Head of Content
St Patrick's Day 2020 is set to be the least rowdy in history with celebrations across the world cancelled, the Irish Government banning pubs and bars from opening and clubs across the UK (including ourselves) choosing to temporarily close our doors in order to help contain the spread of Covid-19.
But even though the vast majority of us are cooped up inside, it doesn't mean we can't still celebrate one of the biggest party days of the year. To help you get through a Paddy's Day quarantine, we've compiled some of our very favourite mixes from Irish selectors.
We've purposely eschewed the big guns - you don't need us to tell you how great Bicep, Krystal Klear, Annie Mac, Matador and Mano Le Tough are - instead, we've opted for the DJs that will be most affected by the loss of touring revenue. So, if you like what you hear, show them some love on social media, buy their music, go see them when we're back to normal.
For now: speakers on, volume up, Guinness cracked. Sláinte!
Rave Atlas
CAOIMHE
Dropping just over two weeks ago, this Rave Atlas mix from CAOIMHE is an absolute belter, made all the more impressive as she only started DJing in 2019. With skills like this it's easy to see why she won THREE DJ competitions in 2019 including one for Mixmag and AVA.
Follow CAOIMHE: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
Boiler Room x AVA Festival 2019
Cromby
Cromby is a longstanding resident of Irish clubbing institution, SHINE. This 2019 mix marked his return to the Boiler Room x AVA stage after a three-year absence and was an absolute show-stealer. Now based in Berlin, he's still a National Treasure of the Northern Irish scene.
Follow Cromby: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Discogs
SoundOf
DJ Deece
Of course, we had to include our own mix series - SoundOf - and this mix from Dublin hero DJ Deece is one of our all-time favourites from over 175 episodes. The Workman's Club resident in the Irish Capital, Deece has also graced the Ministry of Sound decks on occasion, and never fails to impress!
Follow DJ Deece: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
Live at Life Festival 2019
Trance Wax
The trance-focused alias of Belfast don, Ejeca, Trance Wax has really been having a moment recently, with his white label releases commanding huge prices on Discogs. 2018 saw him record his debut Essential Mix, but it's this live mix recorded at Ireland's Life Festival last summer that we keep coming back to.
Follow Trance Wax: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Discogs
Boiler Room x AVA Festival 2018
Holly Lester
The perfect mix to put a smile back on your face. This Jackin House & Disco mix was a real highlight of AVA 2018. Holly has already held down residencies for both Chibuku Shake Shake and Warehouse Project. Earlier this month her label, Duality Trax, had its first release. Listen to Duality1 here.
Follow Holly Lester: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
Four Four Magazine Local Selection
Kettama
Today, Kettama is one of the most in-demand Irish DJs on the circuit, holding down a Rinse FM residency and going B2B with some of the biggest names in the game. This mix form two years ago is an impressive look at where the future festival headliner started out. Also check out his Boiler Room, DJ Mag Live and this incredible B2B with Partyboi69.
Follow Kettama: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Discogs
Boiler Room x AVA Festival 2019
Marion Hawkes
Belfast taste-maker Marion Hawkes has spent 20 years collecting records and channelled that expertise into awe-inspiring DJ sets. Founder of queer party Ponyhawke, Marion has supported everyone from Bicep and Midland to Moodymann and The Black Madonna.
Follow Marion Hawkes: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
SoundOf
Or:la
The Derry-born tastemaker recorded the second-ever mix for our SoundOf series way back in 2016. Since then she's gone on to become a huge name in Irish electronic music, becoming a regular at AVA Festival and around the world. She's moved into production releasing on Hotflush and others, along with starting up not one, but two labels - Deep Sea Frequency and Céad - releasing tracks by DJ Seinfeld, Pépe and more.
Follow Or:la: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Discogs
Feel My Bicep
Sally C
Another Belfast native who's made the jump to Berlin. Sally is a gifted DJ who can often be found playing all-vinyl sets encompassing hip hop, acid house, electro and techno. This Feel My Bicep Mixtape is the perfect introduction to the fast-rising selector. We also highly recommend giving her Dusty Hip / Ghetto Haus B2B with Cromby a whirl.
Follow Sally C: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud
Boiler Room x AVA Festival 2015
Space Dimension Controller
A lot of great mixes have come out of AVA Festival's annual team up with Boiler Room, but this was the mix that put that partnership on the map. Surely still the rowdiest Boiler Room of all time, this tour de force from the incredible Space Dimension Controller is quite possibly the ultimate Paddy's Day soundtrack.
Follow Space Dimension Controller: Facebook | Instagram | SoundCloud | Discogs