Midweek Mixes (05/05/21)
A run-down of some of the mixes and radio shows that have been soundtracking my existence – from the box-fresh to the tried-and-tested, all guaranteed to brighten up your week.
Chima Hiro – Nyce & Slo Guest Mix for Dreamcast Moe’s NTS Show
Chima Hiro’s Nyce & Slo mix series began as a show on Lisbon’s Rádio Quântica, but since the end of that programme she continues to record occasional episodes as guest mixes or to mark Valentine’s day. The vibes are consistent: slow jams, sex jams, Prince, Janet and, in this instalment, uh…Paul Hardcastle?
Turns out after his 80s electro success with ‘19’ and ‘The Wizard’, Paul pivoted to the lucrative American smooth jazz market. In his own words:
Over the last eight years I've done really well. I've sold more than 3 million albums in America, I've had five No.1s on the R&B charts too - so I haven't been quiet! I'm not in everyone's face at the moment but I sell more albums now than I did when '19' was out, believe it or not.
Who knew!
Chima Hiro intends Nyce & Slo as a soundtrack for getting laid but I tend to stick them on when working or cleaning the house. This says more about me than the quality of the mixes – see previous examples here and here – which are always a supremely steamy treat.
Jorge Caiado – Guest Mix for Anna Wall’s Rinse Show
Carpet & Snares boss, producer and DJ of the highest caliber, label boss with a gift for A&R, mastering engineer…there’s little that Jorge doesn’t do.
Listening to this guest mix for Anna Wall’s Rinse show, or his Friday evening show Uma Espécie de Azul on Rádio Oxigénio, makes me nostalgic for the many times I’ve seen him play at places around Lisbon. Late morning sessions at the long-gone Europa Sunrise, evenings at the bizarre Rive-Rouge, and Carpet’s own nights at Europa… I also remember a fun party at Indústria in Porto in 2016 or 2017, which was followed by one of those train rides where you fall asleep as soon as you sit down and wake up only when the train stops at the other end.
The mix starts at the hour mark and shifts from breaks to techno-y house to electro with ease. I think most of these records must be pretty new as they have that contemporary shiny feel to them, but importantly he opts for examples that have character and musicality, including this banger by local producer Luhk (which you might also recognise from this mix of mine).
Varela – Lux Frágil FM
Ex-doorman and now-resident DJ at Lisbon institution Lux Frágil, the announcement of Varela’s new position at the club couldn’t have been worse timed – precisely the weekend before everything shut down in March 2020. So for the past year he’s been a resident without a home, which is a real shame considering that the music he plays every time I see him is fantastic. You can hear the exposure to years of Lux’s programming in the variety and focus of the selections – variety in the genre, tempo and era; focus in the energy levels, mood and impact on a large-scale dancefloor.
That focus is the aspect of this radio show that brings the feeling of the Lux bar on a serendipitous night right into my living room. The lights, the big windows, my preferred spot to the right of the DJ booth, the immaculately dressed staff doing their rounds, the public - a mix of fashionable, overdressed, and those like me who make no effort and are proud of that fact – gradually catching on to the idea that tonight will be one of the good ones. That’s what I picture when I listen to this mix. How long until I don’t have to picture it any more because I’m actually there?