Here's my set recording from the @8doc_music stage at Afrika Burn earlier this year! What a honour it was to be a part of the crew birthing this incredible artwork of a stage and seeing their vision come into reality. I met some of the collection randomly at a small festival outside of Berlin last year, instantly felt like I had been part of their crew for years and had a new home abroad. Only later finding out that they are planning to come do a build at AB this year - and woah did they deliver! So insanely proud of the entire collective and the magic they brought to the Playa this year.

Since the purpose of this stage was to provide an escape from the monotonous styles that seemed to be filling the sound waves of the Playa; an experimental playground to introduce Burners to something new. To align with this, I set the goal of playing a full set under 100bpm and pushing my boundaries a bit. The set was also quite "peak time" starting at 10 and ending at midnight on the Wednesday; so keeping it deep and slow was definitely against the grain. Overall, I am super happy with how this turned out and hopefully I'll have more opportunity to play around these tempo ranges in future!

I have no content from the set (live in the moment as Burn should be). Image was from during the build taken from the now burned Tree of Stories with a major thunderstorm brewing beyond the mountains.

Tracklist:
1. @ouhana, @audaemusic - Something Hides [ @beyondcollectiveberlin ]
2. @apaj_duc - Mineral [ @leveldva-music ]
3. @juliajacklin - Body (Nathan Hall rework)
4. @ektoplast - Soupçon (Original mix) [ @crepitecollective ]
5. @paul-traeumer - Binary Code [ @underyourskinrecords ]
6. @julianogomez - Elysium [ @monada-project ]
7. @deisenmusic - Hereinspaziert (@laurent-flahaut & @lucid-paris Remix) [ @monada-project ]
8. @apaj_duc - Dulcis [ @downvienna ]
9. @cedricscheibel, @benoir - Mocesma [ @amselcom ]
10. @saivemusic, @zoe-reijue - Whisper From The Other Side (@nadaninadienunca Remix) [ @amselcom ]
11. @pshiuu - Morning Dew (feat DJ Fehlt) [ @downvienna ]
12. @veytik, @desertravenmusic, @soulpacifica - Space Cowboys feat. Soulpacifica (@eternalmoment Remix) [ @trndmusik ]
13. @sydneyseymour - Aleph [ @trndmusik ]
14. @g-e-j-u - Yasha [ @kater_blau ]
15. @kapoormusic, @hvitling - Vox Diaboli
16. @gingembre_music - Footstep in the Fog [ @serafinaudio ]
17. @sydkasd - Viper [ @downvienna ]
18. @apaj_duc - Dream About [ @finebeatz ]
19. @pshiuu - Kodama [ @downvienna ]
20. @niju-1, @maluinator - Graphite (Kleintierschaukel feat. Chrischou Kuddelmuddel Remix) [ @downvienna ]
21. @eternalmoment - Macarena [ @monada-project ]
22. @nadaninadienunca - Ovvo [ @downvienna ]
23. @arutani, @avemsdream - Trance is Psy [ @rebelliondertraumer ]
24. @dolbytall, @lie-omeir - Temple of Love [ @lump-rec ]
25. @amelipaulmusic - Worak [ @underyourskinrecords ]
26. @slin_boden, @jandalvik - Eezy Dreizt (@apaj_duc Remix) [ @serafinaudio ]
27. @nadaninadienunca, @easy-tiger-jena - Corteza [ @easy-tiger-jena ]

AfrikaBurn '24 ~ 8th Day of Creation [1 May 2024] <downtempo> {2h}

Driven by a passion for discovering music; deacon has built a formidable collection spanning from downtempo through psychedelic techno to a deep progressive all containing a homogeneous groovy energy and impeccable sound design. Currently signed to @techgnosisrecords, he carefully selects tracks to create an eccentric narrative tailored to each event and lineup with one purpose: to introduce new sounds that bridge division and bring connection through sound and movement.

Full bio:
Driven foremost by a passion for discovering new music; Matthew Deacon has built a treasure chest of audible gold and has been sharing these gems with dancefloors for over a decade now.

A varying palate for sound led to the discovery of psychedelic techno in 2017 and prompted a rebrand under his namesake with a more focused sound. Hooked by the layers, depth, vast variety of sounds and intrinsic musical nature the genre presented led to the emergence of the soundscape we know as Deacon.

As time progressed he started discovering more music, artists and labels representing these similar characteristics; at a higher tempo there was deep/dark progressive, a lighter side of Zenonesque, and slowing things down with a reinterpretation of downtempo, akin to pitched down techno. And whilst these can be considered three distinct genres, they all hold a similar energy; with deep basslines, organic elements and impeccable production, and Deacon enjoys navigating between them. Carefully selecting tracks to create an eccentric narrative tailored to the event and lineup with one purpose: to bridge division and bring connection through sound and movement.

Bookings/contact: deacon.za@gmail.com