Summertime Sadness!

Well, not really. But this isn't a newsletter, nor do we have a mix for you this month. We're just writing to let you all know we, Hel, Tayyab and Harvey, we're taking a break from Season for a little while. We started Season in December 2018, and were running Come Thru for three years before that. There's been a pandemic, life changes in the personal and professional, the pleasurable and painful sense, and we're feeling the need to let ourselves breathe for a little bit. We love Season, and all that we've achieved over the past three and a half years. Our mix series has 36 wonderful snapshots into the creative minds of some of the best DJs around right now. We've hosted IRL and online events in Leeds and Manchester, meeting and booking such incredible people. We've goofed around on Sable Radio a lot. We just need some time to recalibrate and rest! We're not as young as we once were lol.

So we'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when... But we'll be back in touch with you all when we have something more to say. For now, warm hugs from us all.

Mercury Retrograde

Not only is it Taurus Season right now, but we're also dealing with the second Mercury Retrograde of 2022. When the planet of communication enters retrograde, we can expect to meet technological challenges, revisit old relationships, and struggle to stick to plans. The more mercurial of us (hello to all of you with your sun or Mercury in Gemini or Virgo) might find this period especially challenging, as the routines and strengths we usually rely on can be thrown off course and send us (me) into a spin. I'm sending my deepest sympathies to Gemini/Virgo couple Tom Holland and Zendaya during this trying time. I've enjoyed reading Taylor Ursula's Mercury Retrograde Oraclescopes this week to help me reflect on my sign, mercury retrograde, and tarot.

Greetings Season fans. Harvey here, sliding under the closing garage door of Aries season. My 2+ year streak of apparently avoiding COVID-19 recently came to an end but I’m now a week clear and feeling much better. Since you last heard from us, we made our long awaited return to Leeds for and live and in person clubnight. Lil C & Architect showed all in attendance that the Prestige is well and truly earned. We also had another show on Leeds’ finest station, Sable Radio - if you want 2 hours of bangers, chat and a sprinkling of Sunday afternoon nonsense, you can listen again here.

I’ve got a confession to make. I never thought it would happen to me or at least, not until I was a fair bit older but I think I’m a petrolhead now? I’m After watching 3 seasons of Netflix’s F1 documentary series, Drive to Survive, I became hooked on watching sub-six-feet himbos driving really fast cars that look like sex toys (if sex toys were sponsored by state oil companies and Philip Morris-funded think tanks).

Tonight's Event

We've drawn our cards and we've read the signs: tonight, we congregate at Wharf Chambers to let the rambunctious riddims of Prestige Pak's Architect and Lil C write the next chapter of our destiny. Today's card, the Ace of Cups, tells us to open our hearts and let the love pour in. So, let that be the plan for us all.

We get going at midnight prompt. Tickets are £5 - grab them via our website here or on the door (cash only).

Welcome, reader, to Pisces Season. The snowdrops, daffodils and crocuses are bursting through the soil to greet us as we tentatively walk into spring. It is raining outside right now as I huddle my hot water bottle close to my body, feeling hopeful for the promise of warmth coming again soon. For reflections, challenges, and guidance through the next month of our lives, I recommend turning to Marissa Malik's always potent horoscopes on gal-dem. Wisdom from a Pisces amongst the chaos and unrest of the world we live in cannot come soon enough.

First things first: after 2+ years, we are finally putting on an IRL clubnight. This Friday, we are making a trip down the M62 to Soup in Manchester where we will be playing alongside OSSX and Ayy Den. Get your tickets here and we shall see you in the basement.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled newsletter.

It's the edge of the world and all of Western civilization
The sun may rise in the East, at least it's settled in a final location
It's understood that Hollywood sells Capricornication

Greetings stargazers and newsletter readers,

Harvey here with another monthly dispatch from the good ship Season. It's getting frosty here in Leeds, but if you listen carefully, you can hear the clippity-clopping of Sagittarius season bringing some fiery heat to warm your cockles. My birth chart is lacking in fire signs, nothing but earth and water (aka a beach dweller), so I come to write this newsletter as an admiring outsider. While I’m flapping around in the shallows, Sagittarius strides proudly, chest out with an arrow pointed right at the sun. This season is one for taking aim at your goal and letting loose a bolt of determination. It’s also the season for being half-horse-half-human and being slick with a bow and arrow.

"Scorpio! He'll sting you with his dreams of power and wealth. Beware of Scorpio! His twisted twin obsessions are his plot to rule the world, and his employees' health. He'll welcome you into his lair, like the nobleman welcomes his guest. With free dental care and a stock plan that helps you invest! But beware of his generous pensions, plus three weeks paid vacation each year. And on Fridays the lunchroom serves hot dogs and burgers and beer! He loves German beer!"

Scorpio Season Mix: séverine

When I think of Libra I think of the following words: glamorous, gentle, fun, flexible, indecisive, colourful, dreamer. My sister air sign, Libras make for fantastic friends, always down for a gossip and a dance and a luxurious meal out, if that takes your fancy. Importantly though, Libras have a lot going on under the surface, despite what they might want you to think. Alice Sparkly Kat's article On Not Being a Stereotypical Libra describes how "When Libras fight, they commit to the war. They fight without egos as if they care little about whether or not they win a single battle and more for the outcome that they know is coming." - and many other insightful affirmations for the Libras in the house.

Libra Season Mix: DJ Double Oh!

Virgo season lied to me. There's no other way to put it! There has been no sense of order, logic, or organisation. Things feel more chaotic than ever before and I am convinced the world is finally spinning off of its poor axis. It should have been a moment to level up, to really get it together. To me, that's preposterous. Transformative change, things of that nature. But. The best-laid plans and devilish details be damned, the most undersung qualities of the Virgo are adaptability - that willingness and capacity to accommodate flexibility - and of course a predilection for collaborating with people and helping friends. And it's with this that here, at the end of Virgo 2021, I can reflect that it doesn't matter if there hasn't been much evolution in my life, because there has for the people around me.

Virgo Season Mix: Rizmi

Hello there stargazers, it’s another month and another newsletter from Season HQ. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, the sun looms large and Leo’s fiery mane is heating this little bit of rock we call home.

If you're in the market for a more informed astrological analysis of what this season will holds instore, as ever you can check out, Season alum, Marissa’s horoscopes at galdem - but if it’s wild generalisations based on anecdotal evidence and half-remembered snippets of better astrology writing, then you’ve opened the right email.

Full disclosure: both my mum and my girlfriend are Leos (and no, I do not want to unpack that, Dr Freud. You’re probably coked up and I don’t have to listen to you) so I may be displaying some bias here but I think Leos are pretty cool.

I love Cancer season. Yes it marks the end of the greatest season of the year, but it brings some much needed respite during the hazy months of July and allows us to cool off in the ocean waves when needed. I have been enjoying the recent meme format where people on twitter put sun/moon/rising signs over random images. There was one that asked about your “little three” i.e. your Venus, Mercury and Mars placements which spoke truthfully about my Cancer Venus AND Mercury… in case you wondered why I am a soppy emotional wreck most of the time… that’s why!

Gemini season is here, Venus is in Cancer, Mercury is in retrograde. Hold your friends close and don't pay your enemies any mind, because right now it is all about you. Few things get my Venus in Cancer juices flowing like thinking about The Last of Us parts I and II. It has been a year since I played it and I still think about it often, and this week I am thanking my lucky stars that Gab from The White Pube has written such a beautiful and poignant review about this game that means so much to me.

For some more insight into my soppy brain that nobody asked for, I have made a short vlog this year to celebrate Gemini Season. I love vlogging - for those of you who have stuck around with us since the heady days of Come Thru you might remember my vlogs about some of those events, and I feel so grateful to my past self for having made them. It is such a beautiful thing to be able to look back on those times and remember the feeling of the heat in the room, the laughter shared amongst friends, the music played just for us. Obviously right now there is nothing that exciting to document in my life, but it felt like a tender way to document what I am up to in a sincere way and has the added benefit of being able to look back on in 1, 5, 10, 20 years' time and think, I am so lucky to be safe and surrounded by love. So here we are, at Gemini Season, feeling hopeful for the summer and the warm days ahead.

Already spring has brought us rain and sunshine and as the mud turns to dust, the Taurus’ hooves kick up a dust cloud of ambition to announce its arrival.

Thank you once again to everyone who tuned in to our Taurus Season stream with Sable Radio last month.

The lineup was a testament to Taurean excellence. Though diverse in styles and mediums, the performances reflected the wilful artistry that we expect from the anchor of the zodiac. For those of you who missed it, we will let you know when it's archived for your viewing pleasure.

Livestream Tonight

Welcome to Taurus Season! Back before Covidtimes last year, we were planning a night to celebrate Taurus Season which of course we did not go ahead with. So when Sable Radio re-connected with us to collab on a livestream broadcast, it felt only right that we'd channel the same spirit and bring some of the artists from that lineup direct to your screens at home!

Tonight's livestream broadcast, supported by Leeds Inspired and Wharf Chambers, will broadcast on Mixcloud Live with tonnes of talent on show and of course a live chat where we can all share the experience. The artists here tonight are mostly Taureans, and mostly focused on folks with ties to Leeds or at least the North - and there's a huge variety of flavours and styles in store for you all.

There's no Aries placed in my chart, but I do have Aries in my heart.

It's that part of me filled with all fire, that part that takes things to the wire.

That trailblazing motivation, a competition, impulse and impatience two sides of the same currency, the liquidity to juggle and dream, or rather bring that dream to reality.

What's on my mind will end up on your mind, I'll say it straight, and if I don't, I know you'll know it at any rate.

"She came from a long, long way, but I saw her at last, walking, my daughter, my girl, across the fields,

in bare feet, bringing all spring’s flowers to her mother’s house. I swear the air softened and warmed as she moved,

Here we are in the season of Aquarius, the season of sociability, of intelligence, of celebrating the end of Capricorn season and seeing out the poor, accursed month of January. The season of speaking ideas into existence, of smiles, of charm, of honesty, of loyalty, of owning your freedom, of popularity, of acting out, of forcing your quirks and idiosyncrasies down everyone's throats, of aloofness which is cool and not alienating, of flakiness which is always forgiven, of deflecting from revealing how you really feel, of saying while never communicating, and of knowing an inordinate amount of people born under an Aquarian sun. Seriously – all that early summer love has consequences you know! Buying birthday presents is going to bankrupt me...

Aquarius Season Mix: Munni

London-based blend specialist Munni has exhibited her adventurous DJing with shows on NTS Radio and Half Moon, dancing through styles and genres with a lithe, refreshing sense of playfulness. She's behind a couple of my favourite blends: "As Long As You Split In 2" mashes up DJ Florentino with Backstreet Boys to get you in your feelings in a fun way, while the extremely moving edit "You" pitches down Rihanna's "This Is What You Came For" acapella over the "I Think She Knows" interlude from FutureSex/LoveSounds. They're both imaginative and quite clean concoctions, and the Aquarian artist channels this approach in her Season mix. I don't wanna spoil too much and I fully recommend waiting til after to check the tracklist, but let me say the mix brings riddims and tenderness in tandem and is everything I need right now. Munni says:

"This is my first mix since 2019 and it brought me a lot of joy making it and listening back to it. I hope it helps bring some joy to others too and maybe even some respite, from anything going on in their lives related to covid or not. Wishing everyone a happy n healthy Aquarius szn!"

Greetings Season fans, Harvey here with a post-festive newsletter for your enjoyment. Sorry that this is a little late into the season. I initially wrote this note around New Years, off a couple of shots and a few beers, but then managed to injure myself rolling out of bed and spent a couple of days on my back (while sober).

Capricornus. Sidney Hall, 1825

The Gregorian calendar has done it again. That year felt like 100 but we’re back and ready to do it all over again. I’ll spare you the “we’re with you in these unprecedented times” patter but if you are looking to spice up your next scroll through the marketing emails in your inbox, feel free to play COVID marketing bingo with this handy card I made.

If you humour me on the tenuous observation that old English lettering for 's' looks like an 'f', it becomes serendipitous that Sagittarius season is best defined by three Fs: Fighting, Fun, and Fire. Despite having no Sagittarius in my chart, I can tell you right off the bat I've still had my fair share of fighting already this season – fighting myself, fighting other people who have tried to fight me, fighting people whenever it seems like it would be funny, etc. Which leads me onto fun – fun is associated with enthusiasm, humour, enjoyment, optimism; these are traits of the Sagittarius. And with too much fun (and too much fighting) comes the fire; we've all had a stupid year and as keen as we are to let loose at the end, it's important for us to not fall into the classic Sagittarian move of getting carried away with ourselves and letting our impatience and tactlessness start any fires. So you know, don't overdo it.

But that's not the main message Sagittarius season has for us. The best thing we can take into our stride is their determination to head off the beaten path, to explore and foray, to forge new routes. there are still things to be salvaged and embraced in these final days of the year – don't be afraid to try new things (those unfulfilled resolutions, perhaps). Only if you like, of course. Yeah, yeah, I know, classic horoscopic advice. Sue me, or see me in 2021.

Sagittarius Season Mix: Lighght

The Ireland-based, creatively boundless experimental-electronic producer and comedic miscreant known as Lighght shares an offering to stave off the darkness as we approach the winter solstice. It's unclear how much he's into the whole astrology thing (going from "being sciencepilled into astrology" to claiming the "list of hot Sagittarius people and the list of all Sagittarius people is the same list" within the space of a week), but what is clear is behind all the online antics lies a generous, genuine personality and the courage to pursue a deep musical curiosity. This much is evident across his own releases, from the club crunch of Sorry I Can't Go Out Tonight, I'm Too Busy Going In to the more conceptual noise, spoken word and trancey travails of Gore-Tex In The Club, Balenciaga Amongst The Shrubs, and of course the downright uncanny and exhilarating juxtapositions of his edits – some of which are included in his Sagittarius Season mix. It's an astonishing 48 minutes of tantalising textures, beguiling blends and moments that both bamboozle and bring clarity. Featuring many of our favourite artists, it's a pleasure to be able to share it with you as the final Season mix of the year. Accompanied by his darling cat George in the mix artwork, Lighght says:

Oh boy oh boy, it is Scorpio season, Mercury retrograde, AND Mars is in retrograde all at once, and for some (cough, all), that means right now things feel pretty intense. This isn't an uncommon feeling during Scorpio season - it seems to me that Scorpios are often overlooked, misunderstood, and misrepresented due to their mysterious, emotional and insular nature. Astrologer Alice Sparkly Kat has released an Interview With A Scorpio to help shed some light on the reality of Scorpio life.

Scorpio Season Mix: Gribs

The Librans in my life appear to have their lives so fully together yet they'll be the first to tell you it's falling apart. Often humble, yet so often they're most intelligent people in the room. This lends to perhaps their most undersung characteristic: that aura of mystery draped around them, visible only to those with keen enough eyes to see it. There's always more beyond the surface, perhaps obscured by their nous in navigating the social interactions they crave and thrive in so much. As they seek to strike a personal balance across their character, I'm always left to wonder: do they hold themselves back for their own sakes, or for the rest of us?

Libra Season Mix: Kepla