It was around October last year that Adrian Niculae really launched himself onto the XLR8R radars. As referenced during our in-depth look into Romanian electronic music culture, Niculae’s extended set at Eden—an old underground bunker-cum-nightclub located in the very heart of Bucharest—encapsulated everything we’ve come to know and love about the music coming out of the area. Groovy and beautifully intricate—though unquestionably more bass-laden than that of his compatriots—the music twisted and turned, making it nigh to impossible to leave the dancefloor at any point during the evening.

In many ways, Niculae is just one of the latest in a seeming endless line of talented artists who are building themselves a name much further afield than the city they continue to call home. As associated as he is with Arpiar—the label/collective run by Rhadoo, Raresh and Petre Inspirescu—Niculae finds himself touring more than ever before, an international appreciation that seems only likely to grow even further looking forward. It was a great privilege to have him play at a party co-hosted by The Other Side—a new initiative created by Maher Daniel and Amir Javasoul—and XLR8R on March 12 as part of SXMusic Festival, and it is an even greater privilege that he has allowed a segment of his set to be published from the evening, especially given the rarity of such recordings. Click the download button below to understand exactly why.

The set was recorded at this year’s SXMusic Festival, held March 9-13 in Saint Martin.