We return to NYC where the wonderful @lycheefrut has us fully submerged in a wobbly world of ambient techno moods and grooves. Restorative mind state hypnosis for the early morning acid dreamers with moments of total serenity! 

Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting this mix together? Is there a sound, feeling, or time/place in dance music history that connects all the different elements in one way or another?

A. There are a few recent moments that I drew from: I had pulled a lot of dreamy tracks to close out the intimate Sunday evening queer party I throw with my friends called Antidote, and for a b2b with my friend threehz at their party dream/self. I usually spend a lot of time planning a tracklist for studio mixes, but this time, I was struggling to sequence or choose between the tracks I had pulled.

On New Year's Eve, a few friends came over to my studio to pass some time before going to a rave where I was working the door at 8am, and they all ended up dozing off while I was DJing. I was trying to play music that was both energetic enough to keep me awake, but not too intense for people who were sleeping. A few days later, I ended up recording this mix in one take with no strict playlist, drawing from that moment; it was a fun experiment in trusting myself to find a more organic flow.

Q. As someone who’s actively involved in a number of interconnected projects and events within NYC’s underground dance scene, tell us about the idea behind your Spontaneous Affinity outlet for zines, mixes and long form interviews that regularly feature important insights from DJs, producers and organisers alike. 

A. The series has been on a bit of a pause / slow paced moment lately as I focus on getting some other aspects of my life together :) but the idea was to use the interviews to draw connections between different nodes of people working to build scenes in different places. Everyone gets the same set of questions to choose from; it's always fun compiling it all into a zine and seeing what kinds of commonalities emerge. I hope to find time to work on another zine before the end of this year!

Q. And finally, I really enjoyed your set opening up The Grove at last year’s Sustain-Release! Tell us about how you found that whole experience, and how did you approach a set like that where you could seemingly take things anywhere over the three and half hours..

A. This set was a heavy one for me – I've been to every Sustain, and it was a formative part of my journey deeper into DJing and music. This summer also came with a lot of big losses and transitions. I spent as much time journaling and meditating as I did organizing music, and wanted to make space for others to process difficult things before diving into party mode in a psychedelic environment.

As far as the musical approach, I thought of the set in 7 or 8 "chapters" that could expand or contract depending on the energy and vibe. I've played a lot of opening sets over the years and lately have wanted to push myself within that; here, instead of the standard ambient → techno type opening set, I wanted to play with a structure where the set built into a mild frenzy and then settled back down before the live acts that played after me.

MDC.293 Lychee

After a long hiatus, we're kickstarting this series back up, with the recording of Vladimir Ivkovic's DJ set from the Nov 19, 2023 Weird Science.  What an evening it was. Now we can relive it and shed some tears once more.

Weird Science With Vladimir Ivkovic

The recording of my set 9-11pm at Music Room in Naarm/Melbourne on the 6th of March 2024 with @skylab_radio 🦋

Music Room is a chic bar, with delicious wine, soft amber lighting and a tasty warm soundsystem. I really enjoyed this rare chance to slip through my playlists of dub techno, downtempo, minimal and velvety-slinky music of all kinds 🍸🪭🪶

Thanks to @simon-tk & @skylab_radio for the invitation 🫶

Sybil @ Music Room ~ Skylab Radio

Softi is a prominent and warm presence in London's electronic music scene and beyond, leaving a lasting and growing impression in recent years. With a deep musical understanding that connects different scenes, she charms audiences and takes them on a rhythm-fuelled journey. Her versatility and reputation are evident through bookings at top venues like De School, Fold, Corsica Studios, and renowned festivals such as Draaimolen, Field Maneuvers, and Freerotation.

Crafted with an outdoor atmospheric environment in mind, this podcast delivers an hour and a half of deep, transcendent techno, blending percussive melodies, synths, and energy-shifting breaks. Featuring unreleased tracks by Softi herself, you can enjoy a glimpse of what's to come. The mix flows with class and concludes with a polished finish that leaves you both satisfied and craving more 🌱

@jazz_brown

Softi | Above Below

Interview: https://truantsblog.com/2024/truancy-volume-327-command-d

Soundcloud: @commandd

Access the download and full tracklist (TBC) on our Patreon. However if you need anything leave us a nice comment and either us or Command D will get back to you! 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.

http://truantsblog.com

Command D

Truancy Volume 327: Command D

A sticky-dripping sonic web of sound. 

https://www.instagram.com/sever.ja
https://www.instagram.com/ameliaholt

Honey Trap with Amelia Holt and Severja @ The Lot Radio 04-18-2024

Dream Software Live @Natural Order 2024

@syberkid

original painting by santomo.artist
www.instagram.com/santomo.artist/

OUTREBLEU 010 ᚒ Sybil

There is nothing ordinary about Sepehr (@sepehr-a): he hails from the Bay Area of San Fran, is based in New York City but has Iranian heritage and takes great pleasure in pulling apart everything you think you know about dance music. His maverick approach results in versatile and genre-defiant sounds that collide EBM, drum & bass, techno, electro, acid and plenty more on some of the finest labels out there. He runs his own Shaytoon Records which is focussed on the Middle Eastern underground, and in May lands on our own Dekmanel Records with Genesis Domain, a varied EP full of intriguing sounds.

The same could be said of his mix for us this week. It's a deep dive into his eclectic and eccentric musical mind that spans several sounds and scenes. Although united by body-moving rhythms, there is everything from club to techno to broken beat and plenty more besides. Each track is packed with detail and surrealist sounds that will keep your head as busy as your heels.

Dekmantel Podcast

Dekmantel Podcast 463 - Sepehr

the sonic rites mix series returns with a transcendant entry from @xlsior

recorded live somewhere in wales ~ april 2023

sonic rites

IX ~ Excelsior Ruth

Talented Berlin mainstay Jesse G for number #155 with an incredible blend of intricate sounds & bassy, groovy rhythms. As a member of the local Tresor DJ team, team member at Hardwax, host of a radio show on @refufeworldwide, and with a residency at RSO, she is a well respected member of the Berlin music community for her skills & commitment to the craft (and beyond, with gigs across the continent).

Thanks for the mix Jesse! <3 

@jessegofficial

Downloads enabled

Honey Trap with Amelia Holt and Severja @ The Lot Radio 04-18-2024

The Lot Radio

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