Max HeyraudStep into the vortex as Nessa Johnston soundtracks this week’s entry to the Mix Of The Week, with a 90-minute trip through chugging house, electro, italo and disco.
Clad in a Golden Lion t-shirt in the cover picture for the 28th edition of the Ganghaus mix series, she’s wearing appropriate attire for a mix that is well thought out, deep, intuitive and as broad-spanning as the legendary UK venue’s legacy and programming, at which Nessa Johnston has played at length.
Originally from Dublin but now based in the North West of England, Johnston is hailed as a “serious eclectic selector”: high praise, and praise that doesn’t come without merit. Having spent years honing her craft in the trenches of dusty record stores and bass bins, Nessa embodies eclecticism in DJing, devoted to the hunt for the next best record. With the astute maturity of a DJ who’s been in the game for a long time, she breeds an exuberance and a swagger, backed by a depth of knowledge, that has taken her to Evil Acid Baron’s Weekender, the Golden Lion Todmorden, Kibosh Manchester and more.
This guest mix feels in line with how she’s known to play, with no boundaries or preconceptions. It trudges through italo and disco, leans on punk-kissed territories and moody EBM, before subdued acid lines and soulful house take control, alongside stripped-back electro cuts and classy Detroit techno. The mix is crammed with your favourite producers’ favourite producers, including Phil Kieran, DJ Hell & John Selway, Drexciya and more. This is top-drawer DJing, crying out for an early morning sway for the tired, or for opening the night ever so smoothly as the evening begins to breathe.