Mathew Jonson [Live] + Lychee + Akanbi / Victoria Mussi + Nissa Carrington / e-Lite

Who they are

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  Mathew Jonson

  Vancouver, Canada · 4 bookings since May 2025

  “His music offers a rare fusion of populist intensities and nuanced musicality.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  His music offers a rare fusion of populist intensities and nuanced musicality. With a keen understanding for the needs of the dance floor and the universal laws of house and techno, he's thrown out the rule book time and time again, sneaking tricks learned from electro and even drum'n'bass into the clubs, and loading up his B-sides with tracks that do what they damned well please. (No kick drum? No problem.) His standards for sound and presentation are exacting. Both on stage and in the studio, Jonson's fealty to analog equipment and real-time playing; as opposed to mere layback-serves as a standard bearer for a kind of electronic music that goes way beyond the drag 'n' drop world of digital composition. Jonson has always been eager to get his hands dirty, and the music reflects that in gnarled bass sequences and long, intuitive lines. His sounds have serious teeth. Despite his quick ascent through the ranks of the techno elite, Jonson hasn't just stayed personally grounded. He's devoted much of his energy to supporting his own close musical family, in the groups Cobblestone Jazz, Midnight Operator and the Modern Deep Left Quartet, and with his Wagon Repair label. He studied classical piano as a kid, plus jazz drumming, and played drums in a marching band – thus laying both the melodic and the rhythmic cornerstones of his music today. Thanks to his father's work as a musician, he also got his hands on synthesizers at the age of 9. By the time he discovered hip-hop as a young teen, he was recreating its electro-based beats on his own rudimentary setup at home. Jonson gradually began honing in on his own sound, both in his productions and his DJ sets, inspired by a deeper, weirder sound that had begun filtering into the Victoria's techno parties. His first record, in 2001, was the first release on Itiswhatitis (a label Mathew bought from its original owner 11 years later). Another followed in 2002, and in 2003. That year, he also made his first appearance on Perlon, 'Alpine Rocket' – a track he recorded alongside Luciano during his first trip to Europe. And then, suddenly, Jonson was everywhere: Sub Static, Arbutus, Kompakt, M_nus – and every track an anthem. "I had all that music kind of saved up," says Jonson, "and then, just by chance, released it all at the same time. People criticized me for it, said that it wasn't a good idea. But it worked out for me. All the tracks did well. I wasn't saturating the market with bad music." He's right there. In 2005, Jonson co-founded Wagon Repair, and it's been a blur since, a nonstop series of tours and recordings, solo and with his band mates. Crucially, he moved to Berlin. His studio here is jaw-dropping, frankly: a semi-circle full of gear, from old workhorses like the 808 and 909 and SH-101 to unique beasts like their Cwejman and Roland System 100m modular system. Tate's Rhodes piano anchors one corner of the horseshoe, and everything feeds into a massive desk where tracks are mixed and recorded in real-time. His two hands have come up with some remarkable material. Having perfected his brand of earthshaking epic with tracks like 'Marionette' and ‘Decompression’, Jonson has increasingly turned his efforts towards more personal, introspective music. He never left the clubs behind though; his 2010 album, Agents of Time, featured a number of tracks that are as hip-winding wily as anything he's produced yet, full-on tracks like 'Girls Got Rhythm' and 'Thieves in Digital Land'. Equally physical was his 2011 drop on Hawtin's M_nus, 'Learning To Fly', and the well-received 'Automaton' on Crosstown Rebels. His 2013 album, On Her Blurry Pictures, too; here Jonson took advantage of the long player format to stretch out and indulge darker moods and slower tempos, but the core of the record remained rooted in a dancefloor context. In 2015, Mathew fulfilled his long-standing ambition of contributing to Fabric's esteemed mix series. Fabric84 is a recording of his set at the club's 15th birthday, during which he played a number of his classic tracks and unreleased edits. The energy of the occasion and the particular way Mathew performs his material blend perfectly, capturing a singular and very special set on CD. As well as continuing to tour his in-demand solo live show, which is consistently ranked amongst Resident Advisor's top 20, Mathew has recently remixed Paul St. Hilaire + Rhauder, The Martinez Brothers, Seth Troxler, and VCMG (to add to his past work including Moby, Cybotron, The Chemical Brothers, and Nelly Furtado). He released an album with Units and Measurements in 2016, and another as his new alias Freedom Engine entitled “A Box Full Of Magic” in 2019. Eighteen years on from his debut release, 'New Identity', Mathew's sound and reputation as an artist have developed, as you would expect for someone so richly and widely talented.
  Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Global Underground, Ministry Of Sound, fabric Records, Mute Records and 6 more.

  Recently at Signal · often with Berghain, PARAMIDA, J. Richards, none of them here that night

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  Lychee

  Massachusetts · 62 bookings since Aug 2023

  “In addition to holding down regular appearances at Basement, Nowadays, and Bossa Nova Civic Club, Lychee runs Spontaneous Affinity, a monthly mix and interview series and occasional event platform focused on how dancefloors have shaped artists, is part of the Antidote and Meridian event collectives, co-runs the label Unimatrix Zero, and is on the board for the Aslice Foundation.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  In addition to holding down regular appearances at Basement, Nowadays, and Bossa Nova Civic Club, Lychee runs Spontaneous Affinity, a monthly mix and interview series and occasional event platform focused on how dancefloors have shaped artists, is part of the Antidote and Meridian event collectives, co-runs the label Unimatrix Zero, and is on the board for the Aslice Foundation. Lychee got their start as a radio DJ for WMFO, Tufts' college radio station, in 2007. Since starting to play out in 2012, they have played alongside artists like Takaaki Itoh, Objekt, Rrose, Legowelt, Claude Young, and Honey Soundsystem. In addition to playing out, Lychee has organized skillshare events, taught DJ workshops, and curated a speaker event about inclusivity in music technology. Photos: Ben DeHaan, Nathaniel Young
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗
  Their RA profile lists Blankstairs.

  Recently at Bossa Nova Civic Club, Jupiter Disco, public records · often with Yaya Flows, Nutrition Facts, Ne/Re/A, none of them here that night

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  Akanbi

  New York City · 52 bookings since Sep 2023

  “Akanbi is heading a new generation of dedicated ravers in New York City.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Akanbi is heading a new generation of dedicated ravers in New York City. Raised in Lagos, Nigeria, with limited access to the internet but a huge thirst for new music, Akanbi moved to NYC in 2010 and immersed himself head on into every corner of dance music, as a serious dancer and, eventually, a DJ and rave activator. He’s cultivated his unique style of DJing that delivers an intentional blend of freak-out boogie music, sensual rollers, whip-crack bangers, insistent percussion, afrobeat goodness, deep thumping low frequencies & slow-burning experimental descents. In 2014, he started New York City's GROOVY GROOVY party - a judgment-free atmosphere for wild dance floors, spiritual, mental & physical rejuvenation, radical politics, and a dose of undeniably rocking talent. Akanbi has made an impression with visionary sets across the globe at select spaces like Guggenheim Museum, Sustain Release, Nowadays, Dekmantel, Horst, OIL Club Shanghai, WWW Tokyo, Berghain/Panorama Bar, Corsica Studios, Primavera Sound Barcelona et al.
  SoundCloud ↗

  Recently at Honey's, Nowadays · often with /KATA/, The Large, Ayanna Heaven, none of them here that night

• Victoria Mussi

  3 bookings since Jan 2025

  Recently at Good Room · often with Peter Fonda, Samuel Fish, Memphy, none of them here that night

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  Nissa Carrington

  5 bookings since Sep 2025

  “Thanks to growing up constantly surrounded by Soul, R'n'B, Disco and mostly Southern Rap as well as later years spent working in nightlife, her style is an excellent blend of nostalgic elements and contemporary club music, featuring both heavy hitting and transcendentally groovy sounds.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Thanks to growing up constantly surrounded by Soul, R'n'B, Disco and mostly Southern Rap as well as later years spent working in nightlife, her style is an excellent blend of nostalgic elements and contemporary club music, featuring both heavy hitting and transcendentally groovy sounds. Effortlessly gliding through US-American Club & Bass Music while touching UK Funky & Bass and incorporating drum-heavy tunes from Middle- & South America and the Caribbean, she creates a diverse sound collage just bound to make you move. She is a resident at Golden Pudel Club Hamburg as part of her DJ network SLIC Unit and hosts the monthly all-vinyl show „MUSIC CITY“ on Refuge Worldwide. Since picking up the USB sticks in 2018 she has played clubs all over the world like Panorama Bar, Golden Pudel Club and Bossa Nova Civic Club, festivals like Fusion, Nation of Gondwana, CTM Festival, Dockville or Bonanza Festival Buritaca as well as radio shows and platforms like The Lot Radio, HalfMoon Brooklyn, Radio80000, Radio Nopal and Refuge Worldwide.
  SoundCloud ↗

  Last at Mood Ring in Dec 2025 · often with Slimgirl fat, yung_womb, GLOBUS, none of them here that night

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  e-Lite

  New York City · 14 bookings since Nov 2024

  SoundCloud ↗

  Recently at BASEMENT, public records, Good Bar · often with The Carry Nation, Henry Chow, Grace Sands, none of them here that night