Our February roundup of mixes is here.
February may have been a short month – made even shorter by the Groundhog Day feel of lockdown – but it still managed to bless us with an abundance of mixes fit to soundtrack our transition into lighter, brighter and more hopeful days.
From a lighter-waving ode to trance and Eurodance through to inspired tributes and a birthday special, this month’s selections could be loosely filed under something like harder, faster, stronger – so buckle up and enjoy.
Smerz
NTS Radio (18/02/21)Ahead of their debut album Believer, Norwegian duo Smerz touched down (virtually) in the NTS studio for a special edition of their monthly radio show. Dubbed Oslo teenage mix, it’s Heaven – the little known, totally under-the-radar track by DJ Sammy – that kicks off proceedings and sets the tone (and the bar) for the rest of the broadcast. From there, it’s noughties vocal trance cuts, Eurodance classics and nostalgic, cheesy tunes that many may hold dear from their formative years.
Nikki Nair
Refuge Worldwide: Residency 001As a producer, Tennessee-born, Atlanta-based Nikki Nair orbits a bass-driven realm where electro, techno, house – anything, to be honest – is up to the task so long as he can infuse it with his distinctive sampling style. Given his talents when it comes to genre-blurring – talents he’s proven on labels like Scuffed Recordings, Pretty Weird, Banoffee Pies and Gobstopper, among others – radio residencies like this offer him a way to experiment with his style even further. Be sure to check out Refuge Worldwide as well. It’s a new community radio venture launched earlier this year by fundraising platform Refuge.
DJ Stingray
Crack MagazineWhen two heroes collide. Here, as part of our specialist mix series, DJ Stingray pays tribute to fellow Detroit legend and Aux 88 co-founder Keith Tucker, who is also known as DJ K-1, Optic Nerve and Alien FM. He does so in unflappable Stingray style: pummelling techno and vigorous electro drawn from Tucker’s catalogue. It’s prime pickings for Stingray, as he patches together various eras and offshoots from Tucker’s past with the care of a devoted fan. Tune into Stingray’s episode of our Unsung podcast with Sonos Radio too, where he elaborates further on why Tucker is his unsung hero.
Moxie
FlyGirlFlyGirl is a new Nottingham-based organisation launched with the aim to inspire, amplify and motivate womxn – with a particular focus on womxn of colour. At present, its work includes projects such as one-to-one sessions, workshops and a forthcoming creative directory for freelancers. Elsewhere, FlyGirl’s also started up a mix series with an inaugural offering from Moxie. Here, NTS selector and On Loop founder stretches breezily from soothing ambient to the rich tones of Kelela through to ecstatic house stylings and techno from the likes of Loraine James, Anz, Afrodeutsche and Eris Drew. Find out more about FlyGirl here.
BAE BAE
DJ Mag: Fresh Kicks 148Emotional release spurred on by a cathartic club experience is something we’ve missed out on in the last year or so. Thankfully, we have the likes of LA-based DJ and producer BAE BAE on hand to administer a sugar-coated remedy in mix-form for DJ Mag’s Fresh Kicks series. In her mix, dubbed Heartbreaks and 808s, BAE BAE leaps with the ease of a pro-level athlete between feverish footwork, juke and emotional, in-your-feelings R&B. All served up with a generous helping of rave euphoria.
Giant Swan
Dekmantel Podcast 321Giant Swan don’t do things by halves. The pair are known for their loud, hair-raising and uncompromising take on electronic music; a take that demands attention and a hearty appetite for the unexpected. It’s an approach that they’ve channelled into their Dekmantel mix, naturally. As they punch their way through hardcore, juke, propulsive techno and an onslaught of bass firepower, you’ll have no choice but to grin as you shout-sing to Nero edits. Prepare for tunes from NARA, E-Saggilia, SOPHIE, Ziúr and more.
Geng
MF DOOM Tribute“This mix is to honour not only DOOM’s visionary approach and beautiful ear in terms of sampling, but the way in which he utilised found voices to shape his own world narrative(s),” explains New York artist and PTP boss Geng in the description for his excellent MF DOOM tribute mix. Geng takes on a similarly visionary approach here as well, as he sensitively stitches together a mix that offers something to both new fans of the late icon and longtime admirers alike. A tribute mix built with the utmost care, one that still feels indebted to Geng’s own artistic perspective while focused intently on one of the very best to do it.
Grove
Noods Radio (10/02/21)Tracks from DEBBY FRIDAY, Marie Davidson and Sega Bodega jostle for attention alongside remixes from Equiknoxx, Proc Fiskal and Gage in this arresting mix by Grove. The young Bristol-based newcomer recently released their debut EP Queer + Black, which features Pxssy Palace-inspired track Sticky and the class-exploring Fuck Ur Landlord. The latter acts as the opening tune in this Noods Radio broadcast, while the mix in its entirety acts as a fitting introduction to Grove and their dark and heavy sonic palette.
DJ Voices & Deep Creep
Nothing In ModerationNew York’s DJ Voices, aka Kristen Malossi, has never been into the idea of ‘everything in moderation’. In her eyes, moderation is “for a world that makes sense”. It’s a perspective she funnels into her aptly-titled The Lot Radio show Nothing In Moderation, on which she was joined this month by fellow resident Deep Creep. Together, they home in on BPMs from both ends of the spectrum, diving between genres, moods and overall murkiness at will. Be sure to check out some of the other noteworthy mixes Malossi’s been working on recently, including this one for If-Only.
Conducta
Conducta's Crib: Birthday SpecialWe’ve all celebrated (or not celebrated) at least one birthday from the confines of our homes by this point in lockdown. In recent weeks, it’s been the turn of February-born artists like Conducta, who marked the occasion with a special birthday edition of his Conducta’s Crib live stream series. For those listening back, expect garage, soul and shout-outs in abundance, infused with twinkly melodies and basslines buoyant enough to rival Conducta’s balloon-filled backdrop. The YouTube live chat crew were feeling this one, as evidenced by their comments, and so are we.
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