For the June Beatique mix, I decided that I would just play music for an hour or so and post the results whether or not I flubbed any airbreaks or mixes. The whole point of that is that I think it’s really important to keep the imperfections as a sign that there’s a real person making stuff for no real reason other than to just do it. We’ve been in this creepy, brand-centric cycle of culture for so long, where everything we share is supposed to function as a commercial for the next hustle, and it’s really easy to forget that we should do things just for the hell of it. DJing is my job- or, one of my jobs- but I also listen to a lot music because I like it. And sometimes I work out sets at home because I want to know how to songs fit together. It’s kind of practice, but it’s also just kind of how my brain has worked since before I realized that DJing was a job that I could do.
Even though this was made on the fly, there’s a flow to it. A lot of the songs relate to each other in ways that won’t make much sense to anyone who isn’t me. The first part is mostly related to stories I recently wrote or am in the middle of writing. The second half is club stuff, although not all of the songs have made it into my club sets yet. None of them are transitions that I’ve practiced prior to recording this. I’m just kind of figuring them out here. (The Angelé/Justice song and the Slayyyter one I played in reverse order the previous night and, tbh, I prefer that flow.) This is all background stuff that nobody really cares about, but, whatever. We’re living in the dead internet era and I have no illusions that anyone is actually reading or listening. But, because it helps me think things through, I made an annotated set list with links back to references.
Boards of Canada “Words Become Flesh”
From the recently released album Inferno. It’s the song track I liked best on the first listen.
Can “Mushroom”
From the 1971 album Tago Mago and swiped from my husband’s collection because a lot of the new music I have been listening to recently reminded me of Can.
Deradoorian “No No Yes Yes”
From last year’s album, Ready for Heaven, which is excellent and has a very Disco Not Disco vibe that fits between Can and Yoko Ono.
Yoko Ono “Kiss Kiss Kiss”
From Double Fantasy, the 1980 John Lennon/Yoko Ono album. Yoko Ono has been in my head since seeing Music of the Mind at the Broad. You should check out the exhibition if you’re in L.A.
Memorials “Cut Glass Hammer”
From the new album All Clouds Bring Not Rain. I just interviewed Memorials and, when it’s up, you’ll get why I picked this song. It’s Yoko Ono-related.
Scott Walker “The Seventh Seal”
From Scott 4 and based on the Ingmar Bergman movie The Seventh Seal. Scott Walker came up in my recent interview with Devlin and the Harm. It was a different song that was referenced in the interview, but I also wanted to remind myself to rewatch The Seventh Seal soon.
Devlin and the Harm “Kingdom Comes”
I recently wrote about Devlin and the Harm, whose debut album was just released, and this is my favorite song on the album.
Mazzy Star “Bells Ring”
From So Tonight That I Might See. I loved this song in high school, but haven’t listened to it in a zillion years and it made sense after “Kingdom Comes.”
Dead Can Dance “Yulunga (Spirit Dance)”
From Into the Labyrinth. As with the Mazzy Star song, this is something I listened to a lot in high school, but haven’t heard in a zillion years. In fact, it’s been so long since I’ve listened to “Yulunga” that I forgot about the song’s seemingly eternal intro.
Holy Sun Opera House “Room That Wasn’t There”
I interviewed Holy Sun Opera House recently and this song specifically comes up in the conversation. It’s fantastic. The whole album is, actually, and I’m bummed I wasn’t able to make it out to their record release show.
Linea Aspera “Attica”
I had played this at Underground, by request, the night before I made this mix, so it was fresh in my head as a song that would probably work with Holy Sun Opera House.
Rare DM “Compliment”
Attention, the new album from Rare DM, came out on Friday. It’s a really good album and I meant to try out “Compliment” early in my DJ set that night, but didn’t have the chance to do it.
Angelé and Justice “What You Want” (Fcukers Remix)
I played this Fcukers remix of Angelé and Justice’s collab out for the first time on Friday night and it worked really well in the club set, in between Slayyyter and Daft Punk.
Slayyyter “I’m Actually Kinda Famous”
I’ve played a few songs from Wor$t Girl in America in my club sets, but “I’m Actually Kinda Famous” is the one that has resonated most of the crowd. It’s actually doing really, really well on the dance floor.
Madonna “I Feel So Free” (Peggy Gou Energy Mix)
Played this for the first time on Friday night and it did very well. I love this mix so much, for reasons I’ve always explained.
Desire feat. Rae Flores “Crazy Over You”
IYKYK This is one of those freestyle jams that I remember hearing a lot as a kid in the late ‘80s, but it’s like this vague, phantom of a memory. I can’t tell you when or where I heard it, maybe on the radio or at Skateland or the mall or probably all of the above. I just remembered that “Crazy- Crazy over you” part and it stuck with me for years until I was an adult and it somehow came up in a conversation. Anyhow, thanks to a good friend, I do have this on vinyl now.
Purple Disco Machine “Disco Cherry”
New music from Purple Disco Machine. I have tried this out in the club. It didn’t hit quite like I wanted and tbh I can’t even remember what I played with it that time. Technically, I think it sounds a lot better coming out “Crazy Over You” and keeps the set from veering into ’80s hell.
Kangding Ray “Desierto”
The only reason why Sirãt isn’t my favorite movie of 2025 is because I didn’t see it until 2026. That was a few months ago now and that movie is still living in my brain. “Desierto” is from the soundtrack of Sirãt. Go see the movie and don’t get made at me if it messes up your day/night.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Follow on Instagram or sign up for the weekly, Beatique newsletter for updates on new stories and gigs.
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