MODIR Dark Nights Session
Episode 19/22
MODIR
MODIR has the spotlight thrown against her for another super house mix. Expect tracks from Boris Brejcha and Seb Zito. MODIR explains how covid has impacted the recovery of nightlife.
Listen to the mix
Artist Interview
I went from vinyl straight onto a digital platform.
Please introduce yourself to those unfamiliar with your DJ life.
My name is Cindy aka MODIR (Mo Deer) and my journey into sound is pretty long having been around the dance music scene since its inception in 1987. Pre that I grew up in a disco, funk and soul fuelled ghetto in Liverpool where my love of music pretty much became part of my DNA.
At seventeen, I went to a warehouse party in Slough with no idea how my life would change, as a direct result of that night. It was pre the notion of a RAVE. We called them warehouse parties because they where actually in big warehouses that were either broken into or hired. This was also pre any concept of genres and we mainly listened to Chicago house, early hard house, hard floor and German techno. Most of the music were imports with only handful of UK Dj's surfacing at that time.
What we did know is it was never going to be the same again. Over the next eight years I watched what is now the RAVE culture explode.
I played my first set in Cornwall at an after party in 1991... Digs and Whoosh had played the Warehouse in Plymouth the party was in a railway siding? If anyone knows what party that was, please do tell :). I played Platypus, Plink Plonk, Hardfloor Respect, Sven Vath, Musk and Underworld tracks and remember the people dancing and smiling like it was last week :)
I lived, worked and played in that culture until 2004, just after the criminal justice bill and some personal issues associated with my distain for CD’s and the party culture. I personally, had just had enough of partying and for me, music production values lost something in those years. I took some time out and went to University and travelled still working events and later working with digital and creative projects just not in the dance music scene.
In truth. I missed the people. The attitude and mindset of ravers is something pretty special and I was called home again in 2016. I went from vinyl straight onto a digital platform. It was curiosity initially. I sorted a Traktor set up and downloaded a few tunes onto my iPad and... two weeks later I was playing for about 200 people at a party in Bournemouth… and yes it was on my iPad ;) that raised a few eyebrows from the sound guys.
Everyone loved it so I played on and upgraded to industry standard kit… going on to grace stages at Boomtown, Clockstock, Give, Boardmasters, Great Estate and Westival to name a few.
I currently have two promotions/stages. HOUSE of MODIR and Culture Seventy Six or C76 that I am building, taking on tour and booking into venues.
A scene that is supposed to be built on love and respect is lacking both in many areas.
Describe your DJ sound.
I have a several passions that include Disco, Funk, Rare-groove and Underground Tech/Deep House and pretty much (in those genres) love anything with a phat baseline and high quality production values.
What is your view on how the live music and nightlife scene has been shaped since the Covid lockdowns?
This is an interesting question and in my opinion there are many positive and negative outcomes. The positive is so many new djs that took up live casting during the lockdown who found a new audience. It also opened the door for new promoters to enter the scene (some better than others). The negative is the milking of the situation by promoters saying that they have no cash while selling out and increasing the cost of tickets.
The resistance to pay djs and crew again whilst paying top dollar for headliners yet offering locals tickets to play is something I am ashamed of. A scene that is supposed to be built on love and respect is lacking both in many areas. I had hoped there would be some understanding that djs cannot play for free after also not working for two years. It is harder to get paid for playing out than it was before lockdown as the positive of more djs also means they are inexperienced and get exploited because they will play for free just to get a gig.
Talk us through your podcast mix track selection.
This mix is heading into the darker nights with a minimal tech undercurrent asking the listener to just relax into the groove and roll through a thumping heart rate set of excellent tracks from talented producers…
Steve Lawler - Almerina (David Pher Remix)
Modström - Orkidea (James Dexter Remix)
MANT - Subconscious (James Dexter Remix)
Rowan, Gear - A2 Basic Human Relation VINYL ONLY
P.Luj - Hanging (Original Mix)
James Dexter, Parsec (UK) - Super Fly (Original MIx)
Teddy Walker - Waddup (Original Mix)
Kreature - Rhumba (Edit)
Seb Zito - Astra (Extended Mix)
DXNBY - Pathways (Original Mix)
CEV’s - Ezechiel Vision (Ezay Mix)
Boris Brejcha - Schwarz
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