DJ N.K. mix for IF-ONLY

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Príncipe OG @djnk brings the ghetto sound of Lisbon on a contribution to the podcast series.

A key proponent of Lisbon’s kuduro sound, first exposure came via a 2006 compilation that has since achieved cult status. Introducing a spectrum of hyper-local sounds, ‘DJs Do Guetto’ took a unique slant on rhythms of the African diaspora, specifically those native to Angola. In turn, it laid foundations for what would become one of the most consistently intriguing, boundary-pushing labels about.

Where a 2016 Lit City Trax debut embraced hybridity in a straight-for-the-jugular assault of batida, kuduro and tarraxinha, N.K. has also shared Príncipe engineering duties with the legendary Tó Pinheiro da Silva. And now, after all this time, he’s back on the label with some original music.

Gracing the long awaited second volume to that aforementioned compilation with no fewer than three new tracks, this mix also deploys mutant club styles to devastating effect. Teriyaki Boyz-sampling kuduro to an N.K. remix of some classic Atlanta trap, it goes very hard.

“With this mix I wanted to show the contrast between the recent N.K. versus the old.

It’s a journey from the present to the past, culminating in Marfox’s latest track in collaboration with Tristany and Pongo titled De.Gra.De (its appearance at Eurovision was another super important step in our style of music that we don’t stop believing in).

I also wanted to convey that our sound has no manners. We don’t make music to try to get somewhere, we just make it.” – DJ N.K.

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DJ DANIFOX podcast for DEKMANTEL

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DJ Danifox is at the heart of Lisbon’s underground and a driving force in batida, the sound of the city’s Afro-diasporic underground.

It’s a heavy sound with rhythms influenced by kuduro, tarraxo and Lisbon ghetto, the melodies of techno and percussive layers from Africa. Most recently Danifox has offered up Ansiedade, a second album on Príncipe Discos that explores space, hypnotic loops and rich instrumentation while never straying far from the dance floor. His own talk-singing adds a newly introspective layer to the sound that makes it all the more potent.

This week’s mix is both a superb batida primer for the newly initiated, but also a compelling overview of where the sound is at right now for long-time fans. In the space of 60 minutes, Danifox explores all avenues from the languid and loose to the pounding and physical. It’s a mix that is always on the move as mystic flutes lead into tin-plated percussion, whirring synths melt into balmy late-night chords and broken rhythms become more seductive. As the days are heating up and summer hits full swing, there are few better soundtracks to an afternoon in the sun than this.

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BENJI B highlights DJ DANIFOX

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DJ NARCISO mix for KIOSK RADIO, Brussels

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DJ NIGGA FOX playlist for CRACK MAGAZINE

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Words: Crack staff

A core member of the Príncipe Discos crew, DJ Nigga Fox supplies the latest instalment of our Selections playlists.

The release of his debut EP O Meu Estilo back in 2013 firmly established the Lisbon-based artist’s distinctive sonic style – as the title itself suggests – and the past decade has seen him further bolster his reputation as a driving force of incendiary, avant-garde dance music.

Within his work, the composer, producer and DJ draws on kinetic electronics, batida rhythms and house-rooted grooves resulting in a propulsive, syncopated sound that consistently guarantees high-octane dancefloor heat. This energy is something he continued to purvey even during the pandemic whilst clubs were shut – releasing Live Nigginha Fox in 2021, a live recorded cassette capturing the raw, organic dynamism of his sets.

Ahead of his appearance at this year’s Lisbon edition of Sónar, for his Selections playlist DJ Nigga Fox takes us through his own catalogue – a repertoire which includes a steady stream of releases on Príncipe over the years as well as his 2018 Warp Records debut Crânio. Here he journeys from Gás Natural, which he describes as “a great track to start a set”, to Pão de Cada Dia – of which he says, “I make music everyday so I can eat my bread freely.” There’s also the full moon-inspired Lua and rainy day track Bacongo as well as Hwwambo from his debut EP, taking it back to “when/where everything started”. Get locked in below.

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DJ NIGGA FOX “Gás Natural 2 (Dedicação ao Nagrelha)” available on BANDCAMP

 Click image to listen and buy. Artwork by Márcio Matos.
“É como se eu tivesse na street Se um branco tiver a correr é atleta O negro é lamba DJ a nova cidade” Na-Na, 2006.

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DJ DANIFOX: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix for RANSOM NOTE

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Photo: Marta Pina

DJ Danifox is part of the mesmerising sound world that is Príncipe Discos.

Following a spell living in Leeds, he now operates from the label’s hub, Lisbon, where he’s been busy making his own organic take on the imprint’s modern dance floor sounds, fusing elements of kuduro and batida with rich, infectious instrumentation, warm bass and percussive grooves.

When he’s not producing solo, he makes up part of the longstanding Tia Maria Produções crew, all of whom are close Príncipe affiliates. The crew’s first outing on Príncipe came in 2014 featuring music from DJ Lycox, DJ B.Boy, Puto Márcio and DJ Télio, with Danifox joining for the collective’s second outing in 2020, Lei Da Tia Maria.

Last month saw the release of Danifox’s first solo EP for Principe, Dia Não Mata Dia. A blend of signature traditional rhythms, bouncy bass, hypnotic live instruments and vocal samples, this debut outing fulfils his personal depiction of his music: perfect for the sunset and will leave you in a good mood.

That’s exactly what he does with his mix for us: it’s characterised by staccato rhythms and soulful touches, a perfect accompaniment for the sun-soaked weekend ahead…

Ransom Note · DJ Danifox: The ‘Shine A Light On’ Mix

Please introduce yourself… Who are you, where are you and what are you.

Hello I’m Daniel Veiga, I’m 22 years old, I’m a producer and dj. At the moment I’m in Lisbon.

What does your music sound like?

My music has aspects in which just listening to it you can combine with the sunset, in this case to end the day in a good mood.

Where was the mix recorded?

The mix was recorded on cdj 2000 nexus.

What would be the ideal setting to listen to the mix?

Having friends around and catching up some air at any time any place.

What should we be wearing?

Well I would say summer time clothes.

What would be your dream setting to record a mix?

New York/ Cdj 2000 nexus / Club.

Which track in the mix is your current favourite?

DJ Danifox – Cavalo Malusco.

What’s your favourite recorded mix of all time?

My favourite recorded mix was on Village Underground.

If you could go back to back with any DJ from throughout history, who would it be and why?

It would be my guy aka Dj Lycox because we’ve never had a chance to play together, we make make a lot of music and we keep it for us…

What was your first DJ set up at home and what is it now?

My first Dj set up were Numark pro 3, now I have native z2 with native x1.

What’s more important, the track you start on or the track you end on?

The track I end on.

What were the first and last records you bought?

Dj Danifox– Cavalo Malusco.

If this mix was an edible thing, what would it taste like?

It would taste like Ramen.

If it was an animal what would it be?

Chameleon.

One record in your collection that is impossible to mix into anything?

Danifox – Open the Clown.

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DJ LYCOX mix for GROOVE

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DJ Lycox is one of the most forward-thinking producers affiliated with the Portuguese Príncipe Discos, working with the sounds and rhythms of the loosely defined batida genre that draws on a variety of African dance styles. Last year’s Lycoxera EP saw him also embrace afrohouse more openly, but mainting the peculiar sound signature that marks both his vinyl releases on the label as well as the numerous tracks he regularly releases through his own channels: there’s a certain sonic rawness that is still melodic, a rhythmic complexity that relies heavily on the irresistible grooves that it is built upon. His mix for our Groove podcast is chock-full of tunes by Tia Maria Produções, his crew with B.boy, Danifox, Poco, and Puto Márcio, as well as some choice cuts from his own catalogue. It’s a wild 30-minute ride – a groove thang indeed, from start to finish.

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How did you first get into music making and what did your first steps as a producer look like?

I started making music thanks to DJ Edifox who was the influence in my neighborhood in 2009, my sounds were strange and very loud but I still liked them because I was discovering a new world.

What does your preferred set-up look like these days, i.e. what programmes and/or hardware do you work with?

Currently Maschine is my favorite programme and piece of gear, being able to create my sounds nowadays with the Native gear has made my musical world easier, because when I have an idea in mind I can immediately extract it with the help of Maschine Jam and MK3. But FL Studio remains the love of my heart as well.

Your latest release for Príncipe, the Lycoxera EP, saw you work with a broad palette of styles and sounds, including afrohouse influences. How did the release come together and are there certain topics that informed it?

To be honest, my Lycoxera EP was all based on emotions and events lived in 2019, I spent a lot of time also discovering new sounds and that influenced it a lot.

What role does DJing play in your work?

The role as a DJ is very important in my work as a producer because sometimes I get stuck without being able to create a track and when I go to play, the next day I get a boost and a thousand ideas pop into my head because I felt the people vibrating with the music.

What was the idea behind your mix for our Groove podcast?

The idea was to make a mix with an inspiring Groove throughout to represent the name of the magazine.

Last but not least: What are your plans for the future?

My plans for the future I cannot reveal yet, but people will feel them through the projects that will be launched.

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DJ NARCISO mix for IF-ONLY

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DJ Narciso has fast become one of Lisbon’s foremost kuduro experimentalists. Both solo and in collaboration, the fledgling producer has joined the likes of Nídia and DJ Marfox as a leading proponent of the Príncipe sound, emerging as one of the collective’s youngest and most exciting voices.

Founding production crew RS Produções at the ripe age of 15, Bagdad Style showcased mutant batida and tarraxo in quintessential Príncipe fashion—a head-rush of hyperlocal sounds, indicative of the collective’s continuing vitality. Elsewhere, a link-up with South London producer Endgame delved deep into the darker recesses of futurist club abstraction.

An introspective cross-pollination of inner-city scenes, NXE brought probing cultural exchange to Shanghai label SVBKVLT. This mix, however, places focus back on his hometown with a blend of new and unreleased original material. Typically referred to as the “ghetto sound of Lisbon”, Narciso delivers 47 minutes of rugged Afro-diasporic innovation.

“I really liked doing this mix because when I did it my crew was with me, and that’s where inspiration comes from. In this mix I showed my current and more original productions, I feel that I am evolving with each work that I do. What I prefer to play the most are the 130 BPM tracks, and that’s what makes me feel more free in the parties where I play.” — DJ Narciso

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DJ MARFOX playlist for CRACK MAGAZINE

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Words: Kez Cochrane

Whether it be his own productions, DJ sets or creating remixes for the likes of Fever Ray and Elza Soares, DJ Marfox always brings the heat. The Lisbon artist is a pioneer of kuduro – the high-octane Angolan-Portuguese dance style – and his work is foundational to Príncipe, who released Marfox’s debut Eu Sei Quem Sou EP.

DJ Marfox’s continued impact on the dance music landscape is extensive. Alongside releases on Príncipe, he’s featured on Lit City Trax, as well as Boomkat Records and Warp. The scope of his work is reflected across both his releases and the range of artists he’s worked with, such as tUnE-yArDs and Panda Bear.

Ahead of this year’s Sónar Lisboa, DJ Marfox curates an exclusive Selections playlist of dancefloor heaters. “To celebrate this return as a DJ and playing out in Lisbon, I decided to put together a playlist of life,” he tells Crack Magazine. “It’s not exactly made up of my favourite songs, but songs that arouse specific sensations in me. Some that take me to another place and others that are there just to be there. It is a therapeutic narrative to put together a playlist like this and then listen to it, plain and simple.”

His Buy Music Club playlist spans gqom from DJ Lag to Príncipe’s high-energy sounds via Daniel Haaksman’s playful future bass.

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