Words by Amar Gera / Flava D image via urbanbuddhamusic / Nina Las Vegas image via John Liwag / Peggy Gou image via Mod Jungwook // 

These quarantine sets hitting hard…

There’s something special about the relationship between a DJ and their crowd. It’s an unspoken bond etched into the history of music, dating way back to the days of Grandmaster Flash. It’s simple: Punters turn up, and the DJ takes them on a musical journey, defined by glorious mixing, track selection, and genre-pushing. It’s made for some beautiful DJ sets over the years, helping EDM become one of the biggest genres in the world. So much so that it’s now normal to rock up to a festival with an EDM act or DJ as the headliner, as they never fail to bring the heat the way only they can.

It’s fair to say we’re missing those days more than ever. Luckily, there are countless Boiler Room sets on YouTube that have been helping us turn our living rooms into DIY rave caves, giving us a slight reminder of what the old days were like.

So fire up that UE Boom, pour yourself a glass (or two) of red, and sit back. We’re gonna take you on a true musical journey as we give you the low down on the ten Boiler Rooms that have kept us dancing in lockdown.

Check it below.

Honey Dijon

Honey Dijon’s Boiler Room at Sugar Mountain in Melbourne is an absolute masterclass in cross-genre mastery. From opening her set with a Stevie Wonder acapella to sampling Martin Luther Kings “I Have A Dream” speech atop a gorgeous beat, the set takes you through a hypnotic journey that transcends time and place. Not to mention, the crowd is sick as hell, which is a rarity in Boiler Rooms (Kaytranada’s comes to mind, but more on that later). Seriously, I’ve never been to Chicago, but if the Chicago house scene is anything like the hour of bliss Honey dropped at Sugar Mountain, you can bet that I’ll be the first one there when COVID has gotten out of our hair (figuratively out of our hair, just so we’re clear).

Disclosure

Brothers Howard and Guy Lawrence (AKA Disclosure) are essentially EDM royalty, responsible for some of the biggest EDM tracks to hit the airwaves in the 2010s. Their ability to exist in the mainstream and underground scenes at the same time is one of the many reasons why they’ve continued to be one of the most in-demand EDM acts in the world. Being able to alternate between performing kick-ass live shows to slick af DJ sets, it seems nothing can stop the duo. We loved their quarantine Boiler Room, but their Shanghai DJ set is absolutely incredible. I mean, it’s objectively impossible not to love it if you’re a fan of EDM. Crossing between disco, tech, UK garage, future bass (with some classic Disclosure bangers sprinkled in of course), the duo come through with an hour and a half of unfiltered heaven. It’s already been four years since it was released, but it still feels just as relevant and groundbreaking all these years later.

Folamour

There was no way we weren’t gonna include this beauty. French DJ Folamour is an artist who never fails to bring pure happiness to his sets, with his love of house and disco shining through with an incredible euphoria. He’s a prime example of the fact that if you know how to read a crowd and have a solid track selection, the world is truly yours when you’re behind the decks. On top of all that, he’s responsible for one of the most iconic Boiler Room moments of all time, that incredible ABBA moment, which went on to absolutely break the internet. On the off chance you’ve never seen it, I’m so excited for you. We’ve included it below, definitely check it out for two minutes of pure heaven.

Nina Las Vegas

Nina Las Vegas is a straight up legend and hero of the Aussie music scene. Going from hosting House Party on triple j to lighting up venues across the world (all while putting on emerging local talent), she’s a proper EDM superstar, and we’re so damn lucky to have her. Her Melbourne Boiler Room is insanely hard, an hour of non-stop bangers and high-octane energy. It’s a true showcase of Nina’s mastery of the decks, as she seamlessly crosses genres from tracks like Yaeji’s ‘Raingurl’ to Kota Banks’ ‘Zoom’ (which is an absolute bop in every sense of the word). Do I need to say more? This Boiler Room is sick as hell, you should definitely check it out. Like, right now.

Flava D

Queen of Bass Flava D is an absolute killer in the UK Garage, Grime and Bassline space. Hell, she’s a killer in every space she blesses with her presence, her hard hitting sets ranging from all of the above to DnB and tech house. They’re totally archaic as well, with her set at Lost Paradise 2018 being a prime example (if you were there, you know). Her Boiler Room at Leeds is straight up perfect, her extensive mixing skills on full display as she transports us all to those glorious rave caves we miss ever so dearly. She’s a total beast, and if you’ve yet to witness her live in all her magic, I urge you to change that whenever she comes back.

KETTAMA

Evan Campbell (AKA Kettama) is one of house music’s most exciting young acts, the Galway-born maestro tearing up the scene from day one. Known for his catchy kicks and riffs, him and his music are a proper assault of the senses, pounding you with an onslaught of house and techno. Coming to prominence after NSW superstar Mall Grab played his breakout hit ‘B O D Y’ in a set, the Galway producer has been on a meteoric ascent ever since, lighting up dance floors all around the world. His Boiler Room shows an innate talent way beyond his years, as he captivates the crowd with total ease.

Kaytranada

Okay, don’t get me wrong, Kaytranada is sick as hell and his Boiler Room is 42 minutes of insanely good vibes, but this crowd is the main reason for it making our list. Full of interesting and cringey characters that make you wonder how such people could even exist, we truly see get to see the extent of humanity in the Montreal set. Get ready for horrible dance moves, hilariously obvious attempts at getting on camera and many other shenanigans. They’re so bad that its actually amazing, similar to Tommy Wiseau’s The Room if you’ve ever seen it. But all jokes aside, Kaytranada absolutely kills it, despite the less than ideal crowd. The Canadian producer/ DJ’s tracklist spans across the future bass, disco house and 90s pop genres, while his ability to craft invigorating remixes is on full display (his remix of Janet Jackson’s ‘If’ and Flume’s ‘Holdin On’ are prime examples). Not to go back to the cringey crowd again, but if you’re in need of a laugh, check out the comments of the Boiler Room for some peak internet humour.

Denis Sulta

Glasgow wonder-kid Denis Sultana’s is properly on fire right now, his transportive sets injecting an uncontrollable electricity that feels super tangible, but elusive at the same time. His Boiler Room sees him mixing disco, house, and fifty other genres that would normally be difficult to blend together, but of course he manages it with total ease. Garnering cosigns from artists like Bicep, Peggy Gou, HAAi and countless more, there’s no doubt he’s a serious talent in the EDM world, and we can’t wait till he comes back to Aussie shores.

Peggy Gou

South Korean producer/ DJ/ fashion icon Peggy Gou is a true breath of fresh air in the EDM world, her hard-hitting bops overflowing with soul and endless magic. Her Boiler Room sees her tearing it up in Dekmantel, Amsterdam, as she blesses us with all the the feels and highs you’d expect from a Peggy set. It’s no surprise tickets to her Aussie shows sold out almost instantly. She’s a proper good time, and it’s impossible to deny her talent. Besides, she’s just cool as hell. We’re desperately hoping she comes back down under soon, to help us free our bodies the way only she can (there’s also a hilarious Bruce Willis Doppleganger in her Boiler Room crowd. I just thought that was worth mentioning).

NxWorries (Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak)

This is definitely the odd one out on our list, as it’s not your usual DJ set, but it’s just way too dope not to mention. Ventura’s own Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge are a hip hop fan’s dream, and their debut album as NxWorries Yes Lawd! absolutely broke the stratosphere when it was released in 2016. Mixing neo-soul and hard hitting hip hop, the duo came through with a body of work that manages to age like a fine wine, getting better with every listen. So you can imagine how mad it would be to see the pair do their thing in their very own Boiler Room, with Paak murdering it on the mic and Knxwledge being an absolute G behind the decks. Keep in mind, Yes Lawd! and Malibu still hadn’t dropped at this stage, so the whole world hadn’t been properly put onto the genius of the pair. But boy, you can tell this crowd is fully aware of the legendary talent before them.

We hope you enjoy those Boiler Rooms as much as we do! It really does suck that we have to go without live music and the gorgeous euphoria that comes with seeing an EDM act live, but these Boiler Rooms will definitely help fill that gaping hole in our hearts. Get those fist pumps and stank faces ready for when EDM events come back! We’re more than expecting you all to turn up in full force to get down with us…