babyschön: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

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Music

One to watch, babyschön is a well versed, eclectic DJ with a passion for the weird and wonderful.

babyschön is the musical moniker of Safi Bugel. Based in London, having spent a spell in Leeds and moving to the big smoke, she has built a reputation for her eclectic taste and approach to music.

She’s also worked tirelessly as a journalist in a number of guises – helping to document grassroots musical communities and uplifting creatives with astute commentary and deep understanding.

From a musical perspective – her interests are broad taking on influences from Post Punk, Synthwave, EBM, Italo, New Wave and beyond.

Radio has always been an important influence on Safi’s musical trajectory as well. She’s hosted shows on community-led stations NARR (which she co-founded) and Sable Radio.

Now she focusses her attention toward DJ’ing more firmly. This mix cements that intent and we believe you’ll be seeing a lot more of babyschön in the coming spell.

Listen and read the interview below:

Ransom Note · babyschön: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you up to?

I’m Safi aka babyschön and I live in London. I write about music, host a radio show and dj!

What does your music sound like? Can you draw what you think it sounds like for us (an image from the old internet is acceptable)?

Sometimes slow and spooky, sometimes fast and spinny, but always sleazzzy.

Probably this still from Crash (1996) lol …

Where was the mix recorded?

In my living room on a muggy afternoon.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Probably early in the night in a small, steamy club. I envisaged it as a bit of a slow warm up set.

What should we be wearing?

Something sexy! Some heavy boots to stomp around in?

What would be your dream setting to record a mix: Location/system/format?

In total solitude, with some functioning equipment …

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

Probably the Front 242 one towards the end. I really wanna play it in a club!

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

The one I return to most is a Pigeon Steve/ Clyde Built Radio mix from a few years ago. Great tunes and the perfect build up. I’ve probably listened to it over 50 times. Pigeon Steve forever!

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

Someone like Andrew Weatherall, Vlad or Lena Willikens, probably. Good tunes and I like their approach to DJing. Or just one of my friends, like Bez, Frazer or Joe Gill, they have some of the best records.

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

It’s always been a rotation of different housemate’s CDJs, technics and dodgy mixers so I can’t remember the exact model. Right now it’s my XDJs, a shitty second-hand two channel and a trusty kalax.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

I think both are important. Both are good opportunities to play something a bit more experimental and weird, which I enjoy.

What were the first and last records you bought?

My first record was probably the Virgin Suicides soundtrack by Air from Banquet Records, or a Beach Boys comp from a charity shop in Milton Keynes. The last one I bought was a wicked Nocturnal Emissions LP from Sound Metaphors.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

Treacle!

If it was an animal what would it be?

Maybe a sloth, because it skulks around and is a bit booky at times. But it’s probably not as cute. A goth sloth?

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Anything with live drums and crazy percussion. Maybe some of the disco not disco stuff. It’s often a fade in/out jobby there.

Upcoming in the world of…

A few gigs here and there. I’ve also made a promise to myself to download Ableton this year. Immortalising that here so I hold myself to account!

Anything else we need to discuss?

Nein x