Melbourne Deepcast

Deep in the archives of the late 90s and early 00s Dutch underground, Piepotelli threads together some sublime progressive house and deep techno. @piepotelli

Q. What sounds / feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix?

A. I wanted to be in sync with MDC but also compile something personal. The sounds that emerge have inspired me a lot lately. They relate to a variety of styles, but also to emotions and energy. I truly feel related to the sometimes abstract form of expression music can be. I tried to be expressive in the progression, as only then the mix would make sense to me. The cohesion is noticeable through deepness all over, fused with wavy coatings, mysterious tints, and progressive elements, highlighted by synth, groove, and syndicate electronic magic.

Somewhere late afternoon landing into the night would be the ideal time for a whirl, as it takes time to build but would be too much for my morning peace – I prefer worldy stuff to wake up the mind (s/o John Gomez on NTS!). I guess before going out for a dance suits well, since it’s quite club-ready towards the end.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that you were especially excited to share? what is it about these songs that resonate with you?

Very much so! One that has been in my head for ages is The Hug Club – Round I Go (Morning Mix). Honestly, the whole EP kicks ass, but the B2 is on another level. I like several things about it. One, it’s subtle. It smoothly builds and gently brings some beautiful chord/synth layers to take the lead and make it flow. Two, it’s sensual, but not demanding. That elegance is exactly what sets this alleviating mood. Three, it’s a B2. The track that doesn’t scream for a listen. It’s there for the curious. Four, have you seen this cover? We were talking artistic expression right? That’s it right there. Take these 4 points together, and you see why it’s such a standout.

Q. Tell us about the evolution of your YT channel, where you’ve been uncovering hidden gems from the 90s / early 00s, largely from obscure NL house, techno and tribal / progressive producers and labels. Had you always suspected there might be a trove of deeper cuts hidden amongst the more popular Dutch hardstyle, trance and techno records of the time?

It’s funny that you mention that, because some of the quality deeper cuts originate from producers that came a long way from Trance, Hardcore and Gabber. If we take a step back, late 80s house music flew over by local DJs that felt inspired by what was going on in the US. That was for both the parties and the sound. The paradigm changed in Amsterdam as well. It had to withstand serious commotion by the crowd, but the driving forces around Club Roxy and Club iT eventually obtained their recognition. The local embracement paved the way for the evolution of many subgenres that followed. Of course music evolves globally, but it is the combination with local appreciation, local hubs, and local initiatives that gave it cultural body. It really deepened and refined what artists were able to produce.

Such history gives so much color to when you are going through archives like record bins. To relate it to the YT channel, essentially what it does is making finds from the past available for listening. I think on there, you have a unique combination of archiving and curation. Archiving in the sense that it’s not as polluted as other platforms, it is straight to the point and less ego-centric. Curation in the sense that you can post something unique and commit something that was not there yet, and bring it together on a channel. Now from history we can tell that the mid-late 90s and early 00s you mention were indeed fruitful in the region. That’s how it doesn’t surprise I come along the quality cuts you’re referring to. There is still a lot to discover. Also a lot of garbage, but dig deep enough and you’ll run into hidden treasures. Along the way you learn a lot about your musical taste. That’s the fun part.

Rolling waves of smooth sun soaked house with Naarm's own DAWS soundtracking her lifelong affinity for the deep blue. Techy offshore groovers and silky soulful burners making for the ultimate sunset serenade. Feel the breeze!

@dawsdj

Q. What sounds, places or feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being most enjoyed in?

A. I recently returned from a trip to South America where we spent most days talking about music, and specifically the sounds that got us inspired to start DJing. Enjoying time away in nature while driving long winding roads to the beach, between snow tipped mountains, and sunrise bus ride through the vast desert gave me plenty of time to reflect. This year marks 10 years since I started, and this mix is a trip down memory lane where we revisit the archive of tracks and moods that stood out to me. So I guess you could say it came from a pretty sentimental place.

I imagine it would be nice for a drive to the beach or while sat somewhere beautiful.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that you were especially excited to share, and what is it about these songs that resonate with you so much?

A. Heaps! But in particular the last track ‘Homepage’ by Brittany is a special one that takes me straight to my favourite place - in the ocean. A lot of my sound (and music I consume) is influenced by proximity to a body of water: coming, going, and spending time by it.

Q. We loved your Touch Of Sapphic EP from last year, it felt like potentially the beginnings of a new direction with your sound.. cheeky and club focussed but with a really groovy, breezy feel to it all. Can you tell us about any new projects in the works, and what sounds have you been drawn to explore further?

A. It’s been a balancing act to blend more club and late night tracks with the sounds that I’m more familiar with making. Lately, I’ve been really into ‘patient house’ as Ricky Nord calls it, which can be characterised by taking a less predictable and more laidback approach to arrangement, while giving more time for each element in the track to breathe. I still love tracks that use a big snare roll to build energy, but I’ve been enjoying new ways to mix tracks in sets that shy away from the classic energy signifiers. You can expect another EP from me soon with a good bit of breezy groovy stuff, and perhaps a bit of patient house???

Mad Habitat’s Greville guides us on a mysterious wander through deeply tangled woods, navigating his signature minimal wobblers and dubbed-out delusions amid strange voices hiding in the fog.

@grevillegreville

Captured in the woods at last year’s Dripping festival, Bay Area legend Primo Pitino treats us to a wildly transcendental ride through 20+ years of deep crate excavation, swerving between dizzy acid freakouts and deep progressive melters from the late ’90s. @primo-pitino

Q. What sounds/feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this set? Describe the setting + vibe out there while you were playing..

A. Dripping was wild, spaced out & transcendental, but also a moment to connect with friends, community, & even the earth tbqh. It was otherworldly but also felt very much like a family affair. I wanted to play a set that would bring us down to some oceanic depths, out into space, but also ultimately bring the dancers together.

Dripping takes place on a lovely mid sized campground in New Jersey with a lake, lots of foliage, & also many left over accoutrements of Ren Faire type events which take place during other times of the year. There are dance and art performances in various parts of the campground downtempo music on the lake, a big sound system in a large field, and in two indoor venues, the Inn (expansive, feels like a club but opens out to to the air) and the barn (bouncy wood floor, jam packed, hot and sweaty) I closed out the first night in the Barn, it was exciting, the energy was euphoric and infectious, at that point (3am) people had been dancing for hours but they fully seemed like they could easily go until dawn, the first record I played “No Command - Keim”, was meant as a sort of trippers clarion call, to answer their energy and bring it forward. When I started to play people really started to fizz, and it just felt like the best house party I had ever been to, so tripped out, silly, and also friendly.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that you were especially excited to share? What is it about these that resonate with you so much?

A. One of the tracks I was most excited to play that night was “Smiling in San Antonio” by Ed2000, it sounds so much like a 1992 UK hardcore piano rave “second summer of love” type tune but it was recorded in 2001 & has this crazy heavy bass, and almost post modern restructuring of that style, that I felt would make it go along with these heavier techy and acidic things I had chosen for the rest of the set, and at the same time bring that feeling of euphoria & togetherness that, for me anyhow, only raving has truly been able to bring out.

"The fight against oppression" - Pure Science 1997 ~I think I’ve been playing it for at least 9 years. It has a super heavy kick combined with some watery vibration & depth, the Dr Martin Luther King sample is played over itself again and again, also creating a tension build, so that when it is taken out again, the heavy beat of this deep track is brought into sharper focus. Definitely Two Billion Year Journey with the whale songs as synths, Reese type bass, and voice over suggesting whales as space traveling entities, is a big favorite. Also Analogue Bounce by Freak and Swank really stands out for me, very unique, and Bay Area, which I love.

Q. You made the big move from SF over to NYC a couple of years back, leaving after a 20 year long stint of running parties (including co-founding the iconic Club Lonely nights) and DJing around the Bay, tell us about how the transition has been + what new projects you’re excited about?

A. It was terrifying! I had lived in the same house for 14 years, and DJ’ed in some of the same clubs for 16/18 years. But I'm very happy to be here, I'm excited to connect with the Brooklyn dance community, and to make paintings again as well. Project wise, I just completed a fun painting on Mansions, & have been playing sets with my friend Kiyoshi909 which for me have been a few of the best sets I’ve played in all my 22+ years of djing, we both seem to bring out the freakiest possible tracks when we play together, so if you’re in Brooklyn this summer keep an eye out for us :)

Shanghai tastemaker Yu Yang pulls us into her twilight zone, navigating deep hypnotic house, synthy techno and tracky minimal groovers for the after hours inclined.

@yuyang11

Q. As a music lover that has lived across multiple corners of the globe, bouncing between London, Shanghai and Bali and having spent time living in NYC, what sounds or feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being best enjoyed?

A. All the life experiences in different places exposed me to different sounds & communities and helped me discover the core element of sound that I am attracted to - synth, groove and flow; and myself as a person of what experiences I am looking for on the dancefloor, which is feeling emotions and being introspective on the dancefloor. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s overwhelming, sometimes it’s even unpleasant, but it’s all part of the journey.

This set goes a bit deep and trippy so I think it could be listened to at after parties, taking a walk or going for a run in the evening, or any time when you feel like being on a music journey.

Q. Are there any records in the mix that you were especially excited to share, and what is it about these songs that resonate with you so much?

So many but if I have to choose:

Bullet Proof by Hd Substance
Synth-driven. Smooth groove. Rolling waves that go deep.

Wata Igarashi & Polygonia - Cross Passage
The most techno track on the whole set. Love a rolling bassline pushing deeper and deeper.

Keplrr – 4DRK
Been playing a lot of Keplrr lately. This one drifts on the calmer side, while others dive deeper, more emotional. A constant balance of techno and breaks, weaving feelings into every layer.

Q. You’re spending more and more time playing in the UK and Europe these days, where do you feel your uniquely global sound has been well received of late?

A. Japan and the United Kingdom both really champion this sound—through festivals like Rural and Houghton, and artists such as Powder, DJ Nobu, Wata Igarashi, Craig Richards, Jane Fitz and many more. Feeling inspired—and lucky—to move between Asia and the UK within this scene.