East End Dubs first landed on our radar back in 2013 with his debut on Butane & Someone Else’s Little Helpers—the six tracker, with its echoing percussion and stellar vocal sample use, had a deep, stripped back, and spooky quality that sounded fresh as ever at the time, and still stands out as one of the top releases in Little Helpers’ enormous catalogue. Later that year, the London-based artist released the standout Argo EP on Metroline Limited; four funky and upbeat deep house tracks that solidified East End Dubs as a producer to watch closely.

Fast forward just a few short years and the current sound of East End Dubs, while undoubtedly matured and further evolved, remains at the forefront of quality house and techno. This is in part due to the success of his Eastenderz label, which was launched in 2014. Acting as a platform for East End Dubs’ artistic vision, the vinyl-only label has quickly become known as one of the foremost UK-based outlets for groovy house music, championing material that falls somewhere between thumping tech-house and the dreamy minimal popularized by the Romanian scene. The label’s unique branding and visually stunning aesthetic (all Eastenderz releases come on multicolored “splattered” vinyl)—coupled with top-notch releases from the likes of Doubtingthomas, Priku, and the up-and-coming producer Lizz—have resulted in appearances at top clubs and festivals across Europe, the US, and beyond, as well as the launch of Eastenderz label showcases in Berlin, Basel, Zurich, and more. East End Dubs has also earned the support of established artists like Enzo Siragusa and the Fuse London crew, playing several Fuse parties and even contributing to their podcast series.

As the successes for East End Dubs and his label continue, we thought it an appropriate time to ask him to contribute an exclusive mix for XLR8R, which you can stream in full below. The Eastenderz founder also answered some of our questions about the mix, his recent USA tour, and what’s on the horizon in 2017.

Where, when, and how was the mix recorded?

It was recorded in my studio last week with 1210s, CDJs, and an Allen & Heath mixer.

Did you have a specific mood/idea that you wanted to express?

I would say this is very close to a club set of mine: stripped down, deep, and spacey, with sort of an afterhours vibe but still very groovy. I’ve included a few upcoming tracks on Eastenderz from myself, Cosmjn, and viceversa, as well as a track from my debut EP on Fuse London and some new music from friends like Priku.

Describe your journey into electronic music–how did you get into DJing and production?

I’ve been in the game for over 16 years now. Passion brought me here. I’m a DJ, so there is nothing more beautiful than mixing two records into each other, selecting the music and expressing your feelings to others by playing it. Eventually, I wanted to add more to my sets as I thought something was missing and that feeling led to producing. I still only make music to play out.

How do you prepare/select your music for a gig?

I spend lots of time searching for new and old music all the time, so preparation is constant, but I try to find an hour or two before the weekend to sort them out. My record bag is big and it allows me to be diverse. I like to go to the venue an hour before and prepare myself mentally and figure out how to work it.

You recently played at the debut edition of Rapture Festival in Miami before playing a few gigs in New York City. Was this your first time playing in the US?

It wasn’t my first time, I’ve done a US tour before, and I’ve been pretty much everywhere now in States from Texas to Philly to Chicago.

What were your impressions of Miami, NYC, and the American scene in general?

I thought things have changed slightly since my last visit in 2015. The crowd seemed to be more educated and the events were well organized with proper sound systems. Rapture Festival in Miami was very good. I played with Rhadoo, Petre, and tINI on an amazing Hennesey Audio Sound System, possibly the best system I ever heard at a festival. New York was also good fun.

I think the scene is getting stronger every time I visit the States.

You’ve also been embraced by the Fuse crew in London, recording a mix for their podcast series and playing at a few of their parties. How did this relationship come about?

I’ve been a regular punter at Fuse since the beginning. We became good friends with the lads and they have been supporting my music for a long time. I got a call in December from Enzo asking if I wanted to be part of it. It didn’t take long to make the decision, I think I said yes before he finished the question. Spending most of my Sundays at Fuse I have been heavily influenced by Enzo. I think he is one of the best out there at the moment with his DJing and scene knowledge. I’m very happy to be part of it.

Your label Eastenderz releases music on limited edition, multi-colored “splattered” vinyl. What inspired this idea?

Uniqueness, I guess. I love the way they look and every single record has a different pattern. I’m a classic guy, so, to be honest, it was a big decision pressing something that stands out visually, but I’m very happy with the outcome.

What’s next for Eastenderz?

It’s our third birthday next month and we will have a series of parties to celebrate. Berlin, Zurich, and Basel are the cities we are having our birthday parties. I’ve also found the right place in London and am planning to do the first ever Eastenderz party there this summer. I will carry on releasing the music I feel and play myself. We also have some new names on board: Cosmjn from Romania, Jack Wickham from Leeds, and viceversa from Italy will all debut on Eastenderz this year. Plus the usual names like Priku, Lizz, and Doubtingthomas will also be back with new releases.

What else do you have coming up in 2017?

Touring continues as usual, plus I have my residency at Sankeys Ibiza and am playing lots of festivals this summer, as well as visiting South Africa, South America, and Australia towards the end of the year. Two new releases are scheduled this year, one of them is on Fuse London and another on Eastenderz. I’ve also done some scoring for a CNN Documentary which is coming out this summer.

Tracklisting:

01. Priku – Dubla (White Label)
02. Cosmjn – Sunset Soul (Eastenderz)
03. WRH01 – A2 (WRH)
04. WRH01 – A1 (WRH)
05. Viceversa – Flat Earth (Eastenderz)
06. East End Dubs – Optimus (White Label)
07. East End Dubs – Real Thing (White Label)
08. SCL008 – B1 (Social)
09. East End Dubs – Warp (White Label)
10. East End Dubs – Mind Traps (Fuse London)
11. East End Dubs – Halfjack (Eastenderz)
12. Andu Simion – 003.3 (Atipic)
13. East End Dubs – Stagger (White Label)