Mike Isai

Round two of the sounds that define the season. There’s a specific energy that hits when the music matches the temperature outside. Sun on your face, the breeze in the air, and the music setting the tone. These are a few more records that have been stuck in my head lately, feel free to drop a track that fits this feeling.

These tracks speaks through rhythm with the percussions driving the track. There’s a space these tracks pull you into, where the drums stop playing a role and become the focus. The rhythm runs the show, stacking and circling until you’re fully locked in. It’s not about big moments or payoff, it’s about the push, the weight, the way the groove holds a room together. Built to keep you moving, looping, staying right there in it. Eyes down, head gone, just rhythm. These are some of my favorites right now from the current era, but if you’ve got one that does the same, drop it in the comments.

Residencies That Defined NYC Clubbing History. As I begin my residency in NYC with I’ve been thinking about what that really means in this city. When I look back, it’s not only the DJs, it’s the rooms, Larry Levan at Paradise Garage, Danny Tenaglia at Twilo, Junior Vasquez at Sound Factory, David Morales at Red Zone, Victor Calderone at Roxy, Jonathan Peters at Sound Factory, and Tony Humphries just across the river in Jersey at Zanzibar. Those nights were built on trust, consistency, and letting a sound grow with a crowd over time. Not trying to recreate anything. Just stepping into it with respect for the history and letting my own chapter unfold naturally.