Mix Series

https://soundcloud.com/marco_oh_boy
https://www.facebook.com/Marco.OhBoy/
https://www.instagram.com/marco_ohboy/

https://soundcloud.com/rblberlin
https://www.instagram.com/rblberlin/


1) We heard quite a variety of sounds in your mix. Where would you say you draw your biggest inspiration from? Any particular genres or DJs?

I think this is the best thing you could tell me; my kind of motto is "everything goes and the feet keep dancing"; I always like to vary among disco, house and proto house, balearic and electronic sounds.

While putting together a mixtape I try to fit in different genres; I like to think: "what would Andrew Weatherall or DJ Harvey do?" 
I am also very lucky to be surrounded by friends who dj and curate music shows and they are all a great source of inspiration to me. 

2) There was a superb Bollywood disco track about halfway in, how do you go about digging for new music?

Radio shows are great to discover new music, following djs and selectors who run periodical shows among different independent radio has become a daily source of new music for me ehehh
Record shops and clubs are of course places where I love going and discovering  something new, something unexpected. 

3) You also help run the RBL Radio, can you tell us a bit about how that started?

Yes, RBL.media; is a community web radio which was founded in Italy almost ten years ago. I am part of the members who brought RBL to Berlin and everything started from an encounter at Panorama Bar; few weeks after we broadcasted the first two shows from the city and after 4 years we are about 30 people working and collaborating within RBL Berlin. It's a great family, I had the chance to meet so many amazing and interesting people through the radio. 

We opened recently an account on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/rblmedia) where members can enjoy unique contents and support the radio.

4) We remember hearing one of your releases as Funky Espresso for the Berlin Bass Collective crew a few years back and wanted to ask, do you have any upcoming releases lined up?

I don't have upcoming releases lined up actually, but during the last two years I produced some new tracks with a new project called Dionis (@dionismusic) and I hope I will be able to share them with everyone soon. 
Also with Funky Espresso we are planning to work on new tracks exploring different sounds.

Documents

Paradisco 008 // Marco Ohboy

@hugo-rabier
youtube.com/channel/UCNrcnwvD8sbXwYav8K0AXUQ/playlists

1) You played a lot of songs with Latin-rooted languages (Spanish, Brasilian, French) - is there a "file rouge" to decipher here? 

I love to dig old French, Brazil songs but it's on a « file rouge ». I love them because they are often "guilty pleasures" and easy to dance and sing to.
Old instrumentals are also very good and sometimes fun.

2) We know you as an inspiring digger, and some of us here at Paradisco follow your uploaded gems on a monthly basis - can you tell us a bit more about your digging process?

I’m essentially a web digger because it’s more instantaneous, I appreciate digging in shops, but you can’t always listen to the records there.
Soundcloud & YouTube are gold mines, and you can listen to artist's mixes.
My passion is to discover songs and share them ! Play a track and see people dancing is the best sensation even if i’m not a DJ.
Clubs were re-closed in France, it’s so sad, so eager for better days !

Paradisco 010 // Hugo Rabier

@invernonrevni
instagram.com/invernonrevni/
facebook.com/invernonrevni/

What are moments you can think of that make you want to listen to slow, stripped down music like in your paradisco set? 

In terms of seasons, we are totally in the middle of it at the moment. Fall-Winter. We have this constant vibe of “last rays of light", the day declining and before the street lights will pop. 
This moment when you don’t see super clearly but you can still notice poetry in details.
Just before the darkness.

If there were an event where you could play the genres of music from your paradisco set, what would the setting be like?

A big building with a spacious room and huge windows, from which you can see the day light declining slowly, with some trees around and why not a wind storm. A bit dramatic, a bit cinematographic.
An endless and ephemeral landscape that can disappear if you blink your eyes.
That’s what I picture when I listen to one of the tracks in the set: Monolake (Robert Henke & Gerhard Behles) - Infinite Snow [2009]

Are there any artists in particular that inspire you when it comes to music outside of typical electronic music genres?

I have some names from the Portuguese Fado, like Amália Rodrigues, Carlos do Carmo. Or the biggest Portuguese queer icon António Variações. Luz Casal in Spain.
Also Hamlet Gonashvili called “the Voice of Georgia”, was a soloist singer in choir ensembles and and performer of traditional Georgian music. I love choirs.
Yugoslav dark wave music bands… So many to mention. Impossible to list all of them.

Towards the end of your mix you played the amazing eurodancey track by Sonique - do you often like to incorporate nostalgic tracks in your mixes? What is your relationship with eurodance and trance?

I am a nostalgic person, regarding music. I love the new stuff, because it’s important to re-invent the genres and evolve, but I witnessed the Eurodance, Trance and other movements of the 90’s, first hand. I was a teenager when all of this invaded radios, tv shows… 
Sonique and Massive Attack are both from 1998, the oldest tracks in the set.
That’s kind of a love letter to my younger self.

Paradisco 009 // INVERИO

@smaushaus
www.instagram.com/smau.de

1) We really enjoyed your mix, especially the selection of a few (conscious) Hip Hop classics by Guru, could you perhaps tell us a bit about your connection to Hip Hop?

Like many others, my connection to Hip Hop started when I was around 13 or 14, especially Hip Hop from New York. I really discovered Hip Hop through the album 36 Chambers by the Wu Tang Clan. At some point I found music by Guru and DJ Premier (Gang Starr) and was like WOOOW. The album Moment of Truth is really amazing, especially the lyrics of JFK to LAX, Robin Hood Theory and Moment of Truth, they really influenced me. I actually played two songs from Guru’s album without Premier, they’re called Jazzmatazz. Here Guru worked together with many Soul, Funk and Jazz musicians such as Roy Ayers, Donald Byrd, Lonnie Liston Smith and many more. I would say that the album Jazzmatazz Vol. 2 is my absolute favorite album. Anyone who doesn’t know the album should really listen to it. It’s a masterpiece. Very nice beats and conscious lyrics, different from the sexist and drug glorifying lyrical themes often prevalent in Hip Hop. Furthermore, I dealt extensively with the topic of sampling through Hip Hopa and discovered music genres such as Funk, Soul, Jazz, Jazz-Funk etc


2) How do you go about digging for new records? Do you have any favourite spots? And do you have a preference between 12" albums, 12" singles, 7" singles, compilations, reissues and the Like?

In Berlin there are many cool spots to dig for vinyl. For house music I usually go to OYE Records or Bikini Waxx. For other music genres I don’t have any specific spots. I often go to a random record store and see what I like, usually you’ll find something you like. When I buy music that I really want on vinyl, I check Discogs. I think with House music I really like records where on the track is included in different versions on the  A and B side for example a Classic Vocal Mix, Dub mix etc. Sometimes the tracks have funny names like New York Hustle Mix or something, I’m always happy to see that. For music that I just listen to at home to hang out, I prefer 12” albums. You can just put the record on and let it play.

3) What are your biggest inspirations musically? We'd love to know!

There isn’t a single music inspiration for me. It’s generally the music I listen to every day, all musicians and products, DJ’s and people I speak to music about and listen to. It brings me great joy to be surrounded by these people and for this I’m very grateful.

Thank you to the Paradisco crew to let me be part of your podcast series. I really enjoy it, finally focusing on music genres other than techno and house. In Berlin some of these genres are slightly neglected.

 
Tracklist:
 
Lee John – Mighty Power of Love (Live Mix)
 
Al Hudson – you can do it
 
Chocolate Milk – Hurry Down Sunset
 
Guru – Insert A (Mental Relexation)/Medicine
 
Guru – Feel the Music  
 
Gil Scott-Heron- home ist where the hatred is
 
Vitamin E – Kiss Away
 
Fatback Band – Snake
 
Rose Royce – What You Waitin' for
 
Sidewinder – Stanways Revenge
 
Fatback Band - Can't you see

Paradisco 013 // Smau

@carl-hangschlitt
https://www.instagram.com/carlhang/

1. We are huge fans of (Italo) Disco here at Paradisco, and it was a delight to hear some familiar tracks! It seems that there is a general line of yours to boost a bit the BPM on these tracks, is that correct? Do you care to elaborate? :)

I pushed the BPM of some tracks because i wanted to make a mix that people can dance to in everyday life situations.

And some tracks are extremely danceable in higher BPM ranges for example the two tracks by „Dabeull“ that are in my mix. For this mix i wanted to go with the flow as if I’m in the Club and everybody’s shakin’ ! So I picked songs that i love at the Moment and pushed the BPM of some of them :D

But for the Second half of the mix I chose slower tracks that fit each other BPM wise. So for that Part i did elaborate.

 

2. You seem to play records - could we travel a bit with you while you describe your way around the buying/selection process for your collection?

When I’m in the record store I actually hardly go to other sections than the funk section. And Most of the time it’s Funk from the 80’s that make me spend money, because they are almost always danceable. It started with me thinking what that sound is that G Funk Sampled back in the days and i came across Bands like „Kleeer“, „Parliament/Funkadelic“,

„Mtume“, „Midnight Star“ and so on. That opened a new world for me ! So when I Buy records i actually figure out if i can play them in the Club or i can Sample them :)

3. We hear a lot of tunes from the 80s, what is your relationship to this decade? 

I love to think about the 80’s mostly because of my Mum.

She was in her twenties in the 80’s of West Berlin.

She always tells me those stories of going to Prince’s concert in 86 or Dancing to Grace Jones in the „Jungle“ Club or the beginnings of techno and House music with Bands like „New Order“. And it’s so cool to hear that back in the days there was so many different types of scenes in the City for example the Pop Scene and the the Rockers, the Hip Hoppers, Punkers, Transvestites, Mods and so many others. I want to bring back the vibe of this era by playing the music because Berlin nowadays is Almost only techno scene :(

4. What is your relationship to Hip Hop and the Panke Club?

The first music i was listening to after Kindergarden was Hip Hop. Almost only G Funk and classic West Coast Rap music. That started me off with getting to know all the music i know today actually because Hip Hop for me is pretty much everything ! So it was clear when i started making music on my computer that Hip Hop was the first thing to achieve.

After a couple of years of producing a friend of mine showed me his turntables and how to scratch and mix and i was instantly addicted and had to get me a pair too. Then when i figured out Mixing and scratching i found „Deck2Deck“ on Facebook as an open vinyl Session in Panke. I wrote them if i could come over they Said yes and Boom : I found myself a playground. I had my first DJ experience in the Panke and it gave me so much confidence ! Also i was able to play my Music and make release partys with my friend Joschi for our Project „Hang&Otto“ ! A Lot of good memories ! :)

Paradisco 011 // Hang

@tomkutsche
https://www.instagram.com/tomkutsche_/

1. Lovely selection! We’d love to know what inspired you to start collecting vinyl, and how do you go about buying new music?
 
When I was younger, around 12, I’ve loved to find new Music on Youtube and collect them all in my self-created Playlists over there. After a few months, I dreamed about to could hold all this music in my hands, physically. Because, what will I do when Youtube is shutting down one day? This would be one of my biggest nightmares - so I started with collecting vinyl.
 
To find new jams, Youtube is still a good platform, when you’re in the right algorithm. Instagram is dope for sure, there is so much good stuff posted every day. You just need to save it and come back later if you haven’t the time yet.
 
Most of the Music I buy online I get from Bandcamp. When I watch out for vinyl, there’s nothing better than a Sunday morning at  the flea market.
 
 
2. We heard quite a few familiar voices, do you have any favourite vocalists or groups?
 
There are a lot of boogie or funk records which you can play at a packed floor and the B-Side are perfect for a dinner for two.
 
To give you a list from my favorites it wouldn’t fit in that form but to name a few it’s Luther Vandross, Surface, Loose Ends, The Manhattans and most of the stuff that is produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis. It’s that 80’s Slow Jam sound, which is main focused on soulful vocals and smooth arrangements. Some call it Grown ’n Sexy.
 
 
3. Can you tell us a bit about the history of cologne is for lovers and kickin’ up dust?
 
Of course. Before I was a DJ, I was a promoter and I still am. I did a monthly party which goes by the name of  ’The Get Down’. As you can probably guess, it was a 90’s Hip Hop Party mixed with late 70’s Funk & Disco.
After 3 Years of running that monthly night and getting more and more into the nightlife as a teenager, I wanted to start something new. A night where are no musical barriers and where I can also make my own experiences as a DJ.
 
The CIFL night is now running for over 4 Years at different venues in Cologne and started as a Open Air.
Check it out if you’re in town!
Kickin’ up dust was a quick idea which came up last summer to throw a spontaneous party here in Berlin.
After the government turns the Corona regulations a bit down, and we spotted a cool venue, we needed a name for the party. So there it was! But to come to the point, kickin’ up dust is our new baby here in Berlin. Right now in corona time it’s just an irregular mix series where we invite friends & friends from friends. But let’s see what will happen, when clubs are re-opening in a few weeks.
And for those who doesn’t already know, kickin’ up dust is a track by Peven Everett.

Paradisco 012 // Tom Kutsche

https://soundcloud.com/lucia-m-108014126
https://www.instagram.com/lucia.maori

1. Wonderful Intro, seems to be of very emotional importance to you, can you tell us a bit more about it? 

The first two tracks are by Masayoshi Takanaka who’s absolutely amazing. The set also ends with one of his songs to generate the feeling of a full circle experience. I wanted to make the listener feel like they’re going on a journey and thought this album narrating the story of seven rainbow goblins along with Japanese Jazz Fusion, Psychedelic Rock etc. worked perfectly. I love how the very first track slowly transports you into this magical fairytale. 

2. There is a lot of Italo Disco & Synthy Pop tunes in your mix and we love it! - what is your relationship to these sounds? Geil! 

Yess I initially wanted this to be a Funk set, exploring different types of Funk music from a variety of countries, which is why a big part of the set has this funky disco sound. But I figured it would be fun to incorporate more such as Tuareg guitar and African Synth music, along with more classical electronic tunes by including Kraftwerk and Buttechno aha. The percussions and rhythms used in African music can be mixed quite well with electronic music and, having Nigerien roots myself, it was important for me to show that the African music scene is extremely varied and offers a lot more than the Folk or Afrobeat music people most generally think of. 

3. This is a very eclectic set - what was your approach before making it? In which set-up do you picture people listening to your set? 

Thank you ! I’d say curating actually took me the longest because I wasn’t entirely sure of the energy I wanted to bring, even if the funky bit was pretty clear to me. Because I wanted to mix different genres and create an experience with sounds from all over the world, I based myself on that to select tunes that I already wanted to use for a set, which is mostly how it came together ! I focused on the beginning and the end of especially more percussion heavy songs to figure out which  ones fit each other best and the rest naturally went from there. 
I haven’t really thought about the setting people would listen to it, but I mostly wanted it to be a musical journey, which is why I included so many different genres :) 

PROLOGUE - Masayoshi Takanaka
ONCE UPON A SONG - Masayoshi Takanaka
Nata Ni Thlae - Yin Yin 
Tutto va bene quando facciamo l’amore - Alex Rossi 
Hypnotic Tango (Instrumental Version) - My Mine
Geil (Geilomatick Mix 1986) Bruce & Bongo 
Relax Don’t Do It - Joe Suton 
Tour de France (2009 Remaster) - Kraftwerk 
Dubber Funk - Buttechno
Azali (Aroop Roy Edit) - Sammy Massamba, Aroop Roy 
Coffee Cola Song (Young Marco Remix) - Francis Bebey 
Toubouk Ine Chihoussay - Etran de L’Aïr
Orphéon (Ciel Remix) - Lewis OfMan 
Samba Shegitu - Admas
Midnight Rendezvous - CASIOPEA
RAINBOW WAS REBORN - Masayoshi Takanaka

Paradisco 014 // Lucia Maori

@siggatunez
https://www.facebook.com/Siggatunez
https://www.instagram.com/siggatunez/
https://www.discogs.com/artist/1198579-Siggatunez

1. Superb selection, may we ask what your relationship is to soul, funk, jazz etc?

Thank You very much! I basically grew up with an access to my fathers funk and soul record collection. I heard all the Motown classics from Marvin Gaye to Stevie Wonder but also listened to Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles really early in my life. Later my interest was caught by some diamnonds from the eastern German/Europa Jazz and Krautrock era that I found in that collection. It was just insane that I had the opportunity to just go to the living room, grab a record and turn on the record player. I am really thankful fort hat.
 
2. We’re big fans of your GOOEY edit series, how did that start?

I started digging edits in 2008 when I began Djing with Vinyl records. At that time I was obsessed with the UK House scene and artists like The Revenge (6th Borough Project) and Ooft! who I was introduced to hat whole editing cosmos by. Since that time i cannot get off it J Another aspect about edits ist hat you can transfer the vibe and athmosphere of he past into the presence and the current club context. My intention is always to find the perfect balance betwenn keeping the original vibe and sound of an original and make it accessible for he modern dancefloors by using todays technical possibilities. In 2020 I‘ve sent my first edits to my friend Oliver Bernstein who runs the Inch By Inch distribution and he instantly came up with the idea to start an edit series…so I was quite lucky and I am really thankful fort he opportunity to just have that platform to express myself in that kind of way. Thank You Oli, I love You!!!
 
3. We also hear that you’ve put together a nice analogue studio over the years, could you tell us how that came to be? Is there anyone in particular who inspired you to dive into that world?

I started producing in 2004 with my brother on a very cheap DAW program and since that time I’ve evolved my techniques constantly. My big dream always was to be able to root all the digital information out of the computer onto an analog mixing desk and work on my music like that. During the time I bought analog gear and instruments but in 2018 I decided to move my studio out of my flat into an external room. This was the perfect time for me to fulfill kind of a lifetime goal and to buy a mixingdesk, a very good 32 channel converter and some very good analog dynamic processors…so there I am now J I really love beeing in the studio and producing own tracks but also work on other artists music and help them out to get the best possible result. I was inspired by the great Andreas Schorpp who sadly passed away last year. I had the chance to mix a whole EP with him together in his insane studio in Karlsruhe. From that moment on I knew I also had to do that. Just a little sideinformation: he was the engineer behind Ame’s amazing superhit „REJ“. 



Grover Washington Jr., Ralph Mc Donald, William Salter-Mr. Magic-Motown
Patti Labelle-It's Alright With Me-Epic
Menahan Street Band-Since Our Last Goodbye-Daptone
Brass Construction-Now Is Tomorrow-United Artists Music
Master-Funk-Lady Voo Doo-DJM Records & Tapes
Rhythm Heritage-Theme From Rocky (Gonna Fly Now)-ABC Records
Prince-Forever In My Life-Paisley Park Recordings
Charles Bradley-Stay Away-Daptone Records
Revelation-Feel It-Handshake Records & Tapes
Nightbirds, Labelle-What Can I Do For You?-Epic
The Two Tons-Can't Do It By Myself-Metronome Musik
D/Troit Soul Sound System-People Need People-Crunchy Frog Records
D.D. Sound-Slow Motion-Baby Records
The Choice Four-Everybody's Got A Story-RCA
Puzzle-Haiku-Motown

Paradisco 015 // Siggatunez

@cracked-a
www.instagram.com/mr.fonk_

1. Thank you for the amazing mix! We heard quite a lot of great new music in your mix and wanted to ask, what are your biggest influences?

Thank you, I‘m glad you like it. My biggest influences as a DJ are definitely clubs I went to and their DJs, that is Stammheim / Kassel with the late great DJ Pierre, Robert Johnson / Offenbach with a lot of underrated boss DJs like Thomas Hammann, Paul David Rollmann and (the of course well known but imho mis-categorized) Ricardo Villalobos. And then Panoramabar obviously with Ryan Elliott, Oracy and my personal hero Boris. 

I gotta say though that this mix does not contain anything new. It entirely consists of Disco tunes from 1976…1980 that are unavailable in digital form and will not be picked up by Shazam. This music would be lost if no one would play it out on vinyl. It's really the aura of a good Club and a dj that understands, nurtures and boosts it that is my biggest influence. That's the essence of a Club. The spirit!


2. Considering your incredible collection, how do you go about the digging process? Is there a particular way you find and organize your records?

I developed various ways of digging. Maybe the most important one is listening to old DJ sets from clubs and DJs I like and pick out the gemstones that really shine. I stopped going to record stores to be frank. The “Discogs pricing scheme” prevents you from making any lucky finds. Some stores wouldn’t even price or clean records so in fact you’re doing their job.

Another digging mode is just digging through my own collection. There’s so much stuff I’ve never played, some I’ve never even listened to, so there’s always a surprise round the corner…

Last thing is, I copy a lot. If one of my guest DJs plays a bomb, I never hesitate to adopt this tune. Most music enthusiast DJs do this. For many of my favorite tunes I remember whom I heard playing this first!


3. We’ve been a big fan of your “Smile For A While” label, with superb releases by Move D, DJ Duke and more, and were wondering, how did that get started?

in 2013 me and a friend heard a lot of nice house tunes on bandcamp that friends of ours from Frankfurt did. There was no way though they could get through to the well known local labels like Perlon, LARJ, etc. Thus we decided to put two four trackers out by ourselves. The rest came just naturally over the years.

Paradisco 016 // Mr. Fonk

@sp-ki
www.instagram.com/dj_spoeki/

1. One of our crew member did edits of 3 of the songs you played - do you also prepare your own edits? 

What a nice coincidence! Not yet at the moment, but who knows, maybe I’ll do edits or producing in general in near future :)

2. "Summer Breeze" are the two words that come to our mind when listening to that blissful mix - what did the summer bring to you in terms of sonic vibes? 

For me, typical summer vibes have a certain, groovy basic sound that brings a piece of lightness with it, often through catchy vocals and percussive instruments. In the house genre, piano and saxophone also convey a light, summery feeling for me, as you can easily hear :)

3. Italo disco, Italo house, Freestyle & Disco - we are pretty sure that nothing is older than 89' here, what is your relationship to these 80's decade?

I would describe the 80's as my favourite music decade. It's super multifaceted, because italo disco and house somehow became popular there and because of that it’s hard to differentiate the genres within a track sometimes and several influences are recognizable. My first records were from the 80's and to this day it hasn't changed much, most of my record collection is from the 80's.


4. The transition are pristine which is super complicated for mixing these genres, what is your little secret?

Thanks! It's not that easy, especially when you play vinyl and when it comes to a complete change of genre. You have to know your tracks very well and to try and practice a lot. Often there are short passages or bridges in the track which suits better for a transition than waiting until the end of the track because not much happens there, the vocals fall silent or similar.

Paradisco 017 // Spöki

TRACKLIST
1 - Tornado Wallace - Voices
2 - Prins Thomas - Evig Ung
3 - Jorge Lopez Ruiz - De Mama Candombe
4 - Don kashew - Spinett
5 – Kalidasa - KR1
6 – Riechmann - Wunderbar
7 - Karma de la Luna - Solar Beach
8 - Jack Pattern - Penisola d&#39;Amore
9 - Kanot - Hit &amp; Run
10 - Sangre Voss - Konon 129
11 - Jazzy Bazz - Arkham Anthem
12 - El Signo - Dimensiones Ocultas (Ric Piccolo Edit)
13 – Love Spirit - Burn the Witch (RFX Edit)

LINKS
Soundcloud: @6inti9
Bandcamp: www.bandcamp.com/intizer
Facebook: www.facebook.com/INTI-101937019137401/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/intimighty/

INTERVIEW
Succulent tunes flow in our ears and delightful vibes are surrounding us; could you tell us more about some of your fav’ venues where you can find similar balearic, prog’ and groovy tunes?

Thank you for the compliments. The place that made the biggest impression on me was the Cosmic Gathering in Chemnitz. During this festival I had a real opening of the horizons of Disco, in the broadest sense. Whether it's the melodies, the basslines or the rhythms, each one more catchy than the last. There is also the Lyon label Hard Fist (run by Cornelius Doctor and Tushen Raï) which inspires me a lot in my work. They develop a cosmic/trippy electro atmosphere with sometimes balearic and prog' tunes. There are also some radio stations where I find this type of atmosphere. The one that comes to mind first is LYL Radio, where there’s a very eclectic programming. And finally, there is DIA Radio, on which we are resident with 3 friends under the project Olo Yegussa.

There is a beautiful progression in the energy of your set; we are still cruising by the end of it, but in a more energetical way! How do you approach your mix in general? 

I really want to create stories, adventures through my sets, that's what guides my selection. In general, I like to make progressive and eclectic mixes. Here, I wanted to make a very progressive set starting from an "introspective" universe to go towards a groovy/punchy atmosphere. In my creative process, I think about an overall artistic direction and I set myself a few musical styles that fit the artistic direction to start with. Then I select 5-6 tracks per style and try different combinations to create a musical adventure / odyssey that feels as coherent as possible.

We found that “rolling baselines” were amongst some of the similarities in your track selection; is this something you think about/focus on when picking songs you play? 

Well spotted ! For this set, I wanted to create something groovy overall. I wanted to use these rolling basslines in different atmospheres. This is not always my guideline in the sets I produce but I really like this musical element. With the desire to be eclectic in my musical universe, I often use several guidelines. In general, I like to work on the melodies at the beginning of the set (for a rather mental side) then on the bass lines (for the groovy aspect) in the middle of the set and finally I focus more on the kicks (for a more physical / catchy side)

Paradisco 019 // INTI

@trularisa

1. Great selection! Could you tell us a bit about how your musical journey came to be?

Back in Romania I didn't have so many opportunities to become a DJ, or learn about this craft. Therefore, this process happened slowly - I started off very shy with liqud Drum'n'Bass, then I decided to include more styles I was listening to, such as R'n'B/Hip-hop and its roots Soul, Funk, Disco and even some Jazz. Later, inevitably, my musical horizon became wider and wider, as I fell in love with Reggae, Afrobeat, Zouk, House, Electro and other musical areas I'm still learning about. I must admit, moving to Berlin exposed me to the most enriching experience music-wise so far.

2. We heard a range of genres in your mix and were wondering, what would you say are your biggest inspirations or influences?

This is always a hard one. There are so many I feel it would be unfair to those who I will not mention. Still... I think it evolved with time. 

At first it was Hip-hop legends such as Pete Rock, Mos Def, Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott & more. Around 10 years ago, I got heavily into Dâm-Funk. This led me to discover artists like Fatima, for instance, but mostly it really opened my appetite for more music of the past. That's how I came across Roy Ayers, Gil Scott Heron, Aretha Franklin, Manu Dibango, Fania Records, The Belleville Three and sooo many others. Each musical direction I come across and learn about, has its own legends, influences, and inspiration. I should really mention, at this point, the huge impact Reggae titans such as Sly and Robbie or Dennis Bovell, had on my journey.

3. What's the story behind your Smoothin' Groovin' party series? We'd love to know!

Well, it started in the pandemic as an online radio show/live stream. Although it was something I did mainly for the people back home, it somehow managed to get some attention here in Berlin as well, and soon after when the clubs re-opened, I was offered the chance of doing SG a regular dance at Crack Bellmer. 

From the very beginning, one of the main ideas around the party series is inclusiveness. As I've mentioned, my influences are multiple and I try to make space for each of them. Still, the venue is best known for its electronic music events, so I've concluded the best way to do this series is by finding or building bridges. At some point it might feel as a Paradise Garage selection, sometimes later it might feel like a UK Blues Party vibe, and after that, one might feel the energy of the Detroit's New Dance Show or the hotness of a Colombian Picó Soundsystem. And sooo much more. If you think of interesting ways of bringing all this together without boring or scaring the people off the dancefloor, everything basically goes. That's how I look at it. I always tried to find selectors as openminded/openhearted as I am, and so far it worked each and every time. Besides the parties, SG is back in radio format, broadcasting regularly on Refuge Worldwide.

I guess the best definition could be found in the name itself. Both words have equal significance: "Smoothin" stands for the overall atmosphere and vibe we try to create, while "Groovin" stands for the level of energy we try to attain. So ultimately my dream is to give you some peace of mind, while keeping your body dancing.

Paradisco 018 // Tru:L

@rupertrupertrupert
https://www.instagram.com/rupertdiscodealer/

Full interview: https://paradisco.substack.com/p/021-rupert

1. We absolutely loved your mix! May we ask what your main inspirations are and started collecting and playing music? 

So happy that you loved it! There were two occasions where I had a musical experience that completely blew my little mind. The first one: I heard Kraftwerk’s ‘The Man Machine’. I’d gotten it as a birthday present from my Aunt on my 13th birthday, she’d gifted it to me on the promise “This will change your life.” It actually really did. My Mom had a really thumping stereo system at the time and I remember so clearly just sitting in the middle of our living room, on the floor, being totally annihilated by sounds I’d never heard before. Every music-obsessive has one of these spark-to-gasoline moments that ignites a flame in you, and this was mine. I instantly bought everything they’d ever made and indoctrinated myself with synthesizers. 1978 had never sounded so new, but also never further away. I honestly just stopped consuming anything new. This kick started a so far life-long obsession with digging for music. I was constantly searching for similar music. Eventually I got really into early electronics and minimal wave, which then led to Italo-disco of course, and suddenly and quite by coincidence hit a wall that changed everything again for me: disco and the beginnings of house music. (continued on substack link above)

Tracklist: 
1. Dhar Braxton - Jump Back (Rap)
2. Subject - The Magic, The Moment (Club Mix)
3. Simphonia - You & Me (Dub)
4. Ron Bell & The Masterplan - Pump That Iron
5. Pushé - Don't Take Your Love Away (Club Mix)
6. MSQ II - Too Much
7. Moonfou - Shut Up! 
8. Clausell - Don't Let It Be Crack (Club Mix)
9. Sleeque - One For The Money (Dub)
10. Tia Monae - Don't Keep Me Waiting (Special Club Mix)
11. Dotty Green - Love Situation

Paradisco 021 // Rupert

@maltitzmusic

1 - Time Modem has a song called “welcome to the 90’s” - that’s exactly the feeling we had when listening to your set.  Could you guide through your track selection and impulse you had to go back in time?    

haha.. Interesting that you mentioned this Tune, bc I played it once at PAL Club Hamburg as an opening Track to begin my Set with. I chose the tracks because I want to create some moody Balearic vibe and catch the Sound of the 90s in a housy not so ravey way. So I was thinking about 808 State - Pacific State kind of vibe. With the funny Bird samples from the old E-MU Sampler. 


2 - You also produce, and we saw that there is another track of yours to be soon released on Romain FX's Label. How do you balance your energy between mixing and producing?   



Right now, I am really focused on my productions, but it's always good to find a balance between digging new/old released music and producing. In the winter for me, it's easier to lock inside and work on some productions, because then you have no FOMO :) 


3 - You are very versatile behind the decks, and you like to change genres in the middle of your sets. How do you organise and approach your library to keep an element of surprise and cheekiness when needed? 

Yes, this is the reason why I like to play extended Sets or Closing Sets to guide the people through various genres in electronic music. For me personally, it's really boring to listen to a set which is like 2 hours of the same kind of genre and music.
So I try to combine the different genres and make the people wake up. Some people like it, some people not. But that's the world I think. I do it like I would love to see it more from others. Let's do a party series and call it "the Risky Sets". I think it's also a problem that people want to get booked on special parties where there is just maybe one genre. So if you play music that the booker for example can not easily put in a place, maybe he will not book you. But for me music is more than one kind of music, if it's good people will dance I think.  Upsi now I get lost in answering the first part of your question, I use Rekordbox for organizing my Music and I have a lot of folders with Genres for example and for every gig or set I do a new Folder and put everything inside that I can imagine to play :)

Paradisco 020 // Maltitz

@plattenaffine

1. We saw that you love playing records, and by extension, collecting them. Could you guide us through your preferred way of finding some little gems to share with your audience?

A lot of my records I bought at flea markets or small shops, find them on the street or get them for my birthday :)


2. You are playing a lot in festival and bigger clubs of Berlin and around - how do you manage to connect with the big crowds during your sets?

Good question I never thought about how to do it, I think it just happens through the music, I love my music and I get happy listening to my records and if I am happy the people get happier too, I guess.


3. The tunes that you gracefully played in your set for Paradisco are mostly things from quite a few decades ago; is there any particular time-era that you like the most in the music history of the world?

I love music from the eighties, for me this was just the best time, where a lot of really great music comes from.

Paradisco 022 // Plattenaffine

@paddy_jennings 
https://www.instagram.com/pat__dj/

Full interview on substack: https://paradisco.substack.com/023-pat

Interview snippet:
- We listened to your set during a Friday in Mid-July while it was raining by a low 20 degrees. When recording this delight, what kind of scenery did you have in mind for you & for the listeners?

I recorded this on a sunny Sunday afternoon into the evening and wanted to convey a warm and serene feeling as I was dreaming of an upcoming trip to the Italian coast. 

- We have been served here with an eclectic palette of genres & groove - how do you dig your tracks in general?

I love all kinds of music and am always looking for new and interesting stuff that I can draw from for whatever I need for the moment. I try to keep it simple and play what I am currently enjoying or feeling at that moment. I also love focusing on one particular style or sound as well sometimes for my radio show on Refuge Worldwide or for gigs. I really enjoy the flexibility to be able to share a wide range of music I enjoy with people whether it's an eclectic mix or one style. I don't believe any artist should be pigeonholed to one style even if that's what they're known for, I think everyone is free to express themselves how they see fit. 

- What is the most important message that you like to convey in your sets? 

I want to convey an unpredictable but fun and easy going vibe with a variety of moods and sounds where anything could be played. I want people to have fun, to hear lots of different styles of music and to be pleasantly surprised about what they hear. 


Tracklist:
Finis Africae - Ceremonia Magica en El Estranque
Khan Jamal - Lovely Afternoon
Beverly Glenn-Copeland - Sunset Village
David Axelrod - Holy Thursday
Jay Richford & Gary Dtevan - Having Fun
Move78 - But What If We're Wrong
Louisa Miller - Share The Love Around 
Zas - I Love My Body 
Costa & Chyps - Detriot City Cats 
Heather B - Takin Mine 
Yo Yo ft Mc Lyte - One For The Cuties
Mama Mystique - Style's I Murder 
Showbiz & AG - Full Scale 
Sault - Foot On Necks

Paradisco 023 // Pat

@kaodi-alum
https://www.instagram.com/koalum/

1. What an amazing mix, thank you so much for that! May we ask how your journey into jazz began?
I definitely grew up listening to a great deal of jazz and classical music: my grandma would have WQXR, NYC's classical music radio station, on at all times in the kitchen; and my mother would go from one Thelonius Monk album to the next in the living room. So I've always been passionate about jazz, even more so when I found out my grandfather -who passed away before I was born, was the biggest jazz fan. His favorite track was Glenn Miller's Moonlight Serenade, which will always hold a special place in my heart. I truly feel like jazz is the one genre capable of making you dance, weep, smile and swoon all in the span of one track.


2. How do you go about discovering new music?
I definitely go through phases: I'll listen to the same mix or playlist for a few consecutive weeks until I'm sick of it and forced to have an intense digging week -which usually involves around 90 open tabs at once at 3AM. I mostly find music through bandcamp, soundcloud, youtube -my personal favorite, and, when i'm lucky, I just wake up to an email from a friend sending me new tracks.


3. What are your thoughts on covers of tracks? We heard a cover we couldn't ID and would be curious to hear how you feel about them!
I absolutely adore covers ahah When I was a teenager, I got obsessed with this music collective called Postmodern Jukebox, that would make jazz covers of top pop hits -a 1950's Doo Wop cover of Miley Cyrus' We Can't Stop or a 1920's Gatsby style cover of Lady Gaga's Bad Romance... I've always found it fascinating when an artist is able to reinterpret a classic in a completely different tone or genre. I would even go as far as to say that a lot of hits we listen to today are actually covers of the original tracks; and especially in jazz, the most known versions of standards are almost always reinterpretations of the original compositions.

Paradisco 025 // Kaodi

We're happy to present our 24th mix by the Berlin-based DJ Planet 8, with elements of dub, disco, future jazz and more.

@planet_8
instagram.com/___planet8/

 1. We heard quite a deep dub influence in the mix, where does that inspiration come from?

For me, dub reflects an aesthetic approach that I like and strive to hear in my mixes. I am also fascinated by the influence that certain production techniques related to dub music had on various dance music genres, making them - in my opinion - more pleasing and interesting.

2. How do you go about digging new music?

I have a meticulous way of wading through obscure labels and artists on discogs.com, hopping from link to link to link (the research process being probably at least partly influenced by my training as a social scientist). Apart from that, I use Soundcloud and Instagram to keep track of current releases. Then I also like to dig for actual records in actual stores, especially when I’m visiting new places.

3. What is your relationship to disco and hip hop? There were a few superb selections we really enjoyed! Thanks for the great mix!

I used to produce hiphop instrumentals for my rapping friends as a teenager, making extensive use of sampling. This, in turn, led me to dig first into jazz, then soul, then funk, and finally disco music. Naturally, my first DJ sets were composed of the more dance-y tunes of these genres. From there, house music wasn’t far. What has always striked me about house - and what I am still looking for in the genre - is a specific approach that reminds me of hiphop: raw, organic, sometimes rough, yet subtle and reduced, combined with a DIY-aesthetic.

Thank you guys so much for the sweet words and the opportunity to showcase some of the music I like!

Tracklist:

Talaboman - Madhouse Dub (feat. Kristian Harborg)
Benjamin Fröhlich - Roundabout (feat. Vilja Larjosto)
Sultan Shakes - Interstellar Love (Young Marco's Trybal Dubb)
RTSAK - The Way They Do (Pender Street Steppers Remix)
hubbabubbaklubb - Mopedbart (Mystic Jungle & Whodamanny Rework)
Michael J Collins - Nothing Wrong To Holding On (Soul Clap Remix)
Uffe - Keep Smiles (Short Dub)
Nelson Of The East - Burning Palm (Fantastic Man Awakening Dub)
Tarjei Nygård - Katapult
Akwaaba & Todd Terje - Bodies (Prins Thomas Orgasmotron Mix)
Noel Nanton - North Of Houston (Dub)
SW. - Untitled C1
Dauwd - La Nota
Ski Oakenfull - Ain't Gonna Justify (A Short Trip To Space Mix)
The Ballistic Brothers - Streets Are Real
The Ballistic Brothers - Blacker (4 The Good Times)
Schmoov! - Destinations

Paradisco 024 // Planet 8

@funky-fasching
instagram.com/funkyfasching/
mixcloud.com/FunkyFasching/

We're delighted to present our latest mix and interview by Berlin-based musical explorer and radio show host Funky Fasching! A velvety smooth and soft mix to transport you to a sweeter place for an hour.

For the full interview, check our substack: 

Here is a snippet of the interview:

1) Some very lush strings, chords & saxos delighting our senses all the way through - could you guide us through your thought process while you selected your tracks?

I wanted to make a sweet and sensual mix and thought of a soft pink cloud that takes you away from the freezing cold and gray Berlin winter for an hour.
The trickiest part for me was to find a strong and meaningful opener that would also work as a headline for the whole mix. At first, I had a completely different track in mind. But then I threw all my plans overboard after discovering this great UK underground soul compilation "Just a Touch", which was recently released on the Athens of the North label. When I heard "Passion" by Taffy for the first time, I immediately knew and felt: This is it! It also asks this great and important question: "What would we do without passion?", which invites you to think about who or what makes your life special and what passion means to you personally. After the first track was set, I digged some balearic and r&b records from the mid 80s to early 90s, but also some dream pop and indie pieces with a similar smooth and breezy vibe that fit into the whole mood. And so one thing led to another.

Paradisco 026 // Funky Fasching

@crk_7
1/2 of @servingsuggestions
www.instagram.com/janoschknbl
www.instagram.com/dont.rush.wonk

1: When you play live - what is your fav' set length to express yourself? And why?

Actually as long as possible, time is flying while playing - and that enables me to share as much music as possible. 

 

2: We found two times a winning trio of "Arabian Nights -> Balearic Sunsets -> Breaks" moods/genres. First time at the intro and then from 36mins onwards.
Is that something planned? What are your thoughts about it? 

Really appreciate the careful listening here! The mix is an interpretation of Disco, only playing music from the 80s and 90s, for me THE time in electronic dance music so far. As Disco and Synth Pop were transforming into tripping 90s dance music, you find similarities everywhere! And I wanted to bring flavors from this whole story into the mix. Selecting the tracks was also strongly connected to their tempo and of course to have a certain vibe and VARIETY, which apparently created this mixture and chronology that you are mentioning.

3: Summer is approaching - what are your plans music-wise for 2024?

I never before had more time to associate myself with music, so I also get influenced stronger and find and understand more music than ever before – definitively want to keep up with that! 
Also some things already popping up around here and even in France...aswell as we are planning our next dancemusic event of our Don’t Rush On A Wonk radioshow … so stay tuned :-)

Paradisco 027 // Janosch

curated by @djahoy @imadfromlove @triqi030
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bi-monthly show on @thfradio
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contact: helloparadisco@gmail.com
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