feel the pain ep

ascension

RA.1000 launches with Theo Parrish, live at fabric: a vanishingly rare club mix from the king of deep crates and impossible transitions.

There are DJ sets and then there are Theo sets. No matter how many times you've caught him in action, every time still feels like the first. Running hot, levels smoking, isolator working over time. You think you know dance music? Think again.

Parrish's debut on the RA Podcast is a milestone for the series, one we've sought for over 15 years. So it was only right that Theo led off our 1000th celebrations. Recorded live at fabric last December as part of RA's party with the London club for their 25th anniversary, this three-hour segment documents the crescendo of his eight-hour marathon. 

The Detroit legend doesn't release mixes often, and when he does, they're usually studio recordings: think NTS shows, his 100% Detroit edition of DJ-Kicks or classic tapes Body (1997) and Methods of Movement (2000). A capture of the Sound Signature boss on the dancefloor is hard to come by.

Sure, there's galvanising build-ups and crowd-pleasers, but laced throughout a Parrish beatdown are rarities designed to shock the system. In a business dominated by marketing, the vinyl master towers above thanks to a relentless hunger for lustrous melodies, moods and textures of all stripes, which he and he alone can fold into an inspiring and exhilarating joyride.

On RA.1000, blissful reggae precedes new wave disco; '80s R&B morphs into synthy techno; bleepy Chicago jack makes way for a poignant vocal ballad. It's Theo through and through. Once again, he proves that anything and everything is possible with the right records.

@theoparrish @fabric @soundsignaturedetroit @crownruler

Listen to all RA.1000 mixes, as well as the complete history of the RA Podcast, at https://1000.ra.co

RA.1000 Theo Parrish

Cottam-Empathetic

Cottam-SubPub

Is the art of DJing slowly dying? 😔

The modern world moves fast. Too fast. There’s no need to go to the record store anymore - just download the Beatport Top 10. No need to spend years learning to beatmatch, the sync button’s got you covered. No need to train your ear for harmony, Rekordbox shows you the key. No need to think about timing, auto loops will make it fit. And who listens to a full mix anymore when algorithms reward 30-second clips? With every new feature, every software update, a little bit more of the artistry dies.

Remember the days when DJs spent years digging through crates to find that one record that made them feel something? When you saved your hard-earned money to buy a piece of wax for your collection? When you learned to ride the pitch, to keep two tracks locked in time by feel alone? When you listened to keys, phrasing, and energy without looking at waveforms?

Mixing vinyl comes with imperfections, you hear the pitch drift when you nudge the platter, the dust crackling under the needle, the slight distortion as the record wears, the external FX falling just out of time. But it’s in those imperfections where the art lives. That’s what makes it human, unique, and beautiful. That’s what makes it real.

How Much Is Enough Vol. 2 is the second in a series of all-vinyl mixes, crafted with love. It's for those who still believe in the beauty of imperfection. For those that still believe in art of DJing.


📍 Recorded at home in South Manchester, October 2025
🎛️ x2 Technics 1210s · MasterSounds Radius 2 mk2 · Boss RE-20 Space Echo
📸 View from behind the booth at Brilliant Corners, London (circa 2022)

How Much Is Enough? Vol. 2

Cottam-Housno

Cottam-1hr Session

Cottam-WTHN

Cottam-Ploughing A Furrow

Wax Lyrical Jukebox 11th Birthday Mix

Ariel Pinks Haunted Graffiti & Dam Funk - Baby
Us & Them - Willow’s Song
Beneath - Can Am Gariad 
Mark & Suzann Farmer - Dreams 
Love Inks - Rock On
Fuxa - Our Lips are Sealed
The Memory Band - Why
Chris Harwood - Wooden Ships
Paul Weller - Pinball 
Elektra - Keegi 
Velly Joonas - Stopp, Seisku aeg!
Linn & Freddie - Be Thankful for what you got
Shinehead - Billie Jean 
Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - Was Dog A Doughnut
The Concretes - Miss You
Dream Lovers - For Belgian Friends
Bing Ji Ling - Hangin on a string 
BJ Smith - Umi Says
Melody Beecher - Careless Whisper 
Tony Orlando & Dawn - Grandma’s Hands
Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express - Inner City Blues 
Grace Jones - She’s Lost Control 
Magic Source - Genius of Love
Maxine Nightingale - Get it up for love
Hidemi Ishikawa - Love Comes Quickly 
Davidson - Going Back To My Roots 
Ronnie Jones - The Captain of Her Heart 
Justine & The Victorian Punks - Still You  

Wax Lyrical Jukebox 11th Birthday Mix

Cottam-BDay Bizzle

ascension

sensual penance

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