Max HeyraudThis week’s Mix of the Week comes from Dublin’s hellokt, who delivers a deep and chugging selection, a sonic departure from her typically more forward and abrasive techno sets. Here, she embraces a subtler, more nuanced approach.
hellokt is a DJ defined by her love for the vintage sounds of house and techno, from slamming, Chicago-kissed ghetto house to the jazzy, soulful techno of Detroit. Her style has long been rooted in the pillars of classic club music, and her sets often feel like love letters to the foundations of house and techno culture.
Her latest mix stays true to form while expanding its emotional range. It’s a soul-stirring journey through slow-burning ambient, house, electro, techno, and freeform jazzy cuts, a mix made for radio, yet living comfortably on her SoundCloud. Rather than relying on tight, tactile mixing, hellokt leans into flow and atmosphere. She allows tracks to drift into one another through echo swells and reverb tails, shifting tempos with perfect intuition. Transitions between downbeat breaks and sci-fi techno feel effortless and intentional.
This is a home for long, luscious chords, dubby undercurrents, crisp acoustic percussion, and melodramatic strings. Everything feels deep, personal, and grand, but never theatrical. It’s the work of a DJ with impeccable taste, playing music entirely on her own terms. And, as expected, it’s very, very good.