The first mix from our 2025 lineup comes from UK DJ and curator Shannen SP. Recorded between Venue MOT and Ormside Projects - “two of the clubs with the best soundsystems in London” - it finds one of the UK’s most forward-thinking DJs  linking London and Johannesburg with Lisboa, São Paulo and Mexico City.

“A journey through different club styles”, SonarMix 054 shows why she’s been at the cutting-edge of London’s club scene for many years now, connecting the low, slow and percussive sounds of South African club music with faster tempos and Latin American rhythms.It opens with a forthcoming track from her - something we’ll see more of in 2025 - as part of an intercontinental collaboration with South African artists Jay Music and Money Badoo, plus US rapper Turich Benjy, for what Shannen calls “a new approach at amapiano”.. From there she locks into a hypnotic, seductive groove, with a host of thick, heavy South African gqom tracks, many of them unreleased. There’s a dark-spiralling cut from Amsterdam-based gqom producer State OFFF, an untitled baile funk-amapiano hybrid from Boniface, and even a nod to rap with the “Playboi Carti vibe” of Brotherkupa’s ‘Gqom Freestyle’ (“I haven’t heard anyone rap over gqom like that.”)

Around halfway through she skillfully shifts into a higher gear, using the infectious, staccato Caribbean rhythm of Canadian rapper Sadboi’s ‘Ackee’ as the cue to go “all out sexy and fun”. Amongst the mutant rhythms she unleashes on your ears in the final 25 minutes: a raucous guaracha experiment from Mexico City’s ‘cumbiaton’ pioneer Rosa Pistola, a forward-facing take on UK funky by Miami’s INVT, and a clutch of lurching batida rhythms from Lilocox and DJ Firmeza, two of the hottest young producers from Lisbon’s Príncipe crew. No wonder she says it was “a challenge to work out how to balance all my musical interests”.  

You’ll get to watch her do exactly the same live under the Barcelona sun at Sónar by Day next June. Until then, tune in to 50 minutes of wildly inventive global club music from one of the best around.

Tracklist:

Jay Music & Shannen SP ft. Money Badoo & Turich Benjy - Insomnia

Human Resource, Jay Music & Rosey Gold - Dominator

State OFFF - Alarma

Boniface - unreleased

Dlala Thukzin ft. Kabza De Small - Magical Ideas

Motifixx - Sami Drum

Brotherkupa - Gqom Freestyle

DJ Mata - Bhenga Span

State Off - Mandoza

Nico Parga, DJ Jose Gonzalez - African Two

Sadboi - Ackee

Gafacci & Sam Interface - Brekete

Freebot & Rosa Pistola - Nangin Sound

INVT - La Covacha

Lilocox - SAMBAPITO

Lilocox - TOKIO

DJ Firmeza - Eh Oh Que

Rozaly - Orgy Bend

Tiguere Celoso & Tacaño NO - La Japonesa (Siu Mata Edit)

Lamsi x Von Di - Rockwilder Bubblin

Lamsi - Shenkie (De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig Edit)

Cardozo - Coucou (Jersey Club Lala Edit)

NLE Choppa - Slut Me Out 2

Amor Satyr - Atola