Most readers will know Julie Marghilano as the head of Sol Asylum, the Berlin, Germany-based label where she puts out deep house, techno, and experimental cuts—both her own but also from Pressure Point (who shared an XLR8R podcast in 2021, and a more recent one as D:fferent Place), Titonton Duvanté, and Dana Ruh, among others (together with Ruh, Marghilano delivered an XLR8R podcast last year, filled with otherworldly house and techno.) She also heads up a Sol Asylum party series where she exhibits another side to her artistic repertoire: an eclectic DJ with a library of records spanning decades that explores a myriad of nuances and genres within dance music and beyond. The series recently celebrated its 12-year anniversary with a party at Heideglühen this past June.

Underpinning her work is a love for music that dates back to her childhood in Las Vegas, where she grew up the daughter of a jazz musician father and vocalist mother. She was composing simple songs by the time she was a teenager and began producing electronic music in 2002, spending thousands of hours trying and improving. For this week’s XLR8R podcast, Marghilano has delivered a studio mix filled with some of her favorites from this collection: Coco Bryce, Scott Diaz, and more. Expect one hour of classic Detroit techno, Chicago house, and jungle direct from Berlin.

01. What have you been up to recently?
I have been opening a Sol Asylum merchandise store, attending the Circle of Live mentorship program, organizing a Sol Asylum Live stream for RTS.FM, a label night in New York, and sorting my winter tours out and making some tunes.

02. What have you been listening to?
Kamaal Williams, Guru, Yussef Dayes, Kelela, Eliza, Kendrick Lamar, Funclab Records, and some Coltrane.

03. Where did you record this mix?
I recorded this mix in my studio on a sunny, cold day in Berlin.

03. What setup did you use?
Two Technics SL-1200, a Pioneer mixer and Pioneer CDJ-350s.

04. How did you choose the tracks you’ve included?
I have to be honest. It was a struggle to find the motivation as I am very sensitive to what is happening in the world at the moment so I really had to think of what our purpose is and where our music originated.

This helped me to set the mood. I tried to capture the emotions I was feeling and imagined the vibe of a warehouse in the ’90s.

I truly believe our music will always be political. Love has never been a popular movement but it’s our duty as artists to unite people in hard times so I hope this message will resonate through the mix.

05. What can the listener expect?
A colourful mix from my record collection from cheap finds from the ’90s to Detroit to UK, Chicago, and jungle.

07. What’s next on your horizon?
I am going on tour in November and December and I am quite excited to be starting it with the Sol Asylum label night at Jolene in collaboration with Golden Records. A couple other highlights will be playing The Lot Radio, and also Honcho/ Hot Mass. But the best part will be that I get to see my family.

XLR8R Subscribers can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R subscriber, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

Tracklisting

01. Gemini “In My Head” (Classic)
02. BOBG01 “Hyper” (BOBG01)
03. Julie Marghilano “Good To Be Bad” (Sol Asylum)
04. DKMA “In My Soul” (Ritual Recordings)
05. Scott Diaz “Sheller” (Dungeon Meat)
06. Knights of Illusion “Baby” feat. Azadeh (Vibsey)
07. The Wink Wax Project II “Ghetto Discharge” (Waxhead Traxx)
08. Freak Force “Transation” (Taste Recordings)
09. Dj Deep Raw Cuts #1 “Mandrum Main” (Deeply Rooted)
10. Julie Marghilano “Be Myself” (Sol Asylum)
11. Grain “Untitled B1” (Fat Cat Records)
12. Julie Marghilano “10 Day Trial” (Sol Asylum)
13. Coco Bryce “Velvet Underground” (Myor)