First of all Happy New Year! You’ve made it through 2024. Well done, let’s celebrate that queen. It feels like so much has happened and I’ve come out the other side a different person. You know like those movie characters that have been through sh*t and are hardened by life, or when people compare pictures of US presidents before and after their presidency.
Personally, last year was a period of transition. I finally (!!) completed GP training after a tumultous few years of working through the pandemic and the aftermath. I also dealt with personal losses and had to step back from certain projects. This has left me with plenty of time for reflection.
What do I actually want?
From a DJing perspective there is a perception of a certain path laid out for “success”. But having spent most of my life on the academic treadmill, I resent the idea of swapping one rat race for another. Achievement feels nice in the moment but like an orgasm, is fleeting. And honey there is only so many times you can c*m in a day.
This ties in with an interview I did with Ella last year for the latest issue of CWYR Zine, an independent publication featuring works of LGBTQ+ creatives.
We had thoughtful conversations about fulfillment and how my experiences with organising queer spaces fit into that. I’m a real geek about this and I appreciate being able to ramble on about something I really care about.
I was also asked to contribute a mix for their launch event at Rare Mags in Stockport. It was fun experimenting with different ways of stringing a narrative together without the usual propulsive energy required within a club setting.
The result is a mostly ambient mix featuring quite a few tracks from Surround by Hiroshi Yoshimura (1986), which is an album that have kept me company through years of journalling. Perfect for melting through your couch on a gloomy winter evening.
Tracklist:
1. Speak to me by Pink Floyd
2. Carlos Sanchez Interlude by musclecars
3. Surround by Hiroshi Yoshimura
4. Hello? by musclecars
5. Mantis by Dorisburg
6. Time Forest by Hiroshi Yoshimura
7. Welcome by Jon Hopkins & 7RAYS
8. Sling of Life by K Wata
9. Mersellanious by Will & Ink
10. Coney Storm Drain by Call Super
11. Inner Garden by Tomo Katsurada
12. Iwakura Rein by Reichi Nakaido
13. First Supposed by Tammo Hesselink
14. Industry by Nathan Micay
15. Trust and Desire by Kelly Lee Owens
16. I’ll Do Whatever You Want by Shabaka
17. If you Leave Something Behind by Christopher Bear & Daniel Rossen
18. Things We See When We Look Closer by Sam Goku
19. Sit Around the Fire by Jon Hopkins, Ram Das & East Forest
20. Breathing by Shabaka
21. Green Shower by Hiroshi Yoshimura
22. Send It On by D’Angelo
You can read excerpts of the interview Making Space (in conversation with Stanley Liew), an article by Ella Waren on DAZED.
If you’d like to purchase the zine to read the full interview, there’s copies available on their website. I’ve really enjoyed reading all the other features, and am honoured to be included.