Sammy Gouyette, the Parisian DJ-producer better known as Brawther, is driven by a “profound love” for house music,” he tells XLR8R. His journey towards that love began in the late ’90s with ambient and experimental IDM from people like Aphex Twin and the Rephlex label peers, but after multiple holidays in the UK he discovered deep house and eventually artists like Pépé Bradock and St.Germain, who became his main influences. He’s been trying to create that same vibe ever since. In the efforts, over a career spanning nearly 15 years, Gouyette has become a champion of the genre, effortlessly weaving together the elements of the past and present, allowing its essence to shine through as much as possible. Much of his original music has landed on Cabinet Records or Balance Recordings, the label of Ron Trent and Chez Damier, and that includes Endless, his debut album from 2015. He takes pride in his music’s ability to resonate with individuals, fostering an intimate bond that transcends the limitations of time and space.

In line with that, for this week’s XLR8R podcast, he has delivered just over an hour of deep and hazy house, pulling from artists including Elephunk, Atlantic Fusion, The Biffters.

01. What have you been up to recently?
Lots of travel, some to new territories, and the usual balancing act of being a DJ, producer, father, husband, label owner. And a master of none!

02. What have you been listening to?
Besides the sporadic digging spree online and on my travels, I tend to not listen to dance music at home and usually tune in to a bunch of digital radios that broadcast reggae, ’80s boogie, boom bap, and classical. We have a little Bose speaker in my living room with pre-programmed channels that run in the background for most of the day.

03. What is it that appeals to you about electronic music?
Besides the music itself, which encompasses so many different kinds of rhythms, tempos, flavors, and styles, it’s the social experience of it; the act of dancing and sharing the moment with other people who enjoy the same music. For example, there’s something different about a proper house night with a proper sound system where everyone is locked in the music.

04. When and where did you record this mix?
I recorded this mix at home in Lisbon, Portugal around the back end of the pandemic. I must have recorded about 25 mixes during that time!

05. What setup did you use?
Two Technics SL-1210MK5 DJ Decks and a Vestax PMC 250 rotary mixer.

06. How did you choose the tracks you’ve included?
I usually spend a lot of time piecing the whole thing together. I’ll often look for a good intro and then build from there, like pieces of a puzzle, trying to create a journey. This one is in the vein of my hazy grooves mix series that I was doing during the pandemic. Deep, slower and hazy.

07. How does it compare to what we might hear you play out live?
It would probably be more akin to a deeper after-hours kind of setting or maybe something I could play at Heideglühen in Berlin, which has a crowd that loves that deep stuff.

08. What’s next on your horizon?
I am celebrating the 10 years of Dungeon Meat with my partner Tristan Da Cunha and we have a heavy touring schedule ahead of us.

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. Solid Gold Playaz “Intro” (Solid Gold Records)
02. Elephunk “Emerald” (Bosh)
03. The Coastal Commission “Fucked Up Day” (Seductive)
04. Fred Everything “Mama” (Remake Part 1) (Earth)
05. The Biffters “Remember” (The Sunset) (Spacefunk)
06. Distant Strangers “Do Anything” (Distant Strangers)
07. Autonomous “Life Music” (Low Pressings)
08. Unknown “Unknown” (Unknown)
09. Elektric Suedehead “Micklefield Skyline” (Elektric Suedehead Rewire) (Mighty Atom)
10. Solid Gold Playaz “Movement Of Venus” (Kanzleramt)
11. J-Rod & Pat Nice “Capacity” (Roam)
12. Atlantic Fusion “Don’t Fail Me Now” (Moonlight Mix) (Fluidity)
13. Unknown “Unknown” (Unknown)

Photo: Beatrice Neumann