The track I’ll be opening my next DJ set with
SHXCXCHCXSH: Stämma #5
I never recommend these guys in person because of the intense embarrassment of trying to pronounce SHXCXCHCXSH.
The track I always play to rescue a dancefloor
Alan Fitzpatrick: Confessions of a Wanted Man (Benjamin Damage Remix)
I don’t know why, but this one works everywhere. Big room, small room; shit sound, great sound.
The track I wish I’d signed to my label
Wax: No 30003
Such a simple track on the surface, but amazing groove and sub bass. I enjoy the sincere and heated arguments about what genre it is on YouTube; is it house, techno, dubstep, Christian rap?
The track that’s been unfairly slept on this year
Alex Alben: Chimera
Modern, meaty, classic New York techno. This track really came to life for me when I played it in its home city. I always believe when you are making music that something of the city finds its way into the record.
The track I’d play to show off my eclectic tastes
Alec Empire: The Sun Hurts My Eyes
There were very few outlets for non-mainstream music while I was growing up in Swansea. Mostly it was obscure CD compilations and taping the John Peel show, which is where I first heard Alec Empire. I’d go down and pester confused HMV employees for records Peel played, always to blank stares.
The best track by my favourite new artist
Lanark Artefax: Flickering Debris
Fresh-sounding with a classic feel. Brings back the sense of adventure in late 90s and early 00s IDM but without any of the pretentiousness.
The track I’d play at my auntie’s wedding
Boy Harsher: Pain
My auntie is a goth; it would warm her black heart.
The track that should have been a crossover hit
Bicep: Opal
It’s hard to find a time or place in the world where this doesn’t sound amazing.
