South East London based producer and Aaja label & events co-owner Everson steps up to the podcast series with a dynamic mix of funk & groove based house.
Thanks for taking the time to record a mix for our podcast series, was there any special concept behind your mix, or tracks played from your own releases?
E: Thanks for having me..
I just wanted to put together a
bouncy, diverse mix to be fair, mixing up the genres, nothing too serious. Summers here, keep it vibey. I got carried away mixing in other peoples tracks, so ran out of time to fit any of my own in.
Where did you record the mix, and what equipment did you use?
E: I recorded it at my home studio in Deptford, using the Pioneer XDJ RX2 unit. One of my best purchases of late.
What is your thought process when picking out tracks for a podcast, do you pre-select the tracks, or just pick out the first couple and freestyle it from there?
E: I always like to treat any mixing session the same. Whether it’s playing out or recording a mix. I’ve always found (and I bet most DJs do too) that I mix best when I’ve first bought a bunch of new tracks and I’m at home, but never hit record. So I apply these principles to playing out or recording.
I’ll normally select the first few tracks, then wing it from there. It generally always works out.
How do you compare playing in a club to recording a podcast, is there much of a change in your mixing style and track selections?
E: I definitely like to switch it around. The mix you’re featuring is definitely more livelier than my usual podcasts. I don’t like to limit myself, I’m often inspired by multiple genres, even though a lot of the music I write is generally Techno/House based.
What stores or other places do you normally look for new music… is it all sourced online, or do you also pick up the odd bit of vinyl?
E: Unfortunately I don’t own decks anymore, so my vinyl collecting days have become somewhat obsolete. But I do spend hours and hours trawling the internet and various online stores on the hunt for music. One of my best online stores is What People Play.. Always find interesting and the more underground tracks.
Plus I’m lucky enough to have friends that write great music, so I’m often getting sent dubs.
Could you tell us a bit about your most memorable DJ experience?
E: A great one was playing Paloma in Berlin for 8 hours. After having issues with Rekordbox not connecting with either deck, and my secondary back up USB being faulty. I had to borrow someones laptop and various USBs to transfer my own music, all the while holding together a set. I was very sweaty that night..
What other projects do you have lined up, do you have any new releases or forthcoming gigs we should be watching out for?
E: I currently have a single ‘Grass is Green’ out on our own imprint, Aaja Records. With a way more deeper, Techno infused EP coming out towards the end of the year.
We’ll also be celebrating Aaja’s 1st birthday on the 7th September at M.O.T. in Bermondsey, where I’ll be playing alongside Dj October, Finn, Enchanted Rhythms, Dear Boss and Aaja residents. Tickets are available via RA right now.
