Wes Baggaley – The Alternate Currents Ransom Note Mix

He’s not one to pull punches either; in real life and on his Instagram, he offers a refreshing take on the absurdity of the state of the music world—from lamenting the current popularity of “garbage pop remixes” masquerading as “cool” and “underground,” to poking fun at the disconnect between an artist’s public persona and the commercial realities behind the ‘scene’…there’s definitely a reason Dave Clarke’s FUSE is his favourite mix!

Drawing from a deep well of experience—eight years on Rinse FM and residencies that span from London’s Dalston Superstore at the most excellent queer house music party Bottom Heavy to the world’s most revered underground spaces—Baggaley delivers a journey that’s both intense and unpredictable.

This mix captures the restless spirit of someone who refuses to be confined by genre boundaries. Dark ambient textures collide with driving techno, industrial edges spark against electro. It’s a mix that reflects Baggaley’s current Narr Radio remit, and it certainly refuses to sit still…

Listen below:

Please introduce yourself…

Who are you:

Hello, I’m Wes Baggaley

Where are you:

Right now, at work, skiving off

And what are you:

A twat

What does your music sound like?

Extraordinary

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

How does your brain work when making music? how does it work when you aren’t?

It barely functions at all to be honest.

What was the first electronic record you heard and how did it make you feel?

I’d imagine it was the doctor who theme-tune. Would have made me feel like turning the telly over. I was scared of the Daleks

Where was the mix recorded?

It was actually recorded at Pirate studios in Tottenham. The monitoring in them places is pretty bollocks. 2 really loud speakers on the other side of the room blasting in your face

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

Anywhere really, maybe headphones on your commute. It goes from ambient to techno so it’s probably a good one to play in the morning to get you started for the day. I have put a few things in there that are deliberately jarring though. Keep you on your toes

What should we be wearing?

As little as possible

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

Live at Fold. The sound system in there is really good. It’s my favourite club and I find this sort of stuff is better live.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

That’s a hard one. It’s not all new stuff. Some of it is a few years old so I think I’ve broken some sort of rule where the tunes are not new enough to be trendy and not old enough to be cool again. There seems to be some bullshit DJ rule like that. I’d probably say the Eros one. I’m into that album. The production on it is amazing and it’s a mood setter

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

Dave Clarke at FUSE. The one you could buy. I don’t really listen to many though.

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

John Peel because he would be good to talk to.

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

My first set up was the same turntables I have now (Technics 1210s) and a Vestax mixer. The one Jeff Mills uses and I wish I’d kept it. I was in my 20s when I got that. Stuff like that was kind of unobtainable to us when we were kids. We didn’t have a coloured telly until 1990 and that was a portable one. One of my older mates had a set up in his flat though and I used to practice on that . I still have the turntables and an Allen and Heath x:one 92 and a couple of them shitty cdj1000s that you have to burn tracks onto CD but it’s in storage as I don’t really have a permanent residence at the moment. Once a scrubber always a scrubber

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

The track you start on. It sets the mood

What were the first and last records you bought?

The first one I went into a shop and bought with my own money was Dead or Alive – You Spin Me Round but I’d had them bought for me as gifts before that. The very first one was Quantum Jump – The Lone Ranger followed by Adam and the Ants. The last one. I bought that Lasse Marhaug- Provoke album on Smalltown Supersound the other week. I’ve been listening to a lot of weird ambient stuff

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

Nuts.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Sausage dog

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

Napalm Death – You Suffer from the Scum album

Am I going to my dream job?

Not my dream job, but it’s alright

Am I being compensated fairly for the value I bring to my job?

Am I fuck

Do I feel energised, rested, and confident?

Absolutely not. I’m frogged

You just had a fight with the person you are closest to. Do you not speak to them until they apologise…or do you apologise first?

I’d apologise first

If you were trapped on a desert island with one other person, who would you choose?

How long would it be before you eat them?

My boyfriend. About 5 minutes

Your doctor says you need more exercise….what do you take up for exercise? Are you joking?

I couldn’t do any more exercise. I’d take up sleeping

If you could travel in time…where in time would you go? Why?

I wouldn’t. I’m quite happy now. I wouldn’t mind going back and telling a few people to eat shit though

Anything else we need to discuss?

A few gigs. My new party – Nocturnal E_missions. I put the underscore in so it doesn’t get confused with the band/sound project. I’m booking bands and live stuff as well as just djs. I think the ‘djs all night’ format has got pretty boring so I want to do something a bit different and if people want to stare at a stage I thought we might as well give them something to look at. I should also have some music coming out at some point if I ever get round to finishing anything.

Follow Wes Baggaley on Instagram, you won’t be disappointed.