Leading us into June and the summer months is Midland’s based DJ Outershell. His mix is an ethereal collection of music perfect for a walk in the forest or a ramble through the hills. He’s included a short story to go along with his mix. You can check that out with the rest of his interview below.
Hey Outershell, thanks for coming on the blog. I always like to start these interviews by asking our guests to tell us a bit about their DJ journeys. When did you get started and what got you into DJing?
I got started nearly 12 years ago – The Prodigy were the first electronic act I really threw myself into and from there it was an easy route into Dubstep and Drum and Bass. I loved building narratives and finding ways to transition between BPMs and once I got Serato my library exploded and I could get properly creative with different genres, tempos, and styles.
The mix you sent over is titled “I am the forest” any story behind the name?
I built the mix by starting out with a handful of records that I’ve discovered recently that make my heart melt and saw there was a bit of a theme emerging between them and beefed out the tracklist front here.
One track – Call Super – I love Like Your Men has this faintly fantastical spritely vocal sample which is where I got the name from. Like I say, I like to build narratives and this story emerged from thinking about how the tracks work together and translated into this slightly tripped-out walk through the forest where you start to feel re-connected to nature and slightly in awe of it….but there’s always a slightly unnerving otherness to nature too. – I’ve shared the story below!
I Am The Forest
Overlooking the last gleaming of twilight, you realise it is time to get back. You have been gone for long enough. Rising and turning your back on the fading sun you enter the trees, the air is thick and each breath is a deep satisfaction.
A familiar feeling sets in, a rising warmth in your sternum as the last of the daylight is engulfed by the thicket that surrounds you. The darkness between the trees feels alive and seems to throb in time to your pulse. You cannot be completely certain but in your periphery you see the faint outline of figures moving in the dark. Their presence, at first unsettling, becomes familiar as you recognise their dancing silhouettes as friendly.
The stars above you are swirling, mirroring the shadowed sprites. A warmth spreads through you which erupts in a smile. Fractals burst through the canopy as your feet carry you home, the tunnel of trees feels endless and waves ripple through the leaves.
A deep feeling of anxiety begins to set in, your pace quickens along with your heartbeat. Suddenly the dancing figures who were accompanying you have been replaced with the deepest darkness. An urgency overcomes you. The silence hisses and pops around you and the sense of being watched permeates the stiflingly thick air. The dancers in your periphery return suddenly through the miasma but with an increased ritualism to their movements, lingering just out of direct sight.
As soon as it began, the feeling of dread seems to be washed away by contentment and you synchronise to your surroundings. The moon pierces through the branches, the forest begins to thin and you find yourself in a clearing. Bathed in moonlight you stare at the stars above, your eternal companions on your journey back to the sanctuary of a now dwindling fire. The front door comes into view along with the welcoming glow from behind the curtains. The rush and silent chaos of your voyage has diminished. They’re still asleep, just as you left them. The fire is all but embers and the dregs in the glasses reflects the dwindling glow of the logs. You take one last glance behind you as the branches wave goodbye.
Do you have any club nights, DJs, or producers you like to cite as inspirations for your sound? How have you decided on the type of music you like to mix?
There are three club nights that I need to give special mention to – all based in Birmingham and each of them offers a wide variety of genres/mediums. Leftfoot, Moodfix, and Shadow City each have their own distinct qualities and approach but what they have in common is being able to deliver consistently well-considered line-ups with a distinctive atmosphere, no matter who is on the roster.
The list of DJs/producers is endless but I think special mention has to go to Lord of the Isles who can blend electronic textures with organic warmth like no other and Nicolas Jaar for his Essential Mix which to this day is just an astounding spectacle. Flawless.
Are there any standout tracks in the mix you wouldn’t mind sharing with us? Any tracks you like to return to time and time again?
Absolutely, the opening track is a new release from Shine Grooves out on Dusk Delay (Lord of the Isles imprint) and is one I have been listening to on repeat for weeks.
John Beltran – When the Children Dance – gorgeous, warm, full of wonder.
PST – Tryptmix provided the perfect transition into the latter section of the mix, the full track is a journey. It dissolves halfway through in a really satisfying way.
The Primitive Painter – A Pagan Place is actually a track I have to admit I lifted from a very talented DJ called Olive – it is from her Mixed Olives mix.
Finally, what’s on the horizon for you over the next couple of months? Do you have any more mixes in the pipeline or events you can tell us about?
A shameless plug but on my Mixcloud I have a couple of series I am going to develop a bit further now I have some free time. Connected is a bit of a playlist series where I am collecting the music that have soundtracked people’s lives alongside interviews about why these tracks hold such a special place in their lives and the Slow Infusion series is just an excuse for me to put mixes together! I haven’t really had the headspace to think about Djing out but since putting this mix together I’ve been feeling inspired to get out and DJ in front of a crowd again for sure.
