Sammy Gouyette, the Parisian DJ-producer better known as Brawther, is driven by a “profound love” for house music,” he tells XLR8R. His journey towards that love began in the late ’90s with ambient and experimental IDM from people like Aphex Twin and the Rephlex label peers, but after multiple holidays in the UK he discovered deep house and eventually artists like Pépé Bradock and St.Germain, who became his main influences. He’s been trying to create that same vibe ever since. In the efforts, over a career spanning nearly 15 years, Gouyette has become a champion of the genre, effortlessly weav ..read more

NKISI is the alias of Melika Ngombe Kolongo, a DJ-producer and live act born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Leuven, Belgium. Through her kinetic live performances and releases—which have taken her across the world and landed on labels including Warp’s Arcola imprint, Germany’s Climate of Fear, and Lee Gamble‘s UIQ, where she released her debut album, 7 Directions in 2019—deliver intense, powerful sonics influenced by ancient African rhythms and experimental improvisation. Her journey towards electronic music began in photography, before she became dissatisfied with the visua ..read more

Paula Koski, who was born in Finland but now lives in Berlin, specializes in fast-paced, groovy techno—and you can hear her play out at Tresor, where she DJs regularly as a resident, or at Berghain. Her first production, true to her chosen style, recently saw the light on Soma Records. Her journey towards music began as a child in Helsinki, when she began recording radio mixtapes. “I would sit next to the radio all day long, waiting to record the tracks I wanted to have on the cassette,” she tells XLR8R. Around 2010, she started clubbing, found a love for electronic music, mostly techno, and d ..read more

Over the last decade, Haruka—a Tokyo-based DJ-producer—has emerged as a leading figure in Japan’s dance music community. He initially made a name for himself as a resident and co-curator of DJ Nobu‘s infamous Future Terror parties, but since then he has played at major clubs in Tokyo—including Womb, VENT, and Dommune—and globally. These experiences have instilled in him a great versatility as a DJ, able to play carefully crafted opening sets, driving and powerful techno in peak-time slots, as well as after-hours sessions or more experimental explorations. When he’s not touring as a DJ, Haruka ..read more

Beginning in 2012, Brooklyn-based duo Francis Harris and Anthony Collins (a.k.a Grant)—who have both released solo XLR8R podcasts—have released a stack of quality house records as Frank & Tony, a collaborative projects that serve homage to the belief that house music continues to bring communities together from its earliest days until the present. Their first releases came out on Scissor & Thread, the label they launched in 2011, and in 2014 they shared You Go Girl, their debut album, which they followed with a handful of EPs and singles. Following 2017’s Odes and The Gales on Japan’s ..read more

This week’s XLR8R podcast comes from Sean Patrick, the Los Angeles DJ-producer and owner of Willis Show Bar in Detroit. Patrick began DJing at clubs right after he left school, more than 20 years ago, first spinning sets of post-punk, new wave, and industrial. But over time, his sound has increasingly shifted towards house and electronica, and with that progression he’s performed with artists including Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, Thom Yorke, Massive Attack, Trentemøller, and Kevin Saunderson. Recently, he has brought back Temporary Spaces, a concept night that has previously seen the lik ..read more

Studying mathematics for years in Morocco triggered an unexpected journey for Anechoic, who today is based in Paris, France. “As I delved into the intricacies of mathematical concepts, I found myself intrigued by the possibility of translating abstract theories into tangible sonic experiences,” he says, and he began experimenting with music mixing program VirtualDJ. To make his own tracks, he began buying synthesizers, “driven by a desire to explore sound in a hands-on manner,” he says/ During this period, he also delved into the works of Dino Sabatini, Voices From the Lake, Giorgio Gigli, Don ..read more

Last month, Seven Davis Jr.—the Texas-born, California-raised singer, songwriter, and DJ-producer—returned with Stranger Than Fiction, a new album. Since 2012, Davis Jr. has put out music on Secret Angels, the label he launched in 2016, but also Classic Music Company and Ninja Tune, which is where he released his debut album, Universes, on which he gave a nod to all the different genres of music that have affected him, ranging from classic pop, funk, and soul, to soulful house and jungle. On Stranger Than Fiction, he collaborates with John Cale, Luke Solomon, and Jon Dixon to deliver an album ..read more

The work of Khalil is heavily influenced by the multicultural fabric of London’s nightlife. His sets weave everything from hip-hop and R&B to soul, dancehall, and afro-beats, and they play between the lines of the expected and unexpected, bridging the old and the new, to create a distinct style and sound of his own. It’s a style that can be traced back to his childhood in London when he discovered reggae, hip-hop, jungle, and drum & bass, and he began playing house parties and then at bars and eventually clubs. From there, he hasn’t stopped. “I’m fortunate that I’ve kept going from the ..read more

Earlier this month, Cyphon Recordings continued their run of form with a mini LP from Ewan Jansen—with six tracks of crisp, colourful, groove-heavy house and techno. Originating from Perth, Australia, Jansen cut his teeth in the early ’90s producing hardware-saturated house music using an Amiga 500 that his parents bought him for school assignments. Since 1997, he’s been curating Red Ember Records, a label that developed its own timeless signature deep house style with releases from Andrew Carpenter, Justin Zerbst, and Jansen himself. Jansen’s own sound is influenced by Detroit techno, dreamy ..read more