Brighton Mixtapes: We're Feeling The Love with Charmain

Since the success of our beloved Berlin Mixtapes Series, which has featured awesome guests so far, we felt there was a real gap in terms of showcasing the amazing talent within our own home city right here in Brighton. We have a wide spectrum of artists that span across many genres therefore we decided we would create the 'Brighton Mixtapes' Series, so that we can not only showcase established artists but also feature up and coming musicians that would like a platform to be heard.

Equally, whilst our focus at Berlin has always been somewhere between Deep House and Techno we can now open up and extend a wider reach into other genres that Brighton has to offer. Also each artist will be subject to a series of one answer quick-fire questions to accompany each guest mix to give readers a quirky insight into the artists' likes and dislikes.

Next up we introduce to you one of Brighton's up and coming stars in DJ and producer Charmain Love. Well known within the Brighton Music Scene as a DJ but also associated with many well-known events such as Tech Noir, Charmain is quickly making a name for herself returning to the decks more regularly after juggling family life and her love of music. Charmain also hosts her very own radio show 'Metropolis' every Friday LIVE from 6-8pm on the home of the Berlin Radio Show Trickstar Radio playing all the latest House, Tech House and Techno.

Formerly a resident DJ with the legendary Pussycat Club and Playroom at Brighton’s Zap Club, Charmain Love has had a distinguished DJ career on the south coast club scene having played at virtually all of the Brighton club venues, supported Ministry of Sound Sessions on tour in Eastbourne, several London clubs and further afield with gigs in Austria including WUK in Vienna and the grand opening of Liquid Lounge in Egypt. Her own tech house track productions have received support from a host of top DJs including Tim Cullen, Lizzie Curious, Wax Worx, Jay Kay, Tenacious, Graham Gold and Daniele Davoli. Let's get to know Charmain.

Hi Charmain, how are you and what have you been up to this week?

Well this week I had a lot of prep to do, I had two different radio shows to prepare, one pre-recorded, as well as the warm up for you guys on Friday (30.08.19) for Juliet Sikora which I was super excited about. And one of my tracks came out so lots of promo for that. So that was my two mornings this week that the kids were at nursery the rest of the week was spent mostly in various parks across the city, down the beach and one inflatable adventure play hell.

How long have you been producing and DJing?

I have been DJ’ing a long time, I won’t say how long, but things were still vinyl when I started. I much prefer carrying USB’s ;) But I always wanted to produce, it just took me a while to take it seriously. I went back to college in 2012 to study Music Production for 2 years, then immediately took a 4 year break whilst popping out a couple of kids, slowly getting things going now they are a bit older. I say older, they are 3 and 4 years old…

You recently releases a great track with the guys at Kakushka Records, a lush bouncy track with a famous Eddie Murphy Sample we can't quote here ;) . Tell us more about the track.

This track I feel is me starting to find my direction. I submitted it for feedback for the Toolroom international women day’s spotlight on female producers and Mark Knight said ‘this is a heads, down let’s have it, type track’ I like that description.

What are you working on next?

More heads down lets have it tech house? And some super secret squirrel stuff I can’t really tell you about.

You also have your own radio show on our home station Trickstar Radio. Your show used to be on a Sunday and is now on a Friday. Tell us more about the move and the format of the show.

I was very happy to get the Friday night slot, I think it suits what I’m playing better, it’s super bouncy in your face tech house which doesn’t really suit a lot of people’s Sunday comedown.

Charmain Love at Berlin presents Juliet Sikora 30.08.19

Do you often have guests on the show, and who have you welcomed in?

I try to get guests in once a month or so. I had Maxinne come and do a guest mix back in April during BMC which was awesome, she’d just been signed to the Toolroom Artist rosta and is their resident in Ibiza this Summer at Eden and I love the tracks she’s putting out they are right up my street so I was so pleased she said yes to guest mix. I also recently had Lisa Jane spinning some disco house for Pride who I met through the Toolroom #wearelistening campaign, I get to meet some really cool ladies doing what I’m doing through that initiative.

I remember chatting with you about your clubbing days in Brighton. Which places did you love to party in?

The Zap was my favourite, Seven Sins at the Honeyclub, Spent a lot of time at Audio, Funky Buddah Lounge, jeez I’m showing my age here, went through a phase of going to Ponana on a Sunday night, which was always good for a bit of Sunday night madness had some very funny nights there. Work the next day, not so much…

Were there any standout nights you just couldn't miss?

Pussycat Club at the Zap was just the best. The first three times I went I didn’t get in, it was always so busy they’d just turn non regulars away! So when I landed a residency there a few years later it was literally a dream come true.

Where was your first gig in Brighton?

Hmm, I’m going to say at Sugaqube because I can’t really remember. Sugaqube was this brilliant little late night bar open till 3am on North Street when there weren’t many of them around, they had DJ’s every night and a dance floor so it was like a mini club on the weekends, you got a great crowd in there. I played upstairs for a friends private party and got invited to play in the bar downstairs which led to a monthly residency playing 6 hour long sets on a Friday night (vinyl, 6 hours of vinyl, that was about 50 kgs I did not need a gym).

Charmaine Love with Juliet Sikora 30.08.19

Being a Mum of two and trying to balance DJing and Radio Shows must be a big challenge. How do you do it?

I have a very supportive husband! And I spend nearly every minute when the kids are at nursery or asleep on sorting out music for my sets or production. It's true! Ask my husband. You’ll hear a lot of mums say this - I am so much more focussed and productive with my time now I have so little, ironic isn’t it.

Do your kids think Mummy is super cool for being a DJ and being on the radio?

I’m not sure they are old enough to understand the concept of cool, but if you ask them what music they like they will tell you ‘mummy’s radio show’ (because I make them listen to it in the car…all.the.time. (None of that baby shark crap in my car thankyou pleaaase).

Where's your favourite place to just to kick back and chill in Brighton?

Kick back and chill? What is this concept? I have pre-schoolers…. Sama Circus soft play? OK let me think, if I did have a day without the kids and I wasn’t using that time to produce music what would I do? Sit in my garden probably or maybe go down the beach? Actually I’d definitely go get a coffee and cake in Black Mocha. They do really nice coffee and amazing hot chocolate for big and little ones.

And equally, where's your favourite place to let loose nowadays?

Berlin at the Green Door Store of course! Or any of the various house and tech house nights in the Summer on the terrace at the Tempest are usually a good bet, love it when its warm enough to party outdoors.

Which other DJs or producers are you liking right now?

My goodness there are so many! Love what Maxinne is doing, Mark Knight is consistently excellent, as are most of the Toolroom artists, Eli Brown, Tuff London, Siege etc. Patron is my one to watch, playing everything he produces (although not easy to find on social media ha ha), Fer BR is a current fav, Chus & Ceballos, Kikka Vara…

What are your go-to labels?

Toolroom, Relief, Hot fingers, Nervous, Lapsus, Bunny Tiger, Lemon Juice, Mother.

You have compiled our latest Brighton Mixtapes Series Episode 005 - Tell us more about your mix.

How to explain, OK so for my radio show I spend the first hour just sort of warming up towards the second hour which is the bit I really like, the really full on jump up and down rolling tech house verging on techno shebang. So I basically skipped the warm up bit on this mix and went in full throttle, because, you know, it's fun.

What else can we expect from you soon? What's next on the horizon for DJ gigs, where can people see you next?

I’m hoping with the eldest starting school in a couple of weeks I can start to ramp up the production, so more releases is my focus right now.