Cav Empt Cassette

Lena Willikens doesn’t play the hits. When she’s behind the decks, even her biggest fans often have no idea exactly what she’s playing, and that’s part of the magic. Like all DJs, Willikens of course has a passion for records, but she’s also after something bigger, something that’s truly transportive for those on the dancefloor.

Born and raised in Germany, Willikens first honed her unique approach during a long residency at Düsseldorf’s beloved Salon des Amateurs. These days, however, she’s based in Amsterdam, where her transportative impulses have been plugged into a variety of outlets with a global reach. On the radio, she pilots the monthly Lightning Conductor program on NTS. On record, she recently curated the fifth installment of Dekmantel’s acclaimed Selectors compilation series, and she’s also been tapped to remix the likes of Lena Platonos, S U R V I V E, rRoxymore, Simian Mobile Disco and Ana Helder, amongst others. On stage, Willikens works with artist Sarah Szczesny on Phantom Kino Ballett, an immersive audio-visual performance art project that defies routine explanation.

Still, it’s in the DJ booth where Willikens continues to make the biggest impact. Whether she’s playing alone or in tandem with fellow sonic explorer and Salon des Amateurs alum Vladimir Ivkovic, Willikens nimbly navigates electronic music’s darkest and most bizarre corners, sampling different temperatures, different moods and a dollop of chaos, just to keep things interesting. And although she herself doesn’t always know the final destination, when Willikens is at the helm, there’s no question that the journey is bound to be thrilling.

Lien SC : https://soundcloud.com/lenawillikens

Rinse France Podcast

Azu Tiwaline invite Lena Willikens - 03 Juillet 2022

Lychee (@lycheefrut) & I had a lovely time joining May's Nowadays Nonstop with an extended back-to-back, and I'm glad we're able to revisit the moment.

We wanted this set to be as fun as possible while distinctly ourselves, and I love that you can hear a bit of both of us in the recording, dancing side-by-side in one of our favorite venues and building steadily toward a euphoria of our own.

Recorded live at Nowadays (@nowadaysnyc), 28 May 2022, 10PM - 2AM. With much love & thanks to the Nowadays staff and all the dancers. Illustration by Sofia Hjortberg.

Lychee & Aaron J - Live at Nowadays, May '22

@kia-sydney

For extended Q&A & OG track game, please visit our website ~~~~~~> pipipi.life <~~~~~~~~~~

Introduce yourself? Pronouns?  1 fun fact about yourself?

Hiii I’m Kia, (people often ask me what my real name is so I thought I’d specify that). Pronouns are she/her. 

Fun fact - my name is a car dealership (Kia Sydney), and people often think that’s a joke too. My Croatian grandfather changed his last name to Sydney when he moved there in the 50s as a means of getting a job in what was a very (and still for the most part is) racist society. 

Biggest musical influence from childhood?

Well when I was going up I played the piano, clarinet and percussion (played the glockenspiel in the school band lol) so that definitely led me to be musically minded from a young age. When I was 13/14 I remember getting into electronic music via big idm producers like aphex twin, four tet and aleksi perala. Because I was into really melodic stuff I think it was the first time I’d heard it done in an electronic way and I remember finding that really exciting. 

Favorite DJ mixing trick? 

Cobblestone jazz - India in me. It’s not particularly easy to mix per say, but it’s an insane 14 minute roller that completely shifts vibe in the middle, so I always play it if I feel like I need a breather or an energy shift in a set.

Write us a haiku about this mix… 

Sounds of travelling
Australia and beyond
People, places, moods

(Sorry that was really hard lol)

If you had to go back in time music wise what era would it be and why?

Early 2000s. So much good tech house. 

If you had to describe yourself as a flower, which one would it be and why?

Sunflower. I flourish in the summertime and I really really hate winter. 

What is your favorite party/collective where you reside and why?

Vortex <3 (https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/Bi3dZPdKhT2QCHmC7 )

femme collective consisting of my friends Meg + nenagh, who book the best lineups. We also do a collab party animalia x vortex and the parties always have a really special energy. 

What would you like to see in the future for the dance community?

More community run clubs and more people who listen and participate in the scene understanding the importance of community in dance music generally.

Kia - 27˚C

Bringing the trippy Miami heat to the series is Coffintexts, one of the city’s hidden gems. 

She first made her debut in 2017 and has since released on international platforms such as Femme Culture, Jezebel and Club Qu - the latter featuring a remix from the local legend Danny Daze. 

Her tour dates include Miami’s III Points festival, Detroit’s Where Are My Keys, supporting Vegyn as well as playing for the likes of Ominidisc, Autonomy, and Jezebel and her previous mixes have seen her on platforms such as NAAFI, Movement Radio and Club Qu’s famed lockdown series. 

With an upcoming solo EP in the works as well as more collaborative releases with artists from the Miami scene, we’re super excited to have Coffintexts on 909. 

Speaking about the mix, Coffintext says, "I put together a mix inspired by what I've been listening to in the past month. The tracks I chose to include have been an influence for my upcoming solo EP that I'm currently working on. I also added a couple unreleased tracks in there from a separate joint EP with my friends. This mix was recorded live at a party in Miami. Hope you all enjoy it!”

@coffintexts

Untitled 909 Podcast 123: Coffintexts

Recorded live in Brooklyn on 05/28/22

@renildn

CNC LIVE - RE:NI

Brooklynite @benbondy elevates ambient to a whole new level. He's done so over the course of more than 12 albums in just two years. Each one is like a dairy - a capturing of intimate feelings that translate into sensitive sounds that are subtle yet moving. He occasionally veers into downtempo and IDM, and has worked on collaborative projects like Blessed Kitty and xphresh.

This week's mix is a deep dive into his edgeless world, where half-heard vocals drift in and out, cosmic dust glistens in a shard of light and smeared pads disappear off to infinity. The hazy sounds manage to be both romantic and psychedelic, insular yet hopeful. It is ambient but stuffed with such detail and texture that it plays out with the vivid imagery of a movie in your mind rather than just a soothing sonic wallpaper. Headphones are essential for this one.

Dekmantel Podcast 398 - Ben Bondy

The Berlin-based party starter wafts her energy our way for an hour a month. Colourful house & techno, vintage breaks, decontextualised bargain-bin club tracks & more in the mix...

https://www.nts.live/shows/dj-fart-in-the-club/episodes/dj-fart-in-the-club-19th-august-2022

DJ Fart In The Club 190822

Twisted morning wake up with pi pi pi's deep creep~

@deepcreep88

pi pi pi with deep creep @ The Lot Radio 08 - 23 - 2022

Beautiful moody vibes and rhythms captured by NYC based DJ Lychee. This mix was based on an opening set at Basement NYC before Pangaea and Freddy K. 
Thanks Alyce for the beautiful mix!
@lycheefrut

MT Mix 014 - Lychee

Recording of my opening set at Nowadays on 9.9.22 for DJ Voices residency w/ Lee Gamble. Big thanks to @latenitesbookclub for inviting me to play and to all the lovely @nowadaysnyc staff for being the best in the biz <3

T.Wan Live @ Nowadays (September 9, 2022)

/ˈmɪrə/

verb
(of a surface) show a reflection of.
"The melody mirrored the landscapes that surround us"

Curated by Citizen Maze

MT Mix 014 - Lychee

mirror tapes

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