One of the most difficult aspects of the last 13 months has been the complete lack of sound systems, which define the spaces where I both forged and maintain my relationship with techno. Proper dancefloors cocoon you in sound, granting freedom of body, mind, and soul, allowing for a completely individual experience with music, even moments of transcendence, while surrounded by some abstract, shifting mixture of friends and strangers. Pandemic delivered the exact opposite of this freedom, with lockdowns and isolation, fear and anxiety. 

7 months in, my memories of being enveloped by sound, anonymous in a crowd, felt so distant; my connection to this music I love so dearly was deeply eroded. Where it was once fun to DJ at home as a means to invoke the dancefloor, I could no longer summon those feelings; trying to play music for myself, alone, on small speakers, left me feeling disconnected and confused. Faced with creating a set for Samhain, a task I would normally welcome with joy, honor, and a sense of purpose, instead filled me with dread, apprehension, and a feeling of being hopelessly lost. 

Putting this set together was the most difficult creative exercise I have ever engaged in, I never struggled so much in my life to DJ. I forced myself to listen through music, assemble a collection of tunes, and finally to record a set, doing my best to summon missing feelings and connect to the lost spaces that hold so much meaning. This experience was so troubling that it would be the last mix I made in isolation.

6 months later, vaccinations are beginning to become a reality, and while my beloved dancefloors are still a ways off, things feel much less hopeless than they did in the autumn. Listening back to this mix fills me with a deep yearning for what we are all missing, and also hope for our future. I look forward so incredibly much to the day we can dance together again!!! and I can't wait to see you all.

xo, erika
 

Playlist

#. Artist - Track Title [Label]
1. Sharod Sood & Liziuz - Drones And Moisture [Atmopile Electronics]
2. Dustmite - Towers [Supervoid Records]
3. Indira Paganotto - Unkle Fon Wolfville [Phase Insane Records]
4. Surgeon - We Must All Do Better [Blocaus Series]
5. LPZ - Metamorphosis [LPZ Records]
6. Ø [Phase] & Rødhad - 190319 [WSNWG]
7. Vith - Spite [Blocaus Series]
8. Shekon - Dance The Fate [Children of Tomorrow Records]
9. Under Black Helmet / Mørbek - Mute (Mørbek Remix) [Code is Law]
10. Ben Buitendijk - Ouroboros [Oblique Music NL]
11. Uun - Analysis Paralysis [Modern Cathedrals]
12. Divide - Ritardo (Ichizo Remix) [HAYES]
13. Iori - Mist [Bassiani]
14. Knay - Scalability [Circular Limited]
15. Aerialist - Pole [ARTS]
16. Sepehr - Consortium [Dark Entries Records]
17. Setaoc Mass - Never Escape [SK_eleven]
18. Wata Igarashi - Stuck In CDG [Omnidisc]
19. PRG/M - Morsa [Ascetic Limited]
20. Sebastian Bayne - Galactic [GENAU Recordings]
21. Syntaxism - Yapar [Evod Music]
22. Stanislav Tolkachev - Framing [Weekend Circuit]
23. Pfirter & Grindvik - Road to Boyacá [Leyla Records]
24. Evigt Morker - Fulländad värld [Northern Electronics]
25. ALPI - Hidden River [Southern Lights]
26. Dino Sabatini - Bridge #43 [Different Circles]
27. Florian Meindl - Bell's Theorem (Denise Rabe remix) [FLASH Recordings]
28. Larix - Aceno [Counter Pulse]
29. Ron Morelli - Exhibition of Counterfeits Pt 1 [BITE]
30. Anml Mthr - Human Primate [FLASH Recordings]
31. Peter Van Hoesen - Exit Strategy [Center 91]
32. Moving Thoughts - Braille [Binary Cells]
33. Felix Fleer - Saturn Devouring His Son [Semantica Records]
34. Sciahri - Shambles [Opal Tapes]
35. Rustal - F2D [Counter Pulse]
36. Sterac - Another Moog on Acid [Reclaim Your City]
37. Adorno - Verklärte Nacht [ENTKUNSTUNG]
38. Ulwhednar - Through Gates of Ice [Northern Electronics]
39. Torvvo - Field-effect [?]
40. Yanamaste - Deserted [HAYES]
41. Symmetrical Behaviour - Finite Strain Theory [Soma Records]
42. Gunnar Haslam - Seasick Acid [The Bunker NY]
43. Amanda Mussi - Amiga das Bee [Gold Dome Records]
44. GENAU - Genau 04 [GENAU]
45. V i L - Replica [Faut Section]
46. Dig-it - Accelerated Particles [Illegal Alien Records]
47. Israel Vines - Afterever (album version) [Eye Teeth]
48. Baby T - I Wish [Central Processing Unit]
49. Dustmite - Pods [Supervoid Records]
50. Michael Wells - Verge (YYYY Remix) [Weekend Circuit]
51. Klaska - Entanglement [JK Flesh]
52. Raffaele Attanasio - Fields [Letters From Jerusalem]
53. Dekeyden - Purplish Songs [Planet Rhythm]
54. Lag - Roler [mord]
55. Al Wootton - Lerzin [Livity Sound]
56. Weith - How The Turntables [Brainwaves]
57. Silas & Snare - Dreamscape [Kaizen]
58. Pugilist - Blue Planet [3024]
59. Imogen - Katla [OverworX]
60. Reptant - Transcendents From The Outer Sphere [Craigie Knowes]
61. Galaxy Lane - Return [Lone Romantic]
62. L/F/D/M - In The Dish [Voitax]
63. Aquarian - Ten Years (Leather Jacket Mix) [Forth]
64. ASC - Dissolve (Orphx Remix) [fracture]