Frequencies Of Love

With his roots in the heyday of acid house and the UK-festival scene, Toronto-based, English-born DJ Sean Baker brings a wealth of experience and musical storytelling to his sets. These days pushing a blend of music old and new that spans buzzing electro, spacious breakbeats, melodic deeper techno and atmospheric, sensual house, his free-flowing sets focus on mood rather than genre. Mixing vinyl only from his 5000-strong collection, he connects his rich heritage in music with an ever-burning passion to discover the best, most charismatic dance music around—in doing so continuing the lineage of the eclectic sounds of his past.

Growing up in Manchester in the ‘80s, he was perfectly positioned to experience the rapid evolution of the city’s vibrant musical scene. A regular at the legendary Hacienda, he was at the coalface of the acid house explosion, moving into the legendary illegal rave scene as the decade turned and simultaneously moved among the circle of indie bands that were adjacent to and engrained in the dance scene. He also spent time in Toronto in the late ‘80s, partying at the legendary Twilight Zone club which introduced the city to house music by the way of the likes of guests like Frankie Knuckles (yes, he was there that night—a formative, life-changing experience). A better, more open-minded musical upbringing he couldn’t have hoped for.

After setting the foundations of his DJ career in the ‘90s, he was playing legendary London clubs like Turnmills, Ministry of Sound, Heaven, The Egg, The End and The Key by the noughties, as well as festivals including Bestival and tours of Slovakia and the Czech Republic. After running a series of nights in nearby Canterbury called Lounge Originals, he took the bold leap of launching a festival: Lounge On The Farm. Running for several years, the festival drew acclaim from the likes of The Guardian, booking major acts such as Annie Mac, Hercules & Love Affair and The xx—with Sean always closing the festival as part of his ComfyPorn DJ duo.

These days leaning heavily on electro and breakbeat styles with a dash of acid as well as breezy, seductive house music, he continues to pursue new music that embodies some of the spirit of the music he grew up on. Peppering his sets with acapellas and samples that help to elevate the mood or intensity, he embodies the ‘journey’ approach to DJing, taking his audiences on expansive audio trips. After a hiatus, he has been putting the groundwork in across the Toronto scene and can be found playing discerning local clubs and festivals in the area, as he redoubles his efforts to bring his favourite music to appreciative crowds once again.

-	Ben Gomori (Monologues Records)

Frequencies Of Love

sean baker