⋆˚࿔ untitled 909 podcast 287: colell ⋆˚࿔

“i have missed curating a long format mixtape. this 4 hour mix comes fuelled from sharing outdoor festival experiences in nature with beloved friends, translating that feeling of connection & grounding to the dancefloor, nature & ecosystem where sound is executed as a ritual with full intention, almost entering a flow state.

the narrative of this mix consists of a slow & gentle build, creating different flows & sections within, almost putting it together as a landscape in its complete integrity.”

welcoming manchester-based artist colell to the 909 mix series with a gorgeous meditative odyssey. across the four hours, the mix simmers and swirls, emulating the natural landscapes that colell loves to surround himself with. whether that’s on hikes, at festivals or gathering with friends, colell’s creative output is deeply rooted in rituals and ceremonial practices that invite togetherness and honour the lands around us.

originally from madrid, colell moved to manchester for university 8 years ago and has called the industrial city his home ever since. the madrid upbringing set colell’s roots in techno but it was manchester that opened his eyes to a more diverse scene, one that comes from diy backgrounds and aims to push experimentation.

in 2022, colell launched the label aurora, a platform that he describes as a ‘creative sanctuary where the scope of sound can represent expression and introspection for the artists that participate and curate together with me’. in those years, aurora has housed releases from the likes of egregore, eyerate, archypness, as well as a mammoth 25-track compilation featuring innersha, caldera, simone bauer, solma, homelander, rbi, aa sudd and more - with the profits being split across Palestine Child Relief Fund & Medical Aid for Palestines, Save The Children Sudan, Alzheimer research UK and Ovarian cancer research UK.

hey hey, hope you’re well thank you so much for having me here, it’s such an honour to share this space with you dear chanel <3 i’m feeling good, trying to balance, keeping life simple and slow these days travelling in between outdoor festivals in nature, feeling really grateful, inspired and blessed from all the experiences, sharing so many good moments with you and other beloved friends, really trying to pour that inspiration on some projects and life now, working on a couple albums with some artists on aurora & organising some upcoming events in manchester which i’m really looking forward to share out there.

other than that i’ve also been really enjoying getting back to watching movies these days whilst also getting extra time to read something relaxing & reflective, and do some journaling which helps to ground & process between travels. even played some tennis with my family & hiked some amazing spots while being back in spain which i always really enjoy <3

ever since i was a kid my parents used to play cds while roadtripping, i vividly remember listening to stevie wonder, cyndi lauper, tina turner, the bangles, frank sinatra, phil collins, r.e.m., abba... quite nostalgic stuff that i like to listen every now & then. then as an early teenager my aunt gave me her classic ipod, couldn’t stop listening to music all day & was carrying it everywhere with me, almost feeling an extension of my body haha.

my first touchpoint with electronic music in the early days was skrillex haha, i used to love it & listen on repeat on the ipod being a teenager, big time!

going out in the early days with my close friends being underaged teenagers to techno nights in madrid back in the day were quite important moments, made me fall in love with clubbing & started forging friendships through music.

ever since moving to manchester 8 years ago (not so teenager anymore haha, was 18 when i moved here), going to white hotel regularly has surely been the most pivotal turnpoint. exposing my ears to all sorts of sounds and music styles in this place is almost indescribable, exploring the sense of freedom and embodiment on sound, even sometimes will show up by myself there, this place feels like a sanctuary for me, so much comfort found in here, it has taught me a lot in music, ethics & values, truly enhanced my passion. some particular sets that had an impact on me in this venue through the years have been jasss, dj storm b2b tasha, malibu & forest drive west amongst others. i am really looking forward to seeing ana roxanne on november 4th at twh. i feel like it is going to be a very memorable gig, quite an emotional one undoubtedly ahead of the closure of this sacred place.

so yeah all in all i have also been very influenced by spaces too & the culture around it which have led me to follow this path.

to communicate the way sound & music feels to the outer world, to dive deep inwards and share in intimacy, bringing togetherness, connecting people, honouring the land, sharing a feeling, sharing a sensation, sharing a story, sharing a journey or sharing a movement together. i believe music should bring unity, freedom, connection & exploration, while supporting us to stay rooted in the earth. i almost see a ceremonial aspect of it i try to convey together.

books: currently reading braiding sweetgrass which is being quite grounding and transformative, other formative books i have read recently have been tao te ching which i finally got an english translated copy with amazing imagery. i really enjoyed reading other books from krishnamurti & james baldwin. music books have also been very inspiring & educative like ears to the ground & ocean of sound by david toop among others.

cinema: just over a year ago i watched faya dayi (jessica beshir) which was life changing. recently getting into abbas kirostami, taste of cherry was very special. i have always been into animations like fantastic planet, which is a classic, recently watched serial experiments lain, which has fueled my inspiration on soundscaping and human existentialism.

nature: going on hikes to the peak district or around the world when i can, spending time in water parks or chill walks around the mersey river in south manchester. observing slowly the flowers, rocks, trees, water, branches, landscapes & patterns laying around, my most recent obsession is the ferns. also listening to water, birds, wind, sounds…

symbolism & visual imagery research: adinkra symbols, ernst heackel, celtic symbols, alchemy, sacred geometry, petroglyphs…

being from madrid has set my roots into techno as its where i come from, where my passion for electronic music started blossoming and my first music core friendships started - living in manchester for the past 8 years has enhanced my commitment to music & broadened the scope within many ways which i feel incredibly grateful for, exposing to many different genres & backgrounds from all around the world, learning and endlessly expanding, the scene here is fueled with diversity and open minded souls which has really made me feel a sense of warmth and belonging. manchester´s diy scene truly aims towards sound exploration, experimentation and thinking outside of the box, always pushing the boundaries together and collectively, i owe a big part of my heart to this place & its community.

hard to only pinpoint one since i spent a lot of time digging but a personal standout since last year that deeply resonates is okgwa - her creative expression really touches me, the self releases and album on pollen especially is a masterpiece on crafting a universe of soundscaping which makes me feel grounded to the soil every time i listen (featured one of the tracks in the mix too). i feel really appreciative to come across her sound and unique vision, it makes me travel & set my mind in places i haven´t been before.

another recent one i would like to add is joy guidry, her album five prayers gifted me with some deep moments of healing & calmness, definitely one of the albums i most listened to since last year in many situations. catched her play on her recent uk tour at cafe oto & low four studio with friends, shared some really good memories & tears. thankful to have discovered this artist through kfeelz radio show ´swimming´ at the lot, big tip as well.

honourable mention to Đ.K. as well, one of the best rhythm masters out there these days, fascinated by all his broad style of productions which really resonate, never ceases to amaze me (featured one of their tracks in the mix).

i spend a lot of the time of the day digging, connecting with music from different backgrounds, places & styles without any limitations while staying truthful to what connects us all together to the earth. i want aurora to mirror that, to be a creative sanctuary where the scope of sound can represent expression and introspection for the artists that participate & curate together with me, where they can explore without limitations, offering a whole sense of completion and integrity in their craft, diving deep in their roots inside this planet, thinking outside of the box, building stories through sound based on intuition, meaning, symbolism & cohesion.

i have missed curating a long format mixtape. this 4 hour mix comes fuelled from sharing outdoor festival experiences in nature with beloved friends, translating that feeling of connection & grounding to the dancefloor, nature & ecosystem where sound is executed as a ritual with full intention, almost entering a flow state.

the narrative of this mix consists of a slow & gentle build, creating different flows & sections within, almost putting it together as a landscape in its complete integrity.

studio mixes really feel deeper, denser and expansive, it seems like there are no limitations somewhat with length and expression, leaving more room for introspection when recording in intimacy from your studio, it feels very personal, this is the first studio mix i record in a while hence i have put some extra thought on it, i really missed it. radio shows feel more compact, offering a more direct expression in that setting which is an approach i really enjoy too which works with a different craft & mindset.

bosque sonoro in norway, feeling deeply grateful to have spent a weekend in the oslo woodland, sharing epic experiences seeing some beloved friends playing some very inspiring sets. the soundsystem, the place, everything was magical there, holding tight all these memories there to my heart, thanks to all the crew, friends and organisers who were part of it <3

i just turned 26 a couple days ago, all i’m really looking forward to is to learn, collaborate, grow, heal & spread some love in this world. i also look forward to hopefully bringing more stillness and grounding individually and collectively through music, shared with friends, community, loved ones and family.

i’m visioning collective brightness & healing, creating spaces where people are kindly invited to this state, where we can reflect on many important matters & let go with kindness. i also look forward to connecting with people, developing the scene and community further, showcasing new and upcoming artists, working back to back with the fellow members of the vivid local scenes.