The Chillout Lounge Mix - Freestyle 2
Freestyle is being natural and inventing on the fly which is my main thing, but I’ve spent many years honing skills, thinking ahead and orchestrating scenes in my imagination to give people a beautiful experience while I’m DJing. The magic often happens in a live environment even though mistakes can be made.
I want to make this episode the most important one by introducing my mum (Lesley Williams Artist) as we have a collaboration that involves art, music, dance, play, mental things, poetry, values, unconditional love and all its variants plus a vision to contribute towards human wellbeing in its many aspects. I would like to remind us all that we have natural human skills and abilities that are often overlooked. We both like to switch between many interests depending on how we feel so this is how I’m going to write this description too so bare with me and keep checking in as I’ll update throught the month.
When she walks into a room, energy doesn’t just change, it flutters, feathers, sings, flaps its wings. Think a flock of wild birds flying straight through your dawn chorus, turning chaos into clarity. That’s one of her many powers. She supported me through all of the most intense chapters of my life, and is my main witness. When we last went through the proper channels with me she lost all faith in the system, but I said no, we keep moving forward and contribute to help others. That’s unconditional love: adaptable, honest, resilient, gentle and kind, healing by art and design naturally.
She’s been through deep loss. She’s held pain most people can’t imagine. And still… she dances, she jokes, she sparks life in rooms that forgot they could make life inspirational, joy filled and fun… She’s not just my best friend, she’s a higher frequency in human form and you would be fortunate to have her mark on your wall so get to it and buy her paintings now.
I used ancient martial arts, deep rooted fire in the belly and music (My Podcast to be exact, which I use for running / exercise / gym etc when I want to have a story and backdrop to something epic or just for home tasks etc) to paint on a picture my mum wasn’t 100% sure about from the pinewoods at Wells, I used mark making and texture based on a sketching afternoon we had around Sandringham.
All the tracks I chose for this mix are here because they mean something to me. The mix came together very quickly, but listening back my thoughts have exploded, remembering the experiences linked to each piece. It made me remember who I am, where I’ve been, my values, all sorts of positive things. So I’m going to say a little about what each track means to me and why it was more than just a brain choosing them, it was an embodied decision, using all my senses, my heart, my gut, my experiences, dare I say it, my soul.
Tracklist:
Light In You - Tim Angrave, Frankie Knight
I’ve been holding onto this for a long time, it means a lot to me and Frankie’s voice is so beautiful, it delivers a lightening bolt to the heart. It hit me somewhere in my bones, not just ears. I have faith in this track and am starting a Signal Renaissance, this is the opening track of a whole album which I will be releasing on Happy Samurai, a new label based in Ibiza which is going to be huge! We can all tune into the orchestra of our bodies, systems and mind as one, be as one.
Hale Bopp (BSB's Stella Polaris Remix) - Der Dritte Raum
I played this on my podcast ages ago and I adore the class, deepness, variable energy and story. It’s on the stunning Stella Polaris Music Label, they also do the biggest chillout festival but more importantly they made me feel so welcome and at home. The experience of getting to DJ there was a huge highlight to my music mission and a milestone that springboarded my health state.
Movement 3 Reparations - Laura Masotto, Ryan Teague
One of the most beautiful pieces I’ve heard. If this doesn’t get your heartstrings then I suggest a trip to your local: Whatever works for you as we are all individuals with varying wants and needs. Pain is a signal though, here is part of a chapter on pain from an upcoming book I’m working on which I’ve found most people are scared of:
The next track Wonderful World by Solomon Grey is about a lot, my mum’s mum, my Grandma - Dan Dan!…
My mum and I went to her tree recently and had deep conversation about all sorts. Enjoying the air, secludedness, and wildlife. We have our best discussions side by side in the open or in the car, always have.
She drew this:
She has a beautiful flowing classic style and has always done her own thing (probably where I learnt it too). She even makes art history interesting to me (as opposed to the overheated University room where I was droned to about the subject).
I drew and wrote this:
My mum and I have an unconditional love baseline which is superb for family, kids, animals but not all relationships I’ve found. My Kundalini practitioner / friend says some women like unconditional love which is interesting to me.
I like rapid movements initially but can spend ages colouring in, it’s a whole new world to me, time I can think about a variety of things and it’s meditative…
I have recently thought a lot back to other things I felt as a child and youngster and consider this a baseline. We are most natural when young, things like trauma and societal influence can radically change us. I reckon kids 1000s of years ago used to invent breathing techniques, swim under water for ages and look up at the stars in wonder rather down at their phones as we do now…
The stars are not just above us, they are within us. Every star is a sun, every sun carries a galaxy. Radiance isn’t an exception in nature - it’s the rule. There are various kinds of love and the end message to myself was Just B, which is my friend Alister Luckett’s influence. One of the most loving humans I’ve met.
We made this together:
Alister has a deep understanding of sound frequencies and whenever he talks to me, we spend time together he naturally heals and relaxes me. So my mum, Dan Dan and I recommend his sound healing and him 100% Just B!
I started an AKA project Synapsis around 10 years ago, the track included is a remix by Lenny Ibizarre who lives in Ibiza and who inspires me to really open up and express. I consider Lenny like a brother to me, our conversations are deep and meaningful and I’m grateful he gave me the ability to see Ibiza in a different way. My playground lab which I’ve seen from angles nobody else has for sure. More on Synapsis later as it is extremely important to me and was invented in the mountains of Northern Italy where two of my favourite people live.
Dopamine by Wevel is my instant energy, focus and flow track, it feels tribal and boosts my dopamine levels instantly! I’ve been proud to be getting Ninja Tune promos for around a decade and plan on training to be a real ninja to get on their label :-D I’ve already had something better in my opinion though. One of their artists Mixmaster Morris I finally met in Panama at Tribal Gathering in the jungle. He made the effort to get up early and come down to hear me do a sunrise mix. His set was after we talked deeply and it felt very natural. His set was pure genius, he can remember pretty much every track name he’s played, and sets a perfect scene musically.
