Sound Metaphors x Club Mel

Live recording of our set by the pool @domply mergulho

03.02.2024 Santa Teresa (Rio De Janeiro, BR)
Photo by Caiano Midam

Bayetë at Domply, Rio De Janeiro (03.02.2024)

Phonica reaches out to one of the finest names in Chicago for our 129th mix.
Starting off in the 90's playing from cassette tapes with a group of friends under the moniker ‘Chuck Brothers’ Rahaan started to build an extensive house and disco collection that by 1996 would come to define him as one of Chicago’s stand out house and disco DJs. This would of course secure him with residencies at ‘The Spot’ and one of Chicago’s best clubs ‘Buddha Lounge’. A reputation he would cement with gigs all over the globe in the proceeding years also giving him an audience to his skills in production that have seen him release records with reputable labels like Lumberjacks From Hell, Z Records, Hot Biscuit, BBE and more. For this mix the Chicago legend takes us on a trip with over an hour of deep, soulful and funky disco house. We had a brief chat with Rahaan about the mix and what he has coming up!

Phonica Mix Series 129: Rahaan

We're already thinking ahead to sunrises in The Fields this year. Imagining the connections. Feeling the vibrations. 

But before we look ahead, let's take a moment to reflect.

Danilo Plessow aka MCDE brought groove to Solar Village last year. His signature genre-blending and analog warmth carried us through deep rhythms and unexpected turns—a soulful sunrise still replaying in our heads.

Danilo Plessow aka MCDE – Solar Village – Wonderfruit 2024

Crown Ruler Mix #35 - Marcellus Pittman b2b DJ JNETT

A meeting of two bonafide black belts for an all out master class. 

Another highlight of Crown Ruler's 25 year celebrations & the final hit out from a crazy summer season - Detroit Jedi, Marcellus Pittman & Naarm's undisputed Queen, DJ JNETT pack all the punches on this very special, extended b2b session.

Recorded live from a bursting Night Cat, feel the sweat off the walls as two old friends & esteemed contemporaries showed out. Travelling through raw uptempo grooves, pulsing deep house, acid explorations and straight hard slapping techno, the two take it everywhere and back again - holding an enthused party in the palm of their hands.

While the sounds of this raucous crowd was not recorded, if you listen closely you can feel the palpable energy as the lightly audible noise of jubilated dancers come through the stylus. Jammed and hot from an hour in and thick til close, this is audio proof of the way two very perceptive DJs can grab hold and take you to higher places.

@marcellus-pittman
@djjnett

Crown Ruler Mix #35 - Marcellus Pittman b2b DJ JNETT

The last Ciranda of spring 2025
Recorded live at Doka, Amsterdam

Ciranda Season Closing (Part II)

Piña Podcast 10 - Sam Don

"all good things come to an end but the memories live on."

this is the live recording of my set at the final edition of @velvetfestival in june 2025. I loved this intimate festival on the beautiful island of krk, croatia. playing freely, house, disco, gospel with a heart warming message.

suze ijó @ velvet fest 2025

Part two of RA.996 comes from a modern-day house luminary. 

As part of our countdown to RA.1000, a milestone in the 24-year history of RA's weekly mix series, we're switching up the usual format. The next few editions will pair two acts who compliment each other's strengths, offering a fresh take on a particular community, scene or style.

This week, we're zeroing in on two names who fly the flag high for old-school, US  house—a foundational pillar of the electronic underground. The first half comes from Ron Trent, which you can read more about here. 

On the B-side is Ash Lauryn. Hailing from Detroit, she's a modern-day house savant. Her comprehensive understanding of the genre's history—knowledge gained from the Detroit greats who that inspired her—and her own inimitable blend of old-world soul meets new-school grooves make her a force to be reckoned with. 

A former RA contributor, Lauryn keeps it <i>real</i>, whether in the booth or beyond. A role model to a new generation of DJs, she can just as easily be found teaching workshops at Underground Music Academy in Detroit or sharing tricks of the trade in the green room at some of the best clubs in the world.

An unwavering champion of Black dance music, the Atlanta resident makes it a point to play as much Black American music as possible, as she told us in her 2019 podcast. Not much has changed since then. Her contribution to RA.996 spans favourites like Larry Heard, Mood II Swing, Byron The Aquarius, Moodymann, Ron Trent and plenty of Detroit heavy-hitters.

Listened to together, both mixes are a powerful snapshot of house's timeless elegance and, most importantly, understated yet innately euphoric joy.

Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/998

Sound Metaphors x Club Mel

Interview Magazine