The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of travel including San Diego for CRSSD, Austin for SXSW, 10 days in Spain, the desert for Coachella and a very brief trip to NYC. I’ve seen a ton of live music (Cleo Sol and Shigeto stand out as favs), DJ’d a couple of times, once in LA and once in NYC (my *debut*), and just finished another music production course (no, you can not hear my final project).
Busy is good. My year tends to follow a seasonal pattern. I start the year chill, feeling a tad useless, and the void opens up. Next, my anxiety creeps in as my calendar fills up. Then I am in it. Sleep and recovery are vital but being “in it” is where it’s at. No time for the void! The constant need to feel “productive” is probably something to work on.
I’m off to Japan for a proper vacation today - no laptops will be in attendance. Before I head out, I wanted to share some music with you. My dad suggested I make these updates a little shorter, which is something I plan to do soon!
the soft gaze (updated) + album recs
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
If you dig, listen to… urika’s bedroom - Big Smile, Black Mire (Spotify / Apple Music)
The music of urika’s bedroom speaks quite directly to my combined love of shoegaze, dream-pop, hip-hop and dance music. It fits mostly squarely in the realm of indie rock but the production has clear nods to sample-based and drum machine music. Here’s another favorite from the project…
If you dig, listen to… untitled (halo) - headbanger (Spotify / Apple Music)
LA three-piece untitled (halo) was my best discovery from SXSW that I didn’t actually catch because the venue was too full. Another nice fusion of shoegaze and dream pop with electronic elements. I had trouble picking just one track for the playlist update so here’s another…
If you dig, listen to… Djrum - Under Tangled Silence (Spotify / Apple Music)
Producer/DJ Djrum is a master of highly intricate, transformative electronic compositions. A bit more left-field than the previous two but I had to find a way to fit this album in. “Three Foxes Chasing Each Other” somehow manages to sound exactly like the most mind-blowing take on its name. He’s also one of the bravest, most unique DJs out there as well - give his recent Essential Mix a listen for an adventure.
dance traxx
I had a chance to open up Mood Ring in Bushwick last week and put together some hazy, deep house tunes that sounded pretty nice on their system. Thanks to
for having me and to my lil crew of New York friends that made the dance floor feel lively! Thought I’d share some favs from that gig:Shazz - “Intro (Ian Pooley Remix)”
I first came across German DJ/producer Ian Pooley via this excellent, jazzy remix. Honestly not quite sure when I picked this track up but it’s true to its name -a perfect opener.
Jimpster - “Phoenix”
UK’s Jimpster is a legend of deep house who I have been following for close to a decade. This one was a favorite in my sets back in 2019, perhaps I’ll bring it back soon!
Quell - “Joy”
I discovered this gem from Greek producer Quell in Mason Collective’s excellent BBC Essential Mix. It was released in 2011 but feels even more classic - deep and groovy with an iconic vocal sample.
AJ Christou, Mason Collective - “Samburu”
Speaking of Mason Collective, I did a deep dive on their releases after listening to the Essential Mix and this was one of my favs.
Kassian - “Midnight District Line”
This one resurfaced as part of the Semi Delicious label’s 6 year anniversary compilation. It features flawless, building disco grooves that you can just let play out on the dance floor.
Caribou - “Fly Away (Deetron Mix)”
Anything Deetron touches turns to gold and it doesn’t hurt to be working with excellent source material. The layering and build up on this is epic. It also mixes beautifully with this new Cinthie tune.
Logan - “Flash (Charles Webster’s Radio Friendly Vocal Mix)”
Rory closed out his vinyl set at Mood Ring with this absolutely gorgeous track. Every time I hear someone spin vinyl I’m reminded the value of letting songs play out a tad longer. I’m trying to get better about enjoying my tracks before moving onto the next.
Regal86 - “Running Foo”
It just so happened that two of my favorite techno DJs, 1morning and Regal86, were playing down the street from Mood Ring at Bossa Nova Civic Club so naturally we had to check it out. Bossa is just such a damn good room for dancing and the music was as no-nonsense as the venue. Not an original thought but I really do love Bushwick!
