MDC007 // Max Graef - The Love Tapes

Out late August.

Max Graef: http://soundcloud.com/max-graef
MDC on FB: https://www.facebook.com/Melbourne.Deepcast

[MCD007] Max Graef - Jacksonville

[MDC007] Max Graef - Pedro

One of the most influential, respected and loved names in house since way back in 1991, and quite comfortably one of our all time favourite producers of house music with too many classics to name, Ian Pooley treats us to an hour of seriously deep cuts, mixing his own personal edits of underground favs from the 90s and 00s from the comfy surrounds of his studio in Mainz, Germany. This is a trip down 12″ memory lane you probably don’t want to miss!

Click here for our chat with Ian Pooley: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/ian-pooley

https://pooledmusic.bandcamp.com

@ianpooley

www.melbournedeepcast.net

Interview

MDC.260 Ian Pooley

A fresh dose of interplanetary house from the Perth based Butter Sessions producer @guycontact!

Much like his recent run of brilliant 12s, the latest of which are soon to drop for UK outfits @hawsmusic and @craigie-knowes, Guy Contact expertly transports us through a psychedelic time warp back to a moment when progressive house was at its peak, with tightly pulsating grooves met by metallic synth lines and dreamy celestial atmospherics. An alien trip through the blissful and serene with just enough bite to launch you into the unknown.

melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/guy-contact

@guycontact
@buttersessions

MDC.262 Guy Contact

DJ Possum and Myles Mac return with a three hour trip full of saxy summer time slow jams, deep balearic burners, soulful UK garage and loungin' 90s house & hip hop. Mellow to its core, this one invites you to hit recline and see where the vibe might take you. One for the boom bappers and the chill steppers!   

Tracklist and full info: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/myles-mac-dj-possum

A little bit about the mix..

@djpossums:

Collaborating with Myles is fun because it's where we find a point of intersection with our djing styles and music tastes. I'm an unpinned DJ in terms of genre but together we find cohesiveness to tell a story that is reminiscent of our upbringings and nostalgic memories; UK Underground street soul, 90s Hip Hop, funny South African Kwaito tunes that we sing along to even though we don't know the language, soulful electronic love songs, early house classics and many more..

Some pretty banging songs that are precious to me from the message in the lyrics, the feeling they create, the fun vibes or just their awesome production are: Can't Stop (One World 12'' Mix) by After 7, U.N.I.T.Y. by Queen Latifah, Scratched by Etienne de Crecy and the Brazilian balearic classic Tudo Faz Sentido by Taciana to name a few.

@myles-mac:

One of the few upsides of extended periods at home this year thanks to all the lockdowns has been the time to trawl through old Ibiza chill CDs, youtube channel wormholes and bandcamp compilations to discover classic or relatively unknown 90s downtempo gems that have managed to last the test of time. With this mix, Maria and I put our heads together to tell a story of the past that somehow still sounds fresh to our ears today, trying to squeeze in a bunch of styles from both of our collections while making it all flow and sound somewhat cohesive over three hours and a variety of tempos.

Inspirations for the mix come from all over the map, but there's a definite focus on the link between the UK and Ibiza in the early-mid 90s, with old Dj Alfredo live recordings, José Padilla's Café del Mar compilations, psychedelic mixes from the late great Andrew Weatherall, the absolutely insane discography of UK Street Soul pioneer Toyin Agbetu (the producer behind 2 Tuff, Deluxe, Shades Of Black, Robyn, Mary Pearce and many more), the crisp jazzy productions of downtempo master Paul Hardcastle from Kiss The Sky (a ton of which he's uploaded to bandcamp) and the don of deep &amp; soulful UK Garage Mike Millrain (aka D Base, DJ South Central, Vibes Alive, Stone Cold Steppaz).

A few special mentions go to our friend Dust-e-1 in Montreal for his chillout monster of a remix for Pascale Project, the late Richard H. Kirk aka Sandoz who recently passed but left us with an infinite resource of beautiful electronic dance music, and Alaska's Kwaito classic "Accuse" that will always put a smile on our faces no matter the occasion.

MDC.265 Myles Mac & DJ Possum

MDC on facebook:  
http://www.facebook.com/Melbourne.Deepcast

Interview with Moomin:  
http://www.melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/102-moomin/

Melbourne Deepcast 102: Moomin

The Swedish house doctor prescribes his special remedy for maximum enjoyment!

After touching down in Australia for a run of shows along the east coast this month, Stockholm's most relentless crate crawler Doc Jay blesses us with a blend of his infamously breezy bangers ready to transport you directly to a dance party on a beach somewhere in the summer of '92. 

Not only is he behind the notorious Doc Jay's Audio Inn, a mix series which has quickly become one of the freshest on the cloud and was the lockdown hero across living rooms round the globe, he's also a crazily talented painter and visual artist, and has collaborated on a graffiti art mag with a friend since high school that has gone on to become the biggest of its kind in the world. 
We caught up with the cheeky Swede behind the Doc Jay moniker to ask about his art, his label Sunken Rock and the inspiration behind the Audio Inn series..

Interview here: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/doc-jay

@docjay_unlimited

MDC.269 Doc Jay

What a serious pleasure it is to welcome Aurora Halal and DJ G! Without doubt two of the classiest operators in the NYC dance scene, Aurora and Gareth are some of the people behind parties like Mutual Dreaming, Sustain-Release and Nowadays, and are two of our favourite DJs in the biz. 

Joining us for their first mix together since the height of the 2020 lockdowns, where their combined palates seemed to gel effortlessly across the downtempo and d'n'b spectrum for the wonderful Juanita's series, their follow up offering remains cosmic at its core, but with dance floors back in full swing we're hit with a high octane amalgamation of souped-up alien techno, mysterious atmospheres and wonky futuristic breaks, ever progressing with blends of the surgical variety. Strap yourself in, this one's a mind trip!  

Click here for our chat with Aurora and G: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/aurora-halal-&-dj-g/

@itsallhalal
@dj-ggggg

MDC.273 Aurora Halal & DJ G

Entering our minds through the rumbling of bass bins planted firmly on the ocean floor, Cousin’s deep earth rhythms span wide, from massage chair dubs on 7" to peak time dust burners echoing live under the stars. Summoning sounds from well below the surface and far beyond the ozone layer, we're treated here to a blissed out blend of atmospheric groovers inspired by the natural surrounds of the Moonshoe boss' daily commute.

Click here for our chat with Cousin: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/cousin/

@secondcousins

MDC.274 Cousin

Ahoy! We're thrilled to share with you the latest dreamy transmission from our friend from the West, Montana! An all out relaxation degustation full of sun-kissed grooves and beachside nostalgia, the host of the lovingly curated @inourpersonalspace series offers us the ultimate afternoon accompaniment, awash with heavenly atmospheres and sensual vocal cuts from the hedonistic days of yore. Paradise awaits, just don't forget to hydrate!

Jump over here to hear a bit more about the mix: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/montana

@montana-bourke

MDC.275 Montana

The '22 review is in with a heavy seasoning of space friendly Australian sounds primed for exploring the world's outer limits. Deeply dished downtempo and dubcentric house moods to set your mind free for the next rotation! Mixed by @myles-mac

Tracklist > > >

3.11 - Dissolve In Patience // PRS
1too - In Your Dream // Planet Trip Records
Purelink - Butterfly Jam (xphresh Good Girl No Infringement Dub) // UwU dust bath
a.s.o. - Go On // Low Lying Records
M & Dust - A Day In June // Temple
Midnight Tenderness - Catamaran // Wax’o Paradiso Recordings
D. Tiffany & Roza Terenzi - Spiritual Delusion // Delicate Records
Dentistry - coral reefer // Good Company Records
Cousin - Nemo’s Dream // Nummer Music
Terekke - 2 The World // Plant Age Digital Sound
Benoit B - Behind The Sun // Natural Selections
Norachi - Sunshine // Vessel
DJOKO - Final Checkpoint // Berg Audio
Youandewan & Mculo - Travel Miles (Paradise Lost Mix) // Pure Shores
DJ Pipe - Puttanesca (Ft. Hartman & Fonte) // Global North
Neil E - No Fred // Neil E
Guiding Principles - Holding On 
Tornado Wallace - Sea Translation // Basic Spirit
Central - Motta // Help Recordings
DJOKO - My Crib // Heavy House Society
Jex Opolis - The Best Ever // Bad Timin’
Fantastic Man - Trojan Force // Kalahari Oyster Cult
Retza - Earthchanges // Retza
Billus - Under The Canopy // Animalia

MDC 2022 Review

Straight outta Deepcast HQ we present the third chapter in the extended mix collab between Naarm's very own @myles-mac and @djpossums. 

Heavy as ever on those smooth 'n sexy mid-90s r'n'b & hip hop flavas, this time the pair of chillout aficionados throw in a special spice mix of 90s dub & ragga styles, west coast g-funk, Kwaito hip hop, UK street soul, UK Garage and Italo house to keep your toes well and truly tappin' over the 2+ hour ride..

MDC.280 Myles Mac & DJ Possum

The Parisian DJ dons @lorem-ipsum-yo grace the cast with their undeniably fresh styles, blending up nearly 4 hours of insane jams dabbling in private soul, r'n'b, gangsta hip hop, cloudrap, ghetto house and jungle from cassettes, CDs & vinyl digs meticulously unearthed from the deepest corners of the web!

Some words on the mix + Lorem Ipsum happenings with co-founder Pierre:

Q. Thanks for contributing with such a killer mix! I know you collect a lot of private issue cassettes, CDs and hard to find vinyl. What kinds of special treats might we be in for over the four hour journey here?

"You can expect some homemade soul rnb, gangsta hiphop, cloudrap, ghetto house, rave, jungle and other kinds of stuff I collected during the past year."

Q. What kind of inspiration did you draw upon when putting the mix together? Is there a particular sound, period in time or general feeling that connects all the different elements in one way or another? 

"I tried to do something different from what we are used to listening to in mixes and trying to put my favourite music of the moment together, it’s why the mix is a bit long! I like to put all the new music I've collected since the last mix into a new one. It’s like a big playlist for myself that I can listen to on my phone without having to change music each time."

Q. It seems as though you have been heavily involved in building a great little community of deep digging music lovers in Paris over the past few years. Who are some of the other like minded DJs or crews that inspire you at the moment, and what are some of your favourite spots to dig, play records and hang out around the city?

"I admit that I don't really listen to new releases and new mixes but I'm always curious about those of Mike Who and Bill Spencer. I dig almost exclusively on the internet, shame on me, but there are so many good leads on youtube and discogs. I don’t have a specific spot in Paris but each year during summer we organize a festival called “Divagations” with the Maybe Tonight guys in the middle of France near a lake. This is an amazing spot for playing music and hang out!"

MDC.281 Lorem Ipsum

Love is the message in the latest episode from local legend @djluvyou! Playing like a personal ode to the dancefloor, the mix is overflowing with heavenly deep house classics and hints of early 90s prog and trance to get you feeling all the feels and ready to sweat! 

Some words on the mix with DJ Luv You:

Q. I noticed that you included a bunch of songs with lyrics about love throughout the mix which I’m guessing was no accident! Tell us a bit more about the theme you had in mind here, and what kind of feelings you were hoping to evoke?

A. I’ve always been attracted to the more joyful side of dance music and I think it just kinda happened in digging for records, as one does looking for a certain aesthetic of a label sticker or a particular artist. For me, the word ‘love’ just always seems catch my attention. I wanted to focus on that energy for this mix, something quite emotional and nostalgic while still maintaining that movement and euphoria about it that you just can’t help but move to!"

Q. What other inspiration did you draw upon when putting the mix together? Is there a particular sound, time period in dance music history or a memory of yours that connects all the different elements in one way or another? 

A. I wanted to create a bit of an origin story for myself. This 90s era of sound has really become an obsession and identity, it feels like the perfect link for me between the two other worlds of dance music that I love; The rare groove housey side and the new wave proggy electronic and trance influenced sound. You’ll find hints of both here in this mix.

I also just wanted to put as many of my favourite records into this mix for my own listening pleasure. When you're doing something for yourself first and foremost there’s a pureness to the way things flow together. This recording was just one of those improvised moments using a really lovely Condesa mixer and enjoying myself fully.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are particularly close to your heart, and if so what’s the story behind them?

I feel like I rarely play a set without this record making an appearance haha, "When You Love Someone" by Daphne. Its versatility seems to fit any mood or space for me. Allowing me to move from disco into something more contemporary or as an emotive breath towards the end of a hot and heavy electronicy set.

Q. And finally, I see you’re on your way over to Europe at the end of the month. What do you have coming up over there that you’d like to tell us about?

A. Yes, super excited to be heading over till October for my first international tour, opening up with Kala Festival in Albania. Then a run of club shows and more summer festivals across France, Germany, Netherlands, UK and Bulgaria. Looking forward to skipping winter and enjoying the sun with what feels like every other naarm dj ;)

MDC.282 DJ Luv You

Booyakasha! Handing the keys to the '94 Ford Capri over to one of the most dedicated 12" sleuths on the the internet right now! Mirren is perhaps best known for resurrecting a trove of tantalising 90s/00s cross over jams through his own youtube channel, and for wowing local listening bar enthusiasts lucky enough to catch him in full flight. Sit back, relax and enjoy the smoothness personified. Safe to say he's left no stone or obscure white label unturned for this one! 

@mirrens

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAcdX0mF2T8lgQHiWivSH-Q

Q. I get the sense you are a guy who finds real enjoyment in digging deep for long neglected jams and resurrecting them for fresh ears, with frequent uploads to your YouTube channel regularly blowing minds on the internet (speaking from personal experience here!). While there’s a wide range of styles uploaded to the channel, has there been a general theme developing or certain characteristics that you look for when deciding what to share?

A. Glad you've dug the channel! I mean I've been massively influenced by others (e.g. Archive Digital, Modern Art, Mike Who) who were casually dropping heat across their channel/mixes years ago that I never would have come across otherwise. So trying to find and share songs in a similar way has always been the motivation. But you’re at the mercy of what you stumble across, which is why I’m not uploading exclusively mid tempo hip house bangers like I really want haha. I think the variety keeps things interesting though, or at least is hopefully providing a broader appreciation for what’s out there - especially for us Aussie folk.

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting the mix together? Is there a sound, feeling or time period in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. Truthfully this mix is a collection of fun music I've found first-and-foremost, so it might say more about my searching patterns than it being an intentional narrative.. catchy 90/00s hip hop cut-throughs seem to be in no short supply! I think the wealth of music available in the genre does say something about how versatile (and enjoyable) it is and how it can be used as a vehicle for different cultures, ideas or influences. So maybe the mix is me highlighting this :`)

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are particularly close to your heart, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment? If so, what’s the story behind those and how might you have stumbled across them?

A chunk of the mix is from lucky discogs pickups or random spotify dives so they’re not the most romantic stories, but finding a song in that deep internet corner definitely adds a fondness. There’s also a few dope tunes from some great channels/crews scattered throughout. But 'Njen Grad' and 'Wuck U Right' feel particularly sentimental due to how many hours I’ve clocked listening, so I’m excited to share them!

MDC.283 Mirren

NYC’s Andrew Devlin takes a break from his usual dance floor facilitation to offer us a poolside soundtrack inspired by a recent stay at The Standard hotel in Miami Beach.

Q. Where do things currently sit on @thelevelparty front, and what other projects have you been busily chipping away at?

A. What’s that line? “We’ve been coming to the same party for 12 years now, and in no way is that depressing.” I think we’re nearing 10 now. In any case, the party feels like it’s in a really good place. After doing it more or less solo for a minute, I brought 5 residents on board who I love dearly–Alien D, KFeelz, Nigelthreetimes, No Sir, and Yibing. Everyone has so much range and energy, it’s been special getting the group together.
I’m really excited for our Glen Falls House weekender upstate in July (14-16). We get to take over this little hotel in the woods for a weekend and stretch out. It’s a dream. Big shoutout Josh Houtkin at Good Room for all his work making that a reality.
Past that, we’ve got some shows at our usual spots, Le Bain and Good Room, as well as a couple of day parties at Public Records’ new Nursery and a July 4 BBQ at Mansions. Would really like to bring the group of us to some other cities soon. I dream about heading back to New Orleans, doing Level Miami, Level Mexico City, Ibiza, etc…Anyone reading this wants to get in touch, let’s build ;)
Personally, I run a small sound company here in NYC, so I’m trying to grow that business and maintain my sanity. I’d like to get back into making music soon, even just a few cheeky edits. Start a podcast (I know, I know). And eventually open up a venue. A pub of sorts with good food and music. 

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting the mix together?

There is, in fact, a pretty specific one. This mix is dedicated to the pool at the Standard in Miami. I went in January for the first time and recorded this when I got home. The vibe there is so strong. You’re sitting outside, eating the best caprese salad of your life, there’s a 2’ iguana crawling on a palm tree, you’ve got a green juice or a margarita in one hand. Everyone is having a good time and partying in this really respectful way. They’re just sipping on a cocktail or walking to the hot tub or making out in the pool. 
I thought a lot of that had to do with the soundsystem and the music programming–there are speakers everywhere (including underwater) playing at like 6/10 volume. The music is on a sort of soulful r&b/ balearic tip. I was on Shazam all weekend. So this mix is a dedication to that–if someone gave me 80 minutes to DJ the Standard Miami pool, this is what I would play.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are particularly close to your heart, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment? 

A. Definitely. To run through a couple… ”Wall Street” I discovered reading Dub by Michael Veal. Great book for anyone interested in DJ’ing, soundsystems, production, etc. I got really into Jackie Mittoo reading that, and have been playing that track since. 
The Lauryn Hill track, “Sweetest Thing” I heard in a coffee shop in Amsterdam in 2009, forgot about completely, then recently re-discovered.
“Don’t Break my Heart” is a big song for my wife and me. We both stumbled on it when we started dating at the beginning of 2020. We almost chose it as our first dance at the wedding, but thought the lyrics were a little dark. Anyway, big tune at the house. 
And the last track, the Mike Huckaby remix, is close to my heart. I was lucky enough to meet Mike a few years ago and gave him a ride to his hotel after a gig. He had just played for 3 hours and all he wanted to talk about was my Volkswagen Jetta. He was really such a sweet, warm guy, and this track always makes me think of him. R.I.P. 
Thanks so much for having me on this! Been a huge fan of MDC for a long time, and the radio shows and mix specials got me through lockdown over here. Means a lot to be a part of it. Much love.

MDC.284 Andrew Devlin

Dishing up an extended all-spice-mix from local hot saucier @lava-brain. Prepare for some genuine mind realignment with 3.5 hours of mesmerisingly deep heat!

Q. Hey Eric, what inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. Thanks for having me! I don’t know if there was a conscious thought so much, but lots of music to either get you in a meditative mood or moving depending on how you’re feeling. I guess there are definitely a lot of elements from the 90s Bristol scene threaded through the mix in one way or another. That trip hop/down tempo sound was really a big gateway into a lot of electronic music for me and it’s what I was listening to a lot of when I first started DJing. ‘Bass is Maternal’ by Smith & Mighty was a really big record for me; bringing together a lot of trip hop, dub, bass, breakbeat and jungle sounds, which feature in a lot of tracks in the mix.    

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart?

Definitely! There’s a mix of some older favs like 'Transient' by Mr G, 'Tokyo Dawn' by Doc Scott & a Smith & Mighty tune. 'The Edgelands' by Rings Around Saturn has definitely had its fair share of listens over the years for me too. There's also a bunch of newer tracks, lots of local favourites & just music that inspires me. 
One tune which I hold especially close would have to be Delano Smith’s ‘The Rock’. I remember hearing it for the first time and I still find it hard not to get hypnotised by it. The vocal sample about universal unity is also pretty groovy :)

Q. Tell us what’s the latest with the visual aspect of your Lava Brain project? How would you describe your approach?

A. It’s been really great to get more opportunities to work on the live visuals & projection mapping part of my practice recently and to focus on it 100% at a party. 

In terms of my approach to integrating the two, with every event there are so many different elements that need to work together to make it a success. I think it's really about creating an awesome experience, working together with the music and space to compliment each other and help curate a mood. Working with different collectives or venues is always interesting, as all the elements change including the physical space and I enjoy the design process; usually starting with the logical side of the ‘how’ will this technically work and then the ‘what’ in terms of creative content. 

I guess I try to tap into my own feelings when designing an install or content and ask myself something like ‘How would this make me feel in the context of the party, music and space and what’s the intention we as a collective are trying to curate?’ I’m also starting to expand my setup, experimenting with mapping a small wireless midi controller to be able to still be able to control the visuals while being away from the laptop and part of the party, letting me further tap into those intuitive feelings. 

Currently I’m working on a visual instalment for Ferdydurke’s 11th birthday on August 12th and have been working with some new projection materials, experimenting with sheer fabrics to project a succession of images above the dancefloor to give a sort of floating holographic tunnel effect. For the event I’m also working on building a motorised lighting sculpture for the entrance to the venue, which is something new for me. 
In parallel, I’m working on some grant applications and starting to look for sponsorships for a multi-day projection art and music series I’m working on, in collaboration with the Section 8 crew. With all going to plan, that should be happening mid-next year. 
Other than that, continuing to learn, play and experiment, currently I’m starting to teach myself Touch Designer to expand that side of my creative practice and just always staying open to new projects and collaborations :)

MDC.286 Lava Brain

Oslo house boss and mad selector @fredfades turns up the volume for the latest edition with a mix of serious summer heat! Big tempos and big nineties prog energies mixed with deep burners from the golden years of Euro house.

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time in dance music history that you channelled when putting this one together?

A. I kind of wanted to make a bit "summery" mix that contains a lot of the stuff I am playing these days. Loads of European house records from the mid nineties. Then also some US stuff of course, but definitely a lot of British, Italian and German things. 

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. I mean there's one of my own songs in there, which I never did in a mix before, which makes it a bit special for me. It's the 'Summer of Love' cut from my new album 'Caviar'! 

Otherwise there's a few other things here that was discovered through other Norwegian deejays which always makes it a bit more precious to me than just finding it in a store or on the internet. Boomerang, PHD, Digitalis & Poligonheads was all bought out of the collection of a norwegian DJ named Alex Jangle.  

Q. What’s the latest with your own music and your Mutual Intentions label? The Caviar LP looked like it would have been a fun project to work on with so many great guests collaborating on that!

A. Caviar has been going surprisingly well on physical format, which is great to see! It's been a super fun process with a lot of good friends (and new friends!) joining in. I'm really happy how it all turned out. There's a bunch of new stuff coming soon as well! Both from me and a bunch of other artists!

MDC.287 Fredfades

Chief of the undercover cross over jam, the humble downtempo don and Rhapsodise head honcho @daniel_pisano adds his own slice of paradise to the series, with a dance focussed blend of beachside 90s breezers dusted off and smuggled from their mysterious cyber caves. Cruise control >> on! 

Q. Hey Daniel, what inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. The mix is inspired by my love of 90s dance music. As with most of my mixes, the records used are exclusively from this era, or at least draw inspirations from it. The sounds I like from this era tend to have a similar feel to them - breakbeaty, progressive and always with a touch of balearic energy. I haven’t recorded a dance-floor mix for a couple of years so it was fun putting this together with some of my favourite records and CDs I’ve collected since then.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart, or new or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. The first track I used in the mix is from a remix CD by Australian electronic music project ‘Kiva’. I went blind on their self-titled album last year and soon realised how good all of their other CDs were. I think I had naturally been drawn to look for music from the UK, Europe and the US and around this time I started researching a lot more into local artists. My appreciation for home grown electronic music definitely started to shift, which you could see in mixes and uploads to my YT channel.

Q. We’re big fans of your Rhapsodise YT channel over here, with some extraordinary finds being uploaded frequently over there by your good self! Tell us a bit more about that project and how you go about curating it, and what characteristics might you be looking for when deciding what tunes to share?

A. Thanks so much for the kind words :) The project was inspired by the other channels in the community that upload amazing finds. Internationally I was always blown away by No Frills, Customs, oddSample, Modern Art and local friends such as Mike Who, Daniel Lupica and Mirren. In terms of curation, I really just upload things that I enjoy that haven’t yet hit YouTube. Most of these uploads form part of mixes that I put together so the uploads I find are generally similar in style to the mix I’m preparing at the time. I’ve recently moved to London, so hopefully there’s some new uploads in the coming months!

MDC.288 Daniel Pisano

@myles-mac and @djpossums closing out The Grove, 4:00-6:30am Friday night at Sustain-Release Year 9.

@sustain-release-nyc

Myles Mac & DJ Possum @ Sustain-Release 2023

A masterclass in aerial hypno grooves from Vancouver's @thurlowjoyce, fresh off the back of a mind melting split EP for NAFF alongside Priori and Regularfantasy packed with euphoric peak time delights.

Q. Hey Cole, what inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. Hey Myles. Thanks for having me. I've been Deepcasting since day one. It's a blessing to be able to contribute.

I'm in between a few worlds here. I'm originally from Vancouver, Canada, and have been lucky to soak up Canadian sounds since my early days at the Mood Hut parties of free sparkling water. Mood Hut, NAFF, Plush, ISLA, Planet Euphorique, 1080p, they’re cozy CanCon scenes and there's a strong connection between Vancouver & Montreal. 

In parallel I've been stuck on the free form ambiance of 3 X L, Motion Ward, West Mineral Ltd., Kwia adjacent sounds. I'm currently spending a few months in Berlin and just played my first show at Kwia thanks to Nat Marcus (she’s the best), and it's an incredibly unique space, the effect of the experience has been lasting.

This mix feels like a connection between these experiences. I often feel like my taste is a bit too heavy, emotional, euphoric, or dark, and decided to lean into that. There's some softer sounds I've been lingering on mixed with a lot of functional high energy strict business. I hope there's something the listeners can enjoy as well.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart, or new or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. Naturally there's a healthy amount of CanCon in here. There's so much amazing stuff coming out of NAFF right now. I've been hung up on releases from URA, Purelink and Cousin, as well as one from Cousin's (lovely) label, Moonshoe. Some real bliss from Special Guest DJ as well as with Pontiac Streator as crimeboys. A few favourites from friends (Sverre!), and I've contextualized some of my own. 

Q. I really enjoyed your recent split EP alongside Priori and Regularfantasy for the wonderful NAFF label. Tell us a bit more about those songs you recorded and how it all came together for the label as your debut EP?

A. Thank you! That means a lot. 

Lemon Citrus and Varial are 100% pandemic tracks. I've always struggled to push my own stuff and haven't released much of it or done a good job of putting myself out there. I was writing a lot in isolation during this period and remember trying to be more comfortable with the idea of sharing music, and doing so with my friend Jamie (Big Zen). 

The NAFF connect came about pretty organically. Francis and Adam have been amazing to work with. Jamie’s a G. It was, and still is a trip. NAFF has always been a favourite label of mine. It was a dream realized to be able to contribute.

Thanks again for having me.

MDC.289 Thurlow Joyce

Safe to say this one has been worth the wait! Relentless Sydney digger @daniel-lupica uncovers some seriously next level 90s kwaito and mid-tempo house from South Africa for a summer time spread full of pure under the radar heat! 

Q. Hey Daniel, what inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. Kind of, but it wasn’t super intentional; obviously I’m into 90’s sounds (in particular South African Kwaito and House) so I wanted to share some of my favourite finds of this year and string them together in a cohesive mix, keeping a steady mid-tempo vibe, where everything sounds both similar and different the whole way through. Nothing groundbreaking, just trying to keep an emphasis on quality and not play too many jams I’ve heard before in other DJ’s mixes.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart, or new or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. There are a few! As a lot of the SA stuff is not easy to come by, it feels like it’s by chance (right place, right time) that I ended up with a couple, so pretty grateful to have some of my grails in hand, such as the “Shima - S'Phete Vibe” LP, the song “Dlayani” is in the mix but it’s packed full of heat. Another is the “Andile - Want Me (Viagra Mix)” (recently added to my YT) that is red hot fave at the moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laSet9roaPA

Q. With so many great under-the-radar South African records in the mix, can we expect to hear a few of these popping up on your youtube channel in the months ahead? And what other rabbit holes have you been exploring for the channel of late?

A. Yes for sure! There’s 3 or 4 in there that I plan to throw onto my channel. But hopefully I don’t sit on them too long and miss the boat.

The other rabbit holes that I’m always exploring include 90’s Latin/Spanish/Brazillian Hip Hop and Hip-House, as well as Reggae and Dancehall covers of 90s RnB and pop songs. Always nice to throw something familiar yet different into the mix when playing in a bar or club.

MDC.290 Daniel Lupica

Rounding out the year with two and a half hours of perfectly weighted dream grooves, tech savvy-transcendence and heavenly vintage house music from a beacon of the deep dancefloor, Hannah D! 

@hld
@thespacebetweenus

Q. Hey Hannah, what inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. Hey Myles! Thank you so much for having me on, I’m over the moon to be a part of the series. This mix is a bit of an ode to my favourite time and place to DJ — sunset at a festival or doof in the bush. When the day turns to night is such a special time, especially in these settings, and I really wanted to try and emulate that feeling — starting out soft and building into something a bit euphoric.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart, or new or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. Yes actually! One that comes to mind is Dario - Sweet Love (Evolution Mix). I found it a few years ago and was obsessed with it but the record was so expensive on Discogs (currently $200!) and I couldn’t find it anywhere else so I kinda gave up on it. When you asked me to do this mix I decided to have another look for it and ended up being able to trade someone for a rip of the vinyl. So happy to finally play it!! Another special one is Kalle-M - This Place. My partner David actually found this and sent it to me a while ago and I love it so much, so shout out to Dave for that one :) and a final special mention for Blue Noise - Coldflow which is close to the end. It gives me goosebumps every time, so intensely emotional and I would be crying if I heard this on a dancefloor!

Q. I know you’ve had quite the busy year on the events front, hosting a number of different parties with great local and international DJs as part of the Luna Blessings and Send/Return collectives. What were some of your favourite moments from the year that was, and what projects are you looking forward to working on in 2024?

A. Thank you! It’s been a crazy year looking back and I’m so grateful to be a part of so many special parties. A moment that stands out was the Waxo Paradiso x Hope Street Radio party the other week, the vibes were so perfect all day. This year I’ve actually played quite a lot of b2b sets which has been so fun, and I’ve had the chance to play interstate a couple of times and in Europe which was amazing :) We’ve got a super stacked year ahead with both Luna Blessings and Send/Return which I can’t wait for! We’re hosting one of my favourite artists ever for Luna in January which we’ll announce very soon. I’m looking forward to more of all of the above in 2024!

MDC.291 Hannah D

@myles-mac's annual MDC Review is in, blending some of his favourite mind massagers from 2023.

Tracklist:

Eivind Vullum & Telephones - Changgu-Satturnu (Telephones' Mind Meld) // 	Vibrasjon
Radart - Soli Test // Companion
A.S.O. - Falling Under (Cousin's Dive Dub) // Low Lying Records
Anthony Naples - Scars // ANS
Rings Around Saturn - Lansky's Vision // Best Effort
Beta Librae - Bodhicitta // Incienso
Frank & Tony - Agitate // Pacific Rhythm
Pilgrims Of The Mind - My Baby Likes Rum // Heels & Souls
DJ Popup - MLK // NES
Adam Pits - Spreadable // Kalahari Oyster Cult
p1LL - Touch My Soul // Serenity Now Recordings
Fantastic Man - West Coast // Superconscious 
Patrick Holland - Fog Wall // Verdicchio Music Publishing
Sean La'Brooy - 140 to the Pin (ft. Greg Carleton) // Analogue Attic
Jex Opolis - Catalytic // Bad Timin'
DJ Central - Person // NES
Retza - Division (Too Sexy Mix) // Retza
Angus Mills - Wet // Moonshoe
Lew E - Teardrop // Basic Spirit
Thurlow Joyce - Lemon Citrus // NAFF
Sleep D - Planet Waves // Butter Sessions
Caldera - Dolphin Skii // Nummer Music
ANF - Technique // DustWORLD

MDC 2023 Review

Extending a warm welcome to our good friend P.Bud! A wicked producer of swirling deep cuts and the solo brains trust behind the NYC based @aroniarecords, Philip's leanings span the intersecting vibe-sphere of groovy, dubby 90s house, early 00s tech house and prog with subtle deep hypnotic trance nods for the early morning inclined. 

Get set for two-hours of classy digs and exquisite blends from one of the realest out there! 

@p_bud

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. I moved to New York from Berlin a couple years ago and I’ve been so impressed and inspired by the North American scene since coming here. It’s so welcoming, inclusive, and community oriented, and is pushing really interesting music forward. This past festival season in particular was amazing. I attended Sustain Release for the first time and it totally blew my mind. Best Out Of Town, a festival organized by some friends in Canada that I played at, was also just next level. I definitely drew on those musical experiences when putting together this mix. 

I also love digging, so a lot of the records in this mix are ones I picked up in NY record shops–shout out to A1, Human Head, Boom Service, and Academy. I’ve been really into 90s / early 00s tech-house and progressive lately so that’s definitely the throughline in this mix. 

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your heart, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. In terms of records close to my heart, I’ve been obsessed with The Age Of Love Suite (Neverending Voice Mix) by Unity 3 for a while now, such a beautiful vocal trance track. I also just adore Groove Control by Variable Frequency Technician–when the pads come in it gets me every time. Those are both tracks I’ve had on repeat while cruising through the city on my bike and I’m glad I found places for them in this mix. 

I love making edits of tracks that are almost perfect but just need little tweaks to get them there. For example, Only When I'm Dancing Do I Feel This Disco by The Mighty Dub Cats is cheesy in the best possible way, but the breakdown is just too much so I took it out. Storyteller by Urban Clockers has an amazing groove but the arrangement was lacking so I worked on that. Groove Society - Push Upon It has been stuck in my head nonstop since I found it, but the pitch was drifting too much so I smoothed that out.  

Q. What’s the latest with your label Aronia Records? We’ve been treated to a couple of seriously deep, hypnotic and at times experimental dance records from yourself and the Toronto based producer Emissive in the past couple of years, is this the kind of direction you’ll be looking to explore even further with the label and your own production going forward?

A. Thanks for the kind words! I’ll definitely try to keep things ‘seriously deep’ haha :)

I want to focus on dancefloor material–it’s so rewarding seeing people move to Aronia tracks–but I’d also love for Aronia releases to work in different contexts too. I’ve been very lucky to collaborate with Evan (Emissive) in that regard, whose music ticks both those boxes. Resounding Yes for example is an amazing, hypnotic track that works both on headphones as on the floor. 

I’m lining up some releases for 2024, mainly my own productions so far. I’m always keen to put out other people’s music though, so please send stuff my way if you like our sound! I’d also love to get Aronia more involved in the NY scene, so I’m looking for ways to do that.

I’m partial to vinyl as a format, but it’s so costly and time consuming, and I’d really love to put out more music. So on top of vinyl, maybe there will be some digital only Aronia releases too. Maybe some Bandcamp or Nina Protocol exclusives? We’ll see.

MDC.292 P.Bud

We return to NYC where the wonderful @lycheefrut has us fully submerged in a wobbly world of ambient techno moods and grooves. Restorative mind state hypnosis for the early morning acid dreamers with moments of total serenity! 

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. There are a few recent moments that I drew from: I had pulled a lot of dreamy tracks to close out the intimate Sunday evening queer party I throw with my friends called Antidote, and for a b2b with my friend threehz at their party dream/self. I usually spend a lot of time planning a tracklist for studio mixes, but this time, I was struggling to sequence or choose between the tracks I had pulled.

On New Year's Eve, a few friends came over to my studio to pass some time before going to a rave where I was working the door at 8am, and they all ended up dozing off while I was DJing. I was trying to play music that was both energetic enough to keep me awake, but not too intense for people who were sleeping. A few days later, I ended up recording this mix in one take with no strict playlist, drawing from that moment; it was a fun experiment in trusting myself to find a more organic flow.

Q. As someone who’s actively involved in a number of interconnected projects and events within NYC’s underground dance scene, tell us about the idea behind your Spontaneous Affinity outlet for zines, mixes and long form interviews that regularly feature important insights from DJs, producers and organisers alike. 

A. The series has been on a bit of a pause / slow paced moment lately as I focus on getting some other aspects of my life together :) but the idea was to use the interviews to draw connections between different nodes of people working to build scenes in different places. Everyone gets the same set of questions to choose from; it's always fun compiling it all into a zine and seeing what kinds of commonalities emerge. I hope to find time to work on another zine before the end of this year!

Q. And finally, I really enjoyed your set opening up The Grove at last year’s Sustain-Release! Tell us about how you found that whole experience, and how did you approach a set like that where you could seemingly take things anywhere over the three and half hours..

A. This set was a heavy one for me – I've been to every Sustain, and it was a formative part of my journey deeper into DJing and music. This summer also came with a lot of big losses and transitions. I spent as much time journaling and meditating as I did organizing music, and wanted to make space for others to process difficult things before diving into party mode in a psychedelic environment.

As far as the musical approach, I thought of the set in 7 or 8 "chapters" that could expand or contract depending on the energy and vibe. I've played a lot of opening sets over the years and lately have wanted to push myself within that; here, instead of the standard ambient → techno type opening set, I wanted to play with a structure where the set built into a mild frenzy and then settled back down before the live acts that played after me.

MDC.293 Lychee

Dipping into warmer waters with the Life Classics mood masters tapped into a soul defining well of exquisite late 90s and early 00s house music. Dreamy, techy, jazzy, groovy, this one has it all. 

Deep house at its absolute finest.

@sanctuary3

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. We’ve always had our heads locked into the deeper shades of house from the late 90’s to early 00’s, in particular those nostalgic tracks that tap into that spacey special place. The mix is shaped around a bunch of records that resonate that feeling for us, a nod to those dance floor dreamers found late into the night with stars in their eyes.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that are especially close to your hearts, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeves for the right moment?

A. The opening track is from Ronin's Night Grooves EP. A firm favourite of ours that we've kept on rotation over the years. And also the last track from Aurora Borealis on FNAC, this one has been on the shelf for long minute, but don't often play it out so it felt right letting it run here.

Q. What’s the latest with your Life Classics parties in Berlin? Do you have some fun nights planned at OHM once again this year, and who have been some of the guests that have blown your minds in recent years, and why?

A. We just had a banging start to another year's residency a couple of weeks back with Telephones. Next month we've got Antal coming through again, he has been a staple of our nights since the A.S.E days and it's always a wild one. Red Greg was definitely a recent highlight, treated us all to a master class deep into the wee hours.

MDC.294 Sanctuary

With a remarkable fourteenth season of their Mister Sunday open air parties just around the corner, @mistersaturdaynight's @misterjustincarter shares with us a special excerpt from his NYD sunrise set at Nowadays back in January, pulling out some definitive house and disco classics with heartfelt nods to NYC's deep-rooted dance music history.

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when recording this mix at Nowadays? How would you describe the feeling in the room that day, and is there a sound, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different moments in one way or another?

A. I know Nowadays' indoor dance floor intimately, and this slot in particular, starting around 5am on New Year’s Day, is one I’ve played for the past four or five years, so I came in with a very specific idea of what to do.

I knew that the party would be in full-tilt New Year’s Eve energy and that I’d want to hold the pace but move into a more liminal space, so I played records that are propulsive but dreamy. Once I established that headspace, the sun started to rise, so there was a natural energy shift, and I leaned into that. I stopped mixing and played Loft-style for about thirty minutes. Letting records play from beginning to end, playing music with vocals and live instrumentation, it’s grounding, makes it feel like a house party, reminds us that we’re connected with each other. That felt important to me, knowing that the dance floor had been in a more driving mode for eight hours. After that interlude, I built it back up, because there was still like twenty hours to go!

In general, I’m piecing together a few elements in my sets these days: deep, soulful elements that first drew me in when I arrived in NYC in the late 90s; psychedelic, minimal music that was coming from Europe in the 00s, when I first started to DJ; and then that Loft thing I referenced above.

Q. Are there any records in the set that are especially close to your heart, or old favourites that you had been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?

A. I hadn’t played my 45 of “Be There In the Morning” by Renee Geyer in years. (It’s a record I found on my first Australian tour in Melbourne, at Licorice Pie, back in 2015, actually!) Good sunrise record, obviously. “Will you be there in the morning?” Yes! Here I am!

Q. With the winter months in NYC now behind you, how are preparations coming along for the return of your legendary outdoor Mister Sunday parties? Will you and Eamon be planning to do anything different for your fourteenth year? And after doing it for so long now, how do you guys continue to keep yourselves inspired?

A. We purposefully try to keep Mister Sunday consistent. Of course we’re always digging for music, and we always invite a couple guests who’ve never played, so there’s something that feels fresh for every season. But the consistency that comes from having a weekly party that’s been happening for such a long time, it’s something we consciously try to maintain – it’s one of the main ingredients for the community that has developed around the party. No one has to wonder where the party will be this week, whether it’s happening this Sunday or not, etc. That said, we’re going to be throwing our 500th(!) party this season, and we’ll do something special to commemorate that.

MDC.295 Justin Carter

Returning to the lab for a special lockdown edition with two hours of bumpin’ slow jams courtesy of @myles-mac and DJ Possum! Hailing from Colombia and a longtime contributor to the Latin music scene in Melbourne, @djpossums (aka Jolie) has a wonderful ear for the slower, soulful electronic love songs of the 80s and early 90s, with recent sessions for @hotwaxsoundsystem and @loopdreamsau some of the smoothest you’ll hear! 

Get comfy for 120 minutes of lounge friendly nostalgia with chunky UK street soul, 90s hip hop, dub, deep balearic, Kwaito and house! 

www.skylab-radio.com

Tracklist:

The Bionaut - Lush Life Electronica
Bassline feat. Lorraine Chambers - Back To Bass-ics
Shortie No Mass - Like This
Critical Rhythm - I’m In Love With You (Version)
A Tribe Called Quest - Check The Rhime (Mr. Muhammad's Mix)
Bovel - Check 4 U
Dual Tone - Atom (Dub Massacre 2)
Boyz II Men - Vibin' (The New Flava)
Pete Rock - Get Involved
Soul For Real - If You Want It
Kiss The Sky - Same Place Same Time
Dub Addiction - Mae Roe KH (Giraffi Dub)
Critical Rhythm - It Could Not Happen (Essential Trance Hall Mix)
Fifth Of Heaven - Just A Little More
Rahsheed - Never Put U Down
Love & Laughter - I Surrender (Club Mix)
M’Du - e Beach (Extended Mix)
Soul Family Sensation - I Don’t Even Know If I Should Call You Baby
Special Touch - Garden Of Life
YBU - Soul Magic (feat Jonell)
Fresh 4 Feat. Lizz E - Wishing On A Star
The Eff Word - TBC (Crustation Slow Mix)
Patrice Rushen - To Each His Own
2 Tuff - Slow Down
The Primitive Painter - Invisible Landscapes
Dennis Mpale - Paying My Bills
DJ Rasoul feat. Shanan - Let Me Love You (SF Vocal Vibe)
KLF - Make It Rain (Extended Version)
42 Cows In Town - Coffeshop People (Orlando Careca Coffe Dub Mix)
Speedy J - Beam Me Up
Pal Joey pres. Expression - Ancestoral Groove (DJ Duke's Deep Groove)

Skylab Radio w/ Myles Mac & DJ Possum (29.08.20)

On the back of a stunning debut for Priori and Ex-T's NAFF label out in Montreal earlier this year, we find ourselves well and truly in business here with @maara laying down a nostalgia packed club mix with heavy doses of 90s tranquility rave, dark n' stormy trance moods, sexy vocal snips and plenty of forthcoming productions of her own that are guaranteed to cut you deeep! Watch out!

Click here for our chat with Maara: melbournedeepcast.net/portfolio/maara

https://maara.bandcamp.com/album/ultimate-reward
https://massiedome.bandcamp.com/

@maara

MDC.259 Maara

Deepcasting since '09 📡

Naarm / Melbourne / Worldwide

Popular tracks by Melbourne Deepcast