An opening set at the refuge worldwide night at post bar.

Richard Akingbehin @ Post Bar, Helsinki - Oct '22

@2shy2dj
www.wakinglife.pt
19 - 24 June 2024

📸 antoine grenez

DJ Fart In The Club at Floresta - Waking Life '23

The best festival tucked away in beautifuuuuul Wales .....

softi : Freerotation 2024

Recording of PLO Man's set at Dekmantel Selectors 2024.

Dekmantel Selectors 2024

PLO Man at Dekmantel Selectors 2024

For this episode we welcome the extraordinary talents of Aaron J, Brooklyn's Sure Thing record label and podcast founder, known for hosting an immense list of explorative modern techno artists from around the globe. Altering our consciousness for the first time in 2023 with a particularly awe inspiring set at Sustain-Release, Aaron's deeply considered and intricate approach is something of sheer beauty, and coupled with masterful technical ability, his inspiring DJ sets allow for fully immersive dancefloor experiences. 

Here Aaron explores the softer edges of his expansive sound palette, meditative soundscapes and tranquil IDM converging in total harmony for what he describes as a 'recalibration of the senses'. 

@arn_j
@sure_thing

Q. What sounds or feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being best enjoyed in?

A. Of all the mixes I’ve put together over the years, this one definitely feels the most vulnerable. The months I spent thinking about and working on this mix accompanied an intensely busy time in my life, and the process helped me stay in touch with the simple joy of listening as a way of stepping back and letting things go. There is a direct connection here between the music within and the emotions that live inside me. At the same time, I’ve tried my best to mix this as transparently as possible, so that the act of DJing takes a back seat and allows the music to take center stage.

The inspiration behind the tracks I chose and the story of the mix is one of finding balance, so I hope listening to it feels like a casting off of the present day and a recalibration of the senses. I’d love for people to listen to the mix in a setting where they feel most protected from the changes and stressors of the outside world, whether that be sitting outside in nature or laying on a couch surrounded by the comforts of home.

Q. Are there any songs in the mix that you were especially excited to share, and what is it about these tracks that resonate with you so much?

A. There is a track in the mix by Autumn of Communion called “Goodbye PK” dedicated to the late Peter Kuhlmann, who many of your listeners will know as the legendary Pete Namlook of FAX +49-69/450464. It’s an immensely moving track that manages to convey both the tragedy of his loss and the depth of the beauty he left with the world, and I feel we’re so fortunate to have music and influences like this in our recent history. I included it early to set the tone of the rest of the mix, which is quite different than any I’ve done before, and to pay my respects to those who’ve inspired our scene from the very beginning.

Q. I was lucky enough to witness your set at Sustain-Release in 2023 and was in awe of your ability to practice restraint while steadily building up tension and energy in the set with such clinical and seamless execution. Is this part of the DJ craft something you spend a lot of time planning and refining?

A. That was such a life-changing moment for me, so I’m really glad you were there! You really nailed what I hoped to accomplish with that set, and I definitely spend a lot of time thinking about where my sets will begin, where I would like them to end up, and what sort of path I might take to get there. Understanding the minutiae of how a transition will affect someone’s state of mind and how to propel someone forward without jarring them back to reality is something I’m always working to improve on. That said, the upward trajectory is not always the most interesting one, and there are so many other ways of charting a course through a set that I hope to be able to explore. For the mix I’ve made for you, it’s not so much a set that builds energy as it is one that expands and contracts, hopefully in a gentle and purposeful way.

MDC.311 Aaron J

Introducing: Hervé (@superons) — with a special two-hour vinyl session for our Nous’klaer Radio series. Sun-drenched, spaced out housey summer vibes. Just the way we like it.

Asked by 3voor12, promoters in the Netherlands named Hervé as one of the biggest talents to surface this year. And with good reason: Hervé oozes with passion for vinyl, playing and digging - but not only behind the decks. He is a driving force in the Amsterdam nightlife, being involved in the label Polychrome Audio, arts & community space Noord Space, and the newly launched club night Interfering Grounds at RAUM and more. Get to know Hervé through the Q&A here below.

Together with a Q&A, Hervé’s mix is now available on our SoundCloud.

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆?
I was born in Côte d'Ivoire and grew up on the African continent. After some studies in France, I moved to the Netherlands for a job in 2016. Music was very present in my upbringing, with one of my brothers being a hip-hop artist. Settling in Amsterdam in 2018 opened new perspectives, as I delved into electronic music and its nightlife. Alongside collecting and playing music, I am involved in a few collective projects, including record label Polychrome Audio, creative network misuse, and arts & community space Noord Space. We are also starting a new club night called Interfering Grounds at Club Raum.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲?
Curiosity has always been my driver. Being open to different perspectives and cultures. I like asking questions and experimenting to build understanding and create new things. Sharing is what keeps me going, with music and life in general.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁-𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼?
If there is an artist who consistently impresses me through his craft, both as a producer and a dj, it is RDS. Part of the De Lichting crew, his commitment to sound, ability to express emotions through it, and deep musical knowledge are inspiring. I highly recommend listening to his catalogue and seeing him play records from his collection, it is very special. Two picks: his E-mutations album released on De Lichting, and his Underwater EP that we released last year on Polychrome Audio.

𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗯𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝘁?
Playing the Nous'Klaer festival 2025 edition is definitely a bucket-list moment, and I am really excited for it :) There are so many festivals and clubs around the globe that I have yet to discover. I am very sensitive to artistic risk in both the program and design. Horst is also one of them, I remember vividly discovering its unique stages in 2024. Sustain-Release is also a festival that I would love to experience! I keep coming to the festival recordings, they channel a very special energy. It is a dream for me to play in Brazil, I fell in love with this country, where Gop Tun has been curating top-tier events.


Catch Hervé coming June 28 at Nous’klaer Festival on the outdoor stage De Beeldentuin. More info on https://nousklaerfestival.com!

Photography by Marius Renard ( @ mariusrnrd on Instagram).)

More Nous'klaer Radio

Nous'klaer Radio #40 - Hervé

"roughly techno"

Reach out through mammo.works@gmail.com for DJ enquiries.

(66m06s)

Nocturnal acid lines and swirling, soft rotations meld mental spaces with melodic threads. Downtempo energies and soulful traces of ’90s R&B entwine with lava-lamp psychedelia and interstellar journeys. Smoky, visionary passages and unexpected intervals of ‘80s pop pay homage to the lost art of crate-digging and compilation craftsmanship.

The unmistakable Ivkovic signature emerges: slow-motion BPMs, drum-heavy basslines, and tastefully warped distortion — all blending into a masterclass in futuristic acid.

Experimental club culture shuffles through ISAbella’s grooves, echoing her role as a trailblazer of Barcelona’s queer nightlife and co-founder of the MARICAS collective.

Words by Laura Caprino

ISAbella b2b Vladimir Ivkovic - Climate of Fear - April '25

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