Bouncy and high-octane dance floor material mixed in perfect harmony by Kalahari Oyster Cult affiliate Blu:sh.

We had the pleasure of welcoming Blu:sh on our Buy Music Club series a while back. Following that entertaining encounter, we kept in touch and learned that he’s quite a few exciting things in the works for this year, among which are new records for Kalahari Oyster Cult and Spray’s brand new Punctuality Records. No better time to invite him back for a mix and a chat, we thought. 

Diving straight into an energetic club groove, his contribution to our mix series is a pulsating adventure consisting of old favourites and unreleased music by friends. Additionally, we caught up to get the lowdown on his upcoming projects, which you can read all about below.

Hi Blu:sh, great to have you with us today! It’s seems you’re fresh from a sick gig at the Kalahari Oyster Cult x Harmony night in Prague. Playing alongside Marie Malerie and Yan, can you tell us about the experience and how your own set went down?

Bike Jesus is a sick venue, packed and with a great sound system. It was a chance to connect with the Harmony crew, based between Berlin and Prague. The dj booth was set in the center of the dance floor. I’ve always preferred the proximity of booths at ground level rather than towering stages. Marie Malerie and Jan crushed it with their sets. Big up to all the crew for having me!

Kalahari Oyster Cult is becoming a bit of a homebase for you, after releasing your second Blu:sh EP on the label last October. Can you tell us a bit about your connection with KOC honcho Rey Colino, and how that second EP, titled “Felt Cute”, came together?

It all happened quite organically. I met Colin for the first time in Paris. We played on the same line up for a Hors Sol party at Trabendo. He’s from Bruxelles and speaks French like me; it was easy to get along. Following the release of my Step Ball Chain’ EP, we got to speak to each other every now and then as One Eye Witness distributes Katie’s label. Somewhere along the line, I’ve started to send him some demos and we started to build the EP. Choosing to release it on Kalahari made perfect sense to me; not only because it is an inspiring label, but also because it aligned seamlessly with the style of music I do with Blu:sh. Quite a few artists I like have signed on the label, so it was an honor for me to join the label!

Bursting onto the scene with a sickk release on Roza Terenzi’s Step Ball Chain label, you’ve described the Blu:sh project as devoted to sassy and energetic club music. Can you tell us a little more about the new project and the shift from your Benoit B and Terra Utopia aliases?

After a few years immersed in a slow, very melodic and library music inspired as Benoit B, transitioning to a faster, club-focused style felt like a rebirth. There’s a certain thrill in witnessing people dance and enjoy your music in clubs. This was also a way to reconnect with my early time and roots when I started to DJ in Paris, delving into progressive, tribal sounds and after hour house. Parties back in that time like Kit Kat Forever, Kwality, club like the Pulp (although I was too young to go to haha) and djs like Sextoy, Roussia, W.a.r.r.i.o or Jef K influenced me.

And I still have something of this energy in me today. I’m trying not to take myself too seriously with Blu:sh sound even so, hence why I describe it as sassy. I use a few synths and samples to subtly referencing tracks that have inspired me along the way. I feel satisfied when I find the right balance between a glimpse of the early 2000s and a more contemporary sounds. Overall, I strive to remain open-minded and avoid pigeonholing myself into a specific genre. Although ultimately it may fall under the umbrella of ‘house’ music. Keeping as a moto sassy and sexy is for me a way to create danceable and cheeky tracks. Can you feel it? 🙂

Word has it that your next record will land on Punctuality Records in February, an exciting new label project headed by Spray. What can we expect from this new record?

Opening a label definitely comes with its share of pressure haha! Spray‘s productions are sick and I have followed him (and his previous label) for a while. So I’m definitely excited about this collaboration which made sense to me. We’ve picked 5 tracks tailored for clubs at different times of the night, hopefully sassy :-p

You told us you’re working on a second EP for Kalahari Oyster Cult and a Terra Utopia record for Emotional Response. Anything you can share with us about those upcoming projects?

Terra Utopia began as a one-shot project, recorded a few years ago over two weeks in Athens’ spring. It’s to me a dedication to my love of ethereal and floaty pads and sounds, liquid D’n’B, 90s downtempo and ambient. The initial EP, consisting of 8 tracks on vinyl plus 2 digital bonus tracks, was released in 2021 through the London-based Emotional Response. And that was it.

Last year, I encountered people who offered incredibly positive feedback about Terra Utopia, especially 2 persons in Melbourne and 1 in Miami (they might recognize themself haha), which I didn’t expect at all. Honestly, it gave me this push and motivation to work on a second chapter. New tracks began to emerge, including a collaboration with the singer dvdv. A new EP is coming for May/June via Emotional Response once again, 8 songs on vinyl with 2 digital bonus. Regarding the second EP with Kalahari, I’m currently working on it, it’s still in progress haha. It should see the light after the Summer at some point.

What can you tell us about this mix you’ve put together for us? How did you approach the mix, what kind of energy can we expect?

My current favorites, a mix of old, new and unreleased music, definitely club energy focus.

With the EU winter sloooowly fading out, what else might you’ve on the horizon for the coming months?

I have several gigs lined up in Helsinki at Haiku the 23.02, Nachbar in Amsterdam with Dj Sweet6teen early April, Brussels the 04.05 at Beursschouwburg and Berlin the 10th at Fitzroy with the MP3 crew. I’m also thinking of going back to Australia after the Summer, let’s see how things go. I also organized nights for many years at Sameheads (shout to Nathan for his trust since the beginning); save the date if you’re in Berlin, I invite Ferrari Rot and Zeynep on April 12th!

I’m also working on the compilation who will end my label, Banlieue Records, that I run since 2015. It will be out in March with a small run of merch, featuring artists from the label and artists I follow and like. Mathis Ruffing, Ciel, Alien D, Nummer, Mortimer Dubaton among others, will be part of it.