Tech House – often misunderstood and unfairly written off as commercial – takes centre stage in the upcoming Blitzcast by our good friend Sylwa.
Drawing from its original, understated roots, Sylwa offers a soulful and personal interpretation of the genre – a sound shaped by subtlety, groove and depth.
Blitzcast 028 comes courtesy of Sylwa – here’s what he has to share about the mix.
This mix features tracks released exclusively between 1996 and 2005, with a strong leaning toward the sound pioneered by early UK tech house figures like Terry Francis, Eddie Richards, and the circle surrounding London’s Fabric club and Swag Records.
I aimed to create an obscure, moody atmosphere with long blends, moving through stripped-back, loop-heavy cuts, dubby stabs, and acid lines—gradually brightening into more melody-driven tracks toward the end. You’ll hear some crackles and slight mixing imperfections; I guess it’s the unavoidable nature of mixing with vinyl.“
Dig into Blitzcast 028 right here:
And don’t forget to follow him on the web:
We also had time for a swift conversation with Sylwa about his background and musical approach.
Tell us more about how you got into music and DJing – and what sparks your interest in vintage grooves & vinyl?
At first, digging into old-school records was a way to educate myself — to understand how different subgenres evolved and who the key players were. But I quickly got hooked on the sound of the late ’90s and early 2000s. There’s something about the raw sound design, the warmth of analog production, the tribal percussive energy, and the sense of freedom and experimentation that many tracks from that era reflect.
Since I grew up on a diet of old-school US hip hop, I love the aesthetic of beats that sample recordings of funk, soul, and jazz. For example, Peace Division – Beatz in Peacez 3 in my mix uses a bassline sampled from a bass guitar in Ingram – Mi Sabrina Tequana (1977), a funk-jazz track.
I also find it fascinating how, while digging, some records that were hits back then haven’t aged well, while others — maybe overlooked at the time — are now finding new success. And then there are those simply timeless tracks.
I found it exciting to limit myself in my DJ sets and only play music from that era — a kind of experiment: what would a Gen Z ear make of a mix that could have soundtracked a night out two decades ago? (Also, it’s helped me not to lose myself in the sea of great music releases and to make more coherent mixes.)
But I’m not the only one hunting for the gems, and second-hand record prices are skyrocketing. Many of these tracks are recordings of impulsive studio sessions and aren’t always the easiest to mix — especially compared to today’s DJ-friendly releases. With digital decks, looping and beat-matching make mixing nearly flawless, and audiences have grown used to ultra-clean sets, I believe. But this pushes me to refine my technique and find creative solutions for blends.
You try to approach the limitation of vinyl in a creative way: aside from the technical aspect — are there any other boundaries you’ve noticed, and how do you try to deal with them?
Today’s lineups are making efforts to be more diverse, and I believe DJs’ track selections should reflect that as well, by including music from more diverse producers.
When restricting yourself to turn-of-the-millennium-era releases, that becomes really hard: way less than 1% were made by women, and many talented producers from marginalized backgrounds likely didn’t receive the visibility or recognition they deserved in a scene that often overlooked artists outside the dominant cultural narrative.
The financial barrier to producing music was significantly higher back then, too — hardware, studio access, and distribution were far less accessible than they are today, which further limited who got to participate and be heard.
I’m glad I was able to include at least one track by a woman, K. Lakizz, alongside some POC artists like Silverlining, DKMA, Colin Dale, and vocals by Temp O’Neil. I hope to uncover more as I continue digging.
Let’s get hands-on for our last question: what music have you been running on repeat lately?
Barker – Stochastic Drift
Andrea – Living Room
Steffi x Virginia – Patterns of Vibration
Kareem El Morr, Reduks, VSSL – Ground Floor EP
Chris Doria – MP07
Data Wave – Landscapes