Mixes

A digital archive of selections from local and abroad DJs.



The aim of the High Ground mix series is to capture the individual styles and strengths that are unique to the selectors that it features.



Artwork by el.fx

• • • HG Mix Series • • •

SUSPENSION

OBSCURE

"A mix of live/mastered original works reflecting everyday relations - processes of learning, unlearning and (re)learning identity" @e-fishpool

Cover: 'Landscape with trees' by Constantine Parthenis

XCIII - e fishpool

Next up!
Canada's @napmusick treats us to just over an hour of scuzzy dembow beats, techno-dancehall crossovers & sludgy electronica. 
An absolute treat this, we're honoured to have NAP join the podcast series.
We also caught up with the donny himself for a lil chat, read below >


AM: We loved your mix a lot, where and how did you record it? Was there a theme behind it?

Glad you liked it! I recorded the mix in my studio with a moody xone mixer and x2 xdjs on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. I’d say the theme is release. After the drag of a 9-5 week that sacred studio time on the weekends can be so special, especially with the current Montreal curfew. Channeling that ‘living for the weekend’ vibe here with some low-slung bass music I've been digging lately.


AM: We’re big fans of your label ISLA, how did it come about?

Thank you for listening! Isla was born out of a desire to document the music happening around me. I bought a used tape duplicator from a church in Abbotsford and started making very small tape runs of friends’. It’s grown a bit since but it's still just me putting whatever I’m excited about.


AM: We think Ambien Baby is fantastic, love Sophie too from when we had her down to play in Brighton, how did you guys come about forming the duo?

Oh thank you! That’s my best friend and soul sister. We’ve known each other since we were teens. AB is a reaction to our friendship and a vessel for us to explore sound & collaborate. 


AM: Out of music what are your interests? 

I'd say the interests are vast and ever-mutating!  In general, they lay in music rituals [music making/consuming], music’s therapeutic qualities, and its tireless research/ quest for its historicity.  


AM: Whats next for you this year? 

Finishing loose ends for some recording projects that have been in the works for some time, putting out some records im very excited about and learning how to tap/ dance flamenco.

AM Podcast #36 - NAP

After six years and one pandemic in the making, @lyl_radio and EDWIN have teamed up to create their very first radio station t-shirt, featuring a graphic collaboration with La Brigade Cynophile to celebrate LYL's studios in Lyon, Paris and Brussels and their vast network of international hosts.

LYL Radio Takeover - Part I - Mika Oki

Amsterdam-based Lithuanian couple Domante & Tomas  aka Toons blessed us with a deep, urban set packed with Latin rhythms and spiritual notes.

@toooons

TL:
Millia Rage & Purelink – Panther Spiritual
TEARZ – Leon's Theme
Oklou – God's Chariots
TSVI – Disturbo
INVT & Jonny From Space – 303 Water
Big Ever – Apti
DUPPY GUN – Summer Riddim
GILA – Whoalotta
Lala Ace – IG BABY
Yre Den – Soilstretch
Ido Plumes – Which Way Is Up
BFTT – XCUSEME
Major Lazer – Bam Bam (feat. French Montana & Beam, Logic1000 Remix)
LSDXOXO – Mutant Exotic
Craig Mack – Flava In Ya Ear (OSSX Edit)
KG & UNiiQU3 – Black Roses
Corin – Mnemosyne
Lithe – Soft Light
Followback – KKKK Tool
K–Lone – Sine Language
Sonique – It Feels So Good (OSSX Edit)

Toons - Minimal Mondays Mix 55

Juanita's Mix 059 with Lychee @Lycheefrut

Q. How would you describe yourself?
A. Born again dance music enthusiast - I've been trying in the post-lockdown era to refocus on being a dancer and a fan and exposing myself to serendipity and the things that made me fall in love with dance music in the first place. A bigger scene like NYC can make you jaded fast if you don't protect and cultivate those parts of yourself, I think.  

Q. How long have you been a part of the NY music scene?
A. I first started coming to NYC from Boston for more dubstep/bass-oriented events around 2011 - some standouts: Joker, Skream, Benga at Terminal 5; Caspa and Rusko at Webster Hall (lol); acts like Kuedo and Zomby at Glasslands Gallery, an electroclash rave in Chinatown that I have no idea who was DJing or promoting. At that time I wouldn't say I was part of any kind of community here, I usually rode the Chinatown bus or Bolt Bus (RIP) down for a night and took another bus back early in the morning so I wouldn't have to find lodging. 

I think I started finding community here back around 2015 or 2016 at clubs like Bossa and raves like Groovy Groovy where I'd see the same people again and again. Fourth World 2017 was the party that really made me decide I had to live here eventually. I moved to Brooklyn at the beginning of 2018, and in many ways I only really feel like I've begun to find my place here now.

Q. Tell us a little bit about this mix.
A. I had a general idea in mind for this mix that I wanted it to be romantic, but weird. I was thinking about things like friendships with romantic elements; weird sex or cuddling on psychedelics when you're not actually sure if you have a body; unrequited forbidden crushes; flirty dancing around someone for an entire night without needing it to become anything more. I recorded it shortly after the Halloween weekend daytime moment with Todd Edwards playing at Nowadays Nonstop, which I found so fun and romantic with diffused pink lighting that made it feel like the sunrise never ended, so I think that moment influenced this mix as well.

Juanita's Mix 059: Lychee

• • • HG03 Razrbark • • •

We’re pleased to present 𝓗𝓖03 from the NYC based Razrbark. A dj with the mightest touch who’s selections would be right at home blasting out some stacked funktions in the bush. Razrbark explores a range of genres making for a soul mending aural escape, all perfectly emulated in this mix. She’s made appearances on NYC’s @thelotradio and Bristol’s finest, @noodsradio. We’re sure this will be the first of many appearances for her on our local airwaves & online platforms. Tune in for 75 minutes of spectacular selections.

@razrbark @razrbark @razrbark @razrbark
@razrbark @razrbark @razrbark @razrbark
@razrbark @razrbark @razrbark @razrbark

HG03 - Razrbark

𝐻𝒢𝟢𝟦 - 𝐻𝑒𝓍 𝐸𝒹𝒾𝓉𝑜𝓇

It is with immense pride and joy that we’re able to host a near and dear, in @hexeditor, for HG04. 

While Brett is only a fresh face to the public eye, with his first EP “Blush” only being released 4 months ago on Goddezz, you can instantly tell the years of sculpting and perfecting that have gone on in the shadows. 

The @hexeditor sound is cultivated from influences like Dozzy and Abdulla Rashim, to the early Chicago sounds of Gemini, and of course the countless nights absorbing the menagerie of sounds that blasted out of the Mercat’s Function Ones. This mix is a perfect confluence of all of that, with every track so carefully selected that it seems like the only logical choice to the song that preceded it.

HG04 - Hex Editor

OP 𓅛 mix 10 - Valentin Stip Mix

Minor AM, booking agency operating at the edge of the industry, kicks off their new Outsiders residency inviting New York-based Razrbark. 

🌐 "Outsiders" is our daily show hosted by global independent record labels
📡 Connect with the Outsiders, every day, at 9 am or 9 pm CET
🔗 kioskradio.com

Outsiders: Minor AM w/ Razrbark @ Kiosk Radio 28.02.2024

Kiernan Laveaux invites the illustrious Razrbark for a rocking b2b session of sweetly abyssal jams and the sharp wit of collective stigmata.

http://www.instagram.com/kiernanlaveaux 
http://www.instagram.com/razrbark

Sweet Abyss with Kiernan Laveaux b2b Razrbark @ The Lot Radio 03-29-2024

Couldn't be happier to kick off a six week run of weekly SORRYMIX releases with this fantastic set from our friend Razrbark (@razrbark) playing peak time for her Bossa Nova Civic Club debut 🎶

Stealing some copy here cause its too good --> "Part of the multidisciplinary Boof Sis squad, Razrbark bled into existence following an encounter with a sharp piece of wood during a pool party at a certain upstate music festival. Edge with her on the whimsy of evil."   🩸 🪵 🔪 

We've been fortunate enough to know Cleo for a minute now and her sets never fail to lock us in and bonk us out. Highly recommend listening to her set from the DJ Voices curated Hemlock Nights stage at last summer's Honcho Campout where she masterfully mixed everything from deep dub grooves to an unreleased Sobolik edit of Ray Baretto's "Acid" and The Brian Jonestown Massacre for what was a legit "A Star Is Born" moment for everyone lucky enough to be present!!

𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙍𝙖𝙯𝙧𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙠...

"Nick told everyone I was gonna play downtempo so to subvert expectations and do something that’s never been done before at bossa I proceeded to play fast. Faces melted. Patrons began vomiting. Blood poured from my eyes. The toilets exploded and shit filled the floors."  🧜‍♀️
- @razrbark

-------------
We're throwing a party every month at Bossa Nova Civic Club on first Sundays! If you're in the NYC area, please come on down 🤲 🪇 ✌️

Follow Razrbark - https://www.instagram.com/razrbark/
Artwork by @nickboydnyc

SORRYMIX ARCHIVE: bit.ly/SORRYMIX

MORE SORRYMIXES

SORRYMIX33: Razrbark - Live at Bossa Nova Civic Club

Another day in dystopia with Razrbark. 

https://www.instagram.com/razrbark
https://www.soundcloud.com/razrbark



Collective Stigmata with Razrbark @ The Lot Radio 03-21-2025

subcast is born, an incantation of adventurous sonic alchemy behind radiant subs. The inimitable Razrbark kicks things off. Strap in for a chemistry-altering ride.
@razrbark's interview below--->

ℚ: ℍ𝕠𝕨 𝕨𝕠𝕦𝕝𝕕 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕔𝕣𝕚𝕓𝕖 ℝ𝕒𝕫𝕣𝕓𝕒𝕣𝕜 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕗𝕖𝕨 𝕨𝕠𝕣𝕕𝕤?

A: Live edge, live wire

Q: Describe the story behind Razrbark's Specific Heat.

A: Specific Heat measures how resistant (or not) substances are to temperature changes, specifically how much energy is needed to raise the temperature of something by one degree. This concept from chemistry has always stuck with me and is something I thought of after listening to the finished product of this mix/let's be real I just think it sounds cool.

When I first started prepping for this mix, I went in a very different direction and had a rough draft, but it felt tedious, trying to force ideas and tracks in a way that required a lot of energy with little output. Sometimes, things pour out of you and sometimes, they don't. 

One day, a very exciting booking came through (spoiler alert: it was Honcho @ Hot Mass). With the adrenaline rush of the booking, I immediately started mixing tracks from the extremes of my USB, and everything flowed really easily. I decided to hit record, and it came together in a way that felt much more organic. I also unearthed many tracks I had forgotten about that were collecting cobwebs on my stick but that I always loved.

Anyway, all this to say, just like in chemistry, sometimes you need the right conditions for a reaction to truly take off~~~

Q: What is your ideal dancefloor (fictional or real).

The Bronze.

Q: When is the last track that made subs glow for you?

A: Two specific tracks come to mind:
https://snappedankles.bandcamp.com/track/come-play-the-trees-crooked-ankles-2
To me this is the perfect track. I played it at Hot Mass in Pittsburgh sometime after 6am a bit slower than this. I love how it has so much raw power behind it. Big chug NRG. I've always loved this song from the same band. It has a very Iggy Pop/Plastic Bertrand sensibility to it, but I've never been able to play it on a dance floor, so I was happy when I found this edit that is a bit more dance floor friendly and still has the rock/dance vibe that I feel is a hallmark of my sound.

Another track:
I just played this song towards the end of my set at Afterlife in Seattle this weekend. The bass was so intense my drink literally bounced across a table and fell to the floor. I'd say the subs were glowing hard.
https://normalpleasure.bandcamp.com/track/heart-palpitations-on-the-m1

Q: What track/artist was a musical game-changer for you?

A: Föllakzoid. It's psych rock, it's techno, it's everything. Each time I've seen them play, it's world-building and expansive. 

Q: If this mix was a book or a movie what would it be? 

A: It would be in Walk Hard Part 2, when Dewey goes through his drum and bass era.

subcast #1 ✹ Razrbark's Specific Heat

We're delighted to present you our latest 'Delayed with..' mix from one of our favorite producers, KANN affiliate cmd q! We've been great fans of his work since his debut EP 'Nine' on KANN a few years back. We are very happy to present you this special live mix made exclusively of cmd q's unreleased material. It's a pure tour de force mix. Get ready for the intergalactic journey by cmd q!!!

cmd q on SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/cmdq91
cmd q on FB: https://www.facebook.com/cmdq1/

artwork by https://www.instagram.com/sergvidal

Delayed with...cmd q

https://soundcloud.com/mikaoki1

SUGAI KEN - Suzunarikibushi
Lucrecia Dalt - Concentric Nothings
Orlando Kimber & John (Jon) Keliehor - Heavenly Clouds
Bihe Wen - 五里霧 Vague Image
Brainticket - Radagacuca
Jurgen Muller - Wasserwelt [Waterworld]
Beta Librae - Pink Arcade
Joey Beltram - South Pacific
Grrrr - 01 A1
Dontdj Djdont - Hexentric
Atom Tm - tam tam
Trevor Wishart - Act3
Material - Mantra (Praying Mantra Mix By The Orb)
Akimbo - Ritual (리추얼)
The Future Sound of London - 'Omnipresence'
The Heavenly Music Corporation - Cloudless Light
alva noto - Odradek (Music to Play in the Dark)

RADIOLARIANS 010 / MIKA OKI

@lugallanbada & myself have joined forces on @lyl_radio for a tribute to mister master Pete Namlook who would have turned 60. Two hours of signal from planet earth sent to anywhere he might be.. Hope you'll join us for the trip! Ps: If you find it too cheesy, send your complaint to FAX +49-69/450464.  👋👽💕FULL TRACKLIST here: https://lyl.live/episode/turn-on-tune-in-drop-out-1

"Turn on Tune in Drop Out" show on LYL radio - Pete Namlook special w/ Lugal Lanbada & Mika Oki

Vortex Mix ✻ Ivy

Events & DJ's out of Naarm.




High Ground operates on stolen land. We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the traditional owners of the land on which we are on. We pay our respects to elders; past, present and emerging.
Always was and always will be, Aboriginal land.












@dj_elliot & @jpsebastian