Junes is the alias of Neil McDermott, one of many Brits who’ve relocated to the German capital in the name of the relaxed atmosphere and their own musical aspirations. McDermott himself made the move from Newcastle, North East England, in 2012, around the same time he and his brother set up Galdoors, a much-loved vinyl-only imprint named after their grandparents’ business. Alongside McDermott himself, the label has released music from Audio Werner, Duckett, Leif, and several other friends or friends of friends, though McDermott acknowledges he’s very selective about what appears on the label. McDermott’s first break came with 2014 with “Root Pattern,” a hazy after-hours cut, and came to wider attention with Circuit Rift, his most recent EP. Since then, he’s released a debut album on his second label, Dote. 

McDermott’s XLR8R podcast is full of the sort of woozy minimal-leaning grooves you’d hear on Galdoors or Dote. It’s fun, lively, and full of character, the sort of mix you’d shuffle your feet to in the early hours at Hoppetosse or Club der Visionaere. “I picked them from my “I like these a lot at the moment” pile of records,” McDermott says. You can hear the mix below, and grab it via the WeTransfer button. 

Due to temporary issues regarding the GDPR, EU readers can download the podcast here.

What have you been up to recently? 

Well, I had a lovely end to the year with a string of notably great gigs in Nantes, New York, Ghent, and London over the last few months. I’ve been slowly getting back into making music again after a bit of a break which feels good, and yeah, generally enjoying life.

How did you spend your Christmas? 

At home with family and friends. 

You had a big 2018 with your debut album. What do you have planned for 2019?

Yeah, 2018 was really good to me. I was so happy with the response to the album, it felt like I really achieved what I set out to do and was a massively fulfilling experience in general.

As for 2019, more records and more DJing hopefully!

When and where was this mix recorded?

I recorded it a couple of months ago at home in Berlin.

Is there a particular theme or idea behind it?

Not particularly, it’s full of records that I like pieced together in a way that hopefully lends additional context to each one. 

How did you choose the tracks that you included?

I picked them from my “I like these a lot at the moment” pile of records.

What’s next on the horizon?

I have a new release on Galdoors coming soon, which will be our 10th release, as well as a track on a VA on a new label with some friends here in Berlin. I’m going on holiday in January and then more gigs in February and onwards.