Max HeyraudWe asked and you delivered. We compile a list of the best mixes of the past year as voted for by our readers.
2023 has seen a number of DJs push the limit with their craft as the multi-deck approach has begun to be adopted by more selectors. The past 12-months has also seen BPM’s soar to new heights across many genres, creating a speed warfare within clubbing communities. Trends and approaches aside, in some regard, 2023 has seemed like a turning point for the art of DJing as a selection of forward-thinking DJs have put their craft at the forefront of their creative process, pumping life back into an artform that was struggling to reinvent itself.
Without further adue we present the Top DJ Mixes of 2023 as piced by the Four Four readers.
Chlär – Boiler Room x Glitch Festival
There’s absolutley no suprise that Chlär’s made this list, as 2023 has been a hugely prosperous year for the Swiss techno boss. The Primal Instinct headhoncho turned up the heat for his debut Boiler Room at Glitch Festival, supplying an hour of forward-facing unreleased cuts.
Kaycee Live at Life Festival 2023
Dublin native Kaycee returned to Life Festival in May, making her debut on the festival’s mainstage. The live recording see’s Kaycee race through a selection of euphoric 90’s weapons, paying homage to the Dublin of yesteryear.
Shee – FEEL MY BICEP MIXTAPE 219(96% Original SHEE Productions)
David Sheeran, better known as Shee has had a meteoric rise through the ranks in 2023, from Fred Again supporting his muisc to touring with Barry Can’t Swim, and an entry in the FEEL MY BICEP MIXTAPE Series, the Kerry-native is one to keep an eye on. Shee’s contribution to the FEEL MY BICEP MIXTAPE see’s him spin nearly 100% original productions, further backing his strong 2023.
Rødhåd B2B Rene Wise – Recorded live from fabric
Early 2023 saw the meeting of two techno titans at London’s seminal club space, fabric. Both Rødhåd and Rene Wise are masters of their craft, with each dedicating their exsistence to pushing the envelope in regard to spacey reduced techno. This one is a real trip through fine-tuned hypnotic layers.
Or:la at Dekmantel Selectors 2023
It’s not often that we’re treated to a live recording from an Or:la set, and when you hear one, you stop and you listen. The Irish selector’s set at Dekmantel Selector’s see’s her scurry down boundless boroughs of deep & rolling house and techno cuts. The revered selector moves through bass-heavy suckerpunches right through to slippery garage delights.
Funk Assault – Vault Sessions VIII, BRET 05 Feb 2023
An impressive second entry from Chlär, but this time as Funk Assault, a collaborative project between contemporary techno trailblazers Chlär & Alarcico. The pairing’s live recording from Amsterdam’s Bret, see’s the pairing sprint through a selection of classic techno sounds with modern power and sound design putting this set in a league of it’s own. Their two mixer and six deck setup has helped shape the new multifaceted sound of techno in 2023.
X CLUB. – Boiler Room x AVA Festival 2023
Aussie duo X CLUB. have been going fron strenght to strenght within recent years and their Boiler Room at the coveted AVA Festival lives long in the memory of sun-kissed dancers in Belfast. Once again, the set is comprised of 100% original productions from the pairing as yet another act takes this new approach to DJing, giving artists full creative control, and expressing their music through a new medium. The set is full throttle pumping techno with some refrences to house and dub leaking throughout.
MARRØN – Stone Techno 2023 – ARTE Concert
Eerste Communie Co-Founder & Resident MARRØN has been one of the most consistently impressive techno DJs within recent years. His 90-minute mix live from Stone Techno in Germany is dynamic hypnotic techno at it’s most powerul & soulful. MARRØN’s ability to catch onto a groove and keep it locked in for an extended period of time is second to none. The whole crowd is moving in unison for this one as tribal sounds flow through the festival’s industrial backdrop.
Evian Christ – The Cover Mix [Mixmag]
The list comes to an end with the ultimate cresendo as the posterboy for contemporary UK trance, Evian Christ supplies a 90-minute mix recorded live from Corsica Studios. The enigmatic UK producer and DJ serves up an ethereal trip through hardhouse, trance, psytrance and more, and if the crowd noises are anything to judge the set by, this was an all-out euphoriua trip.