Producer and DJ Tristan da Cunha curated volume 7 of the After-Hours sessions. Drawing on his expansive vinyl archive, Tristan da Cunha is renowned for weaving past and future classics through his sets to explosive effect. He kick-started his career at the legendary club BacktoBasics in the 90s, and his contribution to the dance floor is undeniable. His reputation as one the best in the business continues to grow worldwide.
We asked Tristan da Cunha to share his thoughts and experiences around the After Party.
CG: How would you describe your musical style?
TDC: I collect and play all kinds of music. I’ve had two record shops, which allowed me to pick out the best music from most of the genres. I’ve been DJing for 26 years at some of the most cutting-edge underground clubs, festivals, and premium parties across the globe. I was lucky enough to find my passion at an early age and transitioned from dancing on the dancefloor and practicing in my bedroom, to performing in the DJ booth at lightning speed with a residency at BacktoBasics. It was the hottest Saturday night party in England during the 90’s. It was an institution and pure inspiration for generations – its legacy lives on strong. It’s through these clubbing experiences and the inevitable after parties that I really found my sound, my friends, and more importantly myself. For this selection I delved into 90s Deep House to create a kind of mixtape that flows and feels soft enough to relax to but also with enough energy to keep the after party bubbling.
CG: Our latest collection is inspired by the After Party – a space where ideas, music and conversations are exchanged. Has this been your experience?
TDC: The club part of the night felt like the warm-up for the real party – the ‘afters’ – where all the like-minded souls would gather and exchange music, ideas, jokes, information, and their love of the culture. Each with a unique perspective or personal taste that we could learn from and discover new sounds and styles through. Solid steel, sterling silver, 24k gold friendships were forged during these sessions. The after parties became so important socially that we’d even pack half our record bags for our club sets and the other half for the afters. Certain music sounded great in the clubs but then there was other stuff that suited the early hours, late nights and all those magical mangled moments more. This playlist is a dedication to everyone I’ve had the pleasure of being daft at the afters with.
CG: Tell us about a particularly memorable After Party you’ve attended.
TDC: One of the most memorable after parties was the “ICE CREAM PARTY”, which happened after the after party. During the 2000s there was a legendary party in Birmingham run by my good friend Adam Shelton and Lee McDonald called BELOW that I was a regular at.
It was a Sunday, we had partied all day after the main event and then my friend Subban and I decided to hijack an abandoned ice cream van that was inside the warehouse we were partying in. We installed a huge speaker inside and I played an 11-hour set using an amazing handheld DJ device called a ‘Pacemaker’. The van was rocking from side to side, bouncing up and down, and the afters became the stuff of legend because of how insane the vibe was. In fact, if you search ICE CREAM PARTY BIRMINGHAM 2009 on YouTube there is a short clip that I captured mid-madness. It’s so worth searching for as it’s some of the best in-the-moment, improvised, 4 minutes of fun you’ll see at an after party…in an ice cream van.
CG: What’s the key to a great After Party?
TDC: From my experience, the key ingredients to great afters are great music, great people, and great banter.
Listen Now
Shop Tristan da Cunha’s favourite Cutler and Gross sunglasses: GR01 Colour Studio in Ink
The Inspiration
The methodology and magic of after parties in the late 80s inspired our latest collection. During the twilight hours, the pace of the club would be replaced with cataclysmic conversation. Lit by the afterglow of neon lights and soundtracked by a hand-picked playlist, this dialled-down space sparked fresh dialogue. Ideas emerged; new records were discovered.
This was the utopia of the After Party.
After-Hours Session Vol. 1 X Deb Grant
After-Hours Session Vol. 2 X Call Super
After-Hours Session Vol. 3 X Luke Una
After-Hours Session Vol. 4 X Tom Ravenscroft