Subwax x Delaphine: Alex Kassian, S.A.M., Baldo, E.Lina
By Kit Macdonald
Born in Japan but now based in Berlin, Alex Kassian is one of the more musical - and musically gifted - DJs out there. His knack with a melody is always in evidence on his EPs, which are generally directed towards headphone listening rather than the dance floor and heavily feature silky pianos and trance-influenced atmospheres. He also has a great ear for repurposing other artists' work (exhibit A being Leave Your Life, his mighty reworking of Yes's Owner Of A Lonely Heart from a couple of years ago), which feeds into his blissful, immaculately curated DJ sets.
Also on the bill is the Amsterdam-based Danish house DJ/producer S.A.M., aka Samuel André Madsen, another artist who's not afraid to reach for a well-chosen pop song: in 2022 they released a cover of Jennifer Hudson's melancholy 2008 single Spotlight that featured vocals from Britain's Got Talent contestant Sarah Ikumu, to a little bemusement and a lot of praise. The Ukraine-born E.LINA and local talent Baldo complete a packed bill up on Montjuic.