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51.
Akua

Our Brooklyn underground is thriving at this moment and it's because of DJs like Akua who are keeping it alive and vibrant. She's one of the gems of the scenes and her distinct appreciation for 90s techno, acid and rave music shows through her new school approach to mixing old school cuts from the era with modern day twisted techno. Her sets take you on a journey through brain-scrambling, barreling, super fast soundscapes that are truly exhilarating. We've watched her quickly develop her own individual hyper-energetic style since meeting her at an Intersessions workshop two years ago  and our hearts are full. :) She's definitely one to watch out here and her mix for us will show you why.

photo: danny roche

Tell us about this mix:

been kinda frustrated w/ a lot of things lately so this mix is pretty much me letting loose and setting it all free :)

When did you start DJing?

i was a radio dj during undergrad in cleveland for a few years and during that time i was occasionally messing around on virtual dj. it wasn't until my first summer in nyc (2016) that i decided i wanted to try out cdjs and turntables.  ended up getting denon s3500s as a starter pair. they were super cheap and they only took cds ahahaha

First gig:

my friend ne/re/a's party at bossa nova civic club in may 2017. i was so nervous and was still playing with cds at that point hahaha. second gig shortly after was technofeminism w/ sybil jason and beta librae <3

Favorite party ever played:

dw x unter was sooo sick! fnv last fall was dope too!! also the last school of hard trax (party i throw w my friend cal [doxa]) was really fun but in general i love playing all my friends' partiesl!!

Fave DJ:

literally all my DJ friends all over the nation killing the game rn!!!

Fave producer:

i looove claude young, mike dearborn and jay denham. k-hand the queen <3 cooly g's productions r also so sick. divorce (ghorba and calculator) and liquid asset r making some of my fav tunes rn as well!!

Pet peeve when DJing:

dudes who come up to me when i'm djing and either hang around the booth, try to "fix" the volume and/or ask if i can play slower tracks gtfo bye

What’s the best compliment you’ve ever gotten?

lol every time someone approaches me after a set and is speechless or only says "yooooo" repeatedly i take it as a compliment haha

Place you’d like to play:

south america?? asia?? damn i would love to play a rave in africa too ahahha but really i’m down to play anywhere w/ chill ass ppl who r open + receptive + down 2 get down

Something you want everyone to know about you:

i'm a bit more sensitive than u think :-

Tracklist:
Archetype - The Quest
Braincell - Higher Center
Group X - Heavy Kick
UR - Seawolf
DJ Boss - Harmonika
Paul Birken - Cyclic
Tina Lestate - More Funky
Psycheout - Slide
Jana Rush - X-Files
Thomas P. Heckmann - Art Mechanique
Bandulu - Presence
DJ Hyperactive - R-19
Wild Geese - What Am I?
Equinox - 4-Nox (3M Remix)
Clementine - Breaking Point
Ghorba - Hummingbird
703 863 4357- Energy Recycler
Calculator - Stitch The Visitor
Robert Hood - Spirit Levels