DJ SUN is a Swiss-born, Berlin-based DJ who came up through the illegal rave scene. He soon moved on to throwing his own illicit parties and honed his DJ skills, playing techno infused with everything from house to hip-hop and jazz. He heads up the Otium label in collaboration with his best friend Rødig, and this new EP has a thought-provoking theme.
In a world where every post, track, and photo is a strategic move for attention, ‘Hustle & Post’ offers a satirical look at the relentless digital grind. Social media is a never-ending race for likes and validation, a game of curated moments that often leaves us questioning: is this really what we signed up for? This EP invites you to dive into the chaos, join the hustle, and decide for yourself if the endless scroll is worth the price of authenticity.
There is a subtle menace to the lithe bass and eerie, wordless vocal sounds of opener ‘Do It For the Gram’ which shines a harsh light on the social media frenzy that dictates nearly every aspect of our lives—right down to which tracks get played and how each DJ set is filmed. ‘Heatwave Hustler’ keeps the hard-edged grooves coming and is all about that feverish rush hitting the dancefloor at its boiling point. ‘Highway Rituals’ then reflects the excitement and tension of these clandestine raves under highway overpasses, tucked away in remote spots where the line between freedom and illegality is razor-thin. It’s a textured techno workout wired up with fizzing modulations and built on heavy drums. The atmospheric ‘Layers of Emptiness’ cuts straight to the core of a modern techno scene fixated on quantity over quality. It has broody bass billowing below the deft percussion and quick, dubby drums that make you move. The last original, ‘Plugged & Ready, ‘ captures that slow-motion moment before stepping into the DJ booth when the roar of the room fades to a low hum, and you lock onto the crowd’s energy. It’s packed with fresh sound designs and plenty of percussive nuance.
Klint is the first to remix and flips ‘Highway Rituals’ into well swung and quick-stepping techno cut with warped bass, Rødig’s remix of ‘Plugged & Ready’ adds weight to the slamming kicks and packs out the mix with alien sound effects, and Toobris takes ‘Layers Of Emptiness’ into speedy, soulful and hypnotic techno territory.
DJ Sun’s ‘Hustle & Post’ comes on Otium District on April 14th/28th 2025.
Tracklist
1. Do It For the Gram
2. Heatwave Hustler
3. Highway Rituals
4 Layers Of Emptiness
5. Plugged & Ready
6. Highway Rituals (Klint Remix)
7. Plugged & Ready (Rødig Remix)
8. Layers Of Emptiness (Toobris Remix)