“Glitchy Fairytale” by Akira Knightley
Akira Knightley takes on our new Storytelling Challenge, picking the theme of "Glitchy Fairytale." Each DJ who participates in this challenge is asked to create a narrative or storytelling mix in their own unique style to match a theme from our list. The DJ is allowed freedom to experiment, explore and be as creative as possible.
Q: What was your creative vision or inspiration behind the mix?
Mystical characters, magic potions, roaring monsters; am I talking about fairytales or raves?
For the first part of this mix, the focus is on world-building; me experimenting to meld fantastical and glitchy soundscapes together into a textured, self-contained world for the listener to lose themselves in, much like the escapism offered by a good fairytale. I wanted this mix to feel like a shimmering, crystal castle of sound flanked by beds of thorns; visual media inspirations include Spyro The Dragon, Rayman, Sleeping Beauty and Magnetic Rose (from Memories (1995)).
With this base sound established, I've then woven in tracks that allude to folklore/fairytale media through their titles to propagate a sense of story/narrative flow, almost like a trail of breadcrumbs to follow. This subtle storytelling that grows in the background of the mix then tightens towards the end as we pivot to a dark fantasy aesthetic; the child-like wonder/innocence sonics are stripped away, the listener is funnelled into a long, dark tunnel and finally arrives at that classic Fairytale climax: a nightmarish battle with a giant, fire-breathing dragon.
Q: Tell us about some of the tracks or samples that you selected.
Right from the outset, Niallo’s “Dreamland” dials the dreamy, fairytale-esque tones up to eleven, before we take a sharp plunge into glitched-out offerings from Mad Zach and Sinistarr. The true heart/fulcrum of this mix however is Naibu's magnificent bootleg of Frank Ocean - Seigfried. With lyrics ruminating on disillusionment with a "Fairytale" existence, this tune adds conflict/introspection to the narrative and also directly references Siegfried the Dragonslayer of Germanic folklore (foreshadowing the finale).
Elsewhere, the tricky “Tsuchigumo” refers to a monstrous, shape-shifting spider from Japanese folklore. “Woodlands” and “Moloch” in tandem channel Grimm's Hansel and Grettel as our breadcrumb trail ends whilst “Halfway Down” evokes feelings of sensory innocence in childhood.
The final track “光のトンネル” translates to “Tunnel of Light” in english. Is this a return to daylight/hope after a successful dragon-slaying, or an ascent to the afterlife having been overcome? I'll let the listener decide their own fate.
Q: What does this mix reveal about you as an artist?
Crate-digging/selection is my greatest strength as a DJ; I love sinking hours into unearthing ‘hidden gem’ type tunes to showcase them in my mixes. You’ll find music here from some of my favourite labels too like Unchained Recordings, None60 Records, Defrostatica and Soul In Motion. Also no repetition of artists/labels throughout the tracklist, which I feel contributes to the mix sounding more original/fresh than if a smaller or somewhat pre-curated pool of artists was used.
On the technical side, I've employed looping patterns, choppage and the occasional double-drop/rewind to hold the mix together and to keep transitions varied. Overall, I’d like to think this mix shows how I have the ability to take the listener on a journey, can shift through sub-genre lines/moods seamlessly when mixing, and to create a piece that is accessible/enjoyable to listen to but with an experimental edge.
You can listen to the full mix on our Soundcloud here.
