Darwin takes a trip through dance floor transcendence and sonic catharsis for this week’s Fact mix.
Between her record label, SPE:C, and her beloved party, REEF, the Canada-born, Berlin-based DJ Darwin is responsible for splashing the vibrant grit and visceral weight of UK soundsystem music across the mostly monochromatic sound palette of Europe’s densest techno outpost. Founded in 2014 as a semi-regular function promoting UK club sounds, REEF has grown into an ocean-themed force of nature and an essential cornerstone of Berlin’s party scene. Following a legendary run of 24-hour raves at the tragically shuttered Griessmuehle, which featured a who’s who of UK originators, pioneers and innovators including Pinch, Kode9, and Objekt, the party has more recently found a new home at Berghain, with Darwin taking over the entirety of the club three times a year, cementing REEF as a true Berlin institution. Surfing between the breadth of UK and UK-influenced club sounds with energy and elegance, Darwin is the perfect selector to step up to the plate for a Fact mix, for which she takes a trip through dance floor transcendence and sonic catharsis.
“I just came back from Freerotation a few weeks ago and it was honestly one of the best weekends I’ve had in years,” she explains. “I had some rough personal shit in the last months and the whole experience was really healing for me. Freerotation is quite intimate and artists and guests are given the space to really do what they want there. This year I had the honour of getting to play for the first time and sadly it wasn’t recorded. It was a very transcendental set for me and I wanted to share it so I pulled my history and re-recorded it at home. The mixing is raw, just as I am in the club, I thought obsessing over transitions would take away from the flow I had that night. I hope people enjoy it as much as I did.” Building from eerie shuffle and trance-inducing dembows to her signature soundsystem pressure, moving through humid low end swirl and feverish chug, Darwin’s session breaks out into a hot and heavy swing through a continuum of styles and sounds REEF devotees will be delighted to be submerged by. No tracklist for this one, as is Darwin’s policy, just one and a half hours to flow with and through.
You can find Darwin on Instagram and SoundCloud.
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