In the Bag: re:ni unpacks her latest finds

We’ve been following re:ni closely for a good while now. She first caught our attention in 2016 as part of the siren crew, the London-based collective aiming to give exposure to women and non-binary electronic musicians. In recent years she’s become a force to be reckoned with in her own right, which can mostly be explained by her wildly eclectic playing style: she’ll show her love of modern UK bass experts like Batu or Bruce, but then follow up with a vintage electro bomb from Andrea Parker or Dopplereffekt. Like many of today’s key exponents for bass-driven styles of UK club music, she utilises tempo as one of the biggest instruments in her arsenal, something we know from hearing her rinse slowed-down jungle tunes early doors in our own space at the end of last year. As her next date with us is happening this Friday at the first of our Junction 2 After Hours sessions, we asked her to unpack the contents of her record bag. For her list, she highlighted ascending stars Ciel and K-Lone, and explained to us how performing in her dad’s samba ensemble as a teenager still inspires her record selections.

SHE Spells Doom – Vega Tool [Montstart]

Funky is usually my go-to when the dancefloor needs a little juice, and this cut from Zambia’s SHE Spells Doom never fails to get the room moving. I’m excited to hear more from this guy in the future.

Ciel – Why Me? [Spectral Sound]

Having followed Cindy’s mixes for a long time, I’m drawn to the darker sounds she plays (I’d strongly recommend her epic 4-hour Mother’s Finest podcast). The title track from her latest EP for Spectral Sound encapsulates the deep, bass-driven atmospheres of her DJ sets, carefully balancing powerful drums and heavyweight bass against a haunting melody.

Yazzus – She In Wonderland [self-released]

After dropping a remix pack which saw classics from the Deep Medi crew whipped up into 160 weapons, speed demon Yazzus has since self-released her first single featuring the euphoric banger, She In Wonderland. With dreamy pads waltzing across marching footwork drums before a jungle break erupts in the last minute, it’s an ideal end-of-the-night showstopper.

K-Lone – Batucada [Wisdom Teeth]

Cheating a little here, but I couldn’t choose between the two tracks so decided to feature both! I first heard Batucada on Hessle Audio’s Rinse show about three years ago and after failing to track it down, I’ve been hoping for it to be released ever since. Playing in my dad’s ensemble, Magic Drum Orchestra, as a teenager spawned my love for percs so this groover was always going to hit the right notes with me.

K-Lone – Sine Language [Wisdom Teeth]

The title track is a more sultry affair, pairing a sexy electro groove with creepy vox. This one’s had many an ID request, and is an ideal segway between bass-driven UK tracks and more classic electro during a set. Big ups K-Lone and Facta each and every time!

Akiko Haruna – Mother’s Love [Where To Now?]

When I first heard this track I had images of a dark sweaty rave with lasers and couldn’t wait to play it! I don’t find too much 4/4 which inspires me, but this is no ordinary techno track. Sitting at 110BPM, I’ve been slowing it down to around the 100 mark to make those whirrs and screeches ooze out even more. I’m really intrigued by the strange sonic universe Akiko creates, so I’m super excited to hear more from her. re:ni plays our Junction 2 After Hours session this Friday. Tickets are available here. Photo: Kasia Zacharcko