Lena Willikens + Justin Strauss / Elena Colombi + fleet.dreams / Lovie

Who they are

• 

  Lena Willikens

  Cologne, Germany · 13 bookings since Sep 2023

  “Lena Willikens doesn’t play the hits.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Lena Willikens doesn’t play the hits. When she’s behind the decks, even her biggest fans often have no idea exactly what she’s playing, and that’s part of the magic. Like all DJs, Willikens of course has a passion for records and is always on the hunt for elusive bits of music, but as an artist, her work doesn’t hinge on any one track, or even a handful of tracks. She’s after something bigger, something that’s truly transportive for those on the dancefloor, and the tracks she plays – whether they’re bizarre slices of synth exploration, some ominously churning proto-industrial stomp or something else that simply defies classification – are all parts of a larger, more psychically satisfying whole. Born and raised in Germany, Willikens first honed her unique approach during a long residency at Düsseldorf’s Salon des Amateurs, a much-loved nightspot that has proven to be a hotbed of free-thinking DJ talent. Outside of the club, she also found a platform on Radio Cómeme, where her Sentimental Flashback radio show allowed Willikens to dive deep into all sorts of unusual musical wormholes. (The Cómeme label was also home to her first EP, 2015's Phantom Delia.) These days, however, Willikens' radio adventures happen on NTS, where she pilots the monthly Lightning Conductor program. Now based in Amsterdam, her curatory prowess prompted an invite from Dekmantel to put together the fifth installment of their acclaimed Selectors compilation series, and she also contributed a track to the label’s run of all-star 10th anniversary EPs. As a remixer, she's been tapped in recent years to rework the likes of Lena Platonos, rRoxymore, S U R V I V E, Simian Mobile Disco and Ana Helder, amongst others. And amidst all this activity, she's also been busy with Phantom Kino Ballett, a collaboration with artist Sarah Szczesny that lands somewhere between immersive audio-visual experience and performance art, allowing Willikens to indulge her transportive impulses in a completely new way. Nevertheless, it’s in the DJ booth where Willikens continues to make the biggest impact. As of late, she’s forged a particularly potent partnership with fellow sonic explorer and Salon des Amateurs alum Vladimir Ivkovic, the two engaging in a sort of mind meld that brings together their shared love of electronic music’s darkest and most bizarre corners. Regardless of whether she’s playing alone or in tandem with someone else, Willikens isn’t the kind of artist who adheres to straight lines. Expect different temperatures, different moods and a dollop of chaos, just to keep things interesting. Circuitous paths take precedence over direct routes, and although not even Willikens herself always knows the final destination, when she’s at the helm, the journey is bound to be thrilling. Shawn Reynaldo
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Cómeme, Dekmantel, Utter and EM Records.

  Recently at Nowadays, public records, Good Room · often with SUMME, ROBUS, Säule, none of them here that night

• 

  Justin Strauss

  New York City · 125 bookings since Aug 2023

  “Bio Few DJs could adequately represent the last three decades of New York nightclub history - no less do so with such iconic credentials as Justin Strauss.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Bio Few DJs could adequately represent the last three decades of New York nightclub history - no less do so with such iconic credentials as Justin Strauss. Since he was 17, when his first band was signed to Island Records, Justin has had a career that reads like a Who’s-Who of the music scene, spinning at nearly every dance club that you’d ever want to go to. Starting as DJ at New York’s legendary Mudd Club, he spun his way through The Ritz, Limelight, Area, Tunnel, M.K., Life, Centro Fly and more, pioneering his own distinctive sound, and becoming one of the most sought-after remixers and producers not just in New York, but in the world. He has worked with the gamut of artists - Depeche Mode, Sergio Mendez, Tina Turner, Jimmy Cliff, B-52s, Luther Vandross, Malcolm McClaren, Skinny Puppy, Goldfrapp, to name a few (see full list) – and on over 200 records! Much of the new dance crowd that goes to hear Justin DJ today, whether at subMercer, The Standard, Highbar, Soho House, or Love, doesn’t necessarily know his history; they simply love his spinning because he always keeps them dancing and surprised, seamlessly mixing between choice classics, delectable rarities and innovative beats. For Justin, no genre or style is off-limits – he can and will mix anything, so long as he can keep the crowd enthralled. His self-proclaimed mission is “connecting the dots” between what might otherwise seem disparate musical periods and styles, while introducing exciting new sounds. He does so with infectious passion, subverting preconceptions about what’s old and new, and inspiring young DJs with his masterful skill and ever-youthful spirit. But Justin Strauss doesn’t stop there. As half of the production duo, Whatever/Whatever, he continues to produce and mix records, working on remixes for the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Beyonce, La Roux and more. In fact, he doesn’t stop at all. Like the amazing city he’s dedicatedly kept dancing since 1980, Justin just keeps going. Coming Soon. a/jus/ted . New project with Eddie Mars. 2013
  SoundCloud ↗Discography ↗
  Synth-pop on 46, Pop Rock on 21, House on 34 and Disco on 13. styles on their catalogued releases

  Released on DFA (1) and Demon Records (1); their RA profile also lists Southern Fried Records, Under the Shade, Dither Down, Plant Music and 3 more. labels on their catalogued releases and on their RA profile

  Recently at Signal, Gabriela, Bossa Nova Civic Club · often with Seth Magoon, Mike Guimond, Amelia Holt, none of them here that night

• 

  Elena Colombi

  North, Italy · 14 bookings since Sep 2023

  “London-based DJ, producer and NTS radio host.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  London-based DJ, producer and NTS radio host. Boss at Osàre! Editions.
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Osàre! Editions.

  Recently at Mansions, Nowadays, Honey's · often with Relaxer, Sepehr, Amelia Holt, none of them here that night

• 

  fleet.dreams

  Texas · 45 bookings since Aug 2023

  “Drawing from deep musical roots in Texas, Detroit, and Brooklyn, his sound fuses leftfield rhythms, the immersive echoes of dub, and deep hypnotic techno into something entirely his own.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Drawing from deep musical roots in Texas, Detroit, and Brooklyn, his sound fuses leftfield rhythms, the immersive echoes of dub, and deep hypnotic techno into something entirely his own. With releases on UTTU / Hot Haus, PPU, All City Records, and his own vinyl imprint Vinezza, fleet.dreams stands out as a singular voice in American electronic music—pushing boundaries with subtlety, precision, and a constant sense of forward motion.
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗Discography ↗
  House on 5, Deep House on 4, Tribal on 2 and Dub Techno on 1. styles on their catalogued releases

  Released on Vinezza (2), Hot Haus Recs (1) and Leopard Cage (1); their RA profile also lists All City, PPU and audio moss. labels on their catalogued releases and on their RA profile

  Recently at Signal, Mansions, Xanadu · often with DJ Primo, KYRUH, CAMILLA, none of them here that night

• 

  Lovie

  Washington DC · 90 bookings since Aug 2023

  “Lovie's musical discovery began in the digital music age: a young lover of local radio and after-school MTV marathons, her early mixes took shape in the form of burned CDs she made for her friends.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Lovie's musical discovery began in the digital music age: a young lover of local radio and after-school MTV marathons, her early mixes took shape in the form of burned CDs she made for her friends. After relocating from her hometown of Washington, D.C. to New York in 2020, Lovie's unique selection of soulful, spiritual music swiftly ushered her into New York's local music scene. At the taste-making Brooklyn radio station, Lot Radio, she gave birth to her homey platform, summer school radio. For five years Lovie's radio mixes—now being offered as one of the station's few weekly residencies—have thumbed through the intimate corners of her music collection. She saunters through slow-groove disco, dusty '70s funk and groovy '80s jazz at a studied pace that makes it easy to marvel at every timeless chime, trill, and drum beat. She's as tempted by the bedroom pop of Clairo as much as the cosmic funk of Lonnie Liston Smith. Outside the Lot, Lovie presents summer school radio as soothing listening sessions around Brooklyn, providing warm balms for city fatigue with artists like alt-jazz harpist muva of Earth and New Age legend Laraaji. As co-founder of Soul Connection with long-time friend and collaborator, Honey Bun, she imbues the power of friendship and Black femme empowerment into sumptuous house music and '90s R&B spun with the patience and musicality associated with the East Coast house tradition. Connecting the mind, to the body, to the soul, her club sets inspire the warmest, most community-minded dance floors you'll find in the city. Her diligence to the craft, musical curiosity, and deep focus on the listening experience earned her a spot on Mixmag's Top 25 Breakthrough DJs of 2024. She now holds a coveted residency at Brooklyn club public records, and has played at art centers like MoMA, Brooklyn Academy of Music and The Beacon Theater, where she opened for Kamasi Washington. Her work has also brought her to international gigs at Paris's Djoon, London's Spiritland, and more. Whether playing on her stomping grounds or rocking dance floors overseas, Lovie creates honey-sweet dance floor memories you'll want to replay again and again.
  SoundCloud ↗

  Recently at Elsewhere, Eavesdrop, Good Room · often with Honey Bun, JADALAREIGN, Jenifa Mayanja, none of them here that night