As the end of the year draws to a close, it’s time to round-up the best tracks of 2021. UK-based independent record label Rekids was founded in 2006 by Matt Edwards, AKA Radio Slave. The label’s eclectic catalogue features an abundance of original works and remixes by artists such as Nina Kraviz, Carl Craig, Kenny Larkin, and many others. In celebration of the coming new year, Radio Slave has chosen his top 12 Rekids tracks of 2021.
If Serge Santiago isnât a name you recognise straight off the bat, we guarantee youâll know his work â whether thatâs as one half of Waze & Odyssey, or through other projects heâs been involved in over the years like Radio Slave.
One of the UKâs most prolific producers, Serge is back with big plans and a stack of new music to share, but to warm things up is a re-release of his 2005 house classic âAtto DâAmoreâ â complete with remixes from Detlef and Sophie Lloyd.
To mark his return to the scene, we asked Serge to put together a playlist featuring five tracks which have inspired him in some way, and five tracks which you might hear in one of his current sets.
Read on and turn up to get down:
To celebrate a century of outstanding releases, Last Night On Earth (LNOE) drops its first-ever compilation, featuring 11 tracks selected by Sashaâs invited guest remixers.
For this one we see Radio Slave, Frankey & Sandrino, Locked Groove, Deadbeat and Yotto step up for their label debut, while Nicole Moudaber, Fur Coat, John Monkman, Dubspeeka, BAILE and VONDA7 return once more.
With one of the biggest party weekends coming up, Black Wednesday, Thanksgiving, and Black Friday, Â we want to suggest some of the best events nationwide (in alphabetic order).
Atlanta, Deep South presents Mike Servito & Gay Marvine at the Heretic, 11/26
Atlanta-based promoter DEEP SOUTH brings Mike Servito from Brooklyn and Gay Marvine from San Francisco for their Saturday after Thanksgiving celebration. The party is scheduled through 3am.
Ticket link here. $10 + fees. 21+
Brooklyn, Blkmarket Membership with Apollonia at TBA, 11/26
Seems like Dan, Dyed, and Shonky are making their rounds through the US this weekend as they are booked for an extended set with Brooklyn-based Blkmarket Membership. Residents Taimur & Fahad will be on opening duties. The party is scheduled through 9am!
Ticket link here. $30 + fees. 21+
Chicago, Black Wednesday with Derrick Carter at Smartbar, 11/23
Derrick Carter kicks things off  Black Wednesday with an all-night set to celebrate at Smartbar. The party is scheduled through 4am.
Ticket link here. $12 + fees. 21+
Chicago, Black Friday with Apollonia at the Mid, 11/25
Friday night Dan Ghenacia, Dyed Soundorom, and Shonky will take the decks at the Mid for a night of great music. The party is scheduled through 4am.
Ticket link here. $12.50 + fees. 21+
Detroit, Paxahau presents: Josh Wink at TV Lounge, 11/26
Detroit-based Paxahau brings Josh Wink for an all-night set on Saturday after Thanksgiving. In the Side Room you can expect Dru Ruiz and Shady P.
Ticket link here. $10 + fees. 21+
Houston, Spanksgiving with Kolsch at Boondocks, 11/23
Kolsch will headline the Spanksgiving party by Kinda Super Disco in Houston for Black Wednesday. Beforehand a b2b set by, residents, James Reed and Josh Dupont. The party is scheduled through 2am; we suggest early arrival!
Ticket link here. $10 + fees. 21+
Los Angeles, Do Not Sit On The Furniture at Clinic Wednesday, 11/23Â
Underrated Presents is hosting a Do Not Sit On The Furniture showcase for their weekly Clinic Wednesday Party series at Couture in Hollywood, with Behrouz, Oceanvs Orientalis and Tara Brooks all scheduled to play. The party is scheduled to run until 4am.
Ticket link here. $15 + fees. 21+
Los Angeles, Rhondavous at Union, 11/23Â
RHONDA INTL brings DJ Harvey, Seth Troxler, Kevin Saunderson, Radio Slave, Trus’me, Chris Cruse, DIRTYDAVE, Goddollars, and PARADISE for their Black Wednesday celebration at Union. The party is scheduled through 4am.
Ticket link here. $30 + fees. 21+
Los Angeles, Droid Behavior – Interface 55 / 14 Years at TBA, 11/26
The LA techno promoter will throw their 55th Interface event that is set to take place in a TBA location the Saturday after Thanksgiving and will feature Drumcell, Truncate, Raiz, DJ Hyperactive, Subversive, and Dean Paul. The party is scheduled through 7am!
Ticket link here. $20 + fees. 21+
Miami, Thanksgiving Eve with Praslesh at Treehouse Miami, 11/23
UN_MUTE Events brings Raresh, Praslea, Roustam, and Christian AB for their Black Wednesday festivities at Treehouse Miami. The party is scheduled through 5am.
Ticket link here. $10 + fees. 21+
Philadelphia, A Decade of Dubfire at Rumor, 11/23
Rumor Nightclub has booked Dubfire and Carlo Lio for their Black Wednesday celebration. They will also feature an all new Martin Audio sound system featuring their newly developed CCD technology. The party is scheduled through 2:30am.
Ticket link here. $15 + fees. $35 + fees for open bar between 10pm-12am.
San Francisco, 15 Years of Dax presents at Mezzanine, 11/26
Dax presents will be celebrating 15 years the Saturday of Thanksgiving. Dax Lee, owner and promoter head of Dax, will be on the decks prior to Seth Troxler for the event at Mezzanine.
Ticket link here. $20 + fees. 21+
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The Rebirth 10 release by Larry Heard aka Mr. Fingers marks the 10th anniversary for the Italian Rebirth Label. This 2 CD special compilation, selected and mixed by Larry, includes key releases from the first 10 years of the label plus unreleased tracks. The release features artists like Agoria, Butch, Marc Romboy, Joey Negro, Blondish and remixes by Motor City Drum Ensemble, Deetron, Dixon, Henrik Schwarz, Nic Fanciulli, Radio Slave, Tensnake, and Ripperton to name a few.
Rebirth Records, established by Daniele ‘Shield’ Contrini in 2006, has surely matured over the years into one of the most respected independent Italian labels. When discussing the release Shield said, âThe philosophy behind the label finds its roots in the past, building a link between the soul of a song and the warmth of a melody then combining them with a contemporary sound. I’m always looking for something timeless, something that I can imagine to still listen to in 20 or 40 years time. Who better than Larry Heard could do it for us? He delivered a mix that embodies the soul and the different facets of the label. Larry, as well as having remixed three songs for the label, is among the producers who had written the history of a musical genre and one of the names who most have influenced our music. The cover of the CD is designed by Emil Schult, who has created some special images for the occasion. Visiting him in his studio in Dusseldorf and breathing his Kraftwerk experience has been an unforgettable moment. I’m really pleased they both agreed to work on this project.â
The release has 49 tracks in total, spanning over two hours of timeless sounds. It is available on Beatport for $21.99; listen and purchase it here.
2013 saw the iconic techno label, Rekids, come to a standstill. Certain circumstances arise, and sometimes decisions need to be made in order to ensure the longevity of a brand or vision; and this is exactly what Radio Slave did in December of 2013.
After taking time to recalibrate the label, Rekids is back in the swing of things with a recent release from Radio Slave and a forthcoming release from Spencer Parker so aptly titled No More Silly Club Songs Vol. 1
âThis EP is simply a collection of tracks I made around 18 months ago for my own sets. No concept, no bullshit, just some tracks to WORK the club.â – Spencer Parker
Release Date: July 20, 2015 (12â & Digital)
Spencer Parker: Facebook | Resident Advisor
Rekids: Facebook | Soundcloud | Beatport
This statement from Parker himself is spot on. These four tracks cut right to the chase and are aimed directly at the dance floor. Silly Club Song No. 1 utilizes widely recognizable chords that often find themselves in dance floor oriented DJ tools. Accompanied with simple yet precise drum programming the opening track is everything youâd expect. Now we just want to hear it as intended on a proper sound system.
Silly Club Song No. 2 doesnât deviate much in terms of the drum foundation from the opening track, but thereâs still a great amount of substance here to differentiate from the rest of the EP. Rocking at a steady pace, Silly Club Song No. 2 maintains a level of tension that is sure to have dance floors in a frenzy.
The flipside starts strong with an alluring lead, techno rides, and an epic breaks drum breakdown. Easily the most unique of the release, Silly Club Song No. 3 is an incredibly versatile tool that can be the perfect injection of life into a set.
Rounding off the release is Silly Club Song No. 4 in all its gritty techno wonder. Sticking true to the bare bones foundation, this closing piece is essentially only a few tracks in the arrangement, which is a testament to how effective techno can be. A few tracks done right is really all one needs to make something work a dance floorâŠthat was the goal after all according to Spencer Parker.
A decade ago, Beatport pioneered a vision of providing DJs and the music we love in the formats we need. Along the way, they’ve listened closely to their consumers and learned a lot about how music has evolved and have invested in transforming Beatport into a platform that breaks new music and supports DJs’ careers.
In celebration of their monumental mark, Beatport is doing a 10 week feature on artists that have shaped and influenced the electronic music market in the past decade. Week 2 of their feature turns to one of our favorites, Radio Slave, as we take a peak at some of his favorite playlists, freebies, and some of his career spotlights all in one page. Be sure to enjoy the 4 free tracks featured on their new Pro platform.
Radio Slave – Get Physical Showcase, Treehouse – 29-03-2014 by Technolivesets on Mixcloud
