Hello hello!

One of these days I'm going to get myself organised and send this thing out to you in that sweet sweet 10am Tuesday / Wednesday primo spot. Until then, some rushed and rambled shouts for you.

I've taken a bit of time for myself in the last month: celebrating, resting, recharging. I got my PhD applications off without any crushing disasters and, while I put them out of mind for a while, I've been manifesting a hedonistic summer full of joyous connections and bustling creativity. The Universe provides... The other day I was made redundant, starting next Monday (a day off my contract hitting two years, I see you..). It's worked out perfectly though, as the timing has meant I get three months paid leave. So will be very available for lovely hangs and general nice times, hmu! 

After that I just have a couple of months before uni, which I’m hoping to scrape through on gigs, writing, and freelance music supervision. To that end, I’ve made a new insta account (Ha!). Getting off socials has been an absolute dream for my mental space, so yet to be seen if this is my worst ever idea, but I’ve been finding myself more and more capable in recent months of creating good boundaries for myself and structuring my life in a way that makes sense to me, so I’m feeling hopeful :)

You can follow here:

@half_edge_manc

And anyone in town tomorrow, if you’re pre-drinking for Heathens or Red Laser, or rolling through from Transmute, I’ll be playing a mix of ethereal and abrasive sounds at Peste 6-11. Come say hey x

Fun things on the horizon…
--

Peste - 5th March (tomorrow!)

Feeling slightly perturbed looking at this program. It looks like a section of some kind of Manchester DJ A-list - plus me and the bloke who played organ at the Kantos night. I’ve been doing a course called The Artist’s Way with some pals, which is all about unblocking creativity and quieting your inner critic - which, I dunno about you, but mine can be fucking ruthless. I’m feeling increasingly able to admit to myself that actually I am really quite good at this stuff, but even so this has given me a wobble.

If you haven’t been to Peste yet it’s a must, the shop’s enviably curated on both the record and book sides. They’ve got a load of Half Edge tapes too :)

It’s gonna be really fun. I'm packing lengthy drone works, broken sounding electronics, freak folk and plainsong, IDM, low intensity bass stuff, a bit of post-punk and maybe some left disco-orbiting sounds… (is that everything?)

6-11pm, then I'll most likely head to Soup for the Henzo / Mosca dancehall frenzy

Partisan Member’s Party - 15th April

When Omicron cancelled the Christmas hols, I’d been looking forward to spending NYE surrounded by lovely faces at Partisan. As it turned out I spent the day bed-bound and was asleep before midnight, while the party didn’t go ahead, but I’m very very stoked to be joining this gorgeous crew for the first members party in the new venue!The old day events were a real vision of utopian partying when I first got back from Brooklyn, which I'd perceived as full of posturing and quite viciously competitive scene politics (though I think honestly I didn’t find my way to the good bits).

Last time I played at Partisan was the all-night b2b with Bruce and the feeling of euphoria in that bittersweet moment when the lights came on at the end, dripping with sweat after rinsing out jungle and hardcore for the last couple of hours, still gives me a rush when I think back to it. I can’t fucking wait for this.

Half Edge w/ Significant Other - April 30th

This one’s something of a pre-announcement as we’ve just locked in the date, but get it in your calendars, as it’s gonna be a special one :)

My transatlantic love, Significant Other, is popping over for a little tour in April (there’ll be London dates if you can’t make it up here). I met Roddy while living in NY a few years back and immediately bonded over a shared love of twisted broken tunes and frustration with the endless Berlin doof that seemed to dominate Brooklyn back then. I didn’t really get on with the city, or myself at the time, and I bailed a year and a half into my MA; but I still got a big dose of nostalgia digging out this photo of our baby selves sat on the roof of my gaff in Ridgewood, one 4th July.

These days he heads up Club Night Club, running Brooklyn’s best sound system and booking some of the city’s more interesting lineups (with zero Wall Street investment - *coming up against the limits of the form here, but you're just gonna have to imagine the side eye emoji...). I believe it’s his first time in the hallowed Soup basement, but it'll be some kind of homecoming, as he has extensive links with the venue, having released Herron’s killer Lowflow EP on the CNC imprint, and his own cephalalgic downtempo album on Youth. 

We’ll be toe2toe and track4track all night, for the first time in three years. It’s gonna be beaut.

Narr 20/02/22

Stream Mike Smaczylo 20/02/22 by NARR RADIO | Listen online for free on SoundCloud

Listen to Mike Smaczylo 20/02/22 by NARR RADIO #np on #SoundCloud

Managed to get over to Leeds for the monthly show the other week. It’s a bit of a freeform jumble this time as I came woefully unprepared for skippy needles (proper amateur error) with a bag of records and an old and totally disorganised USB. Good vibes nevertheless and some very silly CDJ & FX tricks to plaster over the problems. I spent many years weighed down by an internalised need for control, but I’ve been working hard at making space for chaos and the happy accidents it brings with it.

Love, as always!

Mike xx