We’re kicking 2021 off with just under an hour and a half of high energy goodness from RINI aka Mixtress - A Sisu Crew native, a resident of Daytimers and an all round queen of hard-hitting jungle, hardcore, and so much more.
She tells us that this mix is her favourite she’s made thus far, and rightly so - she sends energy levels soaring as she weaves effortlessly through a diverse blend of jungle, drill, footwork, bass, breaks, dance to rave - everything - really showcasing her depth and prestige as a selector and DJ.
Tell us a little bit about this mix and your style as it’s the most -RINI- mix you’ve ever made and features a lot of new pipin’ hot bangers you’re excited to feature. Any tracks/artists you want to give a shout-out to in particular?
I often find it tricky to place exactly what my ‘style’ is but I very much think this mix is as me as it gets. It’s very me to play a drill track and an instra:mental tune in the same stretch. Stank face one minute and having an existential moment the next.
Big shout out to unreleased/new tunes from Frazer Ray, Kretekboyz, Hermeth, the badman Party Popper edit from Casement, and a massive props to an incredible label out in New Zealand called The Big Fresh Collective. All of their releases are full of juicy footwork-y 160 greatness, and they’re consistently smashing it out of the park. A great goldmine of incredible producers and incredible releases.
Hope you like this one.
You’re the new creative lead at Sisu HQ - can you tell us a little bit about Sisu and how you became involved with their crew and amazing work?
Sisu is an incredible organisation and community of womxn/NB/LGBTQ DJs from the UK and beyond. The organisation runs workshops and teaches folks how to dj, which I find really important in this (still) very imbalanced industry. I’m really passionate about what they do and want to continue being involved in a creative way to empower more people.
I’ve been following Sisu for a while but I got involved at the beginning of 2020 when they had a callout for DJs. Me and Mel (who’s the mayor of Sisutown) started chatting about running a merch line and the rest: is history. After a couple years of being in a cis male space music-wise, it’s a much needed breath of fresh air to have open and welcoming people around you.
“After a couple years of being in a cis male space music-wise, it’s a much needed breath of fresh air to have open and welcoming people around you.”
You’ve been killing it of late with shows and mix features coming left, right and centre - can you tell us what we can expect for 2021?
Up until now I’ve been doing radio to keep myself sane in a non-giggy world. I’m going to continue my Netil show ‘Everything is Fine’ as a vessel for my feelings. I like focusing on one bit of my collection and exploring it deeply: eg Brasilian jazz, or progressive rock or just like, an hour of Mazzy Star. Despite my obsession with breakcore, I’m a big softie who loves romantic music.
My headphone and monitor music are on opposite ends of the spectrum; so I’ll be starting up a show in February showcasing the old and new of hardcore, exploring the revival of the genre but also taking a deeper dive into forgotten records to pay homage to the people who started the scene we all know and love. I think considering its cultural influence, it’s a genre that needs to get a bigger spotlight.
Lastly, I’m doing an ad-hoc show on Subtle Radio where I just play jungle. Yeah-- there’s not much to it other than jungle being my… favourite amen breaks receptacle and: I have loads of it.
Oh, and- my Hör Berlin debut. Strap tf in.
You’re a resident DJ to Daytimers, a kick ass platform celebrating South Asian artistry including Music, Art, DJ Mixes, Interviews & more. How has lockdown empowered the founding of the collective?
Daytimers is an amazing initiative and I’ve never felt so at home. Two things off the top of my head have been the incredible bandcamp charity release they did featuring south asian talent and a podcast series (keep your ears peeled for that one). We’ve managed to come together as a community even through lockdown and while we can’t play out, we’ve been able to collaborate and find a sense of identity.
This kind of came as a result of lockdown in a way so that’s been a blessing. I’ve been able to have so many powerful conversations with people I relate with on a cultural level and it feels amazing to be and have the representation I’ve longed for. It feels great seeing all the talent around me thriving.
What’s the first thing you wanna do when you break out of quarantine/ a post COVID world?
Be together in one room with the people I love and care about with sweat and music and the subtle signs of tinnitus, and probably bawl my eyes out whilst I’m at it.