Welcome back to our monthly mix roundup.

Summer may be nearing its end – officially, at least, but we’re still banking on that late September heatwave – however DJs across the spectrum are keeping spirits high and temperatures soaring through blistering mixes, radio broadcasts and live sets. In our latest roundup, we spotlight a pair of red-hot club recordings, an exhilarating surprise from a former cover star, reflective entries from US artists such as Dawn Richard and DJ Manny, and more. Whatever your plans this weekend – whatever your mood, or climate, too – there’s something in here for all listeners. Bookmark this list, plug in and hit play.

Dawn Richard

Fact Mix 820

The move from the summer months to the cooler winter season often brings with it a period for deep reflection. Dawn Richard, the pop experimentalist whose network extends from London underground labels such as Local Action all the way over to US indie giant Merge, has had quite the year. Richard signed to Merge to release a new album entitled Second Line – a shimmering record rooted in her New Orleans hometown and styles such as bounce, house, footwork and R&B. Her Fact Mix does well at reimagining the album and its themes as a mix, with Richard drawing for groove-led tracks from Jimmy Edgar, Felix da Housecat and Avenue D.

DJ Manny

DJ Mag On Cue

2021’s been a big year for footwork, too. The likes of RP Boo and Jana Rush returned with visionary albums that move the beloved Chicago-born genre forward through choice explorations of footwork’s past and their respective life experiences. Elsewhere, New York-based veteran DJ Manny also treated us to a stellar new album. Entitled Signals in My Head, the record has been described by Manny as an “R&B love type album”. The plan was to create something that could be relished and enjoyed by all, essentially, splicing the softer, more sensitive nature of R&B with the rhythmic signatures and raw energy indebted to footwork. This mix for DJ Mag‘s On Cue series ties in nicely with the record, bouncing between romantic grooves, crooning vocal samples and playful, high-tempo bangers.

Helena Hauff

Possycast 46

In August, Helena Hauff stopped by the Possycast mix series to deliver this set of galvanising electro. As one of the most lauded DJs out there right now, there’s a devoted fanbase drawn to her industrial-tinged selections and impossibly cool behind-the-decks presence. Much like her IRL sets, Hauff’s Possycast mix is squelchy, unpredictable and wholly invigorating, making this an ideal mix for pre-party antics and post-weekend revitalisation in equal measure.

Anz

Spring/Summer Dubs 2021

If Anz ever tires of her musical pursuits – be it the music-making, the label “mom” life over at OTMI or the numerous radio residences – we reckon she’d soon find a job in more mystical fields, given that the latest addition to her annual mix series dropped precisely when we needed it. According to the Issue 120 cover star, the mix includes 18 tracks and sketches whipped up during “an unhealthy series of all nighters” back in late August. With sleep deprivation likely the fuel behind this one, Spring/Summer Dubs 2021 draws from the intensity in which it was created. From start to finish, Anz channels this pressure into a maelstrom of electro, jungle, UKG and more – with all the flair and boundless exuberance linked to her work thus far dished out in buffet-style abundance. 

Yaeji & Net Gala

NTS Radio (12/08/21)

Yaeji was joined by Seoul-based DJ and producer Net Gala on her NTS show this August. Both artists toy with a blend of warm, emotionally-charged elements and hard-hitting beats in their work, weaving them in and out of one another in any given track. This collaborative radio outing pulls listeners even deeper into these shared soundscapes. Moving from Equiknoxx and Pink Siifu through to Erika de Casier‘s effortlessly chill R&B, or Nkisi‘s soul-stirring sounds, the show spotlights a bevy of Black and POC artists, with all of the music featured available to purchase on Bandcamp. Plug in for tunes from Yaeji and Net Gala, too.

Elena Colombi

Daisychain 187

Elena Colombi turns in a top-notch entry for the Daisychain series. Over the course of an hour, the NTS regular and Osàre! Editions head honcho runs the gamut from incensed electro through to oddball, genre-transcending works and curious cuts from the likes of Bergonist, Philipp Gorbachev, Neil Landstrumm and Danny Daze. As we’ve said previously, eclectic is among the most appropriate descriptors for Colombi’s DJ style. The term feels particularly fitting when it comes to this mix, which, for the uninitiated, provides a fine introduction to her palette and approach. Lock in for some essential listening. 

Kiana

Coloring Lessons Mix Series 032

Coloring Lessons is a New York-born party, radio show and label. In the spring of 2020, Coloring Lessons (helmed by DJ and production duo musclecars) expanded its operation and launched a mix series. The project offered a way to support local artists, friends and musicians in their vicinity during the pandemic, offering “an outlet for artists to be able to make a bit of money, and for fans to listen to their favourite DJs, all while quarantining in the safety of their homes.” Over a year later and the series is still going strong, with this slinky, house-focused mix from New York DJ and Resident Advisor staffer Kiana one to jot down in time for the weekend.

IMOGEN

Live at fabric (25/07/21)

A few weeks back, London-based DJ, producer and Wigs founder IMOGEN shared this hour-long snippet recorded live during fabric’s reopening festivities. True to form, IMOGEN served up a hearty helping of driving techno during her set, with a sharp focus on the genre’s adrenaline-fuelled fringes, hair-raising electro and generally atmospheric productions that cast a somewhat dark and foreboding mist – figuratively speaking – over the dancefloor. When you’re done tuning in, head over to crackaud.io to check out IMOGEN’s recent Crack Mix

Objekt

felt cute, might delete later

TJ Hertz, aka Objekt, is known for his meticulous MO and carefully-crafted compositions. Here, however, he shares a majestic mix recorded during a recent spark of spontaneous creativity. This near-two-hour-long offering (which was recorded, says Hertz, “while messing around at home one evening”) perambulates between simmering techno and electro, gritty vocal-led delights and downright rude rhythms, with a typically broad range of styles dipped into throughout. Incredibly cute stuff, no need to delete!

Yung Singh

Boiler Room (05/08/21)

When we caught up with Daytimers – the London-based, globe-spanning collective redefining the new South Asian underground – earlier this summer, core member Yung Singh told us: “We want a seat at the table. In fact, we want several seats at the table, but we want to build our own house as well.”

If their recent endeavours, which include projects such as Dialled In (a London festival organised in collaboration with No ID and Chalo) and this landmark Boiler Room takeover, are anything to go by, we’d say the foundations for the Daytimers house have very much been laid. Yung Singh’s set from the aforementioned takeover is one for the ages. Instantly recognisable, nostalgia-inducing classics such as Benga and Coki’s Night or SBTRKT’s Wildfire tumble over traditional tracks, fresh edits and other treasures from the club music vault at Olympian speed. The Midlands-born DJ steps away with gold, of course, plus lots of happy tears come the end.

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