It’s almost impossible to keep on top of everything that SoundCloud, Mixcloud and online radio has to offer. In our monthly column, FACT guides you through the must-hear mixes of the last 30 days, whether you want a club session to warm you up for the weekend, ambient soothers or a set of vinyl-only obscurities.
There was no escaping The Discourse this past month, as Techno Twitter lurched from crisis to crisis. If you managed to keep abreast of rewind-gate, tracklist-gate and – lord help us – Nike-gate…. well, frankly, you need to get off the internet and spend some time in the company of actual humans. But several good things came out of the chaos, including a standing-O for London DJ Sherelle, who followed up her headline-grabbing Boiler Room set with a mix for Noisey that leads this month’s selections.
Elsewhere, two all-original production mixes – from Manchester’s Anz and Bangface ambassadors Brain Rays & Quiet – set the benchmark for quality. SIREN crew member Sybil took us into deep, dark techno territory with the skill and panache of a DJ twice her age, while Iranian sound artists Temp-Illusion dragged us deeper into cavernous electronics and ruff IDM. Brighter, balmier vibes came from the eclectic crates of NYC’s Bergsonist, and finally, London’s Leisureware took us on a spiral-eyed trip into ambient house.
Sybil for Discwoman
Expertly engineered techno from the SIREN DJ
It was damn near impossible to choose just one mix from Discwoman this month, with fierce competition from Parisian DJ Crystalmess and her single-BPM challenge. But we couldn’t ignore London DJ and SIREN crew member Sybil, whose entry into the series is simply one of the most satisfying and serious techno mixes we’ve heard in ages. Relentless, psychedelic and oddly unsettling, it’s an expertly engineered voyage featuring Oliver Ho, Legowelt and similar darkroom delights.
Sherelle for Noisey
Riotous jungle with no rewinds
In the afterglow of her momentous Boiler Room set – the one that produced a spicy controversy she now refers to as “rewind-gate” – London’s Sherelle proves once again that she’s one of the city’s best young DJs. After warming up with some halftime heaviness, the Reprezent Radio host leans into her jungle collection for a riotous session that feels fresh as a daisy, lining up vintage breaks against new talents like Sully and Mani Festo.
Temp-Illusion for Music Map
Grit and gristle from the Iranian duo
Following their debut album Autolected – two stupendous sides of haggard electronics and skull-cracking IDM – Iranian sound art duo Temp-Illusion pay tribute to their heroes with a mix for Music Map. Granted, it’s a little bit like scrolling through Boomkat’s best-sellers – but any mix that so expertly sails from Shapednoise to Surachai to Demdike Stare is worth every second.
Anz – Spring/Summer Dubs 2019
Original bootyshakers from the Chow Down DJ
Manchester’s Anz unleashes fifty booty-shaking minutes of original material in this frankly awe-inspiring mix of brand new dubs, all apparently made in the last month. Ahead of her second EP on Finn’s 2BREAL label, the Chow Down crew member gathers up a bunch of belting tracks from her production line, spanning churning 4×4 garage, ice-cold electro, Touché house and Vince Staples refixes.
Brain Rays + Quiet for Electronic Explorations
Smiley face silliness from the Bangface crew
Another stonking all-original mix comes from Brain Rays and Quiet, whose session for Electronic Explorations raises a novelty glass to the 10th edition of the Bangface Weekender, the UK’s best-loved and most ridiculous rave festival. It’s an unpretentious, OTT explosion of ’ardcore ’appiness, traversing acid, techno, breaks and the overlapping territories of jungle and footwork – pure joy, start to finish.
Bergsonist for Trax
Stylish genre-hopping from the NYC selector
One of New York’s finest young techno producers also happens to be a DJ of wide-ranging taste. On her eclectic and occasionally slightly barmy mix for Trax, Bergsonist glides smoothly between drop-top boogie, lo-fi scuzz and shirt-swinging house, taking enough left turns to form a perfect circle. Muslimgauze, Greg Beato, David Morales and Plastikman all make an appearance.
Leisureware’s Ambient House Mystery Mix
Trippy ’90s tunes for 21st century Aquarians
The title says it all with this epic off-road session from Soho Radio host Leisureware. It’s a two-hour mix for the early hours – or perhaps an afternoon in your recently installed garden hammock – featuring hippy-dippy gurus imparting life lessons between mountains of luscious ambient house and trippy ‘90s breaks from Third Eye, Speedy J, The Orb and more. Peace out.
Chal Ravens is a freelance journalist. Find her on Twitter.
Olivea Kelly is an independent artist and designer. Find her on Instagram or at opk.studio.
Read next: 7 must-hear mixes from February 2019
