Operating Modus DJ-set @ De School | 16-12

A real pleasure to have the extremely gifted @xiaolinmusic from Hongkong for our fourth SoundSculptors episode 😍 She crafted a beautiful trip through many different moods and styles, capturing our musical heart and soul. It's such an interesting story accompanied by high skill not only in the electronic but also in the instrumental parts. Ambient, Downtempo, old school gamy sound, cantonese pop music vibes and more interesting colours appear in this versatile journey. Real earcandy 🍭

- 

More about Xiaolin ~

Xiaolin (曉霖) is a DJ, producer, vinyl collector and classically-trained musician from Hong Kong. Driven by a relentless curiosity for warm sounds, complex emotions and colourful textures, she enjoys crafting magnetic sets that draw audiences in, while her live ambient sets reveal the more contemplative side of her natural musicality as a former concert violinist.

Xiaolin spent a decade studying classical violin, jazz, world music and electronic composition at Juilliard (BM’14) and Berklee Valencia (MM ’15/’16), where she played in Batucada/jazz bands and began collecting records under her mentor, Nacho Marco. Having spent two years in London just before the pandemic, she developed an interest in UK underground culture and Detroit electro.

Inspired by sounds from the the mid 80’s-early 00’s, her love for video games, anime, nature as well as a respect for her Cantonese roots, Xiaolin’s analog synth-heavy productions range from gritty acid house and breaks with earthy percussion to tripped-out electro, bassy groovers and raw downtempo ambience that invoke deeper feelings of romantic adventure with a dreamy, theatrical touch.  

Despite her ever-evolving nature, Xiaolin’s ethereal-yet-raw sound remains a signature throughout all productions.

Xiaolin is sensitive to the dancefloor and crafts an intuitive journey unbound by genre, digging deep to discover dynamic connections.  Her energetic, acid-laden selections explore the vast in-between of house and techno, while her original live set has three formats: “Sun” for daytime settings, “Moon” for meditative settings and “Body” for nightclub settings.

Releases include two EP’s on 宀 Records, a collaborative track on Klasse Wrecks “Michaelsoft", VA contributions on 20/20 Vision (Exit Planet Earth – “Helium”), Polychrome Audio (“Diffraction EP”) and Harmony Rec (upcoming), as well as three 80’s Cantonese disco tribute EP’s on Sound Metaphors’ “Bless You” imprint (A&R by Jane Fitz).

Xiaolin's ‘HEX’ residency at 宀 (Hong Kong) has seen her invite & play alongside guests such as Polygonia, Mary Lake, Peach, Merve, Vlada, Joe Delon, Closet Yi, Jesse You, Maara etc.  She hosts a bimonthly show on Baihui Radio China and has done guest mixes on EYA, Test Pressing, The Mudd Show, The Lot Radio, NTS and Balamii amongst others.  

Recent highlights include Boiler Room (Singapore), Blitz Club (Unchained), and Panorama Bar on live set as part of Sound Metaphors’ 9-year-anniversary event (coinciding with the release of her second EP on Bless You), with upcoming sets at Wonderfruit Festival and Womb Tokyo.  She will make her Rainbow Disco Club live set debut with Kuniyuki Takahashi in April 2025.

- 

Follow Xiaolin
https://soundcloud.com/xiaolinmusic
https://www.instagram.com/oliviaxiaolin
https://ra.co/dj/xiaolin

More music from her
Bandcamp (Tower Moment EP)
https://xiaolin.bandcamp.com/album/tower-moment-ep
Bandcamp (MIHN002 EP)
https://xiaolin.bandcamp.com/album/mihn002

SoundSculptors No 4 - Xiaolin 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦

IF & Esther Dune @ DTRH - REX 2025

e/tape at Waking Life 2025

Lino Capra Vaccina live at Waking Life 2025

Loidis at Waking Life 2025

XDB & PLO Man at Waking Life 2025

Fenna Fiction at Waking Life 2025

Foundling live at Waking Life 2025

Yamour at Waking Life 2025

the second part of the live recording of Jane Fitz b2b XDB all night at the Pickle Factory, London Nov 30 2018

Jane Fitz & Xdb b2b Nov 30 2018 Pt2

Electronic waves ~

Previously as Operating Modus.

"Meet aQa, a Rotterdam-based DJ whose boundless approach to electronic music is both precise and dynamic. Rooted in a deep respect for the art of composing and using the element of water as his cornerstone, aQa’s sets flow seamlessly from atmospheric ambient and IDM to blistering 90’s electro and hard-edged Detroit techno that will shift any audience into top gear. 

With appearances at De School, Breakfast Club, Drift and HÖR Berlin, alongside his monthly Atlantis residency on Operator Radio, aQa has cemented himself as a strong voice in the depths of electronic music. His music draws from a deep well of influences, blending the forward-thinking ethos of artists like Brian Eno and Biosphere with the aquatic mythos of Drexciya and the raw energy of Underground Resistance, offering a sound that feels both timeless and forward-looking.

Whether helming the decks in intimate spaces or expansive festival stages, aQa’s performances are as fluid as they are ferocious. Operating at the crossroads of instinct and intention, aQa leaves a resonance that lingers long after the final track."

contact: info@maukerodermond.nl

Operating Modus DJ-set @ De School | 16-12

aQa | Operating Modus

Related tracks