Many of September’s finest sets saw selectors going deep on the unexpected, nudging ravers or headphone purists alike towards parts unknown. Bob Chocolate, mixing for the essential and endlessly unpredictable Tabi Tapes series, whipped up an hour of terrible-trip smooth jazz; SW. made a feelings-first diary entry, blending trip-hop and zonked-out electronics, covering his laptop in smog in the process. The drops from this year’s Dripping and Meakusma festivals show best-in-class DJs pushing their craft into wholly out-there territories, and two recent sets from Time Is Away are downright hallucinogenic. Vladimir Ivkovic and Intergalactic Gary’s long-form twister, meanwhile, sees the pair twisting the dance floor into a black hole.
It’s not all smoke and mirrors. Berlin selector Darwin went all in on sub-bass slammers for her subglow/Live entry, and Texan dub-music mastermind Gi Gi looked towards house, breaks, and sort-of-downtempo. hallooo music turned in a masterclass of sonic exploration that continues to resonate as we move into the final quarter of the year.