You can almost feel the warmth of the sun in the sound of some Australian artists – and up-and-coming Melbourne DJ Kia is no exception. An artist we’ve had our eye on for awhile, she’s garnered attention both in her hometown and internationally with carefully crafted DJ sets that fuse groovy, melodic techno with bass-heavy rhythms and UK-tinged break beats.
Ahead of her appearance at Patterns of Perception // Summer Edition this Sunday, we asked Kia to select 10 tracks that represent her current sound. The result is a list of upbeat tracks selected with the summer in mind, ideal for an outdoor party in either hemisphere.
From Serenity In The Woods.
Analogue Attic, 2018.
Adam (Citizen Maze) is one of my favourite Australian producers. His music is my favourite kind of music - music you can relax to but can make you dance. Adam’s songs are always embedded with beautiful jazzy samples and you can really feel the Australian vibe to it. It would be hard to find a mix or set of mine that doesn’t feature at least one Citizen Maze tune.
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From the Natural XT EP.
Well Street Records, 2019.
Well St Records is one of my favourite labels. This new EP by Loop LF is really beautiful. I love the atmospheric broken beat sound on this record. This EP is easy listening, but also really groovy and a great warm up style track. Definitely one of my favourite releases this year.
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From Variations.
Spazio Disponible, 2019.
Everybody is going crazy about the new rework of Parola which Donato Dozzy released on his label Spazio Disponible recently. Parola is one of my favourite songs by him ever, and the new one sounds incredible on the dance floor - but the B side to this new EP is even more mind-blowing. I can’t stop listening to it - I love the dreamy vibe. The perfect euphoric closing tune.
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From the Minimum Interest EP.
Self-released, 2019.
Iota is a very new and exciting producer coming out of Melbourne. His recently released EP Minimum Interest comprises of a range of deep and driving electro, but this tune in particular stands out as it is a bit more playful. It has a really fun UK garage vibe to it, which is another genre I love mixing into deeper sounds.
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From NR004.
Native Response, 2018.
Queniv is one of my favourite up-and-coming producers. This song is emotive but still bassy and can set a really nice mood on a dancefloor. I discovered his music earlier this year which then led to me explore Native Response and De Lichtig, two really great labels coming out of the Netherlands.
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Hybrid Man are a relatively new duo coming out of Melbourne who have managed to create their own distinctive style while still reminiscent of the Australian sound. When I first heard this song, it was actually in an NTS show and I couldn’t believe it was homegrown talent that I hadn’t heard of. Now this EP has become one of my set staples. Paper Cuts is an exciting new Australian label to keep an eye on!
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From Numerous Agnomens Vol.III.
Aku, 2019.
While all of my friends and those who know me will agree that minimal certainly isn’t my favourite genre, there are elements of the genre that I find really useful and playful in a set when mixing them into deeper or bassier sounds. This tune by Barac has been my most frequently played minimal track recently. I think Barac has a really cool style because he stands out from the traditional stripped back style of the Romanian minimal scene. His music is really versatile and dynamic.
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From Gegek.
Nous’Klaer Audio, 2019.
Konduku is without a doubt my favourite producer and also a huge inspiration to me as a DJ. I remember discovering his music through his Smoke Machine podcast and being blown away by the way he combines deep melodies with irregular basslines, which I had never really heard be done before in the way that he does it. He somehow manages to combine elements of so many different genres into his music. This song in particular from his Gegek EP on Nous’Klaer Audio (also one of my favourite labels) has an amazing flow and I love playing it in my sets and mixing something a little more 4/4.
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From Subspecies.
Allergy Season, 2018.
This whole EP is really interesting but this song in particular has basically every element that I enjoy in a song. I love the dubby, fun vibe to it. It’s a really good song to get people moving.
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From the Marius EP.
Hessle Audio, 2017.
Batu is an amazing producer - some of the sounds he produces are so unique to him. I really like this song EP in particular - it’s deep, interesting and upbeat. It’s the kind of song I’d play towards the beginning of a set, it creates an interesting vibe and sets the tone to play bouncier and harder stuff as the set progresses. Perfect for a party in the sun!
Catch Kia alongside Acronym and Petar Dundov in the ://about blank garden this Sunday, August 11. More info on Facebook and RA.
Listen to Kia’s Patterns of Perception mix:
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