CTCE -06 w/ Sarkawt Hamad b2b Nèna

Sarkawt Hamad is a DJ whose sets strike a rare balance: they are melodic and grooving narratives that activate a dancefloor’s collective body, but also press the dancer to really listen, to hear a wild range of textures, timbres, bliss and grit. With a fully-rounded sound ranging from leftfield- and dub-techno to sparkling house to breakbeat-derived bumpers, the sum total is a kind of mesmerizing sublime – both eerie and blissful, alien and loving. Threads of vocal samples are often woven in and out, and pivots from chugging bass to bright and weightless terrains animate the seamless progression. In the artist’s own words, each set is built as a layering of moods and dynamics.

Amsterdam’s Nèna brings feverish heat to the dance floor with sets that balance right in between smooth and energetic. Her open-minded approach to club music results in eclectic selection of dancehall and reggaeton glued into her excellent picks of bass, rolling techno and percussive electronics. Common threads that weave together her sound are dreamy melodies, contrasted with crunchy percussion, and a sweet sugar coating in the form of seductive vocals or luscious samples. Every other month Nèna showcases her favourite tracks in her radio shows on Radio Radio FM and Stranded FM, most often she shares this platform with other DJs and music-loving friends. As a familiar face at leftfield hot spots including MONO and Garage Noord, Nèna is a promising talent rising from Amsterdam’s prolific underground.