When Kiez Burn's legendary Saloon stage said they were going Tiki this year and invited me back to play, I was struck by a vision of Crash Bandicoot and a fiendish desire to replicate the trippy atmosphere of my favourite childhood video game in a mix. Or rather, the idea had been giggling in the back of my mind for some time and I finally had the perfect excuse to actualise my silly little dream - which, after all, is what Burns are all about. 

I already had a few perfect tracks that I never found the right opportunity to play. Little did my future self let me know that I was collecting these gems (or time crystals) for exactly this moment. Then came three solid days of crate digging, driven by obsession or divine impulse, during which my Aku Aku-like enthusiasm never ceased to grin.

The two-hour journey I crafted is the story of a Crash Bandicoot player who, after countless attempts at the same level, finds themselves drifting into a fever dream or vision in which they are INSIDE the game. It's fast-paced and sometimes scary - after all, speeding boulders often appear from nowhere, and let us not forget about the ever-present threat of Crash's nemesis, the mad scientist Neo Cortex, and his minions. The tempo changes present in this mix, as our player enters different jungle environments, were undoubtedly caused by Cortex's time-altering schemes. Can you hear the whirring of his electrical machines?

Retro video game motifs, and the gentle voice of David Lynch, are reassuring reminders that this unrelenting reality might not be as real as it seems. Thankfully, there are some well-earnt dopamine releases known to every gamer and audiophile. "You just gotta break that shit down," encourages one vocal. As Crash Bandicoot players know, many rewards come from breaking shit down. Towards the end of the journey, there is an epiphany about memory and the self. I'll let you guess the true meaning of that one for yourself.

I performed this set around sunset on Acid Friday, which was also the day of the summer solstice and full moon - already a magickal occasion. Dressed as the Fool for my homage to the idiot hero, I set out to mindfuck the many tripping minds that gathered to experience the surprise I had concocted for them. Many minds were indeed fucked; some told me they were equally thrilled and terrified, clinging on for dear life, wondering where the ride would take them next. I did not blame them, since the sonic spectrum touched many genres, some as disparate as drum & bass and '70s classic rock.

My silly little dream became a festival highlight for some. The dance floor spilled out of the Saloon's swinging doors and onto the old runway beside. Some discerning souls even figured out my great riddle, identifying glimmers of the Crash Bandicoot soundtrack.

Above all silliness, and all madness, this mix is a love letter to The Saloon, who have welcomed me to their stage for three years running, and watched me evolve as a DJ meanwhile. It is only on such an unserious stage that I could take so many comedic and artistic risks - all the while kept alive by ice-cold cocktails.

Thank you for your support <3

Crash Bandicoot, Neo Cortex & His Minions | Sesheta, Acid Friday @ Kiez Burn 2024 Tiki Zaloon

Increasing the momentum with each release, Dublaw is back to release the fourth instalment under the DNBLAW label. Showcasing the hard-hitting roller, 'Oxygen' and the atmospheric 'Boulder Dash,' Dublaw takes his production to new levels as he continues to experiment with the drum & bass genre.

Music by Jordan Shaw © Copyright 2020. All Rights Reserved.

DBLW004: Oxygen & Boulder Dash

Boulder Dash

DBLW004: "Boulder Dash" by Dublaw (OUT NOW)

The official drum and bass collection from the Dublaw vault.

Like her leopard-clad namesake, the ancient Egyptian goddess of writing, wisdom and knowledge, Sesheta is an eternal storyteller. Behind Berlin’s altars, and in the ecstatic heart of the Burn, the British DJ transmutes her far-flung discoveries into enchanting journeys – conceived not only as mixes but art pieces.

Booking: seshetadj@gmail.com

New tracks tagged #boulder dash