Fresh Kicks 199: AK Sports

“I am influenced by and reflect a lot of genres, from techno to breaks, deconstructed club, even psy-trance… but I don’t have the patience to stick to just that one style,” explains Carr. “We’re not in the ’90s anymore, where you do a particular genre, and DJs are finding themselves quite frustrated when they’re getting pigeonholed in certain genres. We actually all have broad tastes. So now I’m flipping the switch and kind of shoving everything that I like into one track and trying to make it cohesive, because it satisfies me. And obviously, it resonates with people as well.”

As the pandemic eased off, Carr moved to LA for work, but while they liked the warm climate and proximity to Australia, they lacked the musical connection they’d felt in London. Seeing a gap in the market, Carr teamed up with Bianca Oblivion, whom she’d met through female and gender-nonconforming music collective Nap Girls, and US bass music icon Star Eyes to put on warehouse parties under the WARP MODE banner. The project snowballed and they’ve since brought through the likes of INVT and Anna Morgan, TSVI, Bored Lord, bastiengoat, Nikki Nair and Fixate. Most recently, they hosted a massive Boiler Room party in LA. “It was crazy! We completely underestimated the amount of people that we would have through the doors.”

In August, Carr will launch Club Madhouse, a new label showcasing her heavyweight, rave-licked take on techno, which takes its name from her minority-artist-focused Madhouse music licensing company. There’re lots more shows on the horizon, including Glastonbury, and EDC Las Vegas alongside Kettama, SHERELLE and Ben UFO, a line-up they think reflects the changing tastes of the US scene. And things are looking brighter back in Sydney too, with a new generation coming up and restrictions lifting. “There’s really exciting parties and events happening, like Lost Sundays at the Ivy is just pumping and the kids are all about it. We’ve had a big resurgence, so that’s great.”