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

Not many people can combine the worlds of contemporary, avant garde and club sounds the way 'A Colourful Storm' label head Moopie can. Having birth the label out of the highly regarded mix series of the same name releasing names like Klon Dump, Valentina Magaletti and some beautiful compilations curated from Time Is Away to name a few, Moopie real name Matthew Xue, has shown he has a phenomenal ear for the diverse and interesting. This same ear also applies to his outstanding DJ sets which have seen him join stages with the likes of Ben UFO, Helena Hauff as well as taking the helms recently in Pickle Factory all night long to a solid packed venue til morning. For this mix Moopie has supplied us with a live recording of his opening set for Objekt and CCL in Melbourne. A perfect example of his vast stylings bringing the mood filled room into a raucous party. We had a quick chat about the mix, whats coming up and the label with the man himself.

Phonica Mix Series 117: Moopie

Trusted label cohort Stenny really knows how to warm up the room. On opening duties in the Warehouse for the Ilian Tape x Transmissions party last December, he refused to hold back in delivering a stellar set, exploring his trusted sounds in techno, IDM and bass music.

@stennyyy
@ilian-tape

Stenny — Live From The Cause (ILIAN TAPE — DEC '23)

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

@2shy2dj
www.wakinglife.pt
19 - 24 June 2024

📸 antoine grenez

DJ Fart In The Club at Floresta - Waking Life '23

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

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

Melbourne's favourite boy-band/ electronic wizardry trio @menagerecords at the Animalia x Breakfast Club showcase "Summer in the City", at BRET club, 25th June 202

<3

Ani/live Forty Four: Ménage (Live) @ Animalia x Breakfast Club

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

Kia has a taste-making ear for digging, sophisticated knack for storytelling and bubbling energy that draws people to her whether she’s backstage, behind the decks or on the dance floor. The DJ and curator wields atmospheric and psychedelic sounds that produce entire pulsating worlds through the speakers and between global connections.

Kia @ Kiosk Radio 28.04.2024

TRUANTS: http://truantsblog.com
PATREON: http://patreon.com/truants

Music imprint curated by a group of globally dispersed friends, contributing vibes to the internet since 2010.

Crew: 

@soraya
@riccardovillella
@taystii
@ttrostle
@kissmeagainmcr (1/3 Antoin)
@mellolololo

Truancy Volume 327: Command D

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