MDC.284 Andrew Devlin

NYC’s Andrew Devlin takes a break from his usual dance floor facilitation to offer us a poolside soundtrack inspired by a recent stay at The Standard hotel in Miami Beach.
Q. Where do things currently sit on @thelevelparty front, and what other projects have you been busily chipping away at?
A. What’s that line? “We’ve been coming to the same party for 12 years now, and in no way is that depressing.” I think we’re nearing 10 now. In any case, the party feels like it’s in a really good place. After doing it more or less solo for a minute, I brought 5 residents on board who I love dearly–Alien D, KFeelz, Nigelthreetimes, No Sir, and Yibing. Everyone has so much range and energy, it’s been special getting the group together.
I’m really excited for our Glen Falls House weekender upstate in July (14-16). We get to take over this little hotel in the woods for a weekend and stretch out. It’s a dream. Big shoutout Josh Houtkin at Good Room for all his work making that a reality.
Past that, we’ve got some shows at our usual spots, Le Bain and Good Room, as well as a couple of day parties at Public Records’ new Nursery and a July 4 BBQ at Mansions. Would really like to bring the group of us to some other cities soon. I dream about heading back to New Orleans, doing Level Miami, Level Mexico City, Ibiza, etc…Anyone reading this wants to get in touch, let’s build ;)
Personally, I run a small sound company here in NYC, so I’m trying to grow that business and maintain my sanity. I’d like to get back into making music soon, even just a few cheeky edits. Start a podcast (I know, I know). And eventually open up a venue. A pub of sorts with good food and music.
Q. What inspiration did you draw upon when putting the mix together?
There is, in fact, a pretty specific one. This mix is dedicated to the pool at the Standard in Miami. I went in January for the first time and recorded this when I got home. The vibe there is so strong. You’re sitting outside, eating the best caprese salad of your life, there’s a 2’ iguana crawling on a palm tree, you’ve got a green juice or a margarita in one hand. Everyone is having a good time and partying in this really respectful way. They’re just sipping on a cocktail or walking to the hot tub or making out in the pool.
I thought a lot of that had to do with the soundsystem and the music programming–there are speakers everywhere (including underwater) playing at like 6/10 volume. The music is on a sort of soulful r&b/ balearic tip. I was on Shazam all weekend. So this mix is a dedication to that–if someone gave me 80 minutes to DJ the Standard Miami pool, this is what I would play.
Q. Are there any records in the mix that are particularly close to your heart, or old favourites that you’ve been keeping up your sleeve for the right moment?
A. Definitely. To run through a couple… ”Wall Street” I discovered reading Dub by Michael Veal. Great book for anyone interested in DJ’ing, soundsystems, production, etc. I got really into Jackie Mittoo reading that, and have been playing that track since.
The Lauryn Hill track, “Sweetest Thing” I heard in a coffee shop in Amsterdam in 2009, forgot about completely, then recently re-discovered.
“Don’t Break my Heart” is a big song for my wife and me. We both stumbled on it when we started dating at the beginning of 2020. We almost chose it as our first dance at the wedding, but thought the lyrics were a little dark. Anyway, big tune at the house.
And the last track, the Mike Huckaby remix, is close to my heart. I was lucky enough to meet Mike a few years ago and gave him a ride to his hotel after a gig. He had just played for 3 hours and all he wanted to talk about was my Volkswagen Jetta. He was really such a sweet, warm guy, and this track always makes me think of him. R.I.P.
Thanks so much for having me on this! Been a huge fan of MDC for a long time, and the radio shows and mix specials got me through lockdown over here. Means a lot to be a part of it. Much love.