Wild City #254: Jay Drive

One of the steadily rising electro and house selectors of the country, New Delhi's Jaidev Kaushik aka Jay Drive found himself entrusted to warm the dancefloor up for the prominent modern-day techno act Helena Hauff at her New Delhi show – the mix from which he shares exclusively via Wild City.

With a nod to Hauf's prowess as a vinyl DJ and balancing dark textures with a sustained fun factor, Jay took to the Technics turntables with a strict adherence to the style of the artist he was warming up the floor for. Classic synthesised drum sounds lead the charge alongside equally tightened basslines to prioritise viscerality as the connecting thread. Any melodies or zany noises remain as peripheral details, keeping it light on the senses until elements of acid and tech begin to assert themselves more around the halfway mark with Joolmad's 'Cactus Lover'. Even with a consistent palette, the mix follows a tangible arc: one that builds the atmosphere in the first half and starts throwing colours within the established palette to build up to and then leave us at a rolling peak.

"My goal was to build a floor and create anticipation. I shifted my palette towards acid and straight grooves to craft the perfect runway for Helena's signature sound." – Jay Drive

Direct Download Wild City #254: Jay Drive

Tracklisting

Flash FM - Isula Science
Babu - Romi
Rupert Marnie - Elastic Thoughts
Alejo - whisper
Christopher Ledger - Steady Process
Alejo - Slow Trance
Joolmad - Cactus Lover
Forest Witches - Emotionally Turbulent
Voodoos & Taboos - Time Out
Alejo - Loving Matter
Angga - Extention
Joolmad - Perspective
Jesse You - Cherry Lights