techno

Headed to Brooklyn: Jamel Zuñiga's "Tetra-125BPM" mix, facilitated by PROGRAM LABS by Maxwell Young

If it ain’t thumping…if it ain’t thudding, then it ain’t Jamel.

DJ Jamel Zuñiga at Tech Yes at Sandovan Restaurant and Lounge in D.C., 1/24/19 | Polaroid by Maxwell Young

DJ Jamel Zuñiga at Tech Yes at Sandovan Restaurant and Lounge in D.C., 1/24/19 | Polaroid by Maxwell Young

“Tetra-125BPM” facilitated by PROGRAM LABS, is the latest mix by Washington, D.C. based DJ Jamel Zuñiga.

Press play and close your eyes. It’s the weekend, or maybe a Thursday night function, and you’re somewhere off the L-Train in Brooklyn at a warehouse at four o’clock in the morning. Work and errands are imminent, but the pulse of the speakers keep your feet in rhythm. This is the sonic pocket where Zuñiga wants to transport you, and rarely does he leave it himself.

Baby San Jay on Instagram, FKA Sex God Supreme FKA Ledroit FKA Jay-Z, has become the de-facto techno disc jockey, presiding over the turn tables of a number of restaurants, hotels and music venues as one half of his esoteric dance series with Sir E.U, Techyes. While Zuñiga’s electronic inclinations are ever present at these weekly showings, he’s working in tandem with E.U—the vocals and beat on equal footing—informing a party-oriented environment. The near one hour mix, however, is more quintessential; an inward-looking display of what Zuñiga plays when there’s no one to satisfy but himself.

“[Tetra] is harder, pure techno other than call-and-response beats and rock beats,” he told InTheRough. “This is more a spiritual journey.”

Fall into a trance, listening to the set above.

Room Haus enlists Tooth Choir for their latest mix, 'FALTER' by Maxwell Young

ROOM delivers their 21st mix featuring Tooth Choir. Play it if you like house. Play it if you like to dance.

Tooth Choir is also a bass player in D.C.-based band Go Cozy. Polaroid by Maxwell Young

Tooth Choir is also a bass player in D.C.-based band Go Cozy. Polaroid by Maxwell Young

Julian Oliver aka Tooth Choir can be spotted in Washington, D.C.’s underground music scenes. See him above casually playing bass at Gillead Gaari’s communal rave in January. During another outing, I caught him on the decks at Tech Yes where he’s usually amongst the crowd dancing—a consistent frequenter of the weekly series.

He taps back into the groove with this 52-minute mix, “FALTER,” that blurs ambient, house, garage, and techno genres. My dinner prep was slowed last night, taking impromptu dance breaks to feel these varied rhythms.

You can catch another of Tooth Choir’s mixes on SoundCloud that he did for Steam Sesh radio in early 2019. Otherwise, he’s been relatively quiet with music releases, admitting to me that he’s ruminating on some concepts. Stay tuned to InTheRough pages as we await his follow up to Light Rhythms, a six track EP he released last May.

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Tooth Choir Falter mix in the bio.

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