We’re joined by Stockholm based collective, Sun Citadel Dance Club - a four person crew of friends responsible for throwing some wicked parties around the city.
First of all, welcome and thank you for making this epic mix! Can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration or vibe behind this mix we’re about to hear? Any labels/artists/tracks you would like to give a shout-out to in particular?
Warm and dreamy atmosphere and groovy rhythms, the sound of this mix is reminiscent of the 90s Italian/NY production of deep/italo house aka paradise house.
We really enjoy releases from the 90s label Creative Label, but also modern productions from Cosmic Breeze Records and the artists Manuel Darquart and Davide Disanto/Spiritual Emphasi, keeping the spirit of the sound alive and evolving it for the future.
Even though we’ve progressed beyond this sound, it will always remain close to our hearts.
How did Sun Citadel come to be and how long have you been throwing parties together? Do you have a shared love of a certain vibe or sound in particular that your parties evoke?
We (Samira Ari, Manú Festo, Lisa Tee and Kugg) came together in 2018 and started with a monthly club in 2019. Sun Citadel grew out of a disco group that Samira started and which we were all active in. The four of us were curious about what more we could do together. Stockholm has a really exploding techno scene, but house and breakbeats were at the time pretty rare on the dance floors. So we spend a lot of time digging, fine tuning our sound, selecting from a common palette and making our sets for the night weave into each other. To get a taste of the sounds, check out these live recordings from two different parties, by Lisa Tee and Kugg.
Apart from the music, we want to build an inclusive dance floor and engage our participants to be generous and kind.
We have had too many harsh experiences in vulnerable states on what should be safe dance floors dedicated to music.
Spending time on decor can really help in creating these types of dance floors. The Sun Citadel room is clad in dreamy, tie-dyed fabrics, glimmering organza, and liquid lights creating a warm and psychedelic vibe.
What has been your favourite event so far as a crew and why?
Definitely a midsummer daytime forest dance we threw together. The air was warm, well relatively warm, the spot we found is soundproof and an adventure to reach (in a good way). Except for beautiful boulders it also has natural chill outs. It was a great party with amazing participants who all helped carry our equipment out of the forest afterwards. We all came out of that party with smiles, new friends and with an even deeper connection with each other.
For us, that event was not only about the actual night, but it was also a manifestation of friendship as a group and community throughout the years.
What are some other local labels/acts and artists from Sweden we should be keeping our eyes on?
If ever in Stockholm, you should give a visit to Cyklopen, a DIY cultural/social center in southern Stockholm. Make sure to check out live sets by Jo Bubbles and Mount Liberation Unlimited, producing funky house and disco out of studios in Stockholm. Local act Pufferfisk’s acid italo disco style tune El Rincon Del Pollo is definitely worth some organised body movements, let it be heard outside of Sweden!
Don’t miss Snickars Records, a Sun Citadel favorite record shop. You should also listen to Malmö radio's Radio Jesusparken, Bolam who’s now living in Malmö, and the Manchester based Stockholm expat Bobo’s down beat jungle productions.
What is Sun Citadel planning next? :)
We’re turning 3 years as a dance club and of course celebrating it with a party next year in February!
It’s going to be massive in Sun Citadel terms, which means intimate and well prepared with chillouts and amazing decor, haha. Just get in touch with us over social media to get more info! Before the end of the year, we’re playing at a couple of parties, one support party for an activist group helping undocumented people in Sweden (The No One is Illegal Network), and in the newly opened dance floor room at Stockholm’s oldest gay bar Side Track!
=D Other than that, let’s see what the future brings!
Keep up to date with Sun Citadel Club parties and happenings here!