Max HeyraudWe revive our Global Selection series with a standout contribution from one of France’s most authoritative selectors of his generation, Ivan Smagghe.
Ahead of his return to Dublin for Big Dish Go this weekend at Centre Point, Smagghe delivers a masterful hour of storytelling through sound. From shimmering downtempo rarities to deep, driving house cuts and smoky, electro-kissed grooves, his mix unfolds like the hazy soundtrack to a foggy morning in the hills of an undisclosed rave, transporting you there, or wherever your wandering mind takes you.
Few DJs can transform obscurity into dancefloor gold like Ivan Smagghe. With a musical ethos reminiscent of the late, great Andrew Weatherall, Smagghe acts as a raw conduit, channelling his notoriously esoteric record collection into the pulsing bodies beneath the strobe. His latest mix is yet another example of his singular talent—a deep dive into the avant-garde fringes of electronic music, held together by an intuitive understanding of groove and space.
Smagghe has long been at the intersection of Parisian hype and unwavering musical integrity. From his pioneering work with Black Strobe to his boundary-pushing productions as one half of It’s A Fine Line, he has received praise from some of the most respected names in electronic music, including James Murphy, Trevor Jackson, Ata, Optimo, and, of course, Weatherall himself. What is their shared mission? To demonstrate that electronic music is more than just a hedonistic soundtrack; it is a constantly evolving art form.
“I have very fond, if a bit blurred, memories of the Big Dish Go parties in the basement of Kennedy’s… Loud and wild they were but we live in the now and we must let that spirit live on. It’s just about freedom, in that mix (who cares what style it is) and in that ephemeral companionship with David Holmes. Freedom & Love”