Hailing from the Belgian capital and as 1/3 behind the Şelale record on Second Circle, it's our friend soFa (@sofaholic) on mix 32. Interview (excerpt) down below.

www.musicfrommemory.com 

MFM: Hi Chris, can you tell a bit about how you made your first steps in the scene as a DJ/producer?

SE: That was first by playing school parties only, and later by organising parties and getting booked by others in return. The usual game, but it was a bit easier as today since there was less competition I think. On the production side I am quite new to that. I started in 2018 only because I lacked time before that, I used to have a job as curator for an art festival and also digging for records kept me busy and excited for many hours every day. 

MFM: Earlier this summer saw the release of Selale on Second Circle, a collaborative project between you, Okay Temiz and Houschyar. Most releases you've worked on are collaborations. Is there a reason for that? 

SE: Yeh different reasons. It's much more fun to share the fun! I'm not a properly trained musician, I like to break rules, rather than applying them. Collaborating with people who know notes and harmonies allows to combine those 2 visions and the results are more exciting to my ears. I feel I have more to say by helping others to get their music right (or wrong) cause that's what all those years of digging after very specific records have taught me.

MFM: Any more projects lined up already?

SE: Yes, quite a bunch I produced with dear friends, Nyati Mayi, soon on Bongo Joe, CCCVVV with Clara Vellin on Strangelove Music and Sexo Y Fantasia with Da Boochie from Kiosk Radio on Glossy Mistakes coming up. There is also a solo record going to the pressing plant next week, coming out on Planet Trip in spring. It has guest singers, but I call it my solo record since I played the whole beats and synths by myself. Its probably gonna remain my only solo record for a while. I slipped into so many collabs and I'd like to focus on that. I especially love working with singers/voices and hopefully some day I get to produce a whole band project!

MFM: What are you hoping for to find in nightlife now that dancefloors are opening up again? Have you been thinking about this whole situation a lot at all?

SE: I am looking forward to seeing people smile and dance again! Party wise I would especially hope to find more groove and less hard music everywhere. I have the feeling the youth of today can only dance to hard stuff, I find that sad. Real music lovers can dance to anything. The whole situation is/was of course tragic for the nightlife sector. Especially for younger people who are in their best years to create a network of friends and experience adulthood for the first time. On a personal level I liked the time off. It allowed me to focus on a more healthy lifestyle and on making music. 

MFM: Cheers for contributing your mix! What can you tell about it? 

SE: I glued together the first half of it while on a roadtrip in Albania last month. Second half I did this morning in a rush. It's nice tunes, diverse and odd enough as I love. I don't care too much about the technical aspect, I just recorded a bunch of records I felt for sharing. In my opinion all that Dj thing is a bit overrated and way too serious. We are just playing other people's music afterall. There is an art behind that, but I feel it's getting lost more and more. For me it's not about the technical side of it, it's about adapting to people and still surprising them in an original way.

MFM Mix 032: soFa elsewhere

Conditions of the English Working Class (excerpt) - Eccentronic Research Council ft Maxine Peake

DOWNLOAD 🔽

hot in ya alby

This is a mix that created quite the buzz on Soul Strut in the mid-00s.  A couple well known uncredited diggers in the Bay area joined forces to mysteriously expose rare funky psych rock that has stumped even your most seasoned collector.  Track list, plaese? #shaertheraer

Trapdoor international psychedelic mystery mix (2005)

For their live performance at Lost Music Festival, artist duo Alto Fuero tapped into a transportative ritualism – ranging from otherworldly incantations to frenetic club-rooted rhythms. A hypnotic and transcendent experience weaving together reverberant flutes, spellbinding vocal chants and warped industrial bass, press play and let the pair take you on a trip. 

Find out more on crackaudio: crackm.ag/4aPL7sN
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Live from Lost Music Festival: Alto Fuero

Bakk Heia Podcast No.1 - Vladimir Ivkovic (Live at The White Hotel) 

We begin our podcast series with a recording from one of the great DJs of our time, Vladimir Ivkovic, playing the final 3 hours of Bakk Heia at The White Hotel in May 24. 

In typical Vlad fashion there is a distinct and unique narrative quality to the mix. Whilst genre defying psychedelia churns into spikey IDM, and wailing post punk iterations flow into mainline acid stomp, there is an over arching sense of tenderness to the selection. Vlad told us after the lights came on that it was his intention to hold and take care of us that night. Transforming the spiralling chaos of the club environment to one which nurtures, rather than obliterates, our frenzied minds. 

We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did dancing.

Bakk Heia Podcast 001 - Vladimir Ivkovic (Live at The White Hotel)

ANDY VOTEL - THE CURSE OF THE TINFOIL TEMPURA - Exclusive Sameheads Tape Collection # 1

Sold on the door of the Finders Keepers Records night held at Sameheads on 25.04.15

ANDY VOTEL - THE CURSE OF THE TINFOIL TEMPURA - Sameheads C60 Tape Collection Series #1

Unheard and unreleased tracks by Suzanne Ciani, Jane Weaver's Fenella, Gerry & The Holograms (and more!) make up this silver tray of sonic hors d'oeuvres magnetising you to the mountains of North Wales for this special September annual event.  Just in time for our annual omni-presence at Festival No Six your faithful guardians of the Keepers Cottage, Andy Votel, Pete Mitchell and Doug Shipton provide an aural tour guide to the many Finders Keepers Records' curated events over the weekend. 

For a festival held in the actual filming location of Patrick Magoohan's inimitable 1960's TV thriller, the B-Music brigade assemble their nearest and dearest to keep the commune cosmic, providing off-kilter treats for both the eye-drums and ear-balls. Also serving as a fine 2 hour road trip, this show cherry picks the best accompaniments for your journey into the depths of the Welsh valleys and also serves as another multifarious magnetic musik magazine for those who can't make it to the festival itself but will surely join us in spirit!  Be seeing you!?

Finders Keepers Radio - Festival No 6 Tour Guide

In a desperate bid to muster some Russia 2018 Word Cup enthusiasm, while also attempting to shed some timber after 6 weeks of BBQ fever, Finders Keepers gym buddies Andy Votel and Doug Shipton flex their muscles by digging in the mixtape vault to bring you this lost party pack of latter day wax workouts from the Russian based label Melodiya. Featuring a wide range of Soviet psych and synth pop this mix from 2013 kicks off with an instant RED card, multiple handballs and even comes complete with a discoid Russian aerobics work-out before you hit the pitch(at +8). Take advantage of this exclusive cassette-tape upload free-ball while its hot and be sure to head to finderskeepersrecords.com for even more global goodness to accompany this years most anticipated international event (apart from Utrecht record fair).

Andy Votel & Doug Shipton - Polivox Orthodox

We're very glad to invite Cheb Gero for an all-stars maghreb mix on our virtual airwaves.

Cheb Gero’s DJ sets focus on MENA areas and offer a wide vision of popular cultures and sub-cultures from the 1960s to nowadays. From Algerian chaabi to Syrian electronic dabke his selections based on vinyl, tapes, cd or digital suggest to dance and reflect well the rich musical heritages of these regions. 

Follow us for more:
@chebgero
@akuphone
@radioflouka

TRACKLIST:
DJELOUL - Donon Donon
CHEB MOUMEN - Jitenfaji Hmoumi
CHEB NASRO - Maandi Hadra Maak
CHEB NOURDINE - Sepouna Elhanah
CHEB EL MOKHTAR EL BERKANI - Unknown Title
MOHAMED EZZINE – Unknown Title
CHEB MIDOU - Mnine Nebda
CHABA ZOHRA - Ki Bghitouni
KOUIDER BENSAID feat KENTUCKY KID - A 100% A Love
YAMINA - Sadjet Leriah
CHEB MIMOUN EL OUJDI - Smahli Ya Galbi (DuckFood Edit)
CHEB RUNNER - Yabalini ft. Maälem Hicham Bilali
CHEB BILAL - Limabeghana Yetlah
HAOURI DAUPHIN - Mam Mia
MARA &amp; JALAL - Ca Y Est C'est Fini

STREAM RADIO FLOUKA

Radio Flouka Invites CHEB GERO - Belleville Fi Galbi MXTP #1 - 18th March 2020

The E.R.C - The Eccentronic Research Council ft Maxine Peake. 
Post 1612 Ghosts on Pre 1977 analogue Synthesisers.

The Debut E.R.C. Album '1612 UNDERTURE'  Featuring Narraration and Voices by Uk Actress Maxine Peake 
out on Bird/Finderskeepers Records now..on all formats.

Conditions of the English Working Class (excerpt) - Eccentronic Research Council ft Maxine Peake

The_E_R_C

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