Touching down for this month’s Dazed mix is Quelza, whose extraterrestrial EP, Pensa Poetico, was released on Dekmantel’s resurgent UFO series earlier this year. This will come as no surprise to listeners who are tapped into the French producer’s atmospheric sets, whose cinematic sound design and meandering breakdowns will leave you feeling unearthly. Having already appeared on line-ups at Berghain, Tresor, Fabric and Khidi, Quelza is at the forefront of a new wave of Berlin-based electronic artists known for their unorthodox approach to techno and IDM – and, with co-signs from scene heavyweights such as Hudson Mohawke and Tiga – whose “In Order 2” he recently remixed for Turbo Recordings – he’s on the rise to stardom. 

For his exclusive Dazed mix ahead of his set at Dekmantel’s UFO stage this week, Quelza shares a “fluid, open and evolving” mix, featuring an eclectic selection from the likes of Ben Klock, Ikari and Psychic TV – listen below.

Hey Quelza! How’s your summer going, any plans?

Quelza: Hey! Summer’s been going great so far, lots of festivals and plenty of travel to new places. I’ve been having a lot of fun and soaking it all in.

Tell us about Pensa Poetico. How would you describe the EP?

Quelza: Pensa Poetico marks a moment of artistic liberation for me. I created it with no structural restrictions in mind, purely for the joy of making music without rules. The title was inspired by a beautiful event in my life that happened just before I started working on the first track. The whole creative process that followed became a major turning point for me, both musically and emotionally.

What makes the perfect summer playlist?

Quelza: A perfect summer playlist should feel colourful and refreshing. For me, it would be a mix of jazz, house, hip-hop and ambient, something you can carry with you in your bag for all the moods summer brings.

How’s Berlin? How would you describe the scene right now?

Quelza: Berlin’s doing great. Personally, I’ve never lost my interest in the scene or my optimism. There’s a real sense of genre-crossing happening lately, and I find that amazing. Everything feels like it’s blooming, as long as you look at it with curiosity and an open heart.

What are some of your earliest music memories?

Quelza: One of my earliest memories is going to dub soundsystem concerts with my dad in the outskirts of Paris. I don’t even remember how old I was, probably not even taller than the kitchen table.

Where do you see club music going? Any trends you’ve noticed?

Quelza: I see club music branching out in so many exciting directions. There’s a real fusion happening in electronic music right now. I’ve especially been drawn to the resurgence of dubstep and bass music. It’s even starting to cross into pop and hip-hop here and there, which I think is a thrilling development for the future.

How important is collaboration to you?

Quelza: Collaboration is a big step in an artist’s journey. It pushes you out of your comfort zone and makes you accountable to deadlines and shared goals. That pressure can be really healthy. For me, collaborating with the right person often unlocks a whole new wave of creativity.

What’s the best and worst advice you’ve ever received?

Quelza: The worst advice? ‘Work hard.’ I believe you should work smart before working hard. The best advice? ‘Aim for the peak of the mountain but never actually get there.’

What are you listening to at the moment?

Quelza: Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Jon Hassell and Brian Eno, especially while travelling by plane. Their music really fits that headspace.

Tell us about your Dazed mix.

Quelza: I built the mix around some of my favourite tracks to play in clubs right now. It’s meant to reflect the kind of creativity I try to explore during my sets, fluid, open, and evolving.

Tracklist:

Quelza – “Hi ;)”
Shlomi Aber – “User (Original Mix)”
Ikari – “Not My Tempo”
Fresko – “1 p.m. stutzig”
PWCCA – “Absence”
Fergus Sweetland – “Everybody (Dub Mood)”
Zadig – “Molecular Cloud (Original Mix)”
Connor Wall – “Disturbed”
Dustin Zahn – “Golden Hour”
Rog’e, Tanya Stevens – “Body Fidelity (Percussapella Mix)”
Natalie Smash – “New Start (Mystic Bill Chicago Mix)”
Fresko featuring Nørbak – “Flora”
Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti – “Type Shit (LUMBERJVCK FLIP)”
John – “pent (Fergus Sweetland Remix)”
Fergus Sweetland – “Sweet Tides - Edit Mix 4”
Raudive – “Here (Len’s Podium Remix)”
CVRDWELL, Mathys Lenne – “Haunted (Mathys Lenne Remix)”
Ben Klock – “Point-Blank (Fav)”
Singular Anomalies – “182 Hz (Original Mix)”
SolPara – “Vestibule (Belgium Lights Remix)”
Stephen Disario – “Tawa (Original Mix)”
Ikari – “Rubber Membrane”
Tiga – “Woke (Eduardo de la Calle Remix)”
Metapattern – “8.Norberto Lemme – Rasteira”
Psychic TV – “Meet Every Situation Head On (Noise & Mista Luv Mix)”
Yotam Avni – “Orma”