Recommendations: July 2023

and

Aug 02, 2023

Writing this on the Eurostar as I’m heading on a month-long adventure starting with Dekmantel Festival today. The festival has such a special place in my heart with it being the first electronic music festival I ever attended in 2015 and now returning for the fifth time with the last two editions working on their press team. It always feels like a big ol’ reunion when I’m there and I’m so excited to catch up with friends and see some of my favourites play. Highlights include Voices From The Lake, TraTraTrax takeover, Martyn, Toma Kami b2b Ehua, Kia, Donato Dozzy, Hudson Mohawke, ISAbella, Torus, mad miran and so many more. Basically every set is a clash and I’ll be running around the festival wishing I could split myself in five.

Last week I returned from my first trip to NYC in 11 years and it was one of the best trips I’ve ever been on. I’ve been so interested in what’s happening in the city’s underground music scene, trying to keep tabs on what’s going on over there through religiously following the local DJs, collectives, labels, platforms and clubs. You can imagine how surreal it was to then finally be in the city I’ve adored so much, since I was a kid, and finally be able to experience these places and see these DJs who rarely make it across the pond. Some highlights include seeing Sobolik, Ayesha, DJ Wawa, Toumba, Doctor Jeep and Sputnik One play, heading to Groovy Groovy for the final hours of the party with Kia and Simo Cell closing things off where Simo welcomed the return of the 2010’s playing Julio Bashmore’s Battle For Middle You and experiencing Akanbi’s excellent MCing in real life (his energy is unmatched), being completely present on the dancefloor at Nowadays with people actually dancing! (it feels like an unknown concept in clubs in the UK and some cities in Europe) and a wild Tuesday night adventure to Bossa. One thing that I took away from my experience is that the music community in NYC is so supportive of each other and truly want to see each other succeed. It was really refreshing to see as it can often feel at times, from my experience living in Berlin and London, that people are competing against each other or don’t really engage in each other’s scenes, when most people are in this thing for the same reason - the love of music and wanting to share that love with other people. I wish more of us tapped into that energy or remembered why they got started.

Whilst we were there, I got the chance to play on The Lot Radio - doing a solo show in similar style to my Refuge Worldwide residency focusing on ambient-leaning productions - you can find the tracklist for the show here. My besties Coral + Cass played after me with an absolutely killer back-to-back, more party mode with rewinds aplenty. On the same day, I headed over to 8 Ball Radio and played my first ever back-to-back with Sorry Records founder Nick Boyd who I met for the first time during that trip after supporting and connecting via the label years ago. A very fun and silly show which I was so unprepared for; downloading new tracks from Bandcamp literally an hour before and borrowed Cass’ USB for additional tracks - forever making things difficult for myself. I left feeling so inspired after the show and with the urge to dedicate more time to learn how to DJ so soon come!

Those are just some of the music-related bits - I’m so happy I got to catch up and meet so many people IRL for the first time as well as go to a Yankees game before heading to Nowies, lose my mind at Coney Island, trying a corn dog for the first time and eating and drinking at the cutest tavern in Central Park whilst a live jazz band played ~ I miss that city so bloody much already! :’)