Cáit
DJ
If you’re feeling crap, put on Cáit’s SOULSEEKERS ALLOWANCE 001 mix. It’s a B2B with her brother and fellow DJ Fio Fa, packed with cosmic house and ethereal trance that’s synonymous with her colourful aesthetic, both behind the decks and camera.
Cáit is a photographer and resident DJ for Radiant Love and Dip; two platforms that push resplendent tunes into intimate spaces across Berlin and Dublin. Cáit is close to the independent team behind each party, and has watched Radiant Love and Dip evolve significantly over the years both in Germany and Ireland.
Scroll through Cáit’s Instagram and you’ll get an insight into her incandescent style of photography, with individual prints up for grabs here. Like the dreamy colour palette laced throughout her visual work, Cáit’s record collection is the same. Her tunes reflect the spirited ethos of Radiant Love and Dip, leading her to the booths of Dublin’s District 8, Berlin’s Renate, Belfast’s S13 Warehouse and more since she started playing out in 2014.
As the year draws to an end, Cáit shares a memory from a well-known spot in Dublin 1. She shares why this shot resonates with her and embodies so much about the community of Dip, as well as sharing the latest tracks by local artists who have slipped into her library and more…
Photo: Cáit
Where was this photo taken and why did you choose it? What was the music vibe at the time?
This is a photo I took of the crowd at Dip in December 2019 in Jigsaw. Byron Yeates and D.Tiffany were playing B2B. The buzz was up! As always with Jigsaw, sweat was dripping from the ceiling and people were shedding all their layers. I chose this photo because I wanted to mention Jigsaw, Dip and Radiant Love (RL).
Dip is a party I put on in Jigsaw with Enda aka Soft Stone, Jenn aka Dreamcycles and Robbie aka R.Kitt. We usually just rotate it and have one of us play all night, around every two months. So technically it’s a residents night but this night was an exception. Jigsaw parties are very fulfilling to get to put on, go to and play at. It can be a total mess but it has its heart in the right place. I dunno where we would be in Dublin without Jigsaw these past few years. Dublin has been feeling restrictive in a lot of ways but Jigsaw has been a place to feel an escape from that.
Byron runs Radiant Love alongside Amelia Emma Forrest and Jochem Van Bruggen. The RL parties are what I always imagined parties to be like but nothing ever really lived up to my fantasy until I got to dance there. There is so much love, care and thought put into how they do everything. I always feel very lucky to have been a part of both Radiant and Dip.
How have you been over the last few months and what is life currently like in Ireland?
Yeah it’s been a rollercoaster…and I am not really able for big rollercoasters. I like middle of the road rollercoasters like the Magic Mouse. You know the one? In Ireland it’s in Bundoran and Funderland. It’s like a waltzer cart on a track. You can see its start and end point. You know it’s not going to last long. You can see the highs, the turns and the lows. You know some of it is going to be tough but you can gear yourself up for it. You also get a gas photo of hair raising screams at the end. Proof of putting yourself through the extremities for a bit of a buzz.
The rollercoaster of the past few months has been a BIG one. Going into some of the darkest tunnels I didn’t see coming at all. Up on the highs it has been really good to get some distance from everything. Having that space has made me see just how important dancing and music has been for me for so long. I knew it was a big part of my life but I don’t think really gave it enough credit for just how much it gives to me.
Who have you been listening to over the last while and are there any local artists who have cropped up on your radar recently? Who are they and why do they stand out for you?
Locally I’ve been listening to loads of Fulacht Fiadh. Hard to describe but I’ll give it a go, it’s kinda future fantasy medieval magic mushroom music. Perfect pondering soundtrack for walking through the trees or dystopian supermarkets. Great song titles too. Listened to loads of Rising Damp’s album. Had a very weird 30th birthday (on the first weekend of lockdown here) but a highlight on the day was shouting the lyrics to ‘My Motorbike’ on a walk through the park. Would recommend! Other releases that have been on repeat for me are Gemma Dunleavy’s ‘Up The Flats’ EP and Keiyaa’s ‘Forever, Ya Girl’ album. Really love the videos both Gemma and KeiyaA released this year too.
I don’t think I could have made it through 2020 without Roza Terenzi’s ‘Maricas’ mix. It soundtracked so many weird situations I found myself in and it always made everything better. Another mix I’ve been listening to a lot has been the John Digweed - 'Journeys by DJs Vol. 4'. It has got some very cheesy moments but it’s exactly what I need to dance in my gaff. I really enjoyed Maria Somerville’s morning residency on NTS. It made the morning so much more of an event being soundtracked seamlessly by Maria.
As local as the front room, lastminuteman set up his temporary home studio here. Getting to hear his music seep under the door during lockdown was very beautiful. Keep an eye on wherethetimegoes Bandcamp for their ‘Frog Of Earth’ release in December.
You've shared beautiful shots of Ireland, nature, friends and more over on your IG account. Has photography helped you to remain creatively engaged this year? What has been your favourite photo come out of your collection so far?
Favourite photo so far might be this one I took this year called Twist. It kinda sums up 2020 for me. It’s from a project called Falling Forward that I made for a show in June. They were photos I took around the house and on walks around where I live. My friends Áine Byrne and Isadora Epstein turned a lock up in their back garden into a gallery. They called it the Aquarium (yes they are both Aquarius) and I got to show these photos alongside sculptures made by Elysia Tuohy, which were like ASMR for your eyes.
Jenn, Dreamcycles soundtracked the show and for anyone who has listened to any of Jenn’s work you know it’s 100% ASMR for your ears. Áine made some colourful coral shaped sculptures for the garden for people to socially distance. People could then enter the room alone or with whoever they wanted. This set up took away a lot of the potential anxiety of exhibitions, where you were given space to look at the work in private. So yeah I was grateful for Isadora and Áine for making this happen and giving me a much needed deadline to work towards this year. Was a definite highlight.
As an artist, how do you feel about the future at the moment?
I am looking forward to seeing how different things are going to be. I think there has been a lot of time for people to develop their skills and to make music that isn’t for the club. So I hope there is going to be a lot of new music and influences brought to the table next year. I’m excited about the new DJs in Ireland coming to shake things up. This is especially evident to me from the latest Gash radio mixes by Síofra, Robyn, DJ EGG and Jennifer Akandu. Hope I get to hear them in a club soon!
What has been a source of calm/comfort for you throughout 2020 so far?
Screaming in my car! HAHAHAHAHA, but yeah singing/shouting has been a huge release of tension. Cooking, walking and talking to friends has really helped a lot. Swimming in the sea this summer. The big plus of living in Dublin is its proximity to the sea, mountains and big parks. Been good to really explore and use those spaces this year.
Getting to make mixes has made me feel like myself again. I set up a mix series with my brother Fionn, it's called Soulseekers Allowance. Hope to have our second guest mix out before the end of the year!
Listen to Cáit’s Same Heads mix here and follow her below: