Dummy Mix 330 // 2Lanes

We've had our eyes on Detroit based DJ and producer 2Lanes for a while now. A self-proclaimed driving music enthusiast, he previously shared his track TFW with us back in November of 2015, which Akash Chohan described as "driving music for scorched tyre rubber cracking dry bones into shrapnel." If that ain't the sound of entering heaven, then what is?

Since then, 2Lanes has released on Orlando Volcano's forward thinking imprint Escape From New York, as well as recently dropping the sensual sounds of perfectly named joint Peachy Beach. He's also spent a decent chunk of 2016 firming up a new event series in his home city of Detroit, Auto Shop. Looking like the 2k16 clean living version of Xzibit's Pimp My Ride, 2Lanes takes the show on the road next month for an extra-special party in New York. Touching down at Elvis Guesthouse on June 2nd, the line-up features eagerly anticipated appearances from Ratking's Sporting Life, 1080p regular Beta Librae, Shy Eyez, the one and only Road Hog, and 2Lanes himself. 

As 2Lanes would say, "my way or the highway."

Tune into the mix below, and get set to change lane.

Hey 2Lanes. How is 2016 for you so far? What have you been up to?

2Lanes: "2016 has been great and it is finally warm here in Detroit. I've been trying to be more active in the city out here, but no-one books me, so I started throwing my own party Auto Shop. My way or the highway!!"

What's happening in Detroit at the moment? Any exciting parties, new artists, or stuff going down beyond the obvious house vibe?

2Lanes: "It's about to be Movement weekend here, which is the big electronic music festival in Detroit. It's also the first year of Trip metal fest, which is another smaller festival that caters to more experimental underground music, and its totally free! Movement used to be free, then it was cheap, now its kind of expensive. NTS Radio are setting up shop in Detroit all weekend (Friday to Sunday from 11am to 6pm EST/NYC time), and I will be helping run the broadcast, so catch me on there!

My Auto Shop party is a thing, I try to have artists play that have never come to Detroit or haven't played here before. A lot of (new and more established) artists never come through this city, and it sometimes feel like Detroit is left behind from all the new music happenings, so I'm trying to change that. Tomorrow, I'm throwing a show with Via App, Bookworms, Entro Senestre, Turtle Bugg and local Detroit bruh Black Noi$e. It's at City Club, which is a famous old Detroit rave cave built in the side of a shady hotel. Derrick May had his first residency there, then it became an actual goth/juggalo club. Everybody hated on it for a while, but now everybody likes it because it stays open until 4am and people like the grungy/eire vibe. Shout out Travis, the coolest bartender in town!

Detroit is changing! A lot of huge big-money corporate stuff is coming in, but also some cool more independent stuff as well. Thats a whole different conversation though. Some new cool artists that I'm really into here are Abby, Ali Berger, and Julien Kendall.  Abby plays some of the craziest new club music which is really cool. She just moved back from NYC and it's nice to hear that stuff out in Detroit, which you don't really hear much at all. Ali Berger and Julien Kendall are some of the slickest vinyl DJs out here, both just had new records come out too…go buy them."

Tell us a little bit more about this mix – was it recorded with a particular mood or environment in mind?

2Lanes: "This would probably be something I would play at one of my own parties. Or something to drive to. Mostly all my music is made for the car. I drive a lot out here and Ive always been into cruising around listening to music. You see the craziest things out here on the road! Its extremely inspiring to me. Or something to play with a nice bottle of lambrusco." 

"I really like the idea of music and life becoming one, and how the most seemingly average things can have such detail and meaning to some people." – 2Lanes 

Are there any exclusive tracks, stand outs, personal faves, or stories behind any of the selections?

2Lanes: "Yes, I have two new ones in there – a re-dub of an old dub track and a really rough sounding one called Hard Breeze. There is another track made by my friend JJ who doesn't produce much. He's a crazy computer programmer and made the track in high school with Max MSP. It sampled a bunch of radio and statistically matched the samples based on transients/other aural properties and results in this weird funky jam. The Peter Fonda Rihanna edit to DJ Sotofett blend had someone rolling around on the floor of City Club once, so I decided it would be nice for this mix. Also thank you to Marieme for the intro!!!"

If you could go back in time and relive another era, when would you choose and what sort of things would you do?

2Lanes: "Ummm I would just go back and tell my younger self to get into techno and computer programming sooner, and that it will set me up for the future! I'm not really one for nostalgia [laughs]."

Tell us a little more about this mix art and the designer?

2Lanes: "Amad Ilyas does mostly all of my art. We met online and have a lot of similar interests. He is great to work with and is extremely talented. He sees my vision and takes it to the next level with grace and cadence. It's fun to run ideas by him. I got really tired of all these extremely vague 3-D render art that just seemed so random, so I gravitate to things I have personal connections to… like car stereos and Carhartt shirts [laughs]. I really like the idea of music and life becoming one, and how the most seemingly average things can have such detail and meaning to some people, so I try to reflect that in all of my visuals."

Peanut butter or Nutella?

2Lanes: "Crunchy peanut butter with flax seed and hemp, lightly spread over a perfect fuji or gala apple."

Send us a weird jpg…

Any last words, shout outs or things on the horizon for 2Lanes?

2Lanes: "Make more music, find the strength in your own creative agency, stay hydrated and please try and eat healthily. There are terrible things happening in our food. I'm throwing a party in NYC on Thursday June 2nd with Sporting Life, Beta Librae, Shy Eyez, and Road Hog. I'm trying to pave this road across the world, if you don't like it then GET THE FUCK OUT MY LANE!!!!"

2Lanes hosts the NYC edition of his Auto Shop event series on June 2nd at Elvis Guesthouse, New York City (info).