The track I always play to rescue a dancefloor
Loose Joints: Is It All Over My Face (Cratebug Edit)
This rework is more or less true to the original except the gap between the hook is looped up for four extra bars, resulting in a double whammy of joy when the crowd sing along in unison too early, followed by another communal “lol” when “you got me love dancing” finally chimes in.
The track that’s been unfairly slept on this year
Neinzer: The Beacon
If we can rewind to 2016 then I’d have to say that this was criminally underrepresented on the dancefloor. Very rarely can techno be so poetic. With his sultry spoken word and evocative stabs of bright white light, Emil, AKA Neinzer, created a certified gem.
The ideal festival track
Chymera: Under The Slip
It’s got this raw, tribal energy that builds and builds for almost 10 minutes. The separate elements of the track are brought in really slowly, so that by the time the bass comes in you’re almost definitely losing your shit. It’s got a very UK vibe with the percussion but it employs really trancey synths which can elevate a big crowd to a whole other level. There are also really faint crowd noises around the build: a cheeky trick, overused by the likes of Scooter, to make people more excited.
The track that got me out of bed this morning
Al Dobson Jr: Tracy 36 27 36
It’s my wakeup alarm. It felt like a good idea at the time but now I’ve come to associate it with tiredness, reluctance and pain. Despite it being a wonderful composition from a producer who I truly believe is a genius – a J Dilla of our time – now the song arouses nothing but anxiety.
The track I’d play at sunset in Ibiza
Ajukaja & Andrevski: Rare Birds
I’ve still never played in Ibiza, but if I had to choose something based on what I imagine it to be, I’d probably go for this one as it would definitely weird people out a bit. It’s so eerie, so floaty, so ethereal and really trippy.
Bradley Zero plays Jazz Cafe, NW1, 2 March; Farmfest launch party, Marble Factory, Bristol, 17 March
