Diary Entries

Dean Watton Mixes:

Psionix - MMM.23 (Minimal March Mix)

This month's mix was inspired by my love for Rominimal and Micro-house. Drawn to the hypnotic basslines and complex textures, Iv become obsessed with this genre of electronic music and thought it would be fun to release a funky, deeper mix now that the weathers getting better.

MMM.23 (Minimal March Mix)

M3.A23.DM

M4.J23.DS Conveys a very introspective listening experience that'll carry you through a warm hypnotic journey. We start with some progressive tribalesch techno, which blends over time into more boppy minimal dance tracks. This mix was super fun, helping me broaden my horizons within the world of electronic music.

M4.J23.DSM

Welcome to the first edition of Diary Entries, the sonic journal by Dean Watton.

Diary Entries is a conceptual mix series that I’m starting to add a more personal touch to the mixes I release. The music showcased in these mixes is a blend of dance tracks and more personal selections that have impacted my life over the past few months. This series will be an ongoing project with mixes being released at the start of every month.

05/07/2024

Today's mix kicks off with "Spindrift," a track by saxophonist and composer Colin Stetson. I found it appropriate to open with this one as it brings back fond memories of his show at the Barbican last April, where he and The London Contemporary Orchestra performed the soundtrack for Ari Aster's movie Hereditary. Agnė and I had an amazing time—she actually bought me tickets for that show for Christmas, so thank yous are certainly in order. :-)

Further into the mix, we have “The Fear” by Neinzer. A minimalistic tune that I believe will resonate with many listeners, exploring the topic of fear, whatever that may be to the individual. For myself, I think fear presents itself in the form of self-doubt, fear of failure, imposter syndrome etc. Something I think many artists experience at one point or another in their careers. Thankfully, I had quite an eye opening experience in Portugal last month that has really shifted my mindset around this topic. This experience has driven me to be more confident in my craft and to push myself further out of my comfort zone when it comes to my music and putting myself out there.

After that, you'll find tracks from Pleasure Pool, Decius, LCD Soundsystem, and other artists who have been shaping my musical tastes recently. I've been diving into electronic music that blends elements of post-punk, disco, and other genres from the '80s and '90s. I’ve always loved that era, so hearing modern artists draw from those influences is truly inspiring.

Thank you for listening and joining me on this personal journey. This project is a first for me. It’s an effort to be more open and connect with myself and the listeners!

Life is good, and people are kind. Be confident in what you do.

Enjoy the day!

Diary Entries #1

Welcome to the second edition of Diary Entries, the conceptual mix series.

13/09/24

This mix was recorded during a party that Beau (@Turnendtapes) and I played in Leeds at the end of August. We played for about two hours but lost the second hour of the recording so this will have to do!

I wanted to feature this mix under Diary Entries because I felt this party of close friends and music nerds could not have come at a better time for me. Being surrounded by beautiful souls who are supportive, fun and emotionally intelligent was exactly what I needed at the time.

Going B2B with Beau for the first time was an absolute pleasure. I can honestly say I couldn't think of anyone better to play with. The mix starts with a couple tracks from our Beau, setting the tone for 2 hours of sexy, sleaze ball tracks to get the dance floor bouncing, followed by raw, stripped back acid led tracks by myself to keep the momentum on the d-floor.

For anyone wondering how we might play in the club, this is the mix that lets you in. This is what we do, and we love it.

London-based bookings shout me at deanwatton0@gmail.com

Diary Entries #2 B2B w/ Dockett Eddy

Welcome to the 3rd instalment of Diary Entries, the conceptual mix series.

In this month's edition of Diary Entries, I’m stepping away from electronic music to dive into other genres of music that I care deeply about. I'm also looking to reclaim the initial idea of Diary Entries as a whole, trying to step away from dance floor-focused mixes to introduce a more personalised experience and to connect with my listeners around music I care about.

Music is something we connect with in many different ways, it conveys many emotions and speaks to us in a way that words simply cannot sometimes. Whether music comforts us on those solemn nights or gives us a sense of nostalgia, the important thing is that it makes us feel something. 

This month Iv gone through a lot of changes. Changes that are welcomed, Changes that are defining in many ways. The selection of tracks you are about to hear have, in many ways soundtracked this transitional period in my life. They too define this particular moment. 

I enjoy the attitude that I associate with this music. The raw sense of self, the dread and anticipation of what's to come. The anger you bear but release in momentary spurts. The beers and bottles of wine in between. 

It's all rather exciting.

Diary Entires #3

Welcome to the 4th instalment of Diary Entries, the conceptual mix series.

As the winter cold creeps into my bones, I find myself more reclusive than ever. Forced into hibernation with nothing much other than my thoughts, a set of decks & a pack of Camel Blue. I find myself lost within the haze of these tracks often brought back to earth by an abrupt reality. That's where the harsh timbre of an overdriven amp comes into play. The screeches that demand attention, forcing us to focus. This is my winter & my existence.

Expect to find notes of Grunge, Post-Punk, Noise and Wave. Swill it like wine, taste it like butter.

Diary Entries #4

@deanwatton brings us an hour of gritty tech house and minimal full of attitude

Release date: 9th February 2025

WHOMP010 : Dean Watton

Gracing the studio, curator of punky tech house and a dedicated digger, we welcomed a friend of the show - Dean Watton.

First hour with @sonofpaul, final with @deanwatton.

Demos -> demos@pastryselects.com
Instagram -> www.instagram.com/pastryselects/
Linktree -> linktr.ee/pastry_selects

21 February 2025 - Pastry Selects (w/ Dean Watton)

Hi people! 

First of all I want to say thank you to my friends who have been super supportive amongst the news of my starlane debut for @triskl . I’m beyond excited to play for a party that stands for such wonderful values, draws a beautiful crowd every time and always focuses on exceptional music curation. 

Secondly, I wanted to share with you a mix I recorded about two hours ago after a stretching session in the park. I finished work early and got myself down to the park to soak up a few rays. Upon coming home I had this urge to play a few tunes as I had the place to myself. I started recording after about 3 or 4 tunes in hence the fade in.

I thought this mix would be a lovely attribute to Diary Entries as a milestone of playing music I love and the inspiration music gives me daily.

Here’s a taster of what may or may not come on June 6th. Expect long blends and deep rollers, backed by a few rough and gritty moments to take you out the trance.

Love x
Dean

Diary Entries #5

Dean Watton @ Kiosk Radio 04.07.2025

Originally from the Midlands and now London based, Dean Watton is a relentless selector and party-starter whose sets fuse raw club energy with underground sound. Championing a grittier, more live-sounding and punk-spirited take on tech house, Dean is also the driving force behind Shady Sisters, a party and label that channels the same rebellious energy as his sound.

Podcast 006 - Dean Watton

Welcome to my SoundCloud, a place where I post mixes for on & off the dancefloor. Diary Entries is my current running mix series, but I will be posting other more dance-focused mixes here in the near future.

Diary Entries is a sonic journal capturing the nostalgia felt by each track and the timeline in which it is played.

Dean Watton

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