Taylor Bratches (formerly Talien) seeks to explore and transmit an emotional experience through sound. A lifelong poet and dancer, her relationship to rhythm is intimate and ever-evolving. After spending many years invested in the US and global techno scene as a dancer and raver, she pivoted towards DJing when her mentor, former Smartbar Chicago resident Sassmouth, taught her to spin vinyl. She then teamed with Sassmouth, DJ Kiddo, Ariel Zetina, and others to form Walking and Falling, a mentorship program for female and nonbinary DJs. She taught DJ workshops and curated the W&F mix series for several years, before changing course to focus on her music journalism for Resident Advisor and her own DJ craft. She’s since shared a bill with notable artists such as Eris Drew, Octo Octa, Powder, Mike Servito, Mija, Louisahhh, and others. Her sets aim to fuse genres and find hybrid spaces, by blending acid, electro, dubstep, DnB, jungle, broken techno, IDM, bass and more. She aims to move people physically and spiritually, creating a dance floor experience that is both terrestrial and extraterrestrial.
AYLI: What local projects (events, crews, labels, and beyond) are you involved with?
1. I actually don’t have a clear affiliation, though I’ve played a lot with Dirtybird in addition to raves/clubs all over the country (some of my favorites are Sorted and Vertebrae) and I have released music on the label Fantastic Voyage.
AYLI: What makes your local community special?
2. I live in NY now, though I’ve immersed myself in scenes in different cities. The NY scene is special in the sense that there’s always so much happening, and there are a lot of heads here who are receptive to a range of styles/sounds. It’s also a great place to connect with other artists passing through—people are always coming and going, which gives it a sense of constant vitality and renewal.
AYLI: With nightlife being dormant for much of the past two years and a burgeoning social justice movement, there’s a sense of hopeful uncertainty in the air. What do you hope to see happen going forward?
3. Less division, More PLUR. Less talking, more dancing. Remembering that which connects us.
AYLI: What’s the inspiration behind the mix? Would you mind sharing the tracklist for your mix?
4. I’ve been smashing genres together since I started DJing, but have been trying some riskier moves lately—like shifting genres quickly/ unexpectedly, even if it only sort of works. I’ve been really into DnB and dubstep lately but still like to explore a vast territory…there’s a little bit of something for everyone in this (I hope!)
Tracklist:
Physical Therapy – Chain Reaction
Walton – Steppa
Low End Activist – Broken Biscuits
Le Motel – Libet’s Delay
Boddika- 2727
Bolam – Forgot My Brain
Young Lychee – F33lings2
Tom Place – Calling
Manuka – Just Want You Close
Manuka – Watch (ft. Vandull)
The Bug ft. Flowdan – Jah War (Loefah Remix)
Slothman – Jah Prang
Glacci – XTC Sunstroke (Doctor Jeep Remix)
East Flatbush Project – Tried by 12 (Machinedrum Footwork Edit)
Fracture – Shada Shada (ft. Nah Eoto)
Fracture – Biscotti
Total Science – Squash
Enei & Kasra – Voodoo (ft. Jakes)
Special Request – Stairfoot Lane Bunker (Minor Science Remix)
Noisia, Skrillex – Supersonic
