DJ sets are often supposed to tell a story, but that doesn’t always work out as expected. In fact, the term “storytelling” is dramatically overused and diluted in the context of dance music. Fortunately, there is Mattias El Mansouri who seems to be an excellent storyteller, according to his mix for our podcast series.
Starting out with summery tunes, things get clubbier soon, culminating into a proper rave with an emphasis on deepness. All along the way, the Ritmo Liminal co-founder pays homage to the Swedish scene he’s part of, including tracks by revered Dorisburg, Arkajo, their joint project Genius Of Time, and, last but not least, himself.
What did you have in mind when recording this mix?
I wanted to record something that reflects both my recent musical obsessions and my evolving identity as a DJ and selector, especially since I’m passionate about dance music but also enjoy to play a wide range of genres that don’t necessarily fall into that category. Thus, the aim was to record something eclectic yet coherent in some way or another, like something that could transport the listener from a serene “laying in the hammock with a friend, getting tipsy on limoncello” vibe to the thrilling excitement of stumbling into a rave in the forest.
The first 35 minutes feature tracks that have been on repeat for me lately, like the beautiful opening song “Lmanfa” by Aziza Brahim (do yourself a favor and check her out) and the sun-kissed melancholy of The Durutti Column’s “Never Known”–I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve listened to it this year! From there on, the mix gradually transitions into a proper dance set, with some unreleased tracks sprinkled in here and there–both my own and those of friends–layered with some ambient textures. It’s very Mattias; things in between house and techno, murky and mysterious, dreamy and percussive.
Where did you record it and which setup did you use?
In my living room, in my apartment in Huddinge, just outside of Stockholm, with three CDJS–thank you so much for letting me borrow them, Ambrose!–and one turntable. I went away for vacation a day after I recorded the mix so I asked my friend and overall sound wizard Efraim Kent (Tikita, Boss, Hypnus, Danza Nativa) to do some quick mastering of the mix and I think it turned out great! Thank you, Efraim!
What’s the most memorable gig you played so far?
That’s a tough one, but I’d have to say last summer when my friend Sergej and I–who co-run the ‘Ritmo Liminal‘ club night in Stockholm–did a 5-hour B3B session with Henrik Bergqvist at Trädgården in Stockholm. It was our first time DJing together with Henrik, and everything just clicked. The floor was packed, the mixes were tight, and the selections were spot on. It was so much fun, so I sure hope we re-do it soon, even if it means Henrik coming in straight from the ER to the club–he’s a medical doctor now!
Can you name a secret weapon that you use frequently?
Honestly, I don’t really know for sure, because
1) It’s more of a general approach to selections rather than playing specific tracks for an intended outcome and
2) It depends on whether I’m playing a house/techno-set or a funky eclectic set with disco, world and rare groove.
If we go with 1) and playing house and techno, then this is what I think: Something that I have been giving some thought lately is those type of tracks that seem to have a pivotal role in a set, given that the circumstances are good (a good soundsystem, people on the dance floor). For me, both as a DJ and as someone in the audience, I think I’ve noticed that the tracks that have intricate drum patterns work the best, because they lock in a dance floor in a way that melodies and pads can’t–unless I’m playing Dorisburg’s “Tundra”, because that one always works, no matter which setting.
I’m of course very biased, because I’m all about drums and percussion when it comes to dance music. The tracks that stick with me and either end up in my crate or on my USB-stick are those types of tracks that are–or can be–stripped down to their core and still sound good and interesting. That’s also how I try to approach making music; I subtract a lot of elements to see if the track “still holds” when there’s just some bass and drums. I feel that if I feel the need to add a lot of textures, then there’s something missing in the foundation of the whole. This is of course not the case for everything I listen to or make, but more like a general approach to dance music that I have developed over the last two to three years or so–that I often deviate from!
To get back to the question: I do have “weapons”, but they are not so secret. And they aren’t weapons in the “no fillers, only killers”-sense. They are just tracks that do their job in locking in a crowd rather than inducing hands in the air-moments.
- Julien Jabre – Jungle
- Dorisburg – Devotion (or anything he has produced really, because he’s a genius)
- Unreleased things by me and the Aniara guys, hehe.
- Delta Funktionen – Silhouette
Three recent releases that caught your attention?
I’ve been so bad at listening to new music, unfortunately, and the new stuff I have discovered is either not new or was released last year. I have discovered a few things though:
- Johnny Rock/Old School Rider – School Of Rock 03 (School Of Rock, 2024)
Omg, that A-side! It must be an edit of The Beloved, no? I just can’t figure out which song. It sounds like a B-side of “The Sun Rising”, but the lyrics are a bit different. - Coeo – Planet Earth EP (Shall Not Fade, 2024)
The title track is sure to make any dance floor boil! The rest of the tracks are nice, too. - VA – Spiritual Jazz 15: A Tribute to ‘Trane [Jazzman, 2023]
Ok, this one is from last year, but I discovered it quite recently and like it a lot: I love both John and Alice Coltrane, maybe Alice the most, so this installment of the Spiritual Jazz-series is a must listen, consisting of 10 songs either inspired by John Coltrane, or interpretations of his. As Jazzman wrote: “The preacher may have ascended to a higher plane, but his congregation is still right down here on the ground. Ten songs to lift the spirits of everyone, everywhere.”
What do you have coming up?
I’m thrilled to be making my debut in the Netherlands this September! I’ll be playing at Mezz in Breda on the 6th for their Hypno series, and then at Draaimolen on the 7th, where I’ll be going B2B with Hunee–yes, that Hunee! I’m incredibly excited, humbled, and very nervous–all at once.
In addition to that, I’ve got a trance track coming out on a very nice compilation LP on Nous’klaer Audio, and hopefully some fall/winter releases on my beloved Aniara Recordings. Other than that, I’m planning to take it easy, do some studying, play a few gigs in Stockholm, and just see where things go!
Track listing:
Aziza Brahim – Lmanfa
Barrington Levy – Send A Moses
The Durutti Column – Never Known
Super Djata Band – Batila
The Sindecut – Tell Me Why
Frederic Castel – Open Up
Tony Tete Harbor & The Star Heaters Of Nigeria – Tete Muo Bu Muo
B.A.C.S Band – Ye Wo Ayiemu
Dj Duke – Happy Drums
Jon Hassell – Moons Of Titan
Pianeti Sintetici – Kacnea
Koro Koro – Black Is Black (Edit)
Genius Of Time – Closer Reprise
Dorisburg – Untitled [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
François K – Hypnodelic
Polygonia – Implosion Of The Known
Efraim Kent & Skymn – Djungelbuggen [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
The Mountain Range – Untitled [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
Dorisburg & Efraim Kent – Wired To The Mainframe [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
Arkajo – Untitled [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
Fumiya Tanaka – For Set 2B
Christopher Ledger – 018.3
Mattias El Mansouri – Reticulum II (Reshape) [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
Al Wootton – Body Healthy
Chaos In The CBD – Orange Blank
Forest Drive West – Cannibal
Misstress Barbara – Effet Karma A2
Efraim Kent & Arkajo – Untitled [Unreleased/Forthcoming]
Patrick Prins – Indoctrinate
Mattias El Mansouri – Transcendence [Forthcoming, Nous’klaer Audio]
