Tia Cousins Mixx
The rise of online radio stations with their unrestricted musical policies has been a perfect blessing for Tia Cousins. She is a collector with a passion for in-between sounds, for experimental genres and niches both old and new. She has a collection that belies her young years, but one that has won her plenty of recognition in underground circles, from NTS to Balamii, the Tate Gallery to Brilliant Corners. We’re so excited to have her feature as #29 on our Tapes series.
Tia's extensive knowledge reaches well into jazz, synth-pop and post-punk. But she can just as easily join the dots between EBM and cold wave on the radio as she can lay down heavier techno, breaks and chug in the club. So far her dizzyingly eclectic but well-sequenced selections have turned heads on radio stations across the country, most recently landing her on Leeds' Narr Radio for a new bi-monthly show.
Tracklist
Exhausted Modern - Food of the Gods (Ayaz Remix)
Black Seed - Lyskam
Slowglide - Vivarium
Christian Coiffure - Sketches
Poperttelli - Merditocraty
Kellen303 - Vital Signs
Valentino Mora - Trans Format Eurotica (Underwater Rephase)
Rhyme Design - Believe The Hype
The Groove Corporation Meet Original Rockers - Stoned (Kashmir Twist Mix)
Eric Cloutier - Ekpyrosis
Hool’s Experience - Poison
French II - Whaha Riddim
Maara - Tranquil Lost Mommy
Eastman - Selector
MM - Tompocalypse
Kamran - Takeoff In Tehran
Nasty King Kurl - Hekate
Mode.D - Mindflanger
Hi Tia! Thanks for putting this mix together for us, lovely tunes. Can you tell me a bit about where it was recorded?
Hey, thanks for having me on the mix series! I recorded this in my living room on my BTEC controller with a couple of cans of Stella on a Friday night when no one was in.
Fav track on the mix?
Kamran - Takeoff In Tehran, makes me wanna dance my ass off.
I’ve always loved the idea of doing a Radio show but never found the time! I love your NTS show, can you let people know a bit about how it came about? What’s it like prepping for a show like that, is there pressure to make sure everything is new new new on each occasion!? Must be fun to do!
Thanks! I got asked to do a guest show for them a couple of years ago when I first started doing radio things and then was asked if I wanted to become a resident on the station. I’m no longer with them now, but I’ve got a bi-monthly show on NARR Radio in Leeds and will be doing things on the brand new Voices Radio based in Coals Drop Yard, London.
I looooove doing radio, I feel like every show is a bit of an emotional output so it’s nice to have that to look back on. Yeah, there’s a bit of pressure I guess. I think that’s mainly down to me overthinking things and not wanting to be called lazy for playing the same track twice.
Your gigs coming up look healthy, must be nice to be back. I was at a wedding last weekend so missed out on all the madness in London (gutted) but I am a bit anxious about being in a full cap room again. In Bath on Thursday the venue was half full and it’s a theatre space so it was kinda okay (still v anxious tho lol). How were your parties last weekend? Must have been so nice.
Yeah I’m stoked to be back in the club. Yeah it’s a bit wild being surrounded by so many people again, kinda overwhelming. The last weekend was soooo much fun! I played at the first Jelly Legs event at Cafe 1001, with my friend Oscar (who I play as Evening Mass with) alongside some chug daddy legends like Richard Sen, John Paynter and Duncan Gray. On Sunday I played at The Cause with the Polar crew, which was super fun but I hung about far too long and still feel horrible now.
Best track you played last weekend?
Alf Champion - Lucidus Somnia (Tyu’s Ritmomix), out on Fucanglong Files. Such a crazyyyyy track, it’s got some booky vocal and a crazy oscillator. I think if I was off my face in a club I’d lose my shit.
Track you wish you didn’t play last weekend? (I was absolutely steaming by the end and dropped ATB into ALICE DEEJAY - love myself but hate myself at the same time for doing it)
My memories of the weekend are a bit blurry so I can’t answer this but that sounds like a banging combo. Sometimes you need a bitta cheese on a night out.
Track you wish you had played!!! (So many haha)
T Pain - Up Down, my guilty pleasure at the moment. I don’t think there’s ever going to be a suitable time or place to play it though.
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Interview by @armand.origins