Mixes d-_-b

Waves Of Change - re-mixed. Stay deep.
Bookings: info@chaindata.nl
Setup breakdown: https://www.patreon.com/posts/vc-118a-live-21-98991279

VC-118A - Liveset Tresor - 20.01.2024

Helix Mix 009: Luke CVR

LUKE CVR & FIN LE GUIN | CLOSER CLOSER CLOSER | DJ Sessions | Deep House, Tech House, Dub Techno

A previously recorded mix, set to private for the majority of its life cycle, but now shared again for you…


This mix was actually my submission for the 2024 Strawberry Fields x PBS 106.7FM DJ Competition.

The mix was designed to be performed in the daytime following the welcome to country.

A different style of recording with an emphasis on 'Big Room' tracks I've never had the right opportunity to share until now. Having attended Strawberry Fields many times in the past, I can easily say it remains one of my most beloved festivals I've ever had the privilege to experience. Recorded for the largest of stages, the Wildland's is a gargantuan arena with massive bass, so low frequencies and a continuous hypnotic energy are the prominent components of this mix. The recording is a slow chugging build from the start (This mix is designed to follow on from a reverential Welcome to Country Ceremony) and building through a series of these 'Big Room' tracks to a euphoric finish. There are number of important breakdowns throughout the mix to allow the energy to be sustained as well as dip into some varying drum and bass rhythms with some disco elements sprinkled in to add some variety to the genre palate.

I hope you enjoy listening to the music and that visions of the Wildlands float through your mind, as they did when I recorded the mix d-_-b

Recorded at the Area 3000 Studios in Prahan, Melbourne. 6th September 2024.

a big, thumpin mix

My next guest on Yax Invites is Adelaide based, Emalyce.

Emalyce, an ardent fan of hypnotic swampy sounds, enjoys the experimental side of techno. Influenced by artists from labels such as Mutual Rytm, Duplicity, Token and Vault Records to name a few.

She enjoys crafting sets that gradually build in rhythm, allowing listeners to immerse themselves in the music.

Although a newcomer to the Adelaide scene, Emalyce is not intimidated by performing. She, alongside likeminded friends, successfully organised regular parties [Ground Zero] that shook the scene in her hometown.

https://soundcloud.com/emalyce

Yax Invites #222 - Emalyce

Introducing my next guest Dave Mack @thereturn. A wildly versatile selector with an amazing ear for simply great music. Our paths crossed at the Revolver dinner set slot and quickly became good friends and regularly we would do b2b's at Galah, Mango Bar and Rumbler to name a few. Both of us feel comfortable intertwining our collections into our collaborations. He is also a member of the incredible Marina Boys outfit and all I can say is that i'm a huge fan of their output and enthusiasm. Dave has also done some shows on the local Skylab radio and is very busy on the DJ circuit. Enjoy this deep house mix from him and I think he ticked the brief beautifully and I'm really enjoying his foray into the deeper and chilled side of house and techno.

audible fotosynthesis series no 13 feat Dave Mack

For this episode we welcome the extraordinary talents of Aaron J, Brooklyn's Sure Thing record label and podcast founder, known for hosting an immense list of explorative modern techno artists from around the globe. Altering our consciousness for the first time in 2023 with a particularly awe inspiring set at Sustain-Release, Aaron's deeply considered and intricate approach is something of sheer beauty, and coupled with masterful technical ability, his inspiring DJ sets allow for fully immersive dancefloor experiences. 

Here Aaron explores the softer edges of his expansive sound palette, meditative soundscapes and tranquil IDM converging in total harmony for what he describes as a 'recalibration of the senses'. 

@arn_j
@sure_thing

Q. What sounds or feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being best enjoyed in?

A. Of all the mixes I’ve put together over the years, this one definitely feels the most vulnerable. The months I spent thinking about and working on this mix accompanied an intensely busy time in my life, and the process helped me stay in touch with the simple joy of listening as a way of stepping back and letting things go. There is a direct connection here between the music within and the emotions that live inside me. At the same time, I’ve tried my best to mix this as transparently as possible, so that the act of DJing takes a back seat and allows the music to take center stage.

The inspiration behind the tracks I chose and the story of the mix is one of finding balance, so I hope listening to it feels like a casting off of the present day and a recalibration of the senses. I’d love for people to listen to the mix in a setting where they feel most protected from the changes and stressors of the outside world, whether that be sitting outside in nature or laying on a couch surrounded by the comforts of home.

Q. Are there any songs in the mix that you were especially excited to share, and what is it about these tracks that resonate with you so much?

A. There is a track in the mix by Autumn of Communion called “Goodbye PK” dedicated to the late Peter Kuhlmann, who many of your listeners will know as the legendary Pete Namlook of FAX +49-69/450464. It’s an immensely moving track that manages to convey both the tragedy of his loss and the depth of the beauty he left with the world, and I feel we’re so fortunate to have music and influences like this in our recent history. I included it early to set the tone of the rest of the mix, which is quite different than any I’ve done before, and to pay my respects to those who’ve inspired our scene from the very beginning.

Q. I was lucky enough to witness your set at Sustain-Release in 2023 and was in awe of your ability to practice restraint while steadily building up tension and energy in the set with such clinical and seamless execution. Is this part of the DJ craft something you spend a lot of time planning and refining?

A. That was such a life-changing moment for me, so I’m really glad you were there! You really nailed what I hoped to accomplish with that set, and I definitely spend a lot of time thinking about where my sets will begin, where I would like them to end up, and what sort of path I might take to get there. Understanding the minutiae of how a transition will affect someone’s state of mind and how to propel someone forward without jarring them back to reality is something I’m always working to improve on. That said, the upward trajectory is not always the most interesting one, and there are so many other ways of charting a course through a set that I hope to be able to explore. For the mix I’ve made for you, it’s not so much a set that builds energy as it is one that expands and contracts, hopefully in a gentle and purposeful way.

MDC.311 Aaron J

Nina Pixel is a sound artist and ritualist based in Berlin. She explores the
intersections of ancestral knowledge, ecological listening, and sonic
consciousness through field recordings, ancestral memory, and myth. Her
work connects the emotional and spiritual landscapes of nature, body, and
places, merging folklore, intuition, rhythm and noise into transformative
listening experiences. She co-leads the noise-techno project 1111VV_god and
explores healing through sound, soil, and nearly forgotten wisdom of
community.
Serpent Dreams is a multilayered composition dedicated to transformation,
inner wisdom, and intuitive guidance of a higher self, a serpent goddess who
talks to us as a narrator throughout the whole piece. The Serpent Goddess is
waiting in the shadows with ancient wisdom. Ancestral healer, womb power,
deep earth magic. She Who Transmutes Through Earth &amp; Body. This goddess
is the alchemist of pain into power, the one who touches the earth and
remembers.

Identity Crisis w. Stas guest Nina Pixel (live) [25.04.25]

Happy to present my next guest @drox My first guest from Eora/Sydney. Our connection was forged through the love of similar tastes through Soundcloud. Drox is a DJ, live act and producer whose DJing style can be described as heavily influenced by electro, industrial and bass music. His sound embodies a spontaneous charm that nods to early 90s Detroit machine music, rich IDM sounds, and dystopian sci-fi tones.

Labels: @delphiciris records @analog-cabin 

Drox describes his approach for this mix the idea  to imagine playing to the tail end of an all nighter — last set of the night or morning when people are winding down. 

He included a bunch of records he'd been slowly collecting together to record a deeper mix like this with some old favourites like Photek, The Connection Machine, Echospace and Basic Channel, some top shelf releases from friends — Albert Chiovenda, Neotex and Simon Mann and a new one from my label by a Berlin based artist Insomanist from the First Light EP that was released this May.

Check his work here:
https://delphicirisrecords.bandcamp.com/album/first-light-ep
https://soundcloud.com/drox
https://www.droxindustries.com

audible fotosynthesis series no 14 feat Drox

Recorded live at Ratherlost Easter 2025, Lofi Amsterdam, 6-9PM.

Thank you to the @ratherlost team for the trust, to the producers within for their incredible music, to all who shared that moment which will surely endure in my mind.

Artwork by Dypere (dypere.cc).

Aaron J at Ratherlost Easter 2025

My next guest on Yax Invites is Adelaide-based producer duo Mental Availability, delivering a three-hour journey through deep, hypnotic, and gritty grooves.

Starting slow and minimal, the mix gradually builds momentum, drawing influence from artists like Alarico, Kuss, Bailey Ibbs, Toobris, Rene Wise, and Alberto Tolo, while also spotlighting some of their favourite Australian talent including Hasvat Informant, Irah, Ned Bennett, and Boy In Nature. The set also features unreleased IDs from Melbourne's Lucas Boston and Adelaide local, Dolph.

Keep an eye out for their forthcoming two-track EP, Building Blocks, dropping in the coming weeks.

https://soundcloud.com/mental-availability

Yax Invites #235 - Mental Availability

Introspective mind realignment from the deepest depths, Mike Buhl engages the senses with poise and purpose, lifting the spirit while carefully dialling up the pressure over two-plus hours of tension filled hypnotic techno and soaring interplanetary rhythms. 

@mike-buhl

Q. What sounds or feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being best enjoyed in?

A. My inspiration was driven by the urge to showcase lots of artists who have been on heavy rotation over the years. Somewhat cliche, but it was really important to blend genres and energies that represented every aspect of what I listen to, am inspired by alongside how and when they were experienced. Tracks I’ve loved listening to on my own, while entertaining friends, during lock in record nights and those tracks designed to be shared in public spaces and events. 
 
Finding a cohesive path through those different styles, genres and energies was the adventure in this mix. Distilling a sonic mountain of records into something that flowed seamlessly and translated well when listening back in all of those moments felt most authentic. A mix best consumed while moving, sharpening that assignment, at the tail end of a dinner party as the vibe shifts to next gear or while embracing the magic of a lock in with the crew. 

This has translated into snapshots, across a timeline stitched together from records new and old, capturing a weekend drive, early floors through to closed doors, spilling onto the street, the afterhours and beyond. Almost two and a half hours of ambient ear candy, arm chair burners, peak melters and thought provokers that attempt to relive moments and feelings from our past years listening, curating and creating electronic music.

Q. I know you’ve developed a close kinship with some modern pillars of the dub techno scene, mastering and editing .VRIL’s 2025 Edit of his classic tune ‘UV’ and being tasked with closing out his recent Melbourne show. Tell us how that connection came about, and what other studio projects have you got bubbling away that you’re excited to share?

A. I first reached out to .Vril ahead of a past tour to Australia. His music resonated with me so much that I wanted to meet him for a coffee. Since then, we’ve hung out a few times, shared music, and bounced some tracks off each other. It was an absolute highlight, when he asked to be a part of reshaping ‘UV’ and he's kindly returned serve with a remix for my follow up EP, 'Modern Explorer II' on local imprint Denude. We’ve had some very early conversations around a collaboration next time he’s out here and I would really like to continue pushing creativity here.

In the background, I've been spending a good amount of time in my studio. Focusing on creating for myself and helping others. Improving my abilities as a mix engineer has been a big focus and I’ve been fortunate enough to work on a number projects with artists locally and abroad. Whether that be mixing, providing creative direction, arrangement work or mastering. I really love working with others and often find it more enjoyable than working alone. In saying that, I’m building a volume of new music that needs an outlet and will focus on that over the next few months.

MDC.313 Mike Buhl

VC-118A Live @ Blank - Saint Petersburg
Recorded: 22-02-2020
Bookings: info@chaindata.nl

book VC-118A

VC-118A Live @ Blank Saint Petersburg - 22-02-2020

Record shop operating in Adelaide, Australia

Streaming live weekly on Twitch

www.closerclosercloser.com

LUKE CVR & FIN LE GUIN | CLOSER CLOSER CLOSER | DJ Sessions | Deep House, Tech House, Dub Techno

CLOSER RECORD STORE

Related tracks