We’re honored to have Souci of Raiders Records drop this luscious mix for us.
Renowned for her fast-paced club, high energy mixes and productions full of breaks, footwork, jungle and more, this co-founder of Raiders is making waves. Since starting out only in 2019, she’s made appearances at CTM Festival, Drugstore Belgrade and OXI to name a few, as well as the host of their own Raid party.
Her dedication to community and uncompromising approach to the political aspect of dance music culture is reflected through her label, the raves, workshops and compilations she’s been an integral part of and putting together.
First and foremost, can you tell us a little bit about the energy behind this mix, is there anything you would prescribe doing while listening?
I recorded this mix while I was going through a difficult emotional situation. And I feel like you can sense that dark energy throughout the whole mix. Nonetheless there are highs and there is playfulness in the mix, probably even one or two solid dancefloor tracks. Possible occasions could be a get together with friends at home, getting into the mood before the club or maybe even getting sweaty to it with a (beloved) person. On whatever occasion this mix is listened to, I would prescribe a nice red wine to it.
We’re obsessed with Raiders records - it’s super nice to see something else other than Techno being big on the scene in Berlin! Can you tell us a little bit about how the label came to be and what it’s all about?
Raiders is first and foremost a party collective. We were very underwhelmed by the predominantly techno scene and basically wanted to create a space for a variety of sounds. We came together as a group of 8 people, some of us have never met before, and it was a perfect match.
Raiders grew over time, then the label was founded, an own radio show, HÖR Showcase, and most recently we started our first skill sharing community event. I have no idea where Raiders will go further, but we always have a bunch of ideas. The question is how to not get caught up in being output-oriented but rather make it sustainable.
Who else is a part of Raiders and how would you describe Raiders sound(s)?
Raiders is DJ Fucks Himself, jpeg.love, Souci, Tamila, Turk&Fin, Young Lychee & $ombi. There's no limits to the genres, but I’d generally say our sound is playful, fun, fast(er)-paced, with a massive influence from Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, New Jersey and the UK.
“We were very underwhelmed by the predominantly techno scene and basically wanted to create a space for a variety of sounds. We came together as a group of 8 people, some of us have never met before, and it was a perfect match.”
Can we please expect another Queens of the Club compilation happening?
QOC is my most favorite project I’ve ever worked on. There definitely will be a Vol. 2 sometime in the future (I’ll make sure of that). It’s probably going to take a lot of time though. But there’s other stuff cooking.
You’ve had a string of amazing releases this year, including on the likes of Jensen Interceptor’s International Chromies Vol. 10 and a new track on Crazed Behaviour’s ‘Neighborhood Watch’ due for release this very Friday! How do you feel your sound has evolved since you’ve started producing?
I’ve been all over the place with my previous productions. They are a result of me constantly trying out new techniques and sounds. Listening back to some tracks today, I can definitely hear some muddiness, issues with arrangement and just sort of over-complicating sounds, because I’m generally worried of “emptiness” in the tracks, if that makes sense. I am trying to embrace the learning process, though.
What is next for Souci, are you working on any personal projects we can look forward to hearing/seeing/attending?
Your girl is going to Detroit next year as a part of a funded music exchange!!! I will be preparing for that trip by working on music and hopefully you can expect an EP by me by the end of next year.
For any readers from Detroit, I will be there from the end of May till Mid July.
Stay up to date with Souci here!