Naarm's own Babycino steps up next mixing dubwise rollers and summery house digs. A budding DJ, producer and open-air dance specialist, his Reasons To Be Cheerful parties and Skylab shows blend classy jams with playful flair, meaning 100% good times for the groove inclined!

@babycinoofficial

Q. What sounds or feelings did you draw upon when gathering inspiration for this mix, and what listening environments could you imagine it being best enjoyed?

I wanted to try to keep it nice and hypnotic in parts, mostly through the first hour or so. So there’s some dub tinged house, deeper house cuts and then into some kind of psychedelic, percussive funk jams. All roads lead back to House music though, in some form or another.

If I can lock in, lose my train of thought and kind of forget where I am for a little bit while listening to a mix or music. That’s the best. Almost like entering another realm.

That being said, I do like flourishes of chaos being injected as well, so hopefully there are some well placed disruptions and switch ups.

For the listening environment. Perhaps a long car journey, or a long walk/ jog through a changing landscape

Q. Are there any records in the mix that you were especially excited to share, and what is it about these songs that resonate with you so much?

A. There are a few favourites in the mix but I have to say that the closing track, the Janeret remix of Flash And The Pan’s Walking in the Rain, is on heavy rotation at the moment. I absolutely love the original, it’s so moody and ethereal while also being raw and kinda edgy. This particular remix reworks it for a dancefloor, while keeping that vibe sooooo well.

Q. Your Reasons To Be Cheerful parties have become a much-loved part of the annual party calendar, featuring a smorgasbord of house and disco legends the likes of Jex Opolis, DJ Lloyd and Chee Shimizu to name a few! Tell us about your plans for the party going forward, and what you’ve most enjoyed about the experience thus far?

A. Aw, bless! Thank you so much! Going forward, I just want to work on maintaining a consistent quality with the curation and to ensure it’s a free and open space, musically and spiritually. Quite simply, I really want to focus on improving with each event, adding more visual art elements/installations, not to reinvent the wheel but just to add my own personal weirdness to the space.

Things I’ve enjoyed so far.. I’d say meeting people and inviting artists who I really respect, whether it’s an OG like Chee or connecting with some of the local peeps that I deeply admire.

A specific top experience so far is going b2b with Chee Shimizu at Angel. He really is one of the best! Chee and Weatherall are the guiding stars for me, so it was such an honour to go beat for beat with a master!