DT823 – Carly Wilford

After learning to produce in lockdown, Carly Wilford is quickly becoming one of the most promising new names in dance music. Her recent releases ‘Burning Night and ‘Sky High’ were heavily backed by Radio 1 gaining ongoing support from Sarah Story, Danny Howard and also becoming Jaguar’s ‘Dance Floor Moment’.

After stand-out performances at Glastonbury Festival and in Ibiza this summer, her high-energy sets bring forward a new wave of house music whilst honouring the very roots of the scene she grew up raving to. Starting out as a Presenter, her early career saw her take over the airwaves on the Rinse FM Breakfast Show before taking bold steps to become a respected DJ and Music Producer.

“An artist on the rise”, “a force of nature” and “at the frontline of everything that’s hot right now” are just a handful of comments from Danny Howard, Marc Rebillet and Mark Knight about rising star Carly Wilford. Having turned heads with releases on labels such as Toolroom over the past two years, the UK-hailing house DJ and producer now takes the next step in an exciting career with ‘The Awakening’, her debut release on Armada Music’s house pillar: Armada Subjekt.

Today, she joins us on The Podcast. Listen to it below, on Mixcloud or iTunes here.

Sum up this podcast in 10 words… 

White labels, track IDs and tunes to send your mates

What’s your personal favourite track on it?

It has to be Cloonee – Badman Sound, love his production at the moment and everything that’s coming out of Hellbent Records too. It’s also guaranteed to go off in any rave. Loving the bassier sound coming back through at the moment and he’s such a pioneer of it. 

What’s the special ingredient in this mix?

So much music gets passed around between producers before it’s released so tried to include some of the tunes that have been in my DM’s recently as well as sneaking in my next track as a first play. Really excited for everyone to hear this one as it’s been planned for release for a long time. 

Tell us about your next release. 

’The Awakening’ is currently out on Armada Subjekt, it’s my first release on the label and more underground than some of my recent releases. It has such an amazing reaction every time I play it out and it’s a tune I look forward to dropping in my sets. I’ve travelled so much recently, so whilst I started it in the studio, I worked on it in different cities across the world and finished it on a beach at sunset. As a DJ you have such a crazy relationship with day and night and I wanted to explore that feeling of being in a transcendental state whether that’s being in a rave at 5am or trying to get to sleep as the sun comes up. 

What have you got coming up?

This year is all about collaboration and releasing some of the tunes I have been working on over the last year. My production style is always evolving, the more I learn the more accomplished my sound is becoming. I’m really excited to play some big shows this year and to keep connecting with fans all over the world. Electronic music is in such an exciting place right now and the scene is stronger than ever. 

And finally, do you have a special message for our readers?

Want to send the biggest amount of love to Data Transmission on their huge fifteen year anniversary. The impact they have had on dance music across the years has been so important not only for DJ’s and producers but for music fans globally. Thank you for everything, here’s to the next fifteen years. 

Tracklist

The Awakening (Radio Edit) – Carly Wilford
No Gravity (Extended Mix) – Marco Lys
Cloud 9 (Extended Mix) – Catz ‘n Dogz & Ferreck Dawn
Echoes (Extended Mix) – Muzzaik, StadiumX
Looking 4 U (Extended Mix) – Sonny Fodera
Chicago (Extended Mix) – HARRT
All of Me (Extended Mix) – Carly Wilford
Gotta Get Down (Extended Mix) – Aternity, Dale Move
Son Of A Gun (AP Edit) – Airwolf Paradise
Stomp (Extended Mix) – CINIMIN
Deep in My Garage (Extended Mix) – Pirate Copy
London WTF feat. Mikhail Beltran – Chloé Caillet
Badman Sound – Cloonee
Burning Night (Extended Mix) – Carly Wilford
Dawn of the Dead (Extended Mix) – SUB-X & Leena Punks
Intro (Lekota Extended Edit) – The xx
Tha Music (Extended Mix) – Cristoph