Sound Metaphors Mix Series

HAVE A NICE DAY (H.A.N.D.)

A slowly growing collection of mixes curated for a number of different musical online platforms.

DJ SETS - Sound Metaphors Djs (Castro & Nemo)

Sound Metaphors mix series featuring David Fogarty, head honcho of Transmigration - Berlin based label, party and radio show - the techno connoisseur responsible for re-issuing a stellar 90's Ambient Techno focused catalogue of essential releases from around the globe.
@transmigration_records

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 01 : David Fogarty

Yuzo Iwata aka Fabio, 50% Cubano, 50% Japanese, Karate blackbelt and DJ/producer, originally from the Iwata Juku Dojo in Japan and now based in Berlin, Yuzo shares with us his latest fascinations from dancefloor land. A rich and thoughtfully put together excursion throughout breakbeat, synthetic psychedelia, new beat and other stellar four-on-the-floor nuances. From working in some of Berlin's finest record stores (*wink*), Yuzo has clearly developed a relationship well beyond familiar with records in a wide range of genres - let this mix take you where you need to go.
@fabio-konair

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 03 : Yuzo Iwata

Very excited to feature a really special new mix by an old friend from Milan, Gabriele (Sunny Crypt) collects records, occasionally enjoys playing weird music to dancing crowds and also spends some of his happiest days working in a record shop. 
Driven by a strong curiosity towards a wide range of musical genres coming from different eras and different cultural contexts, in a previous life he’s been a resident DJ at Milan’s Dude Club, a true institution for italian clubbing during the last decade. Open you hearts <3

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 05 : Gabriele

A previous guest of honor at H.A.N.D. as we debuted the series with a recording of his first class workings at Have A Nice Day a few years back - Piers Harrison presents us with yet another generous offering to our new mix series. One of the minds at Test pressing and 1/4 of team Soft Rocks, Piers' insightful relationship with music and dance floor culture has clearly led to a discerning understanding in a wide range of genres - kindly displayed in this pleasant excursion - listen carefully :)
@soft-rocks

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 04 : Piers Harrison

Right when you thought the 80's had been mostly dug out, the "Night City Life" compilation hits the shelves. 
Ever since we heard his compilation for Spacetalk we were blown away: one of the best curations of early MIDI dancefloor/radio oriented productions we'd heard in a while. Truly refreshing to the human ear, not to mention the heavy research behind it. As such, we've wanted to book Ilan ever since but then COVID happened. Still a wet dream to see him do his thing live but for now here's this amazing bit of aural goodness to get you in the right mindset. 

Ilan is a London-based record collector. He can often be found posting the artwork of 80s vinyl from his collection on Instagram; a patchwork of nostalgia from musical days gone by.

Check him out on IG and listen carefully - your discogs wantlists will never be the same.

H.A.N.D. MIX 027 - Ilan (Night City Life)

For years now, an old recording of Jeffrey Sfire at Cocktail D'Amore's one and only cosmic hole was one of the highest references for us in terms of downtempo Italo sleaze - an almost 6 hours recording serving more like a PhD aural dissertation specialized in some of the most remarkable dancefloor digs (mainly Europe) had to offer in the 80s at under 115BPM. To be able to share it publicly on the HAND Mix Series as we reach number 50 is a huge honor and we're greatly thankful to Giacomo and Giovanni, the two cuties behind Discodromo that made this possible. We hope you can appreciate it as much as we have over these past years. Here it is HAND #50 featuring the unique sleazy wizardry of Jeffrey Sfire captured in a special moment in time during the moist and lubricated atmospheres of Cocktail, now online - listen carefully! Big thanks to Jeffrey for all the amazing research and excellence in cosmic Jockeymanship ❤️❤️❤️

H.A.N.D. MIX 050 Jeffrey Sfire

Live recording of the Sound Metaphors Boat Party at Love International 2024 with Palms Trax and Castro & Nemo.

Palms Trax b2b Sound Metaphors DJs at Love International Festival 2024

Sound Metaphors (@sound-metaphors) is Nemo Ripoll and Castro Moore, but it is also the name of their famously well-curated label and record shop in Berlin. As such the pair has been helping to define the sound of the underground on many different fronts - electric DJ sets, cult events and even through the custom-made sound systems built for customers worldwide. With a vast musical knowledge between them and a never-ending supply of their own unreleased edits and DJ tools, they are able to tell musical stories that draw from all across all genres and many different eras.

That plays out in the superb mix they have put together for us this week. It's a full-bodied selection that shows off their love of contrasting styles - loose, percussive house music brushes up with deep and dubby cuts, dark acid grooves sit next to '80s synth sounds before a disco finish goes from stomping to funky. The exuberance of it all is infectious and leaves you wanting more.

Dekmantel Podcast

Dekmantel Podcast 477 - Sound Metaphors DJs

3 track EP with contemporary Cantonese cover version of italo-disco classic "Spacer Woman" by Charlie, with additional "Acid Trip Version" and "Karaoke Version"

A1 宇宙女人 Spacer Woman (Kaona Vocal Version)

Jordi, aka Llupe, and Nico, aka DJ Aficionado, share quite a few things in common: Catalan origins, a love for all things Balearic, the same street in Berlin and shows on Refuge Worldwide. They both certainly appreciate a good party, too.

Organizing parties and playing together was a natural direction for them. Their party series, Orbita, launched earlier this year, aims to create ample space for quality adult dance music. It seems to be working well, as they’ve been fortunate to host guests like Apiento, Tom of England, and Sianza, to name a few.

This mix is a recording from the last Orbita party, held at Fitzroy on what many described as the last day of summer in Berlin. For those who remember, it was a dreamy and sensual Sunday, filled with music that sounded just right in that room. It felt nice and cosy and the dancers seemed to be momentarily free from any kind of Monday angst. Playful and light, yet seriously good. Feel the magic, times two.

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 29 : DJ Aficionado & Llupe

"We lost Curley way too early and at a point where he was about to become very well known. He had a unique talent but the thing that got me the most was that we were walking the same musical path. We had arranged to work together in the new year but we sadly lost him on new years eve. I was very lucky to have worked with him on the Sahara technique ep and several times in the Spiral Tribe Studio 23 when we were parked up in Den Haag 1993-94. I was most influenced by a record he did with Yan from Unit Moebius on a small label called Oxalis from near Paris. The record featured a flange/chorus being fed back on itself. I was blown away and have developed this sound ever since. You will hear it on this mix. I dedicate this mix to my fallen brother who i will carry in my heart forever and who I always think of before I start an improvisation !!!

Anyone who hears his music and and mine will understand why we are musical brothers."

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 32 : 69db (Hommage to Curley)

'A Hot Summer Night in 1991'
This mix was made to bring you back to the golden days of House.
Back when it had never been on the radio, never seen on tv & only some Parkzicht-tapes circulated the neighbourhood.
Step into this time machine & enjoy thé most beautiful tracks from that era! 🙏🌌💫🌃💥

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/spacearppete/

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 37 : Space Arp Pete

One of the truest stylists in DJing.

Although leaving behind only a small repertoire, sadly cut short by an early and unexpected passing, what we have left as evidence of his deep dedication to the pleasures of music is so unique and designed with such charming consistency, that when listened to, can only be Zecky’s selection.


Since the late 2000’s we studied the few mixes we could get our hands on obsessively, to the point where for example: we will never be able to hear Pats and Pat “Tobago” without the expectation of “City Lights” to be mixed in next, courtesy of the 2008 Ebisu Bar Jam recording. To us, Zecky became a sub genre of music — "Zecky style tracks" — something in the realms of what we might consider as Balearic, but still somehow blurring the borders of acceptable Italo-disco, and then coming way out of left field with something contemporary like Simply Red...and somehow it all made perfect sense. A lot of these tracks may seem obvious now, but keep in mind this was mid 2000’s, a lot of these tracks were still not known, discogs was not what it is today: contextually, the calliber of his research was heavy. Imagine living in a time when the idea of what a good DJ should be doing is minimal techno yet you’re a Japanese guy going to Italy to look for completely expired Italo material, one can only imagine the facial expressions and dialogues that might have emerged between Italian record store owners and Zecky throughout his digging travels.


The role that talent plays in the DJ "profession" can sometimes feel fuzzy, especially in the post social media/CDJ era. In our humble opinions however, listening to Zecky’s oeuvre gave this mystery a good amount of inspiring clarity. The aesthetic precision of his selection supported by his simple but flawless mixing created compositions so striking that the mixes became new stories or soundtracks to beautiful movies no one had ever seen before. It really felt like he was making something larger than the music he was using to compose these moments. A common (and disturbing) cliche one often hears when people go about describing a DJ’s work is the idea of being a “story teller”. To us Zecky genuinely put forth this idea on a meaningful level, his stories were some of the nicest of all.

We learned so much from Zecky.


Thank you for the music and happy birthday — Zecky would have been 54 today.


Thank you to Daisuke, his party partner, for making this possible ❤️
_
DJ 界での真のスタイリストの一人。
残念ながら、予期せぬ早すぎる死によって残されたレパートリーはわずかですが、音楽の楽しみに対する彼の深い献身の証拠として残されたものはとてもユニークで、魅力的な一貫性をもってデザインされており、聴くとZeckyのセレクションを感じざるを得ません。
2000 年代後半から私たちは手に入れることができる数少ないミックスを執拗に研究し、例えば、2008 年の恵比寿バージャムのレコーディングのおかげでパットとパットの「Tobago」を聞くと、次に「City Lights」がミックスされることを期待せずにはいられなくなりました。
私たちにとってZecky は音楽のサブジャンル、つまり「Zecky スタイルのトラック」になりました。これは、私たちがバレアリックと考えるものの領域に属しながら、それでも許容できるイタロディスコの境界を曖昧にし、その後 Simply Red のような現代的なものによって予想外の形で登場しました... そしてどういうわけか、すべてが完璧に理にかなったものでした。これらのトラックの多くは今では当たり前に思えるかもしれませんが、これは 2000 年代半ばのことであり、これらのトラックの多くはまだ知られておらず、discogs は今日ほどではありませんでした。文脈上、彼のリサーチの質は高いものでした。優れた DJ が行うべきのことはミニマルテクノであるという考え方がある時代に生きていると想像してください。しかし、あなたは完全に期限切れのイタロの素材を探しにイタリアに行く日本人男性です。彼のレコード探しの旅を通して、イタリアのレコード店のオーナーと Zecky の間に生まれたであろう表情や会話は想像するしかありません。 DJ という「職業」において才能が果たす役割は、特にソーシャル メディアや CDJ の時代以降は、曖昧に感じられることがあります。しかし、私たちのささやかな意見としては、Zecky の作品を聴くとこの謎がかなりはっきりと理解できました。彼の選曲の美的精度と、シンプルでありながら完璧なミキシングが、非常に印象的な作品を生み出し、そのミックスは新しい物語や誰も見たことのない美しい映画のサウンドトラックになりました。彼は、これらの瞬間を作曲するために使用した音楽よりも大きな何かを作っているように感じました。人々が DJ の仕事を説明するときによく耳にする一般的な (そして不快な) 決まり文句は、「ストーリーテラー」であるという考えです。私たちにとって、Zecky はこの考えを本当に意味のあるレベルで提示しており、彼の物語は最も素晴らしいものでした。私たちは Zecky から多くのことを学びました。音楽をありがとう。誕生日おめでとうございます。Zecky は今日 54 歳になっていたはずです。これを実現させてくれたパーティーパートナーの大輔に感謝します❤️

H.A.N.D. MIX 065 : Zecky – Metro 1st

New Sound Metaphors DJs promo mix 2025. 
Thanks for your support! ❤️

For bookings (Sound Metaphors DJs):
dominic@thepool-london.com

H.A.N.D. MIX 066 : Sound Metaphors DJs

✨ vinyl only mix✨  

For edition 69 of our guest mix series, we welcome once again London-based record collector Ilan (Night City Life). A true Italo enthusiast, Ilan curated Night City Life (@spacetalkmusic), one of our favourite compilations of 2019. Night City Life II will be dropping this summer (and we can’t wait 🎷)

As a DJ his selections are always rich with nostalgia and emotion, taking us on a journey through time and sound. Here is a recording of his vinyl-only set from Flow Festival last year; an Italo-tinged expedition in the Helsinki sunshine.

H.A.N.D. MIX 069 - Ilan (Night City Life)

👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩
A Cute and Sexy slow jams special! lovers Rock, Digi Dub, etc, etc! Best listened to whilst thinking about someone special!
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩👩‍❤️‍💋‍👩

H.A.N.D. MIX 067 : DJ Subaru (Valentine's Day Special)

London based producers, visual artists and DJ duo, Good Block have been throwing parties in the capital for nearly 15 years. Hosting the likes of Ramzi, Mogwaa, Jex Opolis, Gabrielle Kwarteng, Jamie Tiller, Zaltan, Bufiman, Jon K, Cosmic Slop, Bradley Zero, Apiento, Bahamian Moor, Trujillo, Jonny Rock and many more. 

In 2018 the duo started a very popular dropbox folder of free edits which slowly continues to expand. With a string of productions and remixes on the likes of Isle Of Jura, Emotional Response, Planet Trip, Heels & Souls and Duca Bianco they also released three EPs - 4 Corners, Aquaculture and Naiad / Dryad on their own imprint.

On 20th March 2025 the duo will debut their full length album ‘Window’ a collection of works recorded between 2017 - 2024 representing hours of musical experimentation and emerging from the many influences that have shaped their sound. The album will be available on limited edition double gatefold vinyl and full digital release, with artwork by the duo. 

https://goodblock.bandcamp.com/album/window

'This mix has been recorded to showcase the wide variety of influences that have inspired us over the years, we hope you enjoy'

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 33 : Good Block

Recorded live at the k hole disco (Lunacy party), Angel Bar, 2025.

Aradea Barandana, widely known as Dea, began his DJ career in high school, spinning records as background music for a breakdance crew. What started as a casual exploration of rhythm soon blossomed into a passion for building community through music. Dea launched his own club night in Jakarta, where his eclectic taste began to take shape.
While studying in London, Dea delved deep into the world of underground and obscure cosmic sounds, honing a style that defies strict categorization. His sets are a rich tapestry of exotic psychedelia, infused with electronic grooves that transcend traditional genre boundaries.
Dea has released numerous records under his own name and as part of projects like Precious Bloom and Zatua. His collaborations span diverse fields, from co-creating a short film soundtrack with DJ Harvey to contributing to albums by A Mountain of One and Ricardo Villalobos. He also made waves with an EP released on Peggy Gou’s Gudu Records.
Looking ahead, Dea is set to release his highly anticipated solo album on Rush Hour Records in summer 2025, a testament to his ever- evolving artistry and deep connection to the global music scene.

H.A.N.D. MIX 068 : Dea Barandana


Meet Soyoon—the landscape architect turned dreamsmith of motion.
Raised on radio crackle and dolphin-blue Walkman tapes, she’s always had a thing for tuning into feeling. Now a resident at Macadam and Mihn, she sculpts sound with the same mischief and precision she once brought to space and form. Her motto? “Why play it safe when you can play it mind-blowing?”
Buckle up—her all-vinyl set hits straight to the soul.

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 35 : Soyoon

Sol is a DJ, collector, and graphic designer in Seoul, South Korea. She plays music from the '90s, such as balearic, downtempo, house, and techno. From a DJ's point of view, when people think of Sol, she wants to be recognized as a person who does not think of a genre of music and gives various genres of music to people.

H.A.N.D. MIX 070 - Sol

Field Notes is a party collective based in Amsterdam, throwing intimate gatherings at home and beyond.
We believe in the non-commercialism of partying — stripping it back to its essence: sound, space, cosmic music, and a global community of misfits.
Our aim is to create the perfect clubbing experience, rooted in impeccable sound, a warm and open crowd, and intimate venues.

H.A.N.D. MIX 071 : Field Notes DJs

Marsha Stern, the gift that keeps on giving <3 another generous offering from her sacred Roy Thode vault of recordings from a very golden age of dance floor culture. It’s a tremendous honour to be able to house this recording on our Soundcloud page, an untouched time capsule from almost half a century ago, allowing us the luxury of re-living that moment in that room with Roy Thode holding court behind the booth, providing the soundtrack to what would have been a wonderful night in a very special place. 1980, no smart phones, no discogs, no social media, CDJS or sync/loop buttons, the profession of DJing was still in its early beginnings of being defined and Roy’s dedication to the craft certainly helped define it. 
In a time where it’s not always so easy to feel proud of being “a DJ”, it’s inspiring to look back at the origins of dance floor culture, one of them being extremely dedicated, self-educated and oppressed homosexuals in New York who took it upon themselves to explore the aesthetics of music on the dance floor to extreme levels. This recording should give you a glimpse into what that might have sounded like. Please take a moment to listen carefully and allow yourself to understand the genius of Roy Thode’s craft as a DJ. We hope it inspires you as much as it inspired us. On this day, Roy would have become 76 years of age, long live his memory, thank you for the music and inspiring dedication to the craft. Happy Birthday Roy!

Roy Thode recorded at the Ice Palace, Fire Island May 17, 1980

A somewhat mysterious DJ from France, Adrien has been lugging around a back-breaking collection of records gathered over 15 years of questionable life choices and obsessive digging. Moving to Amsterdam helped him discover new sounds and obscure subgenres, and gave him a fresh set of eyes on DJing. Amid the chaos his soft spot for disco has always found its way in his selections, and his sets are a hopeful attempt to make sense of it all.

H.A.N.D. MIX 074 : Adrien

3 hours of me spinning 100% vinyl ~ some pop, some club, Italo, easy blends,

Captured on the 22.03.25 at Doka (Amstersdam), which has a very DJ comfortable booth. Play time was from around 3am-6ish.

This live recording is my first in at least 5 years - I’ve always struggled with the concept of DJing without a crowd/dance-floor so for my usual mix output I “record” in Ableton. I also enjoy “mixing” on the sofa as horizontal as possible so go figure.

H.A.N.D. MIX 073 : Bell Towers

Tosi is a Tokyo-based DJ known for energetic, genre-blending sets that weave together house, disco, cosmic, balearic, italo disco, synth pop, and all-mix styles. In 2005, he co-founded the collective and label Timothy Really, becoming an integral part of the local scene. More recently, he’s been releasing hidden gem Re-Edits under the name C.O.M.P.A.S. alongside fellow collective member Sisi that have been championed by DJs across Japan and beyond.

Tosiは東京出身のDJ 。90年代後半から都内クラブシーンでキャリアを積み、ハウス、ディスコ、コズミック、バレアリック、イタロ・ディスコ、シンセポップを縦横無尽に織り交ぜる独自のグルーヴでフロアを魅了してきた。2005年にはコレクティブ兼レーベル「Timothy Really」を共同設立し、シーンの中核に関わる。近年は同郷のSisiとともにC.O.M.P.A.S.名義でリエディットトラックをリリースし、国内外のDJからサポートを受けている。

H.A.N.D. MIX 076 - Tosi

"Over dinner, the promoter mentioned how hard it was to play disco at the club, which made me smile, given the party was called “Bye Bye Disco.” She asked if I could play something that would help people understand and appreciate disco in a fresh, modern way, so that’s exactly what I set out to do. "

Recorded live at Bye Bye Disco in Beijing.

H.A.N.D. MIX 075  - Trent

voices illuminating the dark edges. raw acid. unholy synth. silicon rain save me! 
recorded in my living room on 2 technics 1210s and a xone 62, sometime after midnight, 25.05.25 berlin

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 38 : ābnamā

Recorded at Radio Relativa Studio on 21.07.2025


Sound Metaphors Djs @ Radio Relativa (Madrid), 21.07.2025

The Grouch DJ is a record dealer, digger and DJ originally from the San Francisco area. Currently based in São Paulo, Brazil, when he is not at home, he is on the road DJing, and digging for records around the world.

This mix is compiled of some of the favorite digs from the DJs last year on the road, including records from all over Brazil, Peru, Washington State, Portland, Argentina, New York and beyond.

LINKS: 
souncloud https://soundcloud.com/user-564909028 
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thegrouchdj/

H.A.N.D. MIX 077 - The Grouch DJ

Benji became a key figure in Berlin’s early ’90s club scene with residencies at Tresor, Bunker’s Red Hot Chill Out Club, and the first SNAX parties. From 1999, he pioneered the fusion of Italo-Disco, synth/wave, and obscure disco in Berlin, hosting the Italo-only show Radio Tenax on Twen FM (2003–2011). With 30+ years behind the decks, Benji keeps pushing boundaries with genre-blending sets across Europe.

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 38 : BenjiDF

Sound Metaphors podcast 05 – Castro Moore

http://testpressing.org/2018/11/mix-475-sound-metaphors-longitudinal-fermented/

TESTPRESSING MIX #475 - Castro & Nemo - Longitudinal Fermented

COCKTAIL D'AMORE COSMIC HOLE - Sound Metaphors DJs (Nemo&Castro) - August 6th 2018

Live recording from the Have A Nice Day Party in Berlin, with Piers Harrison from Soft Rocks.

H.A.N.D. MIX 001 - Piers Harrison

Live recording from the Have A Nice Day Party in Berlin, with Dea Barandana from Bali, Indonesia.

H.A.N.D. MIX 002 -  Dea Barandana

Live recording from the Have A Nice Day Party in Berlin, with Emil Doesn't Drive.

H.A.N.D. MIX 003 - Emil Doesn't Drive

Mark Grusane mix for H.A.N.D. recorded on Reichenberger Str, Berlin Dec 6, 2018

H.A.N.D. MIX 004 - Mark Grusane

Live recording from the Have A Nice Day Party in Berlin, with Castro & Nemo
For booking request : booking@soundmetaphors.com

H.A.N.D. MIX 005 - Sound Metaphors DJs (Castro & Nemo)

A Simone - Mabsota

Recorded live from Cocktail D'Amore's winter garden on October 6th 2019.

COCKTAIL D'AMORE GARDEN Sound Metaphors DJs (Nemo&Castro) - October 6th 2019

Recording for H.A.N.D. by Trujillo, June 2020.

H.A.N.D. MIX 023 – Trujillo

Little intro needed here - one of the resident wizards behind the cocktail d'amore curtains - Juan Ramos puts together a beautiful excursion taking one's psyche to novel degrees of darkness, a true expression of musical research and knowledge, Mr. Ramos goes deep in the archives and continues to surprise. This time in a completely new direction - take a trip!

Sound Metaphors Mix Series 02 : Juan Ramos

For DJ bookings:  Sound Metaphors DJs
booking@soundmetaphors.com

Sound Metaphors 
Weichselstraße 22
12045 Berlin

Sound Metaphors Store / DJs

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