I like to showcase the diversity of skilled SA DJs on Hit Refresh, so I don't do it very often, but in early March I presented a live, solo 4 hour set with no plan beyond track one, and ended up lifting my own spirits with a happy, soulful mix. Maybe it will open the same little mental window out of our lockdown confinement for you, as it did for me, to look back at all the places we've joyfully danced to these tracks, together.

Live on Vuzu 22:00-02:00

4 HOURS OF HAPPINESS, SOLO SET, HIT REFRESH, 5 MARCH 2021

HIT REFRESH

HIT REFRESH B2B with GUY HERMAN 23 April 2021

Blackbox - Fantasy
The Township House Band - Rise
DJs At Work - Don't Be Ashamed
Ntokozo - Old School Flavour
Mandoza - Nkalakatha (Dub Mix Version)
Mapaputsi - Kleva (Ragga Mix)
Chiskop - Klaimar
Magumgedlela - No Money No Vibe
Tuff Jam Experience - Experience
Mateo & Matos - Groove 4 U
Dubtribe Sound System - We Used To Dance (Original Version)
Billy Ocean - Nights (Feel Like Getting Down)
Jaymz Nyloon feat. Mooney - I know A Place (Shades of Black Remix)
Janet - Got 'Til It's Gone (Def The Bass Mix)
Terence Trent D'Arby - Sign Your Name (Shelter Vocal Mix)  
Double You - That's The Way Love Is 
Angie Stone - I Wasn't Kidding (Shelter Vocal Mix) 
Unkle Funk - Out of Sight
Santana feat. Rob Thomas - Smooth (Club Mix)
Oreja - Vazilando (Main Mix)
Sergio Mendes & The Black Eyed Peas (Masters At Work Remix)
DJ Vetkuk Vs Mahoota - Tonight Is The Night (Mahoota Remix)
Thebe - Current
TKZee - Fiasco
Negrocan - Cada Vez (GN Carnival Mix)
DJ Christos - Ratanang 
DJ Gregory - Soldiers 
Bob Sinclair feat. Jeff Keliner – Juju Beat
Yves Larock feat. Roland Richards - Zookey (Lift Your Leg Up)
Bob Sinclair feat. Jacob Desvarieux & J. Mi Sissoko - Sye Bwa
Noite Linda - Afrolamba (Maurice Noah's Club Mix)
Afrix feat. Dorothee Ningabire - Zakamucyo (Orogonal Main Mix)
Baaba Maal - Gorel (Masters At Work Vocal TV Remix)
Bob Sinclair - Steel Storm (Zulu Dub)
The Afro Jazz Pioneers - A Tribute To Letta (Groove Mix)
Rhythmcentric - New School Fusion (Basement Boys Remix)
Revolution - Untitled
Mood II Swing – Nafara (The Scenic Route)
Hollis P Monroe - I'm Lonely (Vincenzo Remix)
Dubtribe Sound System - Nothing Is Impossible (Dennis Ferrer Club Mix)
T.P.O - Hiroshi's Dub (Joe Claussell's Bonus Groove)
Mike I & Lanoiraude - Mystic River (Charles Webster Remix)
Coldcut feat. Robert Owens - Walk A Mile (Henrik Schwarz Remix)

It came from Studio 9

HIT REFRESH SOLO 4 HOUR VINYL SET 30 JULY 2021

3rd Afrodeep Excursion

DON'T LOOK DOWN

AKWAFUNK 2022

Archive mix from 2009, recorded for Whomp!  Back when Afrohouse was still a forming idea but not yet a sound. It required an imaginative DJ to obsessively seek out old and new vinyl which contained thematic elements for combination into a live mix, curated with the specific purpose of trying to express a sense of what might be coming, but hadn't quite arrived yet...

whomp-fm.com

Afrika Vinyl Mix 2009

HOUSE AFRIKA  

SUMMIT SUNSET SESSION 10 SEPT 2022

INTRO TO CONCRETE WAREHOUSE V2 feat. STEVE BUG

AKWAFUNK 2023

Recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil on 11 June 2014.

It's no studio recording.  Instead there were the distractions of new friends, Brazilian models, a new city, untranslatable requests, photos, toast after toast, a little equipment failure for good measure and a demanding 4am crowd digging for last grooves.   

O Brasil é lindo maravilhoso!

AFRICAN IN BRAZIL

@dj_Strat3gy at Bread 4 Soul 07 May 2023

BACK TO BACK ON HIT REFRESH LIVE VIA SATELLITE ON VUZU.TV WITH AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION THROUGH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, SMS AND WECHAT.  DEBUT OF THE 4 HOUR SHOW - AFTER 11 YEARS ON AIR.

TIM WHITE & STRAT3GY - GO DEEP OR GO TO SLEEP

2024's annual homage to the spirit of the Akwafunk party series, 20+ years back, with music released in the preceding 12th month.  They were long parties journeying towards a sunrise over the sea, so the aim was to let the tracks play in full and blend themselves. I don't feel a day older, and I'd drop everything to play tomorrow's sunrise there, if someone asked.

AKWAFUNK 2024

A dream come true to perform amongst some South African and international house music greats, on the TV series my production company www.dontlookdown.tv produced in partnership with www.houseafrika.com, the record label I co-own with the star of the show: Vinny da Vinci, and featuring his hand picked guests.  

Delivered as the last episode - before we added bonus episodes 27 and 28 with Vinny and Master at Work Little Louie Vega.  

Guests for the series included House Afrika founder Tim White; Black Coffee, Culoe de Song, Ralf Gum, Dj Christos, Dj Ganyane, Jullian Gomes, Andy Compton, Sean McCabe, Rich Medina and Mbuso.

Vinny's House EP 26 - Strat3gy -

Rocco is a rare breed of Dj who can play like a surgeon or a hacker and his moves school me every time.  I can live with that.  This is one of those sets where we sacrifice perfection for spontaneity and try to tease unexpected moments out by challenging each other with sneaky technical traps and disrespect for structure.  This session got so wild that, halfway through, Rocco suggested we dump the headphones.  So, we did...  (this set was also recorded for TV and broadcast on our show, Hit Refresh).  For me, as loose as it is in places, this is what House and Techno are about - sonic adventure without pretension.

ROCCO & STRAT3GY No Headphones Mix.MP3

yeah, there are more understated sets, but sometimes the club just needs a party in it.

Partystarter: UPSTAIRS @ TRUTH 3 Dec 11:30-1

I don't do weddings as a rule, but for a certain couple an exception was made.

Wedding Mix

CTEMF CONNECT JHB AT TRUTH

INTRO to BLACK COFFEE RESIDENCY CLOSING AT HI IBIZA 30 SEPT 2017

Long overdue b2b with label partner and house music hero, Vinny da Vinci.  Spontaneous, with a surprising outcome.

HOUSE AFRIKA SESSIONS 8 APPRECIATION MIX

BUY HERE

VINNY B2B STRAT3GY ON HIT REFRESH

A sunset performance for the 2018 edition of unique South African festival, Littlegig, blending Brendan Jury's live viola into the mix.  In previous work together, Brendan has conducted his orchestration (for shows like Black Coffee’s Africa Rising and Miss South Africa 2014) within one of my Don't Look Down Productions, but this is an intentionally playful reversal of that strict performance strategy: to allow loose, spontaneous, live, instrumental improvisation over a rhythm session co-created by a seasoned crowd celebrating the setting sun in a very good situation.  A small slice of the wonderful overall Littlegig festival experience.

Littlegig 2018

Littlegig Sunset 2018 feat. Brendan Jury

Host's intro to Black Motion Stay True Session on Hit Refresh 4 May 2018

1986   KRAFTWERK – THE TELEPHONE CALL (sample)
1987   YEKE YEKE (HARDFLOOR DUB) – MORY KANTE
1988   WE ARE PHUTURE - PHUTURE
1989   WORLD OF DEEP – KEVIN SAUNDERSON AND E-DANCER
             PUMP UP THE JAM-TECHNOTRONIC (sample)
             INNER CITY - GOOD LIFE (sample)
             VAMP (FRANK DE WULF MIX) – OUTLANDER      
1990.   ENERGY FLASH - JOEY BELTRAM
1991    PAPUA NEW GUINEA (SATOSHI TOMEII MAIN PATH) THE FUTURE SOUND OF LONDON
1992    RE:EVOLUTION - THE SHAMEN (sample)
1993    AGE OF LOVE (WATCH OUT FOR STELLA MIX) - AGE OF LOVE  
1994    TIMELESS LAND (LEFTFIELD DUB) – YOTHU YINDI
1995    HIGHER STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS (TWEAKIN ACID FUNK) – WINX
             VUTURE SHOCK – LOGIQUE
1996    MAMA KONDO – ORINOKO
              INNER CITY LIFE (RABBIT IN THE MOON’S ESCAPE FROM THE VOCALIC CITY MIX) - GOLDIE
              BEAUTIFUL INSIDE – ZOLEX                      
1997    GOOSEBUMPS (MUSHROOMHEAD MIX) – NYLX FEAT. LULA GRENHLADA
1998    KILLER LOOP - BLUE HOUR
1999    OUT OF CONTROL – CHEMICAL BROTHERS
2000    DOOM’S NIGHT (STANTON WARRIORS DUB) – AZZIDO DA BASS 
             THE MAN WITH THE RED FACE – LAURENT GARNIER
              L’ESPERANZA (M.MAYER MIX)- SVEN VATH
2001    STAR 69 – FATBOY SLIM
2002    SO GET UP 2002 (LOW END SPECIALISTS MIX) – UNDERGROUND SOUND OF LISBON
2003.  BORN SLIPPY / NUXX - UNDERWORLD
2004    GALVANISE (ABE DUQUE REMIX) – CHEMICAL BROTHERS (sample)
2005.  TEASER - CIREZ D
2006.  WHEN THE FEVER BREAKS – ABE DUQUE
2007.   SPASTIK (DUBFIRE REWORK) - PLASTIKMAN
2008.   SHATTERED (BRENDAN MOELLER RMX) – TEDD PATERSON
2009.   AMNESIA – GABE
2010.  LIGHTS OUT - SCUBA
2011.  ROB IN THE HOOD – MINIMO, MINOR DOTT
2012    WHITE LIE – ANDRE WINTER
2013.  313 DETROIT CALLING - PLEASUREKRAFT, JACEO, VEDIC
             AWAKE – JOSEPH CAPRIATI
2014. GIV ME LUV (NICOLE MOUDABER REMIX) – ALCATRAZ
            RUMBLE – JULIAN JUWEIL
2015.  ITS FUCKING BUMPING IN HERE DUDE – ASHER PERKINS
2016   NEVERMIND (OLIVER HUNTEMAN REMIX) – VICTOR RUIZ
2017   UNCOMPROMISING – ADANA TWINS
             MAD – DENNIS CRUZ
 
 *Personal project to mark 25 years in the mix 1992-2017.

DON'T LOOOK DOWN

A CURE FOR AMNESIA MixTape SIDE A

STRAT3GY AT TRUTH 12-3AM 20 10 2018 +B2B+ 2Lani the Warrior 3-4

HIT REFRESH 8 March 2019

House Afrika Records

DJ Strat3gy - Strategic Interventions #011

There's not a single storyline at work here, though the most famous (not to mention effective) remains Xi (N!xau) and his efforts to throw a seemingly demonic coke bottle off the edge of the world. Said bottle has brought his tribe nothing but bad luck, so he's taken it upon himself to extricate the item from their lives the only way he knows how. 

The Gods Must Be Crazy - Alternate Soundtrack

Control of the sunset mix kindly handed to me by my friend and Ku De Ta resident Martin East.  Very rewarding to play these tracks in this scene despite the peculiar tempo. 

Ku De Ta, Bali

With Bridges for Music to m-nus in Soweto, Soulistic gigs at Miami's Winter Music Conference, Time Warp in Mannheim, Africa Rising in Soweto and Afrika Burn in the Karoo. 

Inter-dimensional Highway

Opening set for Richie Hawtin at Truth, South Africa, Feb 2013.  As with all live recordings, it is what it is - but it was too magical an experience in my life not to share.  Enjoy, comments welcome.



Opening set for Richie Hawtin at Truth

DJ & Exec.Producer @ 
Don't Look Down Convergence Agency + 
House Afrika Records + 
Black Coffee's Africa Rising. 

Aspirant African Sci-Fi Scorer

@dj_Strat3gy blends the underground grooves of the African streets with future tech visions, enhanced by Don’t Look Down, the prolific convergence agency he founded; and refined by the unremitting quality demands of House Afrika Records, the seminal SA label he is a partner in. 

He’s repped Mzansi internationally from Bali to São Paulo, with notable appearances at the Miami Winter Music Conference, Amsterdam Dance Event, and Black Coffee’s Hï Ibiza residency. History may one day reflect that he created the world’s first live social TV DJ residency, debuting in 2004 as GoChat for a potentially world record-setting and as yet unbroken, 14 year on-air run in a relentless media evolution, ultimately rendering today’s Africa-wide Hit Refresh broadcasts on VuzuTV - spinning off multiple TV DJ mix hits including Bassment, O-Boma and Vinny’s House along the way. 

He has contributed mixes to House Afrika Grooves compilations with Bristol’s Peng and Chicago’s Large Recordings, shared mixing duties with the mighty Tim White for a Hit Refresh release, before uniting with remaining label partner, Vinny Da Vinci, to see individual mixes combinesd for release as House Afrika Sessions 8. @dj_Strat3gy also co-created and executive produced Black Coffee's Africa Rising events and SAMA-winning, platinum-selling CD and DVD releases.

A veteran selector with more than two decades behind the mixer, he combines an adventurous taste for the future, with a keen awareness for musical roots, evidenced by regular pilgrimages to specific House and Techno cultures in New York, Detroit and Berlin. His disregard for imposed boundaries of sound has ignored the criticism of purists to develop a defiant personal performance range, which has delivered notable appearances, spanning from Louie Vega to Dixon and Ame, and stretching from Monolake to Richie Hawtin. He has recently been exploring cross genre collaborations with a diversity of artists, including long-standing Johnny Clegg drummer, Barry van Zyl; Freshly Ground bassist, Josh Hawkes; and multi-instrumentalist Brendan Jury - in a style first explored with EVI master, Bruce Cassidy of Blood, Sweat and Tears fame.

Popular tracks by Strat3gy