"Every opportunity to learn something new is what's going to grow your craft as an artist." The Toronto star talks discipline and gaining self-confidence as a producer.

Cindy Li, AKA Ciel, always seems to be one step ahead. The label head, DJ, producer and activist has a hard-won career that dance music producers dream of—when she's not playing underground institutions across the globe, maintaining radio residencies, planning her own parties or collaborating with her favourite artists, she's thinking about what's next. "I'm the type of person that I'll stay up trying to finish everything rather than going to bed knowing that I didn't finish everything on my list," she tells RA's Nyshka Chandran in this week's episode.

The Toronto resident is a conservatory-trained pianist who uses the discipline she learnt from a lifetime of lessons to balance DJing and production. "For me, it is challenging to juggle both because they use very different parts of my brain," she describes. A deep digger whose love for atmospheric textures and '90s grooves influences her fresh take on UKG, tech-house and jungle, Li has been putting out music since 2017. She has various EPs and singles under her name, plus several joint releases with the likes of Dan Only, D.Tiffany and Priori but says she didn't always have the confidence for a solo full-length.

"I never thought I could write an album," she admits. But after playing live for the first time at MUTEK Montréal in 2021, that changed, leading to the 2023 release of Homesick, her debut album. "Don't ever let fear influence your decision-making," she says, describing how that show pushed her to overcome lingering doubts in the studio.

For more on Li's process, listen to the episode in full.

EX.703 Ciel

All-vinyl set recorded live at Mansions in New York City on February 2nd, 2024

SPRKLBB All Night Long at Mansions | 2 February 2024

Truancy Sessions S01 E03: Andrew Devlin (@andrewdevlin17)

For the third episode of our Truancy Sessions series, we're thrilled to feature New York-based DJ and promoter Andrew Devlin, renowned for his iconic Level parties. Since its inception in 2014, Level has evolved from filling dancefloors in small Bushwick dive bars to becoming a staple of NYC's nightlife scene, with a recent expansion to Miami showing they are still in ascension. Andrew, along with his team of five residents, has cultivated a musical ethos that spans from tasteful record selections to peak-time party curveballs, showcasing his versatility and range as a gifted DJ. His opening set at Sustain Release in 2022 exemplifies this, seamlessly blending Carly Simon, Beck, Portishead, and Chaka Khan with cutting-edge dance music. We knew Andrew would deliver a stellar selection for our Sessions series, and he has certainly exceeded our expectations.

You can download Truancy Sessions S01 E03: Andrew Devlin in 320kbps and view the full tracklist on Patreon here (patreon.com/truants). Couple tracks are unknown white labels so may need some help naming. Your support helps cover all our costs, allows us to now pay our guests, allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit, ad-free platform and helps fund projects like this. Members will receive exclusive access to mixes, tracklists, and discounts off future merchandise. If you're desperately after any IDs however or money is tight, please leave a comment on the mix and either us or Andrew Devlin will get back to you :)

http://truantsblog.com

Andrew Devlin

Truancy Sessions S01 E03: Andrew Devlin

Hi, we are back, let's not make a big thing of it! It's an honor to have GBD on the series.

“Long live the intifada! Free Palestine. Blessings to the Martyrs. This mix is raw output from a fragmented mind. Residues of insurgency across genres and decades.”

Gianpaolo Dieli (AKA gbd, PKA Savile) is a non-binary dj and producer who has been an integral player in the American dance music underground for over a decade. A Michigan native who began their career in Chicago with a residency at hallowed Smart Bar, gbd has built their practice around an effort to create equitable environments, imaginative visions, and disruptive programming.

Since their international debut at Berghain/Panorama Bar in 2016, Dieli has toured 10+ countries and 30+ cities across North and South America, Asia, and Europe, spreading their raw sound and unbridled energy with an open heart. In the intervening years, they’ve received support from some of the most notable publications and outlets across dance music and culture; the likes of BBC Radio 1, Red Bull Radio, Resident Advisor, i-D mag, Beats in Space, Ghostly, RinseFM, NTS, Truants, DJ Mag, Mixmag, and Groove Magazine.

Called “one of the most exciting secrets in US club culture” by Boiler Room, Gianpaolo currently works and resides in Brooklyn, New York, and holds a residency at Public Records. In 2023 they changed their artist name from Savile to gbd - marking a new beginning in their artistic journey and a continued commitment to unearthing dance musics' deepest sounds.

As always, thanks for listening.

Somersault 294 (Gbd) “Let Gaza Live”

"A selection of tracks I’ve been gravitating to of late," Klein Zage says of her entry into our Sunday Mix series, "recorded live on a very rainy, very moody London morning, coffee in hand, designed to help gently ease me out the house".

Check out the tracklist on crackaudio: https://crackm.ag/43vx9Jb
If you’re a fan, become a Supporter: crackmagazine.net/subscription

Sunday Mix: Klein Zage

Juanita's Mix 100 with Ciel @ciel_dj

Q. How would you describe yourself?
A. a music maker with too much sincerity and a passion for sampling, film, and leftist politics

Q. What drew you to the music scene in the beginning and where do you hope to see it in the future?
A. Looking back at my life, I think everything from my birth led me on this path towards music. It was my first love. But as an only child, my experience with music growing up was always very solitary. I yearned to be part of a community radio station with Iikeminded music nerds, and it was working for a radio station eventually during my undergraduate that brought me toward DJing and rave culture. Back then I never thought I could do this full time, but once I got the chance to make a living doing this, I realized the scene was far from perfect, in fact it's very exploitative. I hope in the future we can find a way to fairly compensate music makers for the incredible gift of music they bestow upon the world, without becoming beholden to corrupt corporate & military interests. Artists can be hyper individualistic and self-interested, and I hope we can get better at looking out for each other instead of just our own paycheques.

Q. Tell us a little bit about this mix.
A. I wanted to present a different side of myself to international audiences on such a wonderful mix platform. Perhaps people outside of my home city of Toronto are less familiar with my downtempo sets, but it's been a significant part of my wheelhouse for years, and have gained even wider affection from me since I started doing a downtempo party in Toronto last year. Like I always say, 80-100bpm is the most natural tempo for extended human body movements. I also liked the idea of doing a mix that doesn't build in a predictable way, instead it waxes and wanes like the natural rhythm of life. So many of my favourite mixes build and release tension in a way that's very satisfying to listen to, the sounds intensify to a frenzy before disintegrating into nothingness. I wanted to play with that rise and fall and mix downtempo and dub with double time d&b in a non-linear way that is evocative of our most precious memories and tells stories we've only seen in dreams. Downtempo and dub also seemed like the perfect genres to play in the 100th mix for Juanita's, and in the lead up to my fav April holiday. :) I hope the listeners enjoy it.

Juanita's Mix 100: Ciel

Interview: https://truantsblog.com/2024/truancy-volume-326-404-eros/

Soundcloud: @404eros

A slick snapshot into the rich and often overlooked world of Memphis rap from London based diggers, DJs and music archivists, 404 Eros. The mix serves as an audio accompaniment to their latest project, a zine showcasing the visual artwork of Memphis rap tapes.

Music from Playa G, Pretty Tony & 38 Slug, Gangsta Pat, Lil Noid , Eightball, MJG and more.

Their zine exploring the artwork of Memphis rap is available now here:  https://404eros.bandcamp.com/merch/memphis-hip-hop-album-covers

Access the download on our Patreon. No tracklist for this one but if any listeners would like to help put one together please leave a comment on the Soundcloud link with your finds and we will compile. Your support helps cover all our costs, allows us to now pay our guests and allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit and ad-free platform. patreon.com/truants

404 Eros

Truancy Volume 326: 404 Eros

Still in her early twenties, AliA is known for her eclectic style and versatile selection that ranges from broken beats to bossa nova and from soulful heaters to off-beat belters.

http://www.instagram.com/alyahriv

AliA @ The Lot Radio 04-15-2024

Rinse FM Podcast 

DJ Plead b2b Ben Fester - 17 April 2024

Tonights Somersault mix is brought to us by Nick Boyd & boxofbox!
@nickboydnyc @boxofbox @sorry-records

"Durham, NC based “artist/scientist/engineer working on cutting-edge digital signal processing and the fundamental physics of rump-shaking” boxofbox and Sorry Records founder Nick Boyd are two muppet brain music freaks who love each other very much. Despite years of friendship and a number of collaborations from boxofbox’s historic 6 hour SORRYMIX to his appearances at Sorry Records parties at Good Room and Glen Falls House and a wacked out joint appearance on Boo Lean’s Lot Radio show, this recording finds box and Boyd playing together for a dancefloor for the very first time. Recorded live and direct from a particularly sweaty sunday evening Sorry Records party at Bossa Nova Civic Club in Brooklyn, Somersault 297 finds the Statler and Waldorf of the rave underground both opening up and closing down the party with a profound display of just the kind of wonked out genre soup glee that these two revel in. 10+ minute long Shep Pettibone megamixes? ✓ Beatport Florida Breaks?  ✓ Sung Tongs era Animal Collective blended over corrupted hardgroove soulseek mp3s?  ✓ Herbie Hancock????  ✓  ✓  ✓  ✓  ✓

Thank you for listening, we hope you enjoy.

Somersault 297 (boxofbox b2b Nick Boyd) "Open the Boydbox! Close the Boydbox!"

Shanti is a veteran and expert in four to the floor dance music - tune in once a month for a considered two-hour selection of the best house and techno around, transmitting direct from the NTS studio. 
Find the full tracklist and related episodes on NTS: https://www.nts.live/shows/shanticeleste/episodes/shanticeleste-25th-april-2024

AliA @ The Lot Radio 04-15-2024

The Lot Radio

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