friday at sustain-release 2021, 12-2am. thank you karen nicole for the photo :)

thank you @sustain-release-nyc

livwutang @ Sustain-Release Year 7

Available on Audio Cassette and digital download directly from the label’s Bandcamp: https://cclurl.bandcamp.com/album/a-night-in-the-skull-discotheque

Side A: Bass is Eternal
Side B: 2-step Mutual Dream

A Night in the Skull Discotheque by the beloved underground selector CCL is the latest offering in the T4T LUV NRG label’s highly limited DJ mix series of cassettes. This immersive journey through a wonderland of proto-dubstep sounds from the late 1970s through the year 2000 is a sonic sibling to CCL’s acclaimed 2018 mix Ode to Queer Steppas.

Inspired in part by Eris Drew’s use of “old records to create new styles out of fragments” on her Raving Disco Breaks Vol. 1 mixtape (T4T LUV NRG, 2019), CCL approached this recording with a parallel frame of mind. Created with 3 CDJs, one Turntable, and a Boss Digital Delay 200, the tracks included in the mix are deconstructed from their whole, and constituent parts are intertwined, sampled, and dubbed out while being further stretched beyond their physical limits. CCL mixed many tracks at the 'wrong speed', pitched beyond their original recognizable tone; others are recontextualized through imaginative layering.

With a solid nod to seminal mixtapes of the early 90s, CCL references the namesake for Side A, Bass Is Eternal, an unreleased 1992 mixtape by influential Bristolian producers Smith & Mighty, an important sonic fulcrum amongst the musical tributaries of the hardcore continuum that continues to reverberate to this day. CCL experienced the after-effects of this ‘proto’ sound genesis in 2008, while living in Bristol, by which point its emergent whispers had coalesced into what became known as dubstep. Tracing a rich history of reference through the samples, basslines, moods, and drum patterns emanating from Bass Is Eternal while looking for connections that predate it became a long-term fascination for CCL. The result is a DJ mix that connects the oft-forgotten dots between proto eras and modern developments in bass and dubstep.

For the resulting sonic ride on A Night in the Skull Discotheque, CCL leads us to a fantastical place of timeless surreality – a majestic haunted dancehall soundtracked by a giddy rush of steppers and dubbed-out delights. Subs rattle through syncopated percs, and moody synths glisten in macabre glory. Fantastical dancers wriggle in wispy eternity, liberated from their corporeal forms in all their greatest spiritual wonder. Both extravagant and dusky, A Night in the Skull Discotheque is a world of seductive in-betweens, a place caught between the moodiest depths and the highest exuberance – A love letter to one of the most impactful formative sounds of the last decades.


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A portion for the proceeds from this release will go to fundraiser "SUPPORT PALESTINIAN SOLIDARITY IN EUROPE!". You can also directly donate via:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-palestinian-solidarity-in-europe
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Tape design: Nina Muro
Mastering: TJ Hertz
Additional tape mastering: Eris Drew
Photography: CCL 
Linear notes: Nevan Jio

A Night in the Skull Discotheque [T4T015]

CCL - A Night in the Skull Discotheque

Juanita's Mix 100 with Ciel @ciel_dj

Q. How would you describe yourself?
A. a music maker with too much sincerity and a passion for sampling, film, and leftist politics

Q. What drew you to the music scene in the beginning and where do you hope to see it in the future?
A. Looking back at my life, I think everything from my birth led me on this path towards music. It was my first love. But as an only child, my experience with music growing up was always very solitary. I yearned to be part of a community radio station with Iikeminded music nerds, and it was working for a radio station eventually during my undergraduate that brought me toward DJing and rave culture. Back then I never thought I could do this full time, but once I got the chance to make a living doing this, I realized the scene was far from perfect, in fact it's very exploitative. I hope in the future we can find a way to fairly compensate music makers for the incredible gift of music they bestow upon the world, without becoming beholden to corrupt corporate & military interests. Artists can be hyper individualistic and self-interested, and I hope we can get better at looking out for each other instead of just our own paycheques.

Q. Tell us a little bit about this mix.
A. I wanted to present a different side of myself to international audiences on such a wonderful mix platform. Perhaps people outside of my home city of Toronto are less familiar with my downtempo sets, but it's been a significant part of my wheelhouse for years, and have gained even wider affection from me since I started doing a downtempo party in Toronto last year. Like I always say, 80-100bpm is the most natural tempo for extended human body movements. I also liked the idea of doing a mix that doesn't build in a predictable way, instead it waxes and wanes like the natural rhythm of life. So many of my favourite mixes build and release tension in a way that's very satisfying to listen to, the sounds intensify to a frenzy before disintegrating into nothingness. I wanted to play with that rise and fall and mix downtempo and dub with double time d&b in a non-linear way that is evocative of our most precious memories and tells stories we've only seen in dreams. Downtempo and dub also seemed like the perfect genres to play in the 100th mix for Juanita's, and in the lead up to my fav April holiday. :) I hope the listeners enjoy it.

Juanita's Mix 100: Ciel

BEIGE (they/them)

BEIGE by name but definitely not by nature, this Detroit-based DJ specializes in multi-hued, carefully considered and highly danceable sets. Whether they’re playing smooth R&B and downtempo soul, crunchy electro, cheeky disco edits or oddball tech house, the only constant in their sets is quality. As likely to play a huge hit as to introduce you to your new favorite track, BEIGE occupies an important niche between their stuffier and less imaginative peers. Armed with a healthy disrespect for genre and convention and a discerning but unpretentious music collection, BEIGE aims to please, but more commonly thrills, delights, and inspires. 

Notes on the Mix ///

"This mix is a recording of a peak-time set I played around this time last year, in the Tangent Gallery Ballroom in Detroit at Samhain XXIII, a collaboration between Interdimensional Transmissions and T4TLUVNRG. My set time was between a long, very masterful warmup by Sold, and the ecstatic closing magic of Eris Drew b2b Octo Octa, the atmosphere was pretty Halloween-adjacent (lots of people wearing costumes, including me as Harley Quinn lol) and open, and for whatever reason it was one of those nights where the stars aligned in such a way that I was able to reach down somewhere inside and pull out a really wide-ranging, high-energy, cathartic performance which I kind of surprised myself with. It was towards the end of what had been a super hard year for me personally, but this was the best and most fun I'd had playing in a long, long time and there's truly something for everyone in there--acid, deep house, breaks, hardcore, diva vocals, swirly bell techno, ballads, jungle, and a handful of obligatory Beige pop moments that had a whole room full of Very Serious Real Music Appreciators and Good Taste-Havers absolutely *screaming*. Hope y'all enjoy it as much as I did!"

SOCIALS 
@justbeige
https://instagram.com/just_beige 
https://ra.co/dj/beige


Recorded & Mastered by Jim Gibbons

XOXA BLEND 228 - BEIGE

tracklist: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDXNR5-gTXx/?img_index=2

FART ON NTS l 6 DEC 2024

@earthdog_jek live at @sustain-release-nyc

ED038: Jek at Sustain-Release 2024

*recorded live in Field, ON at Best Out of Town Year 4 (09/01/24)

Ciel was gracious with her eight hours on the beach, offering an extended trip through house and techno’s touchpoints before dropping it down and bringing the whole festival together for a downtempo singalong. In truth, we’ve come to expect this fidelity and care from Cindy. Memories of old Geary Ave, 500 Keele, the grotto, and community radio rebound through these blends, solidifying her place as one of the Toronto underground’s biggest exports of the past half decade-plus. Take a listen and enjoy the ride.

@ciel_dj

Ciel // Best Out of Town Year 4 (09/01/2024)

Name: Alicia Greco
Alias: Leesh (@dj_leesh)
Pronouns: they/them
Location: Chicago

Influences: Flowers, prisms, the sun and moon and stars and planets, addiction and recovery, kung fu, interconnection, acceptance, love.
 
Affiliations/Residencies/Projects: Daisychain

Favorite Quote: “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” 

Advice for the DJs, producers and artists of our community:
You are good enough. Your voice is important. Do not let anyone put you beneath them, and if they try to - use your FORWARD ENERGY. When the punches get more intense, relax harder. Breathe. Keep going. You’ll get stuck sometimes, and then you’ll keep going. Things will change, and you will keep going. 

There is not something deeply broken inside of you. We all have parts of us that are hurt and need healing, but the core of you is not broken. The core of you is beautiful and whole. And that beauty can be found. Listen to your inner voice, speak kindly to yourself. Healing is not linear. When you feel the urge to isolate, reach out. It is OKAY to ask for help. Learn what form of self-care works for you at any given moment. You deserve to love and be loved.

Imposter syndrome happens to all of us. But all of those minutes you spend questioning your sound, your message, your decisions, your selection, your transitions - all of those minutes you spend questioning and judging YOU - enough time will pass and you’ll look back or listen back and you’ll be proud of who you are and what you made. The mistakes that felt blinding will fade. You’re still going to sweat about it, just try not to sweat too much because it will keep you from enjoying the moment. You are not a machine! You are a human! 

Fuck the system. Use that DIY energy to create the space you long for but don’t go it alone. Find others, build something, do it together. Play the game if you wish, but remember you also don’t have to. You can forge your own path, one that’s less trodden. It will be hard and you will have doubts but if you keep going, you will find authenticity. It’s never too late.

Know yourself. Learn to love yourself. 

About the mix: In all of these years, I myself have never made a Daisychain mix. Now, here it is. Talk about daunting pressure! But with these ideas of time, transition and change, I did a retrospective to create this concept: my sonic journey through Daisychain. I went back and listened to all of my old mixes to select tracks that were of utmost significance to me during this span of time. I wrote down 125 tracks on 125 post-its that took over the walls of my dining room. I somehow narrowed it down. [Continued on website]

With this mix Leesh asks for you to please learn more about and consider donating to:

❁ Dogs Matter: An organization that provides temporary foster service for folks going into rehab for alcoholism and addiction. (https://www.dogsmatter2.org/)

❁ FreeFrom: This LA-based organization was created to help survivors of domestic violence achieve financial security and help to dismantle the systemic economic structures that perpetuate the violence. As a survivor myself, this organization is doing something incredible and I truly believe in it.(https://www.freefrom.org/)

❁ Beagle Freedom Project: Beagles are the most used dogs for experimental testing due to their kind and trusting nature and temperament. BFP rescues and rehomes beagles from these labs to provide for them a better, safer life. If you know me, you know Yahtzee. He's the rescued beagle baby angel of my life. Rescue the beagles! (https://bfp.org/)

Read more - https://thedaisychain.club/2025/01/16/daisychain-360-leesh/

A goodbye (for now) letter - https://thedaisychain.club/2025/01/16/a-letter-an-end-a-new-beginning/

Daisychain

Daisychain 360 - Leesh

@richard-akingbehin: "The second half of my set at NYE 2025 by Diega, Victoria, Australia—a dreamy three hours at sunset on New Year's Eve. Enjoy!"

Image @chawks

Richard Akingbehin @NYE 2025

💿Buy Link:
• https://www.beatport.com/release/perfect-groove-ep/4918503

⬛️Artist:
• https://www.beatport.com/artist/federico-danchini/1286694
• https://www.instagram.com/federicodanchini/
• https://soundcloud.com/cr-df

⬛️Label:
• https://soundcloud.com/iwant-music
• https://www.facebook.com/IWantMusicLabel
• https://www.instagram.com/iwant_music/
• https://www.beatport.com/label/iwant-music/75983

Contact: afteerrave@gmail.com

PREMIERE: Federico D'Anchini - Perfect Groove [IW221D]

Alias: DJ Fart in the Club (@2shy2dj)
Pronouns: she / her
Location: Berlin

Influences: Larry David and dancefloor u4ria with the homies 

Affiliations/Residencies/Projects: Imaginary Friend  

Favorite Quote: It's nice to be important but more important to be nice. https://youtu.be/2RneoccuJwY?t=148

Advice for the DJs, producers and artists of our community: believe in your style and do your thing but don't trap yourself inside that bubble, be open to new sounds and seek for challenge. keep your ears excited and learn from each other, grow together +++community is everything

With this mix DJ Fart In The Club asks to please learn more about and consider donating to: International women* space https://iwspace.de/

Daisychain 154 - DJ Fart In The Club

Daisychain is a movement to showcase power, beauty, and strength of DJs and artists. Like the sequencing of electrical equipment, Daisychain will connect and develop a symbiotic network of trans, nonbinary people and femmes - from all backgrounds. DJs and artists from these realms of identity will continue to find their strength in sound by showcasing their art for a weekly guest mix series. 

Contact/Submissions: Leesh - daisychain.network606@gmail.com

Based in Chicago, IL

Daisychain 360 - Leesh

Daisychain

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