All of our podcasts... Respect to the DJs - they're the heart and soul of electronic music!

Smile for a while Podcasts

In making his long awaited return to Periodica, Milord steps away from the mysterious electro and new age mysticisms of past releases, and instead delivers the freaked out boogie funk free-for-alls, brain-bending disco dubs, and summertime pop perfections of ‘Party Line’. The club mix is an extended excursion through hypnotizing and ever-evolving club psychedelia, with wild phonecall detritus accenting a riffing and body-rocking banger led by svelte lyricisms, energized chants, and future gazing vocoder treatments. Elsewhere, the dub is a building body bomb of Afro-tribal grooves, techno bass, echoing cascades of drum fx, and pianos soaked in interstellar aether. And for the ultra infectious radio mix, touches of Kraftwerk meet sunshine pop jam band as a molten bubblegum bass guitar bounces on an earworm drum groove, while all around, vocals soar and six-strings jangle through solar-soaked licks.
(Words by Braden Balentine)

PRD1025 • Milord - "Party Line"

VINYL/DIGITAL - https://spacetalkmusic.bandcamp.com/album/night-city-life-ii

Much has changed for Ilan Pdahtzur since the release of his Night City Life compilation six years ago. Back then, he was a little-known record collector who shared obscure, synth-heavy music that “captured the night-time glow” of the city he calls home, London, via a dedicated Instagram page.

Fast forward to 2025 and Ilan is now a respected member of the international digger-selector community, having delivered must-check mixes for the likes of Bordello A Parigi, Bayete, Hunee’s Lifetones and Sound Metaphors.

It seems a fitting time, then, for Spacetalk to unleash Night City Life II, a second deep dive into Ilan’s distinctive, neon-lit sound world – a place where European synth-pop rarities, Italo-dance treats, dancefloor-focused post-boogie instrumentals soundtrack strolls around shuttered skyscrapers, dockside housing estates and wharf-side warehouse conversions.

In the six years that have passed since the release of Night City Life, Ilan has uncovered many more rarities, private-press gems and slept-on treats, with 14 of these featuring on the dusty-fingered crate-digger’s sublime sequel. As with its predecessor, much effort has been made to track down the artists behind the synth-heavy songs on show, with the vinyl edition featuring extended liner notes where some tell the story of their track in detail.

Musically, there’s much to set the pulse racing within Ilan’s superb selections, from the slow-motion shuffle of Playground’s self-released 1984 B-side ‘Rainy Day Woman’ and the brilliance of Shamor’s 1985 South African synth-pop special ‘Close To You (Bwela Pafupi)’, to Sharon & Tracy’s ‘The Sheik’ – a belly-dancing inspired slab of TB-303 bass-driven house – and the kaleidoscopic, piano-rich 1992 Euro-house brilliance of ‘Come Into My Life’ by Jennifer.

Dive deeper into the collection and more under-appreciated musical masterpieces make their presence felt. There’s Sicilian musician Claudio D’Ignoti’s lesser-known boogie-era single ‘Anche Per Noi’, where rubbery bass guitar, Nile Rodgers style disco guitar licks and spacey synths dominate the sound space, Lena’s fashion circuit-inspired, early Pet Shop Boys-esque ‘Embrasse-Moi (Strumentale)’ – one that members of Milan’s Paninaro movement would surely have enjoyed – and a sublime, spaced-out and effects laden dancefloor dub of ‘Rescue Me (Imagination)’ by Jimmy D, a genuinely sought-after jam originally released on a now impossible-to-find seven-inch single.

Offering another genuinely distinctive, carefully curated collection of lesser-known musical treats, Night City Life II is another essential, immersive and synthesizer-powered journey through Ilan’s unique sonic world.

Night City Life II

SPACETALK SHOP

Lena - Embrasse-Moi (Strumentale)

The fiveth four-track EP on The Secret Ingredient Is Stealing is out now on Bandcamp including another killer quartet of underground disco jams this time from Netherlands, United States and Italy illegally re-treated for contemporary discotheques. Don't fight the feeling baby!

The Secret Ingredient Is Stealing 005

Unknown Artist - The Secret Ingredient Is Stealing 005.1 (Edit) (The Secret Ingredient Is Stealing)

Give Up

Majesty

Тебя лучше нет

Boncana Maiga - Koyma Hondo (Jake Rivera Edit)

VEGA

Touch Me Tonight

New Funk

Sharevari is a good friend of mine, a vinyl enthusiast to the bone and a versatile DJ, too.

here's his mix for S4AW:

1. D`marc Cantu - Steam Funk
2. Jordan - Killing Mockingbirds
3. Monosoul - New Miami
4. Addex - Blazing
5. Central - Political Dance
6. Borrowed Identity - Feelings For You
7. Patrice Scott - She's Jazzy
8. Marcello Napoletano - Rage Against
9. Patrice Scott - Reborn Goodness
10. Flow - Drifter
11. Your Planet Is Next - Ghosty Is My Dog

Smile For A While Podcast # 35 - Sharevari

Behrang Mohammadi

Born in Iran, raised in Sweden and currently based in Berlin, Behrang Mohammadi is a multifaceted DJ and producer. He works with a much broader musical palette than your average electronic selector, surprising the dance floor with golden oddities and quirky combinations. 

Behrang is a co-founder of Spazio Records, the originator of the Berlin-Malmö club initiative TTNoTDB and has played a key role in the electronic music scene of southern Sweden for almost a decade. Today he’s one of Inkonst’s resident DJs while playing Berlin clubs like ://about blank, Griessmuehle and Paloma. 

Behrang Mohammadi released his first 12” Abdoullah/Mina on his own Spazio label in 2017. He has also mastered and mixed several other records, including Johanna Knutsson’s album Tollarp Transmissions on Kontra-Musik 2019.

He DJed at kit kat's "Disco Bizarre" night some time ago, that's where I met him and where we set up this podcast...

Smile for a while podcast #43 - Behrang Mohammadi

Estimulo, member of the futura (www.futuraberlin.de) event agency and DJ crew (currently dormant), that has been causing some furor in the Berlin scene with their proceedings in celebrated undergrund spots like ://about blank, Paloma, Horst and Chez Jacki/Maria am Ostbahnhof. Being an avid record collector and music aficionado since the late 80s, in his DJ sessions he's always on the lookout for those special moments of dancefloor salvation, oscillating between House/Techno Classics and unknown electronic treasures, with a heavy splash of classic Electro & Funk. With his label Mixomat Recordings (founded in 2004) he has been putting out early releases by artists such as Marco Nega, immer.Chic, Rezkar (Running Back) and Serendipity (Inner Shift Music).
His weekly Internet Radio Show (EstimuloShow mixomat.org since 2007, also on MOTION FM and Cashmere
Radio cashmereradio.com/shows/estimuloshow since 2017) is regarded as a mainstay for those who count themselves to the deeper House circles.
The last years have seen Estimulo taking the vibe to places like the UK, France, Canada, Norway, Poland, Ukraine and Jordan on his DJ tours.

Smile for a while podcast #44 - Estimulo

Some time ago I played at a 19th birthday party. It was a blast and to my surprise all of the DJs were top-notch House jocks. So was @Imad909  - a music lover, raver, DJ and producer from Berlin, who puts together anything with a 4 to the floor that resonates with his energies. His mixes are Inspired by the sounds of 90's New York City as well as the deeper shades of house from Berlin. He takes his favourite dancefloor moments and compiles it into one journey behind the decks.

Tracklist:
1. KCYC - I'm Not Dreaming (Media Mix)
2. Mike Delgado - Jazzmania
3. Cloud 9 - Do You Want Me Baby (Victor Simonelli Original Mix)
4. Kerri Chandler & Jerome Sydenham - Powder (Dark Mix)
5. JVXTA - SS Anne
6. Franck Roger - Vabre (DJ Steaw Remix)
7. Kerri Chandler - Keep Me Inside
8. Mike Sharon - Deep Empathy (Original Mix)
9. Mellow Man - Life's Like Good Music
10. D Base - Love Is Deeper (Munchies Mix)
11. Ricky Suarez - Jus A Groove
12. 24 Hour Experience - Together
13. 24 Hour Experience - Take Me Up To Bed (Filthy Dub)
14. Crystal Waters - Makin Happy (Hurleys Happy House Mix)

Smile for a while podcast #45 - Imad

Jakob Mäder is a Stuttgart based DJ and producer, musically interested in ambient, disco, house and some related genres around. He’s regularly playing in the Romantica, Dresden Bar and some other bars and clubs in Stuttgart. With his crew called Midnight Service he’s organising events with guests such as Johannes Albert, Philipp Schultheis or Panthera Krause, just to name a few. The label Random Mind State put out his first track on vinyl in summer 2019.

In his Smile For A While mix he shows his love for 80s, disco, edits and house. BTW: Watch out for an unreleased track in the mix, coming soon on one of Mr. Fonks labels.....

Smile for a while podcast #46 - Jakob Mäder

A young local selector from Kassel, Milès Borghese began learning his trade mixing records in his early teens. From there, he steadily established himself as a resident for the Unten club for over six years. He can be found playing in and around the Kassel area and promoting own events.

Tracklist:
 The Shamen - Make It Mine (Deep Mix)
 Lazar Hoche - Access
 Youandewan - Loophole
 Mountain People - Kamala
 Christian Jay - Green
 Youandewan - Badorb
 Mandar - Fouad
 Kosh - Keep hope alive
 Brawther - le voyage
 Daniel Paul - first touch
 D-Velo - Quarry
 leafar legov - when the morning comes

Smile for a while podcast #48 -Milès Borghese

All That Jelly is a label run by Mr. Fonk (@cracked-a) from Berlin. 
The roots are Soul, Funk, Disco and oldschool House Music. Detroit, New York City and Chicago. The Music Institute, Paradise Garage, Warehouse and Muzic Box. Derrick May, Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles and Ron Hardy.

Smile For A While Podcast # 35 - Sharevari

All That Jelly / Smile for a while

Recent comments

Subkutan

pastel autumn

Audrey Siatkowski

CAROLINE BLESS

Related tracks