Neana B2Beats AUCO: Light It Up
neana-b2beats-auco-mix-no-shade
March 06, 2020
ready
11
# Neana B2Beats AUCO: Light It Up
*EB's new B2Beats mix series spotlights the creative bonds between
selectors. For decades, electronic music has united entire subcultural
communities, but scene-building often grows out of those initial
close-knit collaborations. B2Beats delves into the unique personal
relationships and sonic conversations that emerge from sharing an
hour-long session on the decks. *
[SoundCloud Content][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"}
Their friendship began, quite literally, with a spark. [Neana][2]{:
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Neana (opens in a
new tab)"} recalls standing outside Berlin venue OHM, where he and
[AUCO][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="AUCO
(opens in a new tab)"} initially met and played their very first
unexpected b2b in mid-July of 2017. "The only thing I remember saying to
you that night is like, 'Oh, you want to go smoke a zoot?'" Neana tells
me, "And you were like, 'Did you just say *zoot*?'" AUCO, who takes the
pronouns they/them, laughs along, "Oh that was so nice to hear that
word! I think I hadn't heard it in ages."
For the two UK expats, slang, kush, and propulsive club music signaled
an immediate common ground for the two rather unlikely best friends. As
the pair sit across from one another on the overstuffed couch in front
of me, munching on salted dark chocolates and passing around a
freshly-lit spliff, it's clear the ways in which their mismatch works.
[1]: https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F771817444&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1
[2]: https://soundcloud.com/neanatrax
[3]: https://soundcloud.com/auco23
[Image: NEANA.jpg]
[Image: JAS.jpg]
Neana, a self-contained blonde from the Lakes District who was formerly
affiliated with Night Slugs, is so soft-spoken during moments in our
interview that I'm concerned the microphone won't pick up his responses.
AUCO, meanwhile, blew into the meeting half an hour late like a classic
Londoner. A member of Berlin's [No Shade collective][1]{:
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="No Shade
collective (opens in a new tab)"}, they teem with a chatty, chaotic
energy. Each of them hold opposing, yet complimentary
temperaments--which also translates into their DJ sets, too.
As AUCO puts it, "I play jungle, whereas Neana's more into a vocal, RnB
kind of style. He adds a sunshine element. Then I bring more of a dark
side." Neana agrees, also noting, "That contrasts interestingly in a b2b
as well because you get that element that you wouldn't normally have in
your own sets. You get to expand."
That's why, over the course of their two-year friendship, they sometimes
find themselves swapping their usual sensibilities. "Say like one day
I'll be playing dark tunes and AUCO will be playing super sweet RnB
tunes," Neana explains, "And then the next day AUCO will be playing some
really heavy stuff and I just want to mix RnB into it, some like spicy
whatever. So there's always this fun balance."
But what drew the two Berlin transplants together the most was
strengthening a sense of community in a brand new city. Music, for
someone as reserved as Neana, is a bonding opportunity and "another kind
of conversation," he says, "because I just can play tunes with someone
for just an hour and already feel like I know them." AUCO wanted to take
this one step further by founding a club night, named after one of their
favorite books by David Foster Wallace, *Infinite Jest*: " I'd never
been on the same line-ups as any of my mates, so I wanted to have an
opportunity for us to be all together."
[1]: https://www.noshade.eu/
[Image: imm022_21A.jpg]
And that's how their party endeavor [Infinite Quest][1]{:
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Infinite Quest
(opens in a new tab)"} was born. For AUCO, in particular, who had just
started DJing after No Shade's mentorship program in 2017, Quest's
endless b2b format was a way for them to learn new blending techniques
from the people they respected the most. Plus, they add, "it's just nice
to let two of your mates play some fun tracks together, and get into a
little battle or game."
Their kickoff at the dingy bar Chausseestraße 131 in Mitte felt more
like a family reunion than a traditional gig. The official line up
included footwork prodigy [DJ Paypal][2]{: target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="DJ Paypal (opens in a new tab)"}
and Philly's very own Kieran Loftus, but [Blasé Vanguard][3]{:
target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Blasé
Vanguard (opens in a new tab)"}, [Anz][4]{: target="_blank"
rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Anz (opens in a new tab)"}, and
her partner Jungle Joe blew through through as the special unannounced
acts. Hard Drum frontrunner [MM][5]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer
noopener" aria-label="MM (opens in a new tab)"} was in town for a Sukuk
and Bratwurst gig and also dropped into the continuous b2b.
But perhaps the most surprising special guest, although he didn't
perform, was grime legend [D Double E][6]{: rel="noreferrer noopener"
aria-label="D Double E (opens in a new tab)" target="_blank"}, who
ambled into the crowded space with seemingly no connection to any of the
other partygoers. Other notable artists who have passed through the
Quest roster over the course of their six parties include [Asmara][7]{:
rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Asmara (opens in a new tab)"
target="_blank"}, [Dis Fig][8]{: rel="noreferrer noopener"
aria-label="Dis Fig (opens in a new tab)" target="_blank"}, [DJ JM][9]{:
rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="DJ JM (opens in a new tab)"
target="_blank"}, and [TD\_Nasty][10]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer
noopener" aria-label="TD_Nasty (opens in a new tab)"}. Everything from
hard drum, hip-hop, grime, afrobeats, jungle, hardcore, to ballroom
sounds percolate throughout the dancefloor--which is now located in
Kake, a queer art space in Neukölln.
For their B2Beats debut, AUCO and Neana conceptualized the mix as an
evening's gradual escalation, from pre-drinks all the way to after hours
or, as they put it, "an early night then a late night kind of vibe."
Within is a potent cocktail of genres including tracks---in true
Infinite Quest style---created by close friends, with a few offbeat
foreign downloads thrown in. In brief, it's a b2b that's simply
overjoyed to spark one up and throw down.
[1]: https://www.facebook.com/pg/infinitequestt/events/?ref=page_internal
[2]: https://soundcloud.com/djpaypal
[3]: https://soundcloud.com/blahzayvanguard
[4]: https://soundcloud.com/yung-anz
[5]: https://soundcloud.com/eventhestrong/sets/ets004-mm-terrible-muscle-ep-1
[6]: https://soundcloud.com/d-double-e-official
[7]: https://soundcloud.com/ma-deejay
[8]: https://soundcloud.com/dis_fig
[9]: https://soundcloud.com/deejay_jm
[10]: https://soundcloud.com/td_nasty
*Tracks mixed by Neana (N) and Auco (A)*
Tracklist
1. Teyana Taylor & Kehlani, "Morning" **(N)**
2. Gaia Beat, "Espalha" **(N)**
3. Neana, "Neural Grease" **(N)**
4. DJ Flex, "Egg Plant Afrobeat (ft. AStar EDouble)" **(A)**
5. B.Ames & Jojo GF, "Kittybox" **(A)**
6. DJ Swisha, "High With U" **(A)**
7. Leonce, "Shade Incarnate (Instrumental)" (A)
8. Addictive, "Bad Girl ( Champion RMX)" **(N)**
9. DVA & KG, "B2L" **(N)**
10. Florentino, "Na Fuga (feat. MC Bin Laden & MC Buzzz)" **(N)**
11. DJ Nigga Fox, "Talanzele" **(N)**
12. LSDXOXO, "Truth or Dare" **(A)**
13. A1 Baseline, "Falsehood" **(A)**
14. Gage, "E-Anthem" **(N)**
15. Vjuan Allure, "Picasso Rembrandt" **(A)**
16. Jumping Back Slash, "Untitled Darknezz" **(A)**
17. Quest?onMarc & Neana, "Fantasy YER" **(N)**
18. BbyMutha, "Dark n Lovely (Byrell The Great RMX)" **(N)**
19. Martyn Bootyspoon, "Spread That Kat" **(A)**
20. Helix, "No New Way Back" **(A)**
21. Ikonika, "Primer" **(A)**
22. Quest?onMarc, "Midnight Request Line RMX" **(N)**
23. Leikeli47, "Bad Gyal Flex" **(N)**
24. Neana, "Digiworld" **(N)**
25. Girl Unit, "Wut (Remix)" **(A)**
26. Jamin, "Go DJ" (A)
27. Anz, "Loa" **(A)**
28. Neana, "SlimTim" **(N)**
29. YGG, "Any Violations" **(N)**
30. Quest?onMarc & Neana, "Long Night @ Long Island City" **(A)**
31. Digga D, "No Diet" **(A)**
32. Auco & Neana, "Infinite Quest 3" **(N)**
33. Tre Oh Fie, "No Letting Go" **(N)**
34. TD\_Nasty, ??? **(A)**
*Whitney Wei is the Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Beats. Follow her on
[Instagram][1]{: rel="noreferrer noopener" target="_blank"}*.
[1]: https://www.instagram.com/whtnywei/
---
id: bb232754-3f7e-4daf-b82b-ccbe97e7f00c
blueprint: article
title: 'Neana B2Beats AUCO: Light It Up'
date: 2020-03-06T19:40:04+01:00
wp_id: '182136'
slug: neana-b2beats-auco-mix-no-shade
teaser_image: legacy/neana-b2beats-auco-mix-no-shade/B2B_01.png
contents:
-
type: text
text: '<p><em>EB’s new B2Beats mix series spotlights the creative bonds between selectors. For decades, electronic music has united entire subcultural communities, but scene-building often grows out of those initial close-knit collaborations. B2Beats delves into the unique personal relationships and sonic conversations that emerge from sharing an hour-long session on the decks. </em></p>'
-
type: text
text: '<p><a href="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?visual=true&url=https%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F771817444&show_artwork=true&maxwidth=500&maxheight=750&dnt=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">SoundCloud Content</a></p><p>Their friendship began, quite literally, with a spark. <a href="https://soundcloud.com/neanatrax" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Neana (opens in a new tab)">Neana</a> recalls standing outside Berlin venue OHM, where he and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/auco23" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="AUCO (opens in a new tab)">AUCO</a> initially met and played their very first unexpected b2b in mid-July of 2017. “The only thing I remember saying to you that night is like, ‘Oh, you want to go smoke a zoot?’” Neana tells me, “And you were like, ‘Did you just say <em>zoot</em>?’” AUCO, who takes the pronouns they/them, laughs along, “Oh that was so nice to hear that word! I think I hadn’t heard it in ages.” </p><p>For the two UK expats, slang, kush, and propulsive club music signaled an immediate common ground for the two rather unlikely best friends. As the pair sit across from one another on the overstuffed couch in front of me, munching on salted dark chocolates and passing around a freshly-lit spliff, it’s clear the ways in which their mismatch works. </p>'
-
type: images
images:
- legacy/neana-b2beats-auco-mix-no-shade/NEANA.jpg
- legacy/neana-b2beats-auco-mix-no-shade/JAS.jpg
-
type: text
text: '<p>Neana, a self-contained blonde from the Lakes District who was formerly affiliated with Night Slugs, is so soft-spoken during moments in our interview that I’m concerned the microphone won’t pick up his responses. AUCO, meanwhile, blew into the meeting half an hour late like a classic Londoner. A member of Berlin’s <a href="https://www.noshade.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="No Shade collective (opens in a new tab)">No Shade collective</a>, they teem with a chatty, chaotic energy. Each of them hold opposing, yet complimentary temperaments–which also translates into their DJ sets, too. </p><p>As AUCO puts it, “I play jungle, whereas Neana’s more into a vocal, RnB kind of style. He adds a sunshine element. Then I bring more of a dark side.” Neana agrees, also noting, “That contrasts interestingly in a b2b as well because you get that element that you wouldn’t normally have in your own sets. You get to expand.” </p><p>That’s why, over the course of their two-year friendship, they sometimes find themselves swapping their usual sensibilities. “Say like one day I’ll be playing dark tunes and AUCO will be playing super sweet RnB tunes,” Neana explains, “And then the next day AUCO will be playing some really heavy stuff and I just want to mix RnB into it, some like spicy whatever. So there’s always this fun balance.” </p><p>But what drew the two Berlin transplants together the most was strengthening a sense of community in a brand new city. Music, for someone as reserved as Neana, is a bonding opportunity and “another kind of conversation,” he says, “because I just can play tunes with someone for just an hour and already feel like I know them.” AUCO wanted to take this one step further by founding a club night, named after one of their favorite books by David Foster Wallace, <em>Infinite Jest</em>: “ I’d never been on the same line-ups as any of my mates, so I wanted to have an opportunity for us to be all together.” </p>'
-
type: images
images:
- legacy/neana-b2beats-auco-mix-no-shade/imm022_21A.jpg
-
type: text
text: '<p>And that’s how their party endeavor <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pg/infinitequestt/events/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Infinite Quest (opens in a new tab)">Infinite Quest</a> was born. For AUCO, in particular, who had just started DJing after No Shade’s mentorship program in 2017, Quest’s endless b2b format was a way for them to learn new blending techniques from the people they respected the most. Plus, they add, “it’s just nice to let two of your mates play some fun tracks together, and get into a little battle or game.” </p><p>Their kickoff at the dingy bar Chausseestraße 131 in Mitte felt more like a family reunion than a traditional gig. The official line up included footwork prodigy <a href="https://soundcloud.com/djpaypal" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="DJ Paypal (opens in a new tab)">DJ Paypal</a> and Philly’s very own Kieran Loftus, but <a href="https://soundcloud.com/blahzayvanguard" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Blasé Vanguard (opens in a new tab)">Blasé Vanguard</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/yung-anz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Anz (opens in a new tab)">Anz</a>, and her partner Jungle Joe blew through through as the special unannounced acts. Hard Drum frontrunner <a href="https://soundcloud.com/eventhestrong/sets/ets004-mm-terrible-muscle-ep-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="MM (opens in a new tab)">MM</a> was in town for a Sukuk and Bratwurst gig and also dropped into the continuous b2b. </p><p>But perhaps the most surprising special guest, although he didn’t perform, was grime legend <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="D Double E (opens in a new tab)" href="https://soundcloud.com/d-double-e-official" target="_blank">D Double E</a>, who ambled into the crowded space with seemingly no connection to any of the other partygoers. Other notable artists who have passed through the Quest roster over the course of their six parties include <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Asmara (opens in a new tab)" href="https://soundcloud.com/ma-deejay" target="_blank">Asmara</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Dis Fig (opens in a new tab)" href="https://soundcloud.com/dis_fig" target="_blank">Dis Fig</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="DJ JM (opens in a new tab)" href="https://soundcloud.com/deejay_jm" target="_blank">DJ JM</a>, and <a href="https://soundcloud.com/td_nasty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="TD_Nasty (opens in a new tab)">TD_Nasty</a>. Everything from hard drum, hip-hop, grime, afrobeats, jungle, hardcore, to ballroom sounds percolate throughout the dancefloor–which is now located in Kake, a queer art space in Neukölln. </p><p>For their B2Beats debut, AUCO and Neana conceptualized the mix as an evening’s gradual escalation, from pre-drinks all the way to after hours or, as they put it, “an early night then a late night kind of vibe.” Within is a potent cocktail of genres including tracks—in true Infinite Quest style—created by close friends, with a few offbeat foreign downloads thrown in. In brief, it’s a b2b that’s simply overjoyed to spark one up and throw down. </p>'
-
type: text
text: '<p><em>Tracks mixed by Neana (N) and Auco (A)</em></p><p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Tracklist</span><br>1. Teyana Taylor & Kehlani, “Morning” <strong>(N)</strong><br>2. Gaia Beat, “Espalha” <strong>(N)</strong><br>3. Neana, “Neural Grease” <strong>(N)</strong><br>4. DJ Flex, “Egg Plant Afrobeat (ft. AStar EDouble)” <strong>(A)</strong><br>5. B.Ames & Jojo GF, “Kittybox” <strong>(A)</strong><br>6. DJ Swisha, “High With U” <strong>(A)</strong><br>7. Leonce, “Shade Incarnate (Instrumental)”<strong> (A)</strong><br>8. Addictive, “Bad Girl ( Champion RMX)” <strong>(N)</strong><br>9. DVA & KG, “B2L” <strong>(N)</strong><br>10. Florentino, “Na Fuga (feat. MC Bin Laden & MC Buzzz)” <strong>(N)</strong><br>11. DJ Nigga Fox, “Talanzele” <strong>(N)</strong><br>12. LSDXOXO, “Truth or Dare” <strong>(A)</strong><br>13. A1 Baseline, “Falsehood” <strong>(A)</strong><br>14. Gage, “E-Anthem” <strong>(N)</strong><br>15. Vjuan Allure, “Picasso Rembrandt” <strong>(A)</strong><br>16. Jumping Back Slash, “Untitled Darknezz” <strong>(A)</strong><br>17. Quest?onMarc & Neana, “Fantasy YER” <strong>(N)</strong><br>18. BbyMutha, “Dark n Lovely (Byrell The Great RMX)” <strong>(N)</strong><br>19. Martyn Bootyspoon, “Spread That Kat” <strong>(A)</strong><br>20. Helix, “No New Way Back” <strong>(A)</strong><br>21. Ikonika, “Primer” <strong>(A)</strong><br>22. Quest?onMarc, “Midnight Request Line RMX” <strong>(N)</strong><br>23. Leikeli47, “Bad Gyal Flex” <strong>(N)</strong><br>24. Neana, “Digiworld” <strong>(N)</strong><br>25. Girl Unit, “Wut (Remix)” <strong>(A)</strong><br>26. Jamin, “Go DJ”<strong> (A)</strong><br>27. Anz, “Loa” <strong>(A)</strong><br>28. Neana, “SlimTim” <strong>(N)</strong><br>29. YGG, “Any Violations” <strong>(N)</strong><br>30. Quest?onMarc & Neana, “Long Night @ Long Island City” <strong>(A)</strong><br>31. Digga D, “No Diet” <strong>(A)</strong><br>32. Auco & Neana, “Infinite Quest 3” <strong>(N)</strong><br>33. Tre Oh Fie, “No Letting Go” <strong>(N)</strong><br>34. TD_Nasty, ??? <strong>(A)</strong></p><p><em>Whitney Wei is the Editor-in-Chief of Electronic Beats. Follow her on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/whtnywei/" target="_blank">Instagram</a></em>.</p>'
---
Chunk #1 (Position: 0)
# Neana B2Beats AUCO: Light It Up *EB's new B2Beats mix series spotlights the creative bonds between selectors. For decades, electronic music has united entire subcultural communities, but scene-building often grows out of those initial close-knit collaborations. B2Beats delves into the unique p...
Chunk #2 (Position: 1)
"The only thing I remember saying to you that night is like, 'Oh, you want to go smoke a zoot?'" Neana tells me, "And you were like, 'Did you just say *zoot*?'" AUCO, who takes the pronouns they/them, laughs along, "Oh that was so nice to hear that word. I think I hadn't heard it in ages." ...
Chunk #3 (Position: 2)
For the two UK expats, slang, kush, and propulsive club music signaled an immediate common ground for the two rather unlikely best friends. As the pair sit across from one another on the overstuffed couch in front of me, munching on salted dark chocolates and passing around a freshly-lit spliff, ...
Chunk #4 (Position: 3)
A member of Berlin's [No Shade collective][1]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="No Shade collective (opens in a new tab)"}, they teem with a chatty, chaotic energy. Each of them hold opposing, yet complimentary temperaments--which also translates into their DJ sets, too.&nbs...
Chunk #5 (Position: 4)
"Say like one day I'll be playing dark tunes and AUCO will be playing super sweet RnB tunes," Neana explains, "And then the next day AUCO will be playing some really heavy stuff and I just want to mix RnB into it, some like spicy whatever. So there's always this fun balance." . But w...
Chunk #6 (Position: 5)
For AUCO, in particular, who had just started DJing after No Shade's mentorship program in 2017, Quest's endless b2b format was a way for them to learn new blending techniques from the people they respected the most. Plus, they add, "it's just nice to let two of your mates play some fun tracks to...
Chunk #7 (Position: 6)
The official line up included footwork prodigy [DJ Paypal][2]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="DJ Paypal (opens in a new tab)"} and Philly's very own Kieran Loftus, but [Blasé Vanguard][3]{: target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Blasé Vanguard (opens in a ne...
Chunk #8 (Position: 7)
Other notable artists who have passed through the Quest roster over the course of their six parties include [Asmara][7]{: rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Asmara (opens in a new tab)" target="_blank"}, [Dis Fig][8]{: rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Dis Fig (opens in a new tab)" target=...
Chunk #9 (Position: 8)
For their B2Beats debut, AUCO and Neana conceptualized the mix as an evening's gradual escalation, from pre-drinks all the way to after hours or, as they put it, "an early night then a late night kind of vibe." Within is a potent cocktail of genres including tracks---in true Infinite Quest style-...
Chunk #10 (Position: 9)
In brief, it's a b2b that's simply overjoyed to spark one up and throw down. . [1]: https://www.facebook.com/pg/infinitequestt/events/?ref=page_internal [2]: https://soundcloud.com/djpaypal [3]: https://soundcloud.com/blahzayvanguard [4]: https://soundcloud.com/yung-anz [5]: https://soundc...
Showing 10 of 11 chunks