It’s 2019 and genre is dead. Mixtapes and Spotify playlists for country trap, thrash metal and emo pop? Honestly, who has the time? We’re all busy people! Including Sally C.
After planting her roots in Scotland for the past five years, Sally has been making waves in Germany, playing at clubs like Renate, Else and Griessmühle. When the Irish-born, Berlin-based DJ goes digging for records to influence her own music, she’s not looking for any one sound. Instead, she goes for whatever makes her tick. The result is music that delves deep into 80s and 90s early house bangers, with plenty of timeless second hand grovers. “It’s hard to distinguish precisely your own sound when it’s always evolving,” she tells i-D. “But I take massive inspiration from US House music from the late 80s and early 90s. Hip-house, Chicago house and acid have a huge influence on my sound — it’s chunky, rolling, raw and energetic. When I’m buying records I go into a portal where I’m only hearing the sounds I want to hear at that moment.”
So it makes sense that the mix she’s put together especially for i-D — ahead of her performance at pioneering dance music festival AVA festival next month — is a mish-mash of electro, hip-hop, acid house, and everything else you want to hear in an hour full of bangers. “I wanted this mix to be a representation of how my sound has developed and I wanted to take a slightly different approach by combining different genres I’m not used to with new music I’ve been inspired by recently,” says Sally. “It rolls through lots of breaks/house/acid with a little electro and hip house, then there’s some really random records in there too. I’m playing a little harder at the minute so it’s a slight reflection of that as well as shedding light on new music I’ve found recently and pals’ tunes. I pushed the boundaries a bit with this one swapping up genres and delving into a slightly different approach. It’s a raw, one-time recording of both records and digital music.”
Genre-bending, boundary pushing, ear pleasing, what more could you want? Tune in.
Tracklist:
Kaye – Se7en (Gratts & NIBC Dwaalicht Refix)
DJ Fett Burger – Pub 18
Cromby – Try Acid
Ca$h Minus – ???? (Cornelius Doctor Blackmarket Mix)
AFAMOO – Do It ft. Park Nye Jin
Luca Lozano – Atmosphere
Big Miz – Dance MF
Tragic 4 Muddsouljier – Wreck It
MC – X – All Men Are Created Equal
Fast Eddie – Hip House (Julian Perez Mix)
Technotronic – Get Up! (Before The Night Is Over) Dance Action Mix
Aphex Twin – Nightmail 1
Mr De’ – Krank This Mutha
Mr De’ – Electric Soul X2
Tragic/Kevin Halsted/DJ Attack – STOMP (House Style)
DJ Supreme – The Wild Style
Decas – Body Bass
Toni Moralez – Lets Get Romantic
Sally C is performing at AVA Festival Boiler Room next month. See the full line up here .