicated to the electronic music scene in Montreal, which has transformed into a live event series under the same name. She has played at some of the most exciting events and venues in the city such as OCTOV in May 2022 and Stereo Afterhours in August 2022 and has been billed with international artists such as Phase Fatale, Trudge, Ctrls and Regal. No Police has made her debut in Toronto this past November and is proud to be making her festival debut at Igloofest Montreal in January 2023.
No Police's democratic take on techno will undeniably leave listeners with a significant impression and wanting to come back for more each time.

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about the mental health crisis in Canada.

No Police: “About 1 in 5 Canadians are affected by mental illness each year. This number only includes those who are formally diagnosed; as unfortunately a lot of cases fall through the cracks in our ever-problematic system. The mental health crisis in our country was never adequately addressed, and cries for advancements and better care seem to fall on deaf ears at the government level. 

While the stigma has been fairly well tackled and people are more comfortable coming out and having discussions about their struggles, the pandemic has caused a drastic increase in cases and this reality has been threatening children, youth, seniors, people living in poverty or homelessness, justice involved individuals, women, LGBTQ2S+ groups, persons with disabilities, Indigenous peoples, and Black and other racialized communities. It’s clear that the systemic racism, structural poverty, and other inequities in our country are crippling the mental health care system. 

I wanted to dedicate this podcast to those who are suffering in silence. If you’re experiencing a mental health problem or if you are going through a difficult time, your instinct might be to hide away and keep to yourself; but know that isolation will not help you overcome that situation. If you have a friend, you can reach out to in confidence, don’t be shy to ask for support and a helping hand. You can also message me directly; we can go for a walk or a coffee even if we don’t know each other. If you need someone to listen anonymously, visit https://amiquebec.org/listen/ for a list of organizations you can get in touch with. The biggest gift you can give to yourself is taking that first step and getting the help you deserve. Always remember, you are not alone.”

MFC 30 : No Police - You are not alone

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @aurelieschleger to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 31 : Aurelie Schleger - 77 cents for each $1

Originally from the French Alps, to then establish herself in the province of Quebec, Canada, in the early 90s, it is in Montreal that was born her interest in the techno scene and the art of Djing and mixing vinyl records in 2005, by her own. Today, she’s still a big fan of vinyl records!
Self-taught in this field, thanks to her perseverance and her perpetual curiosity, it is in the Montreal nightlife and underground raves since 2006, played under her old alias ‘’Lill Unseen’’ until 2013, she skillfully demonstrates her personality with techno sounds, while being behind the decks. She has explored different styles of electronic music, from Minimal-Techno, Tech-House, Electro-Techno and Hard-Techno to find her comfort zone in Industrial/Hard- Techno/Electro for a few years now, under her full name: Aurelie Schleger.
In 2007, she graduated from the [RAC] Digital Arts College in Montreal and also participated in several musical productions in collaboration with local artists.
Aurelie also works for multiple labels such as Elektrotribe Records (Germany), Black Leather Records (Colombia) and Atomic Soda Records (France).			
In the past few years, she proudly shared the decks with international Djs like: Radio Slave at Piknic Électronik, FLIM, Ancient Methods, Under Black Helmet, Swarm Intelligence, Orphx, Nuitsible and Öspiel.
Traveling between the latest releases and good old classic vinyl from the early 2000s. Aurelie likes to surprise her audience with a mysterious time-traveling and explore your state of mind, to be only one with you, all on board!	

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about the gender pay gap.

Aurelie: “Did you know that ‘’International Pay Equity Day’’ is September 18th? This day should also be for the 364 days of the year. Pay equity, this cause that is close to my heart because still, last year in 2022, women earn 77 cents for each dollar men earn for work of equal value, it's relevant and at this rate, it would take 257 years to close this abyss.
And just a little back in the 1880s, women typically played the role of the homemaker and had worked in textile industries and other industries. Then WWI happened, men left their jobs to serve their country and women replaced their jobs. Women filled many jobs that were brought into existence by wartime needs.  As a result, the number of women employed greatly increased in many industries. This was more than 100 years ago.
So, why do some companies still give less value to their female employees and even this before hiring them? Women today leave university with the same degree as their colleagues and for example, even before being hired in the same company, for the same position, woman will earn 9% less from her first day.
In the health system, it is 24% less than men.
Should we do interviews like ''blind dates'' where we don't even know the candidate's first name? No, I believe that the solution is very simple: transparency, no more barriers, no more glass ceiling, employers should take salary transparency measures for all candidates.
I wanted to dedicate this podcast including female vocals and women producers, for every human, workers, and CEO, to close the gender pay gap, asap.
YOU know your value, bottom line.” 

For more info:
https://www.un.org/en/observances/equal-pay-day
https://www.equalpayinternationalcoalition.org/equal-pay/
https://canadianwomen.org/the-facts/the-gender-pay-gap/

MFC 31 : Aurelie Schleger - 77 cents for each $1 (Vinyl Mix)

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @biancabadita to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 32 : Bianca Badita - No End in Sight

Romanian-born and Montréal local Bianca Badita, delivers powerful, warehouse-primed techno. Her sounds can be defined as industrially potent and eerily hypnotic.
As the co-founder of SPACES Live Events & host of monthly web radio La Face B, Bianca participates actively in Montreal’s nightlife. Bianca had the opportunity to share the stage with Drumcell, Henning Baer, Overland, Kris Guilty & Montreal local artists.
Her selections lay a foundation that transports her listeners to a dark and cemented energy-filled space. A diverse arrangement of influences and genres ensures that audiences stay attentive and curious towards each of her performances.

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about Ukrainian refugees and the fact that war is still ongoing. 

Bianca: “One year ago, Russia launched a large-scale invasion in Ukraine. This situation is still having devastating humanitarian consequences for thousands of families. Your support can help ensure that Ukrainians forced to flee their homes are sheltered and safe. You can help Ukrainians refugees by donating here to the UN Refugee Agency: https://give.unhcr.ca/page/100190/donate/1?locale=en-US “

MFC 32 : Bianca Badita - No End in Sight

Read our interview with @bittercaress and check out this mix's track list here: bit.ly/BittPod

Groove Podcast 370

Tracklist

Groove Podcast 370 - BitterCaress

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @prettyprivilege to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 33 : Pretty Privilege - Gender Euphoria

Pretty Privilege is a DJ and organizer based in Montreal. She is the founder of microrave, a woman/trans centered mix & party series. Over the past two years, she has risen in prominence within the city’s queer rave scene, and has performed at Homegrown Harvest, Piknic Electronik, and Apres Osheaga, as well as multiple shows in the United States. She has a monthly radio show on n10.as, and has done mixes for Shift Radio, Action Replay Codes, Radio Vacarme, FemmeDecks, and will be on HOR this May.
Her mixing style is extremely dance driven, with sets that heavily incorporate sexy vocal electro, pop-inspired techno, and liquidy afterhours grooves. When she’s not bouncing viciously behind the decks, she’s taking estrogen and trying to be a good person. Her mix for MFC highlights exclusively trans, nonbinary, and genderqueer producers that have caught her attention over the years. It starts, finishes, and is anchored by legendary producer SOPHIE, who remains her number one inspiration.

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about endangered Trans Youth in the US. 

Pretty Privilege: “Over many decades (but especially in the last few years), new legislation in the United States and around the world has put the lives of trans people in peril. States like Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Dakota, Georgia, and others have introduced or passed hundreds of laws restricting the rights of transgender people, particularly children. Tennessee, for example, recently passed TN HB0001, prohibiting all gender-related care to minors, as well as “enabling minors to identify with or live by” their realized gender identity. Other proposed laws in several states are advocating for the prohibition of transition by adults as well. Although the situation is incredibly bleak, there are several organizations fighting for the rights of transgender youth and adults in affected states. “

Links : 
Campaign for Southern Equality: https://southernequality.org/
ACLU Texas: https://www.aclutx.org/en
Inclusion Tennessee: https://www.inclusiontn.org
Freedom Oklahoma: https://www.freedomoklahoma.org

Tracklist :
Pretty Privilege: “It is my opinion that trans people have a special gift for creating music. This mix is a wild range of techno, trance, house, breakbeats, and pop produced by some of my favourite trans and nonbinary artists.”

SOPHIE - Inside Out (ft. Shygirl)
SABLE - princess diana [lie there and bleed mix]
I. Jordan - WARPER
Bored Lord - Crush On U (Ariel Zetina Remix)
Boy Pussy - Unisex (Jackin' Mix)
TYGAPAW - MYSM
Sobolik - Airplane Mode
TAAHLIAH - 150 Bodies
SOPHIE - UNISIL
BASHKKA - DeFol
Octo Octa - I'm Trying
Bored Lord - Girl U Could Be Down 4
Desire - An Ode to Our Night
DJ Pacifier - Anthems for A Seventeen-Year Old Girl
Alice Longyu Gao - Rich Bitch Juice (Laura Les Remix)
andrea_andrea - UR So Special
SOPHIE - JUST LIKE WE NEVER SAID GOODBYE

MFC 33 : Pretty Privilege - Gender Euphoria

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @lockhartsj to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 34 : LOCKHART - Fuck the tories

With playing experience to rival those in the game for decades, a residency in FOLD under her belt, and a famously huge arsenal of explosive tracks, Lockhart is one of the most exciting artists in the UK right now. 

The born-and-raised East Londoner learnt to mix with footwork, breaks and UK techno, but it was experimental club music where Lockhart found her feet and its influence is still seen today in her intense-yet-playful sets. Experiences in Berlin and London exposed her to the darker sounds of dance music, which swayed her own style, and led to her focusing on the raw, heavier side techno that she now plays with great success, although don’t be fooled into thinking this is all you’ll get. Given the chance Lockhart leans into her vast collection with gusto, expertly bending genres around each other to enthrall and entrance the mind.

Her self-assured aura quickly spreads through crowds, instilling a bond of trust that remains throughout her time in the booth. Never far away from her sets is her mischievous grin that accompanies her dark, trance-infused melodies, whilst she toys with the crowd. Lockhart doesn’t play to them - she plays with them. Knowing precisely what actions will get the desired reactions, the crowd are her puppets, and Lockhart is their mistress.

For this mix, she wanted to raise awareness about the current cost-of-living crisis in England and the impact it has on mental health. 

LOCKHART: “For 13 years the UK has suffered at the hands of the Conservative government.  We have seen drastic austerity measures to reduce public spending, leading to cuts to essential services like healthcare, education, and social welfare. These cuts have had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, disabled, and low-income families. 

As a result, our NHS is under intense strain, resulting in longer waiting times for appointments, reduced quality of care and constant strikes as workers struggle to get fair pay for the insurmountable workloads they are expected to shoulder. Income inequality in the UK is now at its highest level since the 1960s. We are in the midst of a major housing crisis - with rising rents, soaring house prices, and a shortage of affordable housing. 

This cost-of-living crisis is having a significant impact on mental health, particularly for those who are already vulnerable or struggling with existing mental health conditions. I myself (and many of my peers) feel this pressure constantly and it can be extremely hard to keep your head above water on any given day, lending every ounce of energy just to make ends meet and not drown in financial despair. At times like this it is so important that we acknowledge the need to seek help, yet our services are failing, and private options are out of reach. Mind offers guidance and solutions on finding support, no matter your situation. 
Link : https://www.mind.org.uk/ “

MFC 34 : LOCKHART - Fuck the tories

BitterCaress @ Piknic Électronik Montreal - September 17th 2023

𝐌𝐎𝐃Ü𝐋. 𝐏𝐎𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝟎𝟒𝟏 - 𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒

TW PODCAST 047 - BitterCaress

For several years now, BitterCaress has been flourishing on her musical journey. With a solid background  in classical music, having studied piano at the conservatory in Paris, she fell in love with techno upon her arrival  in Montreal in 2014. 

A professional raver and events' organizer, she had the chance to broaden her musical horizons before stepping  behind the decks at the end of 2018. 

Her sharp selection reveals a marked taste for heavy bass and uncompromising beats. Mixing trancy  atmospheres with raw energies, her style is best described as groovy and energetic. The artist gets highly creative  behind the decks with her openness to other genres and her appetite for risks when it comes to playing  unexpected guilty pleasures.

She is already well-established in the Montreal local scene with many gigs under her belt, notably at Stereo  Nightclub, the Society of Arts and Technology [SAT], Piknic Electronik, or for the OCTOV and Exposé Noir  collectives. Having shared stages with Anetha, Nur Jaber, François X, Mac Declos, Parallx, Julian Muller, Laure  Croft, or DINA among others, she has carved out her place in the contemporary techno landscape. 

Since the end of 2021, she has also begun to make waves internationally with several podcasts recorded for  renowned SoundCloud channels such as The Brvtalist, RAW, Fast Forward Productions, SUBSTANTIV, or  Groove Magazin. Continuing this momentum, at the end of summer 2022, the artist made her European debut,  playing in Paris, Lyon, Madrid, Berlin, Copenhagen, and London. During the summer of 2023, she embarked on  a new European tour and expanded it to Vienna and Prague. In late 2023, she debuted for Boiler Room in  Montreal. 
She is currently preparing a new European tour scheduled for autumn 2024. 
Simultaneously, since her debut and until the beginning of 2023, BitterCaress has been curating the Mixing for a  Cause podcast series where she gives the floor to local and international artists to raise awareness about causes  that are meaningful to them. In the same spirit, since the end of 2020, she is now managing her own project called  MFC Records, a label and event series initiated as a way to support newcomers, fresh talents, and established  artists from all over the world who would like to support a cause. All proceeds from the releases and parties go to  carefully chosen non-profit organizations. Through this series of podcasts, events, and this label, she hopes to  raise awareness and contribute to a better future world.

Follow BitterCaress here:
SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/bittercaress
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bittercaress

Follow us on instagram: www.instagram.com/technowereld

Follow BitterCaress

TW PODCAST 047 - BitterCaress

Agora Podcast 18 - BitterCaress
Today we're delighted to welcome BitterCaress for our 18th Agora podcast.

For several years now, BitterCaress has been flourishing on her musical journey.
Her sharp selection reveals a marked taste for heavy bass and uncompromising beats. Mixing trancy atmospheres with raw energies, her style is best described as groovy and energetic. The artist gets highly creative behind the decks with her openness to other genres and her appetite for risks when it comes to playing unexpected guilty pleasures.

Since the end of 2021, she has also begun to make waves internationally with several podcasts recorded for renowned SoundCloud channels, European tours and a Boiler Room debut in 2023 in Montreal, her heartland.

As she prepares a new European tour for 2024, BitterCaress is committed to the "Mixing For A Cause" podcast series and now manages her own label: MFC Records.

Photo: Flore Gari

If you want to support us with donation : urlz.fr/kRHH
Follow the artists here :
SoundCloud: @bittercaress
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bittercaress/
Follow Agora Records here :
@agora-records
instagram.com/agora.records
facebook.com/agorarecords1

Agora Podcast 18 - BitterCaress

Here’s the set recorded during Noreiner’s biggest event to date on November 22, 2024. I had the honor of closing right after Kobosil, which meant keeping the energy high while staying true to my sound.

Some 'older' tunes I already played several times at gigs or in podcasts this year, but also some new findings, are featured here. Immerse yourself in my world of fast-paced techno, infused with trancy vibes and a subtle touch of industrial sounds. I had an incredible time playing this set and hope you’ll enjoy it just as much—whether you’re experiencing it for the first time or reliving the memories from that night.

Tracklist below— side note: the last track was an “encore,” which is why it isn’t mixed with the closing track I finished playing around 1 hour and 58 minutes.

ARMA – The 5th Element
Makornik – No Synth Needed
Jonas Xenon & Tham – Can’t Judge This 
Sina XX – Glamourama
Dj Ibon & Vilde Tuv – Mineral Hool
Eyerate – Spyder
Faster Horses & Eyerate – No Visual 
Tonni 3000 – Salmonoid
AigainstMe – My Very Best regards (Hemka Remix)
Jacobworld – Temper
Clinical Hates – Splash Noiz 
Alexis Aitour – Game On
Klud – Everything Will Pass
Kay D. Smith - U Better Run (Spiderwrap Mix)
Stina Francina – Fluid Energy
Edetto – Diff
Anetha – Gedo Senki
Drazzit – Scolopendra
UFO95 – Circlepit
TRIS – regrets (DJ ANGST Remix)
Part Time Killer – Tarantula
Audrey Danza – Synchronized Encounters 
MacDeclos – I wanna see u move 
SJUSH – Pacman’s Deathwish
Aphex Twin – Polynomial C (Netsh Interpretation)
TWIENA – Piu Piu
Heartkor3 – Forehead
Not A Headliner – Positive Discrimination 
NTBR – Crazy
Alexis Aitour – Somnia Vera 
Partenope – Gentle Monster 
pavvvvvvlo x Frankie Watch – Ritmo Turbo
Balrog – Black Mould 
David Löhlein – Facelift
Gaston Fiore – Don’t Be Shy Romeo
YÅ – Existential Crisis
Scope DJ – Househeads

Enjoy. Much love 💚
BC.

BitterCaress Closing @ Noreiner Montreal - November 22nd 2024

BitterCaress is a French artist, Montreal-based DJ, label manager, and events curator. With a background in classical music, she fell in love with techno upon moving to Montreal in 2014. Since stepping behind the decks in 2018, she has quickly made her mark with a sharp selection that blends heavy bass, raw techno, and trancy atmospheres into a groovy, high-energy style.

Well-established in the Montreal scene, she has played at Stereo Nightclub, SAT, and Piknic Électronik, sharing stages with artists like Amelie Lens, Anetha, and Nur Jaber. Since 2021, she has gained international recognition through mix series and European tours, including a milestone Boiler Room debut in Montreal in 2023. As the driving force behind MFC Records, she uses her platform to support meaningful causes and push the scene forward.

With this mix, BitterCaress captures exactly where she stands musically—a journey through hypnotic rhythms, trippy textures, and trance-infused energy. It’s a blend of freshly unearthed gems and timeless classics, waiting to be unleashed.

Picture a dimly lit, sweat-drenched club, eyes closed, body fully surrendered to waves of bass rolling through the room. A space where time dissolves, and the music takes over completely. This one flowed effortlessly, fuelled by pure inspiration—enjoy the ride

@bittercaress

Track List
-----------
A Strange Wedding : Wormhole Breaker 
MZA : Devil On My Shoulder 
Aiken : Genetics (Blawan Remix) 
Disguised : Kaki 
Anfisa Letyago, ParteNope : Perzechella
Alpha Tracks : November (Fingers of God Remix) 
Sole Dosi : My Friend Is On Air 
Randomer : Home Invasion 
Audio Units : Planetary Metadata
AADJA : forever ending 
Agata : Daytripping
Drazzit : Kenophobia
Hoymans : Clubstep (Vanya Velin Remix) 
Alpha Tracks : Secrets 
TRIS : Regrets (Lacchesi Remix) 
Inside Blur : Pyromantic (Stina Francina Psyromantic Remix) 
Spekki Webu : Solaris 
Schake : Control Freak
ÅMRTÜM : Dimensional Drift (Speed Up)
Vel : The Babe


BCCO Mix Series 549: BitterCaress

@bittercaress takes the reins live from the n10.as studios ~ aired on @n10-as 27.02.2025

Boarding Gate 081 W/ Bittercaress

Here’s the live recording of my set at Piknic Electronik Montreal 2025, marking my fifth year in a row playing at this beloved event.

This time, the challenge was once again a bit different: a short 1-hour slot, playing right before Enrico Sangiuliano, whose big room techno sound is quite different from mine. I still wanted to stay true to my style, while keeping things slightly more accessible to the Enrico and Piknic crowd than some of my usual sets. Despite the cold and rainy weather, I was set on bringing happy, uplifting energy to the dancefloor.

Expect a colorful and energetic ride, blending techno with trancy vibes and acid melodies. Whether you were dancing in the rain that day or discovering this for the first time, I hope this set brings you a little boost of joy.

Tracklist below:
Naboklage – Sleeping Beauty
satin – Give Me A Galbich 
Vincent Cambier – Killjoy
Jardinage – Erase
MZA – Fire Starter (Schacke Remix) 
MRD – Etnas
LEN0X – xxpart
Faster Horses – Shadowmoss
MORELIA – Tunnelvision
Asquith – Set The Trap
Anetha – Whistleblower 
Etienne Nogues – Meridional Latitude
Portex – Can I trust You
KI/KI – 5 Mins Of Acid
SAMOH – Lone Planetary Space Travel 
Ajak – The Rhythm
Dj Ibon & Vilde Tuv – Mineral Hool

BitterCaress @ Piknic Electronik Montreal - May 19th 2025

My project - Mixing for a cause:
I have ideas, a voice, opinions I want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. I hope these mixes can be my small contribution to raise awareness about causes that are important to me.

MFC 3: A Rapist in Your Path (b2b KORVN) 

For this episode of Mixing for a Cause, I invited my friend @KORVN to join me to address a particular and important cause that is dear to both of us. 

Protests, in order to denounce violence against women, have happened all around the world for several weeks now. 
 
KORVN and I firmly believe that all women, no matter their race, religion, class, sexual orientation, deserve equal rights without the threat of any violence. 

We have been moved by this powerful anthem,  « A Rapist in Your Path », and decided to use it in our mix. It is a Chilean feminist act that was performed for the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women on November 25, 2019. Thousands of women replicated this piece in Chile, Colombia, Mexico, the United-States, in Europe, etc.

Music is often a powerful tool to convey feelings.
With this podcast, we hope we made you reflect on the current events taking place around the world.

MFC 3 : A Rapist In Your Path (b2b KORVN)

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @jaclyn-kendall to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 5 : Jaclyn Kendall - Never a Land Without People

Jaclyn Kendall is is a producer and DJ working within the realms of experimental, techno, industrial, and noise music. Her music aims to blur the defining constituents of particular genres and has heavy overarching art historical and religious/spiritual themes.

She has released music on labels Natural Sciences, Summer Isle, Low Income $quad, Cønjuctø Vaćiø, and Perfect Location Records. She also curated volume I and II of the Palestinian charity compilation, Never a Land Without People, which were released in 2018 and 2020, and plans to announce her own label later this year.

This mix features multiple tracks off vol. II of Never a Land Without People, all profits of the compilation are being donated to Adalah, a grass-roots organization that works to protect the human & legal rights of Arab minorities in Israel. 

Here is the link to the compilmation : https://neveralandwithoutpeople.bandcamp.com/album/never-a-land-without-people-vol-ii

MFC 5 : Jaclyn Kendall - Never a Land Without People

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @futurevirgo to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 6 : Virgo  - You cannot see the future with tears in your eyes 

Virgo is an American producer and DJ. Her music takes influences from acid, techno and beyond. 
The artist co-founded @parasitelabel at the beginning of the year. 
The famous techno multidisciplinary platform, The Brvtalist, has recently premiered her new EP on PARASITE. With this EP, Virgo comes forth with two tracks. From the impending doom of “Neuron” to the floor crushing hysteria of “Helix”, this is another great entry to the young label’s catalog.

Today, Virgo wanted to record a mix to give her support to the Navajo Nation, the largest land area retained by American Indians in the United States. During the COVID-19 crisis, Native Woman’s Wilderness, a non-profit organization, is providing special aid packages to help Navajo native women.

“The Navajo Nation is struggling with an astonishingly high COVID-19 infection rate. In response, Native Women’s Wilderness Gives Back program is stepping in to provide support to our NWW ambassador’s impoverished communities. 
As native womxn, we know the end of each month is a very challenging time for our people. Many families wait for Navajo Nation Assistance Programs to renew the first day of each month.  Additional measures imposed during this current health crisis, like travel restrictions, lockdowns and business closures have disrupted access to much needed supplies. With your help, we will be bringing in support in the form of boxes full of food and hygiene supplies to families and elders in need.” 

You can support Native Women’s Wilderness here : https://www.nativewomenswilderness.org/

MFC 6 : Virgo  - You cannot see the future with tears in your eyes

Thanks @softcoresoft for the invitation. She had me play for her Ravelength Radio show on @n10-as on August, 27th 2020.

First time recording with 3 CDJs, played some fast ravy vibes inspired from Copenhagen’s hot techno scene. Enjoy!

Tracklist on my insta : @bittercaress

BitterCaress - softcoresoft's Ravelength Radio Guest Mix

I wanted to do another special issue of Mixing for a Cause as I have been extremely shocked by what happened in Lebanon a month ago. 
@kris_tin_official already recorded a great MFC podcast to talk about the Lebanese revolution back in February, therefore I could not imagine anyone else better than her to express herself on this topical issue. 

Kris Tin has always used her emotions as her biggest source of inspiration. Music without emotion is meaningless. Whether it be 90s influenced or dark and haunting, her passion for music combined with her spatial fascination consistently fuse together to create a unique sound.

Thank you for your music, your words, and your fight. I am with you; I am with Beirut.

Kris Tin : “On August 4th 2020, 2750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored at the port of Beirut exploded, causing at least 220 deaths, 6500 injuries, US$ 15 billion in property damage leaving up to 300 000 people homeless adding to an already critical situation of those seeking refuge in Lebanon. The country hosts the largest number of refugees per capita than any other country in the world, including 1.5 million from Syria alone. Refugee camps have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. The blast destroyed 3 hospitals and damaged 2 others which forced doctors to turn away the injured, while fighting to survive amidst a global pandemic where families have been unable to access life-saving medicine. The fatal explosion destroyed the port of Beirut where 80% of Lebanon's food supplies are being imported into the country. Lebanon was already in the midst of the most crippling financial crisis it has ever faced seeing the Lebanese Lira (pound) losing 80% of its value. Lebanese banks had already drastically rationed spending and limited withdrawals to 100$ a week, cut online card spending and blocked overseas transfers. A ticking time bomb was hidden in ward number 12, based on a court ruling, for 6 years without any regulation and this responsibility has been laying in the hand of corrupt, selfish, thieving government officials who the people have been trying to overturn for the past 3 decades. My people are now left to deal with this themselves. 

Please consider donating to any of these trusted local Lebanese NGO's :

Lebanese Red Cross: https://supportlrc.app/donate/donate_guest.html

Impact Lebanon : https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lebanon-relief 

To help evacuate domestic workers : https://www.gofundme.com/f/food-and-medicine-for-kafala-victims-in-lebanon?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all “


Pictures taken in the podcast’s artwork by: Joe Kesrouani
Conversation in the intro was taken from a short film by : Elie Fahed

MFC Special Issue : Kris Tin -  لبيروت  ( To Beirut )

Pre-order available  on December 18, 2020.
Releases January 29, 2021.

Strangers in their own world

[MFC001] - Strangers in their own world - Previews

To kick off the series, MFC Records' first release is a Various Artists with tracks from : Aahan, Alexa Borzyk, Inside Blur, KORVN et ottoman.grüw.

The general theme is: Strangers in their own world.
A manifesto to raise awareness about Human Rights.

Each artist produced a track related to the theme stated above. This track is aiming to raise awareness about a cause that the artist defends and that is dear to their heart. We are talking here about differences and inequalities in human rights in general.

The non for-profit organization supported for this first release will be the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an American civil rights organization. The vision of the NAACP is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Alexa Borzyk  
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/aborzych  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexaborzyk/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexaborzyk

MFC Records  
Bandcamp: https://mfcrecords.bandcamp.com/  
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mfcrecords  
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfc_records_mtl/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mfcrecordsmtl

PREMIERE: Alexa Borzyk - La Morte D'Alex [MFC Records]

To kick off the series, MFC Records' first release is a Various Artists with tracks from : Aahan, Alexa Borzyk, Inside Blur, KORVN and ottoman.grüw.

The general theme is: Strangers in their own world.
A manifesto to raise awareness about Human Rights.

Each artist produced a track related to the theme stated above. This track is aiming to raise awareness about a cause that the artist defends and that is dear to their heart. We are talking here about differences and inequalities in human rights in general.

The non for-profit organization supported for this first release will be the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an American civil rights organization. The vision of the NAACP is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.
credits
releases January 29, 2021

Premiere: Inside Blur - Brain To Body [MFC001]

Purchase
https://mfcrecords.bandcamp.com/

To kick off the series, MFC Records' first release is a Various Artists with tracks from : Aahan, Alexa Borzyk, Inside Blur, KORVN et ottoman.grüw.
The general theme is: Strangers in their own world.

A manifesto to raise awareness about Human Rights.
Each artist produced a track related to the theme stated above. This track is aiming to raise awareness about a cause that the artist defends and that is dear to their heart. We are talking here about differences and inequalities in human rights in general.

The non for-profit organization supported for this first release will be the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), an American civil rights organization. The vision of the NAACP is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Follow Aahan 
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/aahan91
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aahantechno/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AahanTalpur/

Follow MFC Records
Bandcamp: https://mfcrecords.bandcamp.com/
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/mfcrecords
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mfc_records_mtl/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mfcrecordsmtl/

Aahan - Oracle On Opium [premiere]

The Brvtalist is pleased to premiere two new tracks off the forthcoming v/a compilation, Strangers in their own world. This marks the first release from Montreal’s MFC Records and founder and curator BitterCaress delivers six tracks of killer techno from a diverse group of producers. The general theme of the release is, Strangers in their own world - a manifesto to raise awareness about Human Rights. Each artist produced a track related to this concept and each track is aimed at human rights cause near and dear to the producer’s heart. Further, all proceeds from the compilation will be donated to the NAACP, whose goal is to ensure a society in which all individuals have equal rights without discrimination based on race.

Today we premiere two off the release - first up is KORVN’s cinematic, light speed journey “Street Strangers” followed by the menacing, acid laced cut from Unerledigt titled “Vision of Tomorrow”.

The release is out on digital formats January 29th. Pick yours up on Bandcamp.

@mfcrecords

Unerledigt - Vision Of Tomorrow (MFC001)

For this episode and for the followings, I wanted to give the floor to some artists I admire and respect a lot. I believe everyone has ideas, a voice, opinions they want to fight for. I believe we can aspire for a better future world through music. Today, I have invited @salome-dv to record a Mixing for a Cause podcast.

MFC 13 : Salomé DV -  No Racism, No Fascism, No Borders

Her rhythmic sets, vibrant with percussions are above all meant to be sharp and ever evolutional, with smashing kicks oscillating between Acid, Tribal and Rave sounds of the ‘90s.
Native from Brittany, Salomé discovers at 15 the world of free parties as well as the diverse spectrum of Electronic music. In 2018, she creates the «Solar Eclipse» B2B duo with Treize (member of the Epsylonn/Otoktone soundsystem).
Now based in Paris, Salomé Dv plays her first shows in 2019, with the likes of events such as Woman’s Speech x Jeudi OK @ Wanderlust and Madame Hyde’s Festival; as well as in her home turf - at Before Festival Tigredelik @ 1988 Liveclub and at Rencontres Alternatives Festival, both in Rennes.
Today she wanted to raise awareness about the refugee’s precarious situation in France. 

Salomé : “5 years after the dismantling of the infamous “Jungle” in Calais France, refugees are still scattered in makeshifts camps all over the country. Daily, they endure threats, violence and remain the “Republic’s forgotten”. Last November 23rd, they symbolically invested the Place de la République in Paris to challenge the government and ask for emergency housing. What was the answer? More violence, tear gas, tents and sleeping gear rendered useless. This police intervention shows a standardization of outrageous police behaviour. The night of shame...
Never-the-less, in this context, the charities Utopia56, l’auberge des migrants and Refugee Community Kitchen achieve extraordinary work on a daily mobilising time and effort to welcome, feed, clothe and house this who need most. I invite you to follow and support them on their respective platforms.
The UN forecasts 250 million climatic refugees by 2050. Show solidarity! No racism, no fascism, no borders! Solidarity with refugees!”

MFC 13 : Salomé Dv - No Racism, No Fascism, No Borders

Thanks @cyan-dj (@c-m-d) for the invitation. She had me play for her Modular Systems show on CKUT 90.3 FM on February, 14th 2021.

Played some fast ravy vibes inspired from Copenhagen’s hot techno scene. Enjoy!

Tracklist on my insta : @bittercaress or on https://traktion.com/radio/

Phase

BitterCaress - Cyan's Modular Systems Guest Mix for Valentine's Day

🍋 BitterCaress (she/her)

Label, workshops and events mama : @mfcrecords
Bookings : bittercaress@gmail.com

🍋 Mixing For a Cause (the serie is currently paused)

I curate the Mixing for a Cause podcast series where I give the floor to some local and international artists to raise awareness about causes that are meaningful to them. Through this series and that music, I hope to build awareness and a better future world.

BitterCaress

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