Podcast 813: Oldyungmayn

Oldyungmayn, born Hussein Hassan, is an Egyptian-Palestinian artist raised in Dubai, who DJs broken techno, electro, and trance around Europe from his new base in Berlin. He began listening to electronic music when he was living in the UAE and became inspired to produce after hearing none other than Burial’s Untrue. “I really enjoy how the premise of dance music encourages you to meet people; to socialize and converse with people you might otherwise not approach,” he told XLR8R. “It might sound a bit bizarre, but dance music has allowed me to connect with people that for one reason or another that I’m apprehensive to meet, or who I might shy away from just out of habit.”

During the height of the pandemic, he began taking production more seriously and he has since been featured on a compilation for Paris-based Parkingstone and collaborated with Kuwaiti producer Van Boom for Thessaloniki-based label Magdalena’s Apathy, run by DJ LOSER. He has made guest appearances on NTS for peers such as Endgame and ZULI, and he also hosts a regular program himself on Movement.Radio. For his XLR8R podcast, he delivered a mix of blistering breaks and techno—a snapshot of what he’s been playing in clubs over the summer.

01. What have you been up to lately?
I’ve been enjoying my time in Berlin and meeting a lot of new people. Despite the hype, the city has a lot going on that you’d only know about as a local, so it’s still feeling very stimulating and inspiring. Many artists, like myself, continue to relocate here for various reasons, but ultimately the open-mindedness and really the appreciation of diverse music cultures tends to be what usually draws them, or perhaps after they play one or a few gigs in the city they see how special the energy is! There’s also a massive range of genre-focused events, many organized and helmed by Queer artists. It makes me feel really grateful to be where I am at a time when there’s so much instability in the world.

02. What have you been listening to?
Lately I have been listening to a lot of Brainbombs and Kittie.

03. Where and when did you record this mix?
I started to record this mix across a few days at home over the last days of July, taking my time to choose what I think best reflects my mood at the moment. Last month I played at Herrensauna, and I’ve just returned from both a massive festival and a DJ set I played for Creamcake here in Berlin alongside acts like Isabella Lovestory, Venetta, Golin, and a really interesting local artist called TRYCE. I think the energy from the last weekends have made its way into this mix, which I enjoy, as both events were really fun and felt encouraging for me to continue doing what I do.

04. How did you go about choosing the tracks?
I am always searching for new music, and thankfully I have a lot of producer friends who send me unreleased material from new projects and collaborations they are working on. I enjoy scanning through new releases too, because there is an almost exponential amount of fantastic creative music out there. With production tools and software being so accessible now, new music feels somewhat boundless. Of course there’s an inherent flip side to this, where its value might be lowered or lost, but ultimately I think music and genuine creativity is a resource that can help us develop as artists and listeners.

05. What can the listener expect?
I think the mix speaks for itself, and it would be easy for listeners to recognize some of my signature marks on it, but I definitely loved including a good amount of breaks and techno.

06. How does it compare to what we might hear you play out live?
Playing for a live audience always has a higher element of risk, which is usually very rewarding. While my preference is to DJ in clubs, I enjoy taking my time with mixes and adopt an analytic approach. I like having the ability to rethink how I will mesh one track with another, and ultimately end up with something I am happy with.

07. What’s next on your horizon?
A lot of people don’t know this, but I have only been living in Europe for just over a year, and most of the shows I am playing are first-time appearances, so I am excited to continue touring and visiting new spots around Europe. Next up are bookings at Golden Pudel in Hamburg and Unsound in Krakow, which I am really happy about. Next year, the plan is to make it to Asia and Australia.

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Tracklisting

01. Ozwald “No Vibe” (flood)
02. Manni Dee “Heartbreaker” (Fabric)
03. Ozwald “She’s a Wreck” (Flood)
04. Miguel Bao & Franklin S “Irrational Decision” (Parano)
05. Mac Declos “Voy Voy” (Amniote Editions x Mala Junta)
06. Mabel “Wolf Bat” (Nehza Records)
07. Sobolik “Airplane Mode” (Kindergarten Records)
08. DJ Physical “Kellogg’s for Lunch” (Molekül)
09. Wavezim “Sentada” (Self-Released)
10. EDO HYDR8 “Blood Dancer” (Amor Satyr Remix) (Self-Released)
11. Bad Boombo “Keep Up” (Das Booty)
12. Toma Kami “Lil Dieter” (Man Band)
13. ERAM “You Shot Me Down” (Give me a Break)
14. CRRDR “Sobelo 1” (Self-Released)
15. Wtchcrft “GET THE F” (Self-Released)
16. Jurango “Mount” (Pseudonym Records)
17. Eyerate “Wetlands” (No Borders)
18. Europa “Vorne Links” (BCAA)

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