Hello fellow raving community. In the wake of the Covid pandemic I started this thing called “Live From The Utopian Void” which is basically a live DJ set that also works as a showcase of the sound I’d like to play at the moment. I dropped one mix in early 2022, one in 2023 and well… needless to say I’m a sucker for good trilogies, so here’s a third one, just in time for the start of spring.

I usually have a starting track and see where it takes me from there on. In this case it’s the funky Foals rework of a Paramore track which is followed by a short trip to the 80s, some darker tunes by Chinaski and Kalipo before heading into sweet house music territory with much loved producers like Octo Octa, Running Hot and Confidence Man. Well, and towards the end I can’t shake off some fast trance moments by I.JORDAN and Swart before things will calm down again a bit more once we hit that 2h mark.

Having said that … of course I would love to play more. I don’t have a booking agency (yet) and please don’t judge me by my transitions or the genre-hopping. It’s part of who I am, I guess. I love to challenge myself and the audience. Whether it’s acid house, Balearic disco or funky soul - Burnout Sumner is right there for your dancefloor desires. Just drop me a message. Enjoy the mix. You know where to find the mix.

Live Sets

Live From The Utopian Void III (Spring Mix 2024)

One more time, friends… allow me to introduce you to my 20th and final IMAGINARY RAVE TAPE which is now waiting for you on my Soundcloud. Why “final”? Well, it arrives exactly four years after the first one and I really like the conclusive feeling of round numbers. I think it has run its natural course and it feels like the initial idea - an idealized and concise imagination of the perfect rave born out of Covid lockdown frustration - reached a sweet conclusion. 

These mixes have been a personal tribute to the unifying power of the dancefloor - out of my bedroom into the world. I think I’ve said everything I wanted to say with these ones. I long for a more real and analogue connection with these dancefloors now so I think it’s nice to say farewell to the series for now. I’m really happy with this final chapter - 100 minutes of sweet Balearic beats and trippy, tropical floorfillers from the past and present. Follow the Bio link to get to it… 

We’ll see what’s next for me. Until then… have a sweet start of the summer and don’t forget to enjoy the https://soundcloud.com/burnout-sumner/sets/imaginary-rave-tapes playlist with all previously released rave tapes. 

Hugs and kisses, Norman.

Imaginary Rave Tapes

Imaginary Rave Tape Vol. 20

Yes, it’s hard to believe folks… but I really just turned 40 the other day. Off to another decade of successfully avoiding adulthood, right? Part of that celebration was a party with my closest friends and this epic 4h-set including some of my favourite house music tunes of all time. Turns out this specific genre of electronic dance music is a steady companion of my life and it felt like a fitting sound for the night. 💜

Four decades of house music to celebrate my four decades on this planet - including tunes by DJ Koze, Étienne De Crécy, Daft Punk, Mploko, Inner City, Todd Terje, Kylie Minogue, Tensnake Roger Sanchez as well as housy reworks of favourite artists like Bloc Party, Röyksopp, Romy, Pet Shop Boys, New Order, Jungle, Depeche Mode, Fleetwood Mac and lots, lots of others. It’s quite a ride and definitely the longest DJ set I ever delivered so far. Be sweet and enjoy the house music euphoria along with me right here! 🥳

Stories Through Tapes

There's House In Those Hits: 40th B-Day Mix

I was kindly invited to play a small set at the first edition of the cosy "Inner Light" festival in Saalfeld (https://innerlightfestival.de/), resulting in a little more than two hours of funky tunes, soulful house and a few surprises I usually don't play. Have fun with the set! 💚

Live

Live at Innerlight Festival 2024

Recently I was kindly invited back to Leipzig’s finest club hidden treasure to warm-up the basement for my kind friends of @stolenmoneyposse as part of a very special evening, marking the launch of the 4th edition of "Maybe A Magazine" (https://www.instagram.com/maybeamagazine).

That set turned out to be longer than expected - ending up being 3 ½ hours long. It starts in in quite chilled and obscure krauty/ new rave territory, before it slowly moves towards disco/ 80s and finally some true house music pleasures. It ends with a Roger Sanchez classic and a bit of the @drunkenstein-one set that followed after me. 

Loving the build-up character of this one and the whole vibe (which is more important than track transitions for me as you will notice). Enjoy that sweet and smooth ride, fellow funky friends.

Live @ MCKR / Stolen Money Posse, 07.12.24

Ever since Covid ended I started the tradition of welcoming the new year by a fresh DJ set called “Live From The Utopian Void” - two hours of electrifying tunes that showcase the club sounds that excite me right now. It’s meant to spread uplifting vibes in times that feel quite dark - metaphorically and literally. It’s about the uplifting enthusiasm of a good rave, the joint togetherness of the dance and the positive energy it can create. Check them all out right here: https://soundcloud.com/burnout-sumner/sets/live-from-the-utopian-void

Number 4 is now on and it takes you on a fun adventure, starting in the 80s and then taking a housy path into faster floorfiller territory. From less obvious club material by Kontravoid, Neuzeitliche Bodenbeläge and a sombre New Hook rework of Kate Stein to proper contemporary bangers from Anna Lunoe, Barbara Boeing, Octo Octa, Folamour, Mall Grab and Kasper Bjørke plus the inevitable cameo of Bernard Sumner - expect a wild and joyful ride.

If you like what you hear in this set or others on my profile and want to experience it live on a dancefloor or festival near you - you know where to find me. It’s 2025 and I still don’t have a booking agent. DIY 4 life, I guess. Thanks for listening, thanks for dancing.

Love and hugs, Burnout Sumner

Live From The Utopian Void IV (Winter Mix 2025)

For those who’ve been following my Burnout Sumner adventures for a while now, this might sound familiar. Every three years, I drop a pretty extended mix dedicated to that special kind of Balearic house music bliss that continues to be a major part of my life, despite all the personal changes that have happened since the last edition. So here we are with Volume III: “An Escape to Balearic Paradise.”

Expect an almost three-hour-long journey into a tropical dreamscape, carefully curated by yours truly. It’s a sun-drenched selection of my favorite tracks from this magical musical realm, collected since the 2022 edition. You'll find familiar faces like DJ Koze, Space Ghost, and Joe Goddard, alongside hidden gems from Desert Island Disco, Lars Bartkuhn, Barbara Boeing, and Conga Fever: the forgotten alias of Tom Hessler aka Der Assistent. One personal highlight: Sofia Kourtesis’ dreamy remix of Perel’s Matrix, a track I still get goosebumps from. Also included is an Alex Kassian rework-slash-tribute to Michael Göttsching’s iconic E2-E4 from 1981, which still feels like the spiritual blueprint for this entire genre.

But let’s not get lost in name-dropping - because in the end, this mix is all about the vibe. It’s an invitation to slow down, to breathe deeply, to let your mind wander over imaginary coastlines. Maybe you’ll find yourself dancing barefoot in golden sunlight, or drifting into twilight with a soft breeze brushing your skin. This is a soundtrack for summer days and balmy nights, a celebration of warmth, serenity, and musical escapism - and honestly, don’t we all need a little more of that right now? You’ll also find the first two volumes there in one playlist, perfect if you're in the mood for an even deeper dive. Thanks for giving it a spin. ☀️

Cosmic Coastline III: An Escape To Balearic Paradise

A little live spontaneous DJ set I did for a friend's birthday last week. Such a pleasure playing in the cosy KikiSol bar in my Berlin home district Wedding. Originally I was aiming for a more disco approach but the crowd was in a different mood, so I adapted to that situation by speeding things up. Enjoy 💜

Live at KikiSol Berlin, 15.03.25

Had the pleasure of playing a set at the cosy @praeriefestival this weekend - resulting in an hour of uplifting disco and house music sweetness. Thanks for everybody who danced along and for the opportunity to play (and party) on this very sweet event.

Live at Praerie Festival, Nova Stage, 01.08.25

Played the sweet "Innerlight Festival in Saalfeld (innerlightfestival.de), for the second time in a row this summer. The slightly different setting gave me the chance to play a few more unusual tunes which was nice. Hope you'll enjoy this funy set as well! 💚

Live at Innerlight Festival 2025

From Balearic beats to euphoric house to something else. Tune in for retro-futuristic feelgood vibrations, bound together by eternal rave spirit. The house of Burnout Sumner is open to all like-minded humans who enjoy soulful and funky vibes as much as I do. ❋

Open to DJ bookings, mixtape production and connecting with fellow disco friends at ► burnout@messcalledmusic.com

I'm also curating https://soundcloud.com/messymix

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