Show Notes
Priori (@priori-ties) has always explored a wide range of techno from dense and introspective to more joyous, often against the backdrop of technological possibilities. He hails from Canada and has been prolific since first emerging with two full-lengths to his name on his own NAFF label. They pair dubby undercurrents with crystalline melodies and contain the sort of unresolved tensions that keep you locked in for the ride. This weekend he plays Dekmantel Naarm 2024 but first has served up this new mi for us.
Priori says this is the first dance mix he's done in a long time, adding "It's an hour and a half of fresh rhythms and rave sounds that I recorded while on tour in Australia. It features a few tracks I have been playing a lot lately and some forthcoming bits by myself and some friends." In just over 90 minutes he works through a rollercoaster of deep techno rhythms that are firmly focused on the future and flow as fluidly as water.
More from Dekmantel Mix Series Archive 1-500
skyra is one of the local artists who has put Georgia's underground scene firmly on the map. His regular appearances at Tbilisi's cult Bassiani club have been key to that, and in August, he will showcase exactly what he's all about when he plays live for us at Selectors with Hamatsuki: deep but driving house music that's bathed in lush melodics but never short on low-end power. Next year, he has plenty of music coming up, including a release on Unforeseen with Hamatsuki.
Our next mix comes from Montreal’s enigmatic DJ Frog. Dusty loops and crushed grooves are the highlight of this Doo Records mainstay. Her selections and productions flutter between the minimalist zones of house and dubby techno. It takes in a whole host of unreleased material from Cheeks, Hashman DJ and sometime studio collaborator SnP 500 and stays resolutely buried in swampy sonics and swirling dub undercurrents. Subtlety is key to how moods are built up, then fade away. There are no big moments, just a slow teasing of tension that grows ever more irresistible.
Proud champions of community and inclusivity, Lakuti and Tama Sumo are long-time Dekmantel favourites and true underground bastions. Deep diggers and lifelong collectors, the iconic Panorama Bar dup built a reputation for sets where pretty much anything goes, as long as it has soul. And the way they mix it, with a rare instinct that pull their crowds in deep is what makes them one of the most revered back-to-back duos in the scene. This week’s mix is yet more evidence of that: over 80 minutes, they blend old and new. Rooted in house but shaped by global travels, it moves through soul-soaked broken beat, classic US depths and Afro rhythms – always carried by an emotional rawness that resonates. A masterclass in both selection and flow from two of the best.
South Africa's DJ Lag is to gqom what Frankie Knuckles is to house. An early pioneer of the raw, minimal and bass-heavy electronic style since the 2010s, he has gone on to popularise it around the world with a wealth of solo EPs and high-profile collabs. Last year, he dropped his second album, The Rebellion, which ushered in a new era that embraced Afro tech, amapiano, drill and hip-hop, all having previously worked with the likes of Beyoncé and Tyla.
Michelle emerged from the Uruguayan underground back in 2018. Since then, she's explored the sort of sounds that have made her homeland such a creative hotbed: stripped-back techno, electro and early tech house all collide in her tracks on the likes of My Own Jupiter, CABARET Recordings and, most recently, Element Of Impact. Though designed purely for dancing, they're rich with intriguing textural contrasts between steely metal surfaces, wonky acid lines and sultry synths.