TOYTOY: Recent Episodes
TOYTOY
Founded in 2008 the TOYTOY brand has evolved from humble beginnings. What began as a monthly club night has matured into one of Johannesburg’s premier underground dance music nights, and it’s showing no signs of slowing down. Renowned for their uncompromising music policy the collective of ardent individuals behind the brand are constantly pushing the boundaries of the music that Johannesburg clubbers are exposed to.
"I was lucky enough to be invited to play one of TOYTOY’s day events in September, and given my place on the line-up and the general vibe of the event I thought it would be a nice opportunity to showcase some of other sounds that I’m into. Starting out with some house-leaning numbers, I slowly progressed into darker, jacking rhythms as the sun went down and the floor filled up. It’s always refreshing getting to play something different to a receptive crowd. Inside you’ll find tracks from the likes of @silentservant, Mr. G, @christianbloch, G-Man, @privatepressakarawfeeling, Steve Stoll, Fanon Flowers, @splice, @stojche and much more!" - @deanoknowledge
Waked. Baked. Raved.
Here's the live recording of Kyle Russouw's set at TOYTOY on Saturday 21st August 2021.
@kylerussouw_tracks. ❤️
TOYTOY Invites DJ Buhle
"My mix includes tracks I love and didn’t get a chance to play out. This is a typical DJ Buhle set, comprising of melodic sounds, techno, deep and dub." - @djbuhle
Featuring music by Buhle ('Winters Call'), @jacobgroening, Zoo Brazil, @jellyforthebabies and more.
TOYTOY Invites Illing
"I have put together a deep and moody Techno mix for my TOYTOY Invites. Some of my favourite artists and some new one's I'm enjoying. My love for music has been directed and influenced by TOYTOY, the incredible artists I have been privileged to dance too week-in and week-out for the last 9 years. Thanks for teaching me about what mind-blowing music is, and to appreciate the weird and crazy sounds...... I hope you enjoy my mix for you all. We will dance together again soon." - @illingsouthafrica
Featuring tracks from @luke-slater @svarogtechnomusic @simonegattodj @sampleandholdberlin @brendonmoeller @radioslave and Pom Pom.
TOYTOY Invites Cody Meyer 😊
"This mix mainly contains tracks from my ACID collection, from happier slower sounds to the faster darker sounds. When putting this mix together I drew most of my inspiration from the ravers and special dancefloor moments." - @codymeyer1992 (@acidgardenparty).
Featuring tracks by @acidulant, @hardfloor, Seri JP, James Andrew and more... 😊
TOYTOY Invites Cerebral
"With everything going on in the world right now I found it more fitting to feature a mix that resonated with my state of mind, a dark and cinematic journey deep into the depths of my mind." - @cerebral_za
Featuring music from @LuigiTozzi & @ClaudioPRC, @outpostlive, @feral_music, @darksome_notes and more...
TOYTOY Invites JED
"This mix was inspired by a fast paced and at times harder groove. I have tried to incorporate a variety of more peak-time techno I enjoy playing, a mix of stuff from the 90s till now, that resonates with my taste. In this mix I try make use of multiple layers and polyrhythms creating a unique yet continuous dancefloor mood. This should transport you to a dark room somewhere in the deepest reaches of your subconscious .
Including tracks by @rhyw, @kaiserksr_it, @gary-martin, Reeko, @luke-slater (Planetary Assault Systems) amongst others. Hope you enjoy”. - @jedisadj
TOYTOY Invites - Kat La Kat
"The mix is a brew of a variety of dance floor influenced rhythms, these are some of the tunes I can't wait to play on a nice big club system featuring songs by @art-of-tones, @envee, Clapton, @gorjehewek and more." - @kat-la-kat
TOYTOY Invites - Cody Losper
"Curated in a drifting headspace between lucid imagination and thought. This mix is inspired by life during lockdown, being alone with my thoughts and learning more about myself through internal cleansing. This selection comprises a variety of emotions embodied in sound, from ambient to dub techno. The mix features music by @sys-productions-1 @sraunus @salz-music @mechanist_intersum and more. Bless." - @codylosper
Pional DJ Set at TOYTOY Johannesburg 2020-01-10.
Thanks to @pional for such an epic set and giving us the permission to release it. Wrap your ears around this beauty!
TOYTOY Invites Kai van Dongen
"Capital Underground, Alex Theatre and 39a GwiGwi Mrwebi. Many nights were spent raving till the early hours of the morning throughout the various TOYTOY venues over the years. A slow and steady approach allowed for a solid subconscious sense of rhythm to be instilled deep within those of us that regularly stayed for the 2am-6am sets, that's when things would get really weird and you could feel the room swaying and breathing as the resident for that night would take us on a journey that would not simply feed our immediate need for a banging 4/4 stripped back Techno track but maybe delivering something that you didn't think would actually fit at that point in time within the evening and allowing yourself to let go, drift into the darkness and go along for the ride.
I've been living in London for nearly 3 years now and wanted to showcase a mix of music from a group of artists that I am really passionate about as well as including a couple unreleased and recently released bits from myself. The goal was to try and merge what I remember from my time on the TOYTOY dancefloor with the experiences and music that I have grown to love this side of the world and in doing so present a more rounded mix for the TOYTOY listeners.
Thanks for tuning in. 😊 If you dig the tracks, please consider heading over to the artists Bandcamp page and support them directly." - @kai_van_dongen
Tracklist: 1. DJ Dolfin Snare 808 Machine - It Was Yesterday [TAJR] takeawayjazzrecords.bandcamp.com/track/it…esterday 2. Truncate - Timbre [Blueprint Records] blueprintrecords.bandcamp.com/track/timbre 3. object blue - __unfoolish [Self Released] objectblue.bandcamp.com/track/unfoolish 4. Anatoly Zorin - Control (Drvg Cvltvre's Rotterdam 1991 Mix) [NYH] newyorkhaunted.bandcamp.com/track/nyh19…am-1991-mix 5. Black Lake - Emergent Behaviour [Unreleased] 6. Kai van Dongen - Siabasin [BLK DRP] 7. Rose Bonica - Pressure Cooker [Wet Dreams Recordings] rosebonica.bandcamp.com/track/pressure-cooker-2 8. Asquith - Let Me (Thunder Mix) [Asquith] asquith.bandcamp.com/track/let-me-thunder-mix 9. Kai van Dongen - Command [Unreleased] 10. Kaiser - Bring Me So High [KSR] kaiserksr.bandcamp.com/track/bring-me-so-high 11. Violet - Never L8 [Naive] naivetrax.bandcamp.com/track/violet-never-l8 12. Ben Sims - Free Jack [Lobster Theremin] lobstertheremin.bandcamp.com/track/ben-…-free-jack 13. Kai van Dongen - Running Red At 12 Bit [Unreleased] 14. Ryan James Ford - Guzzi [Repitch Recordings] ryanjamesford.bandcamp.com/track/guzzi 15. Sophia Saze - Dreams [Self Released] sophiasaze.bandcamp.com/track/dreams 16. Deano - Seek [Knowledge Imprint] knowledgeimprint.bandcamp.com/track/seek…iginal-mix 17. Kai van Dongen - Lost Count [Roses Are Red Records] kaivandongen.bandcamp.com/track/lost-count 18. Anastasia Kristensen - Maxima [Houndstooth] anastasiakristensen.bandcamp.com/track/maxima 19. Minimal Violence - Virus Prophecy [Technicolour Records] minimalviolence.bandcamp.com/track/virus-prophecy 20. Kai van Dongen & FRNGE - Where's My DX7? [Unreleased] 21. Kai van Dongen - Flutter [trau-ma] trau-ma.bandcamp.com/track/kai-van-…r-original-mix 22. Truncate - Missing (Kai van Dongen Remix) [Truncate] truncate.bandcamp.com/track/missing-…n-dongen-remix 23. Mor Elian - Move Like Atoms [Fever AM] feveram.bandcamp.com/track/move-like-atoms 24. 2 Pisceans - Didn't Take Long [Graded Records] graded.bandcamp.com/track/didnt-take-long-2 25. Seru - Falling (Kai van Dongen Remix) [I Suppose Ja] isupposeja.bandcamp.com/track/falling…-dongen-remix 26. FRNGE - Roilerbroom [Swak Catalog] swakcatalog1.bandcamp.com/track/roilerbroom 27. Kai van Dongen - Dolphin Therapy [Unreleased]
TOYTOY Invites - Faretrade
"This mix comes at a transition point in my life, and perhaps, in the world. It is a mix about the duality of existence and the juxtaposition of emotions experienced in day-to-day life, as well as on the dancefloor. I tried to incorporate the styles of techno that I draw influence from, from the deep to the manic, mirroring my own mood swings and emotions, while keeping a focus on the groove. This is the culmination of the past four years spent honing a sound through an exploratory process. I became a DJ in South Africa, and fell in love with many people here through the scene. I am about to depart on another journey, and I wanted to use this opportunity to tell one last story before I go. The mix includes tracks from my friends and inspirations alike, including @wrongassessment, @deanoknowledge, @petervanhoesen and Steve Stoll, amongst many others. I hope you enjoy and thank you for listening." - @faretrade
TOYTOY Invites - Leeu
A fusion of styles and energies, intriguing and stimulating and unlike anything we have heard from him before. An artist who deserves the recognition as a DJ/producer and manager of one of South Africa's finest independent labels, @suidtronica, devoted to showcasing cross-pollinations between different musical languages, and this mix does just that.
"Layers of fun, dreamy arpeggios and psychedelic landscapes, take a dive in and expect the unexpected, it's time to change the algorithms, says @leeu88. Some artists include: @ericvolta, @radialgaze, @kincaidofficial, @amounttechno, @justine-is-justine and @riveryarra."
A special mix that we hope you enjoy listening to as much as he enjoyed making it. Happy Friday, with love.
TOYTOY Invites Avi Subban
"In this mix I chose songs that are a collection of the different techno and house styles I enjoy and don't usually get to play at times. I focused on creating a good flow between elements that have a timeless characteristic in each song. Smooth and trance-inducing is what I stared with using a track by @alexniggemann called "Virgo (Dub)". We take lift off into a darker, more lucid and bouncy style with Epomeni Stasi's remix of Louis Junior's "Athens". Halfway through you can expect some hard hitting techno bombs that I'm quite fond of like Phillippe Petite's "Anger". I left a beautiful treat at the end, and a song that truly takes me away, it's by Talaboman called "Loser's Hymn". A soul-touching track song that has so many emotions attached to it." -@avi_subban
TOYTOY Invites Terry Aronis
"In these uncertain and surreal times, it is always good to travel into the mind to other places and remember to keep living. With that being said we take a journey together from the outdoors of nature to inner city industrialism." - @user232240966
Featuring tracks by @alexander_wallin, @polygonia, @arilbrikha, @djmisjahofficial, Beverly Hills 808303, Wa Wu We, @hiverdemo, and more. Enjoy.
To commemorate his return to TOYTOY on Friday 6th March, @renatomusicpage has gifted us all with a brand new release. Enjoy. ❤️
TOYTOY Invites Ricardo Pinto
"I tried to tell a short story with some of the new sounds I've been collecting, more suitable for an after party, whilst still keeping a TOYTOY ear in mind 😉. Hope you likey!" - @ricardonpinto
Tracks by @primary-perception, @geneonearth, @markussommer and @roza-terenzi to name a few.
TOYTOY Invites Luke Young
"In a year in which the European techno bubble sounded a bit like trance, I found myself drawn to slower grooves and the machine funk of Detroit and Midwest America. It was genuinely fun to play music infused with funk, albeit twisted funk mutations of cosmic groovers, old-school gems and warehouse thumpers. Dance-floors responded with amazing energy, and party music with swing was the flavour of the year for me. This mix features some of my biggest dance-floor moments from around the country in 2019, pitched down for your lounge." - Luke, enjoy.
Includes tracks by @Midland, @Abe-Duque, @shariflaffrey and @Truncate, to name a few.
TOYTOY Invites Abstract Method:
"This studio mix is the culmination of a sound that we've been trying to develop for quite some time. It starts off with a few ambient tracks to set the scene and then steadily builds to a driving crescendo, energetic and full of colour, inspired by the atmospheric sonic output of Japan. This esoteric take on the Invites brief is not reflective of what we'd play at TOYTOY, but we hope that the hypnotic sounds excite and delight you as much as they do us."
Featuring tracks by some favourites, Abdulla Rashim (under both his aliases @anthonylinell), @damon-wild, @norbakmusic and PAS. - Aidan & Rob | AM | @abstract-method
TOYTOY Invites DJ HARA
Tracks by @move-d, @johnselway, @ricardo-villalobos & @roman-fluegel
"With this mix I tried to piece together a variety of left field sounds within my collection. I hope you guys enjoy." - DJ HARA | @carlozourides
TOYTOY Invites Deepbass
Relive a great night of music at TOYTOY earlier this year with this live recording of @deepbass's set. (21 June 2019)
TOYTOY Invites LoTech
"For this mix, I selected music that would only make it into my TOYTOY playlists. When I get invited to play for the TOYTOY crew there is a certain mood and progression that I look for in the music I want to play. This is a short representation of that vibe." - @lotech_sa
Featuring music by @tokifuko @norbakmusic @forestonstasys @kangding-ray...... to name a few.
Enjoy.
TOYTOY Invites 2lani The Warrior
@2lani-the-warrior has been breaking down dancefloors all over the local club scene since ‘97. Famed for his trademark "sweet house" sound and a flawless technical mixing style.
2lani dishes out some proper underground for our next Invites Series episode, enjoy.
TOYTOY Invites Ady Fleming
"The music in this mix is a combination of dance floor dub techno and house music, with a short poem to conclude it.... I hope you enjoy it 😊" @ady-fleming
Featuring music by @vicmarick @tears-of-change @stevehuerta... and more
TOYTOY Invites Black Lake @blacklakesound
"For this mix I've chosen to feature some of the artists who have inspired my recent 'Transmission Control' EP release on @occhiolismrecords, and the kind of atmospheres that have been driving me in the studio recently."
Featuring music by Drexciya @HAAi-2 @fabriziorat @voltek.... to name a few.
For the first episode of the 2019 series, TOYTOY Invites Kaiser.
In anticipation of his #TOYTOY show on Friday 15 Feb, @kaiserksr_it has released this exclusive mix to wet our appetites.
Recorded live at Arena Club in Berlin on 1 Feb.
TOYTOY Invites Series - 2018 finalé
In anticipation of his #TOYTOY show on Friday 16 November, @dispar-vulgo has released this exclusive mix for our listening pleasure.
This mix was recorded live during the opening set at @amsterdamdanceevent, @dockyard-festival / @mysticgardenfestival on the Terminal One Stage in October.
Featuring tracks by Rrose, Binnu, @officialkepler, @larswickinger, @octualmusic and more.
TOYTOY Invites Deano
"The mix includes music from myself and @redacsf off my label Knowledge Imprint. I also tried to focus on tracks from friends and collaborators; as such you will find music from @kaiserksr_it, @kalterende, @moteka, @basamro, @vicmarick to name a few.
I structured the mix in a way that I thought would be representative of a full night at TOYTOY. Starting with some ambient, leading into some warmer sounding grooves then pushing through to the more frenetic stuff and finally closing off with some decompressing dub sounds. I appreciate the club night’s strong history in the South African scene and it’s ability to unite a broad spectrum of artists and clubbers - as such, I decided to mix old with new, local with international and hard with soft to create a journey that ebbs and flows and caters to a broad range of tastes." - @deanoknowledge
TOYTOY Invites Eric Volta
"The Absurdity That Lies Beyond The Wall" is a collection of some of the strangest tracks that I like to play out in sets. It’s actually hard for me to put a mix together and keep them rare, doing maybe 2 sometimes 3 a year. I like to try and build a narrative with music and am often sampling excerpts from talks , interviews and otherwise to help in achieving this. I went through a few versions of this mix before arriving here. It’s not really cool in my books to try and recreate what happens in clubs with recorded mixes intended for listening purposes. The experience in a club is something that should be reserved for that environment. Which means it becomes something I pour (often too much) thought into as repeated playback is kind of the intention. Putting a mix together for TOYTOY which is one of my favourite places in the world to play, helped to add some extra pressure. But worth it!" ❤️@ericvolta
Featuring tracks by Japan Blues, @boardsofcanada, The Horrorist, @scratchadva, as well as some forgotten gems from India & Yugoslavia from the 70s, to name a few.
TOYTOY Invites Renato
Featuring tracks by Smallpeople, @mallgrab, @djboring1990, @kupfer to name a few.
"Went on a housier trip with this mix. Low, swung out grooves. Not what I would normally perform at TOYTOY" - @renatomusic-de
TOYTOY Invites Lady M
"Some of the artists featured are @peggygou, Larry Heard, @jujujordash, @anika-kunst. This is my idea of an afterparty mix. I selected tracks old and new, that I felt in the mood to listen and dance to. Pour the vodkas and press play. ❤️ I have also included an unreleased track of my own. " - @margaretdj
TOYTOY Invites Ivan Turanjanin.
"I have wanted to lay down a pure Electro mix for the longest time, so this felt like a great opportunity to present some new, some old but all future Electro.
It features tracks by @siliconscally, @umwelt-music, @scubaofficial, @transparent-sound and @clarointelecto to name a few.
The detail in the productions is best enjoyed with a sub so give it a listen on a decent system if you can." - @ivan
Presenting the TOYTOY Invites Series. Exclusive mix curated by @kanan_k7. Featuring tracks from @shinyobjects111, @mister-bc, @keffectmusik and more.
"Modern music inspired by the post punk era and psychedelia from the 60’s, ranging from 100bpm-115bpm." - Kanan
Presenting the TOYTOY Invites Series. Exclusive mix curated by @trancemicsoul. Featuring tracks from @martin-nonstatic, @architectural-1, Fixon and Rhyw.
"The idea of this mix was to pay attention into records that reflect the word #statement. I'm very interested in storytelling through music, and those that really know me will tell you that this is the core foundation of 'Trancemicsoul'; creating different expressions of art in music. This is my happy place, where I find myself at peace, so get yourself a drink and relax while I take you on a journey." - Trancemicsoul
Presenting the TOYTOY Invites Series. Exclusive mix curated by @kylerussouw_tracks. Featuring tracks from @levonvincent, @marco_shuttle, @philmoffa, @dvs1 and the newest album release on @klockworksofficial.
“For the mix I have chosen to go the all-vinyl route, attempting to keep a refined balance of techno music suited for listening pleasure, at the same time keeping part of it dance orientated. A perfect opportunity for me to select some rare cuts in my record selection for this mix tape series.” - Kyle
Presenting the TOYTOY Residents Series. Exclusive mix curated by @grant_van_rensburg. Featuring tracks from @craig-placid, @paul-moneta, @landhouse & @raddantze and more.
Grant VR steps away from his techno influenced sound, and delivers easy listening music for anytime of day or night.
Overseas exposure and a Residency at Motek London has played a quality roll in moulding @elgordo's unique electronic sound. One of Cape Town’s most diverse DJ’s, having DJ’d every imaginable timeslot from opening to closing and the whole shebang in between. His knowledge of the dance music culture coupled with years of experience, makes for a magic combination and a well-balanced dancefloor.
We look forward to hosting El Gordo for the first time at TOYTOY-21st July.
Presenting the TOYTOY Residents Series. Exclusive mix curated by @gforce-digitalrockit. Featuring tracks from Enon, @exerciseone, @metope, Dorit Chrystler, Tolouse Low Trax and more.
Welcome to the weird and wonderful world of GForce!
Presenting the TOYTOY Residents Series. Exclusive mix curated by @fabio909. Featuring tracks from VC-188A, @pearsonsound, @deltafunktionen, @answercoderequest, @carlfinlow and more.
Fabio’s mix is filled with music that does not really work for a dancefloor and takes him out of his usual 4/4 territory for a change.
Presenting the TOYTOY Residents Series. Exclusive mix curated by @craig-placid. Featuring tracks from @ovend, @shltr, @donato-dozzy, @darseofc and more.
Craig Placid speaks to us about "the subject of the spectrum of love" and a smooth selection of sophisticated techno.
Presenting the TOYTOY Residents Series. Exclusive mix curated by @dogst4rr. Featuring tracks from @pye-corner-audio, Thomas Jackson, Console, Arsenal and more.
Dogstarr drops in with his lowslung-disco-electro.
Presenting the TOYTOY Residents Series. Exclusive mix curated by @andi_dill-1. Featuring tracks from @exos, Sterac, Sandwell District, @abstractdivision and more.
Andi Dill delivers a solid techno mix and a blend of some of his past and present favorites.