Prefect closing tune. This has been the best mix I have heard in the past months for sure, amazing work @commandd

16.4

friday at sustain-release 2021, 12-2am. thank you karen nicole for the photo :)

thank you @sustain-release-nyc

livwutang @ Sustain-Release Year 7

Juanita's Mix 096 with Kia @kia-sydney

Q. How would you describe yourself?
A. easily distracted, busy bee, passionate, nomadic, pensive.. :)

Q. What was your last memorable club night in NYC?
A. nowadays nonstop in may was epic.. that room is honestly the dream in the right context. the lighting and sound is so on point and the energy during my set time was so infectious (I played 3.30-6am before the legend PLO man). also special shout-out to groovy groovy which i played in july :) DIY parties are always extra special when done right

Q. Tell us a little bit about this mix.
A. this is a very honest/ sombre personal diary I’ve been compiling all year. it’s almost for me the musical embodiment of an infinite plane ride.. watching the sun rise and then set and then rise again. also an ode to all the new & old people that were in my life this year.

this year brought lots of purgatory moments, lots of solo transit.. times of isolation and change, also new friends, positive growth, and people coming into my life… so I guess it’s supposed to represent the ups and downs, change and the journey,

I was struggling to finish the mix and it was sitting at 80% complete for the last little while but I feel like the current situation in Palestine </3 really inspired the missing pieces of the mix. for me, I use music and storytelling as an outlet for frustration and emotion generally. lots of old classics in this and pensive moments.. hope the listeners can feel some of that emotion through listening too..

Unknown Album

Juanita's Mix 096: Kia

Live recording of Dj set - opening back up the grove stage 8pm-10pm on the 2nd night. Thank u SR team x

https://soundcloud.com/secondcousins

Cousin @ Sustain Release Year 10

livwutang - BFC ADE 2024: Trouble² at Tilla Tec

The third offering in our mix series is a live recording of Priori and Cousin's dj set at Sustain Release 2024. Recorded on the last morning between 6am and 1pm on what was meant to be an ambient stage, it featured everything a 3 day festival closing set should. Eclectic picks, strange and emotional sounds, dubious transitions and a few feigned endings. Massive thanks to all the dancers, the Sustain staff (Aurora, Ash and everybody else who put their blood, sweat and tears into this), the music makers, the birds, the stars. 

Much love,

P & C

@secondcousins x @priori-ties

.'⁠ '.' ⁠'.
.''.⁠ .  :  . ⁠.''.
'.    '. .'    .'
.⁠   .' '.   ⁠.
'..',`  :  `,'..'
     ⁠ -' ⁠'-`))
            ((    
             \|

naffcast003 ⦾ Cousin & Priori ༻ Sustain Release 2024 Bossa Nova Stage closing set ༺ ❁

The producer best known as Huerco S. accompanies One Day, our record of the year, with two hours of minimal and dub introspections.

This summer, Kansas-raised DJ and producer Brian Leeds released One Day under his revived Loidis alias. Enamoured with the restrained, loopy sounds of early '00s dance music, the album’s eight tracks linger in the air, luxuriating in dubbed-out chords, swung beats and sub vibrations. It's our favourite record of 2024 for a reason. 

It's a sound he's coined, in his typically teasing fashion, "dub mnml emo tech." All winks aside, it’s no wonder One Day became the soothing balm we all needed. In a scene overwhelmed by hard and fast trends, the softer—and Leeds might argue, more sincere—stylings of minimal and dub techno enjoyed a welcome second wind. 

Not only was One Day one of our favourites of the year (more on that this week), but it also inspired us to break our usual no-repeats rule, inviting Leeds back to the RA Podcast under a different alias after his 2019 turn as Huerco S. 

"The prevailing trends in dance music are more and more maximalist," Leeds noted. "I missed restraint, subtlety, and sensuality." Clocking in at just under two hours, RA.965 embodies that ethos in spades.

@huerco_s

Read more at ra.co/podcast/965

RA.965 Loidis

Command D summons the gods of the deep to have us completely submerged in a world of interdimensional dub techno, traversing us through an hour and a half of infinitely looped reflections and subaquatic soundscapes. 

@commandd

Q. This certainly feels like one of your most immersive mixes to date, deeply contemplative and full of dreamy dub techno atmospherics. What inspiration did you draw upon, and what type of setting or situation could you imagine it being enjoyed in? 

A. I started to get into this sound when I was putting together my mix for the Moonshoe mix series. I didn’t know what to call it at the time but I found all of those tunes and tied them together with a certain feeling that was really inspiring me then, it was very organic and that is still one of my favourite mixes. You can hear dub elements scattered throughout that whole mix.

As I started incorporating more dub elements into my productions I discovered artists like Stephen Hitchell and Rhythm & Sound that had created a kind of music that was really extremely satisfying for me to listen to, especially considering my developing love for hi-fi and larger sound systems. I incorporated those artists into my FHUO mix which was a much more considered exploration of the style. Looking back on the process of making the mixes and how much I enjoyed them really assures me that the deep and contemplative sound is a big part of who I am.

For this mix I’ve taken inspiration from the MDC series itself which I’ve been listening to for years. I wanted to add little hints of deep house sounds as a nod to the mixes of the past. I personally think mixes like this are the best to listen to when you’re travelling and looking out a window, otherwise maybe sitting at a desk on a rainy day doing some work. I’d like people to listen to this in a time where they won't be distracted by something else or feel the need to skip forward, I’d want people to just throw it on and let it play, drifting in and out of the tracks and their own thoughts.

Q. Are there any songs in the mix that are especially close to your heart, and what is it about these tracks that resonate with you so much?

A. My favourite tracks in the mix are Saftig Komposition by Rasmus Hedlund and Sedlec Ossuary by Persuasion. At a base level I love these tracks because they take a more modern approach to a dub techno track with tight production. Going deeper, the thing that really resonates with me is hard to put into words and best left unsaid. I think this kind of music (along with many other kinds) allows the listener to feel emotions that aren't able to be put into words, part of why I love it so much. I find that dub techno specifically can feel sad and happy at the same time like lots of jazz ballads. That to me is a really beautiful sound that kind of encapsulates life in general.

Q. Tell us about the development of your live set, and where things are currently at with it? Do you feel like you’re able to explore different shades of your sound when playing in a live setting?

A. Putting together my first live set was an awesome experience. I got to play it all around Australia from clubs to rainforests. I’ve put the current live set to bed for now and am starting to work on a new one with a slightly different setup. Although it was a challenging experience, I loved making a live set because often when I would dig for tunes to play out I’d think ‘I wish I had a song like this’ and writing a live set meant that I could bring those ideas to life and curate a set exactly how I wanted. I think I’m really starting to settle into ‘my sound’ in production and DJing, but there are creative limitations in both like finding new music or learning new skills. Overcoming technical barriers in production allows me to get closer to my most true form of expression when it comes to what’s coming out the speakers so I’ve been really working on that recently. Hoping the next live set will be bigger and better : )

MDC.302 Command D

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

Dekmantel Selectors 2024

PLO Man at Dekmantel Selectors 2024

@earthdog_jek live at @sustain-release-nyc

ED038: Jek at Sustain-Release 2024

Memory Lake #7 w/ ophélie | Shella Radio 19.01.2025

2 hours of fun for the first edition of Lockin' - a new and free daytime party on our beloved Misc rooftop. After sets by Kimi & Dr.Fetch aka @drftctch <3

Lolo @ Lockin' / Miscellania rooftop 05.04.25

A mix from extended naff family members Command D and Peanut

In the words of Command D :

Carrying on from some legendary parties before it, the next generation of ravers held 'plur' true to it's og meaning. Young Harry (Peanut) and I had been mixing together and talking about tunes we loved for months leading up to the event. We played in the side room while the morning light slowly poured in, all the homies in the front and gun fingers to the back. Big party mode with some blissy ones, freedom while it lasted, and a fun one to listen back to. Big thanks to everyone who hosted and the dancers!

Recorded on Wangal land.

@commandd @harrisonross

Art by Jesse Osborne-Lanthier as always

naffcast006 ⦾ Command D and Peanut at plur ⋆｡˚ ☁︎ ˚｡⋆｡˚☽˚｡⋆ ⋆｡˚ ☽ ˚｡⋆｡˚☁︎˚｡⋆

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

my guest hour for patina <3 https://www.fbi.radio/programs/patina/episodes/patina-20th-april-2025

MDC.302 Command D

Melbourne Deepcast

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