Mixes Digest 18: Club Heat for Summer

Shapeshifting techno, atmospheric minimal, smoky trip-hop—and two bonus sets of my own

Welcome to the latest installment of Futurism Restated’s Mixes Digest. I’m running this exclusive post for paying subscribers today in lieu of a more traditional Tuesday new-release roundup while I finish transcribing and editing a fantastic interview that I hope to post later this week.

This issue’s mixes comprise a stellar selection of dancefloor heat:

• a two-hour sidewinder full of feints and switchbacks recorded live last year at one of New York’s most beloved underground festivals

• a masterclass in the deeper side of classic minimal techno

• a more spacious take on contemporary minimal/atmospheric techno and house, delivered with unusual finesse, from two new-to-me names

• a roiling sea of trip-hop brooders

…and more.

Plus a couple of bonuses: For subscribers only, after the jump, I’ve uploaded a voiceover-free version of an ambient Balmat mix I recently did for Beatportal, because the peppy introductory voiceover they laid over the first 30 seconds of the set is kind of a vibe-killer. The version I’ve uploaded here is at least 200% more meditative.

And for all and sundry, here’s a four-hour-plus set I recorded just this past Friday night here on Menorca, at Mahón’s excellent Es Claustre, an indoor/outdoor venue at the center of the city’s central market, a former convent. It was the first proper club gig I’d played in ages, and I had the best time, thanks in large part to a very enthusiastic crew of dancers.

The setlist is a mix of deep house, nu-disco, classic techno, minimal-ish techno, and a few curveballs—chestnuts from names like Lindstrøm, Metro Area, Theo Parrish, and Moodymann; tracks you may know but have probably forgotten about from Recloose and Andre Bratten; and modern soon-to-be-classics from Physical Therapy, Shinichi Atobe, abentis, and Erika de Casier (via a very, very special remix). And while part of me feels a twinge of chagrin to have played so many “big” tracks in one set (and there’s one or two transitions I wish had been slightly less abrupt), in general I think the whole thing flows really nicely; the finale is the most energetic selection that I’ve played in the past several years. I spent most of the weekend sanding and lacquering patio furniture, which gave me ample time to listen back to the whole thing twice, in full—that is, nearly nine hours—and I didn’t hate it, so perhaps you’ll enjoy it too. (See the comments on SoundCloud for the full tracklisting.)

Scroll on for this week’s mixes!

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This one’s for the paying subscribers, as a thank you for your ongoing support. Paid subscriptions are $5 a month or $50 a year; perks include exclusive playlists for chilling and clubbing (now available on Deezer as well as Apple Music and Spotify); the ongoing Mixes Digest series; and full access to the archives, including interviews with Anthony Naples, Penelope Trappes, Stephen Vitiello, Longform Editions head Andrew Khedoori, drone titans Belong, Seefeel’s Mark Clifford, and more.