​Mixmag Asia Radio: Cosmic nostalgia from SadoMasoDisco co-founder Limsum

One of half of Manila-based rave series SadioMasoDisco, and co-founder of Manila Community Radio, Jeric Lim aka Limsum is a legal trainee by day, and a flawless selector by night.

Since starting out as a DJ in 2015, Limsum’s sense of satisfaction comes directly from the energy he pours out to a dance floor — he’s all about lighting up a dance floor, connecting with it and experimenting with where it can go. Whilst never shy to throw in the odd curveball, there’s a nostalgic consistency emanating from house, disco and techno throughout a Limsum.

His ultimate goal as a DJ is to unite generations via dance floor hedonism.

Limsum’s set for Mixmag Asia Radio is packed with belters, heaters, and suitably esoteric seat-warmers — hit play below and find out more about the Manila-based selector.

Where are you based and how did you get there?

I’m based in Manila, Philippines. I was born and raised here.

What’s your favourite thing about the music scene there?

I love how everyone knows everyone in the music scene here. And everyone is also receptive to all kinds of music.

In five words, what do your DJ sets sound like?

Freeing, euphoric, surprising, energetic, diverse.

And in three words, how would you describe yourself?

Anxious, sleep deprived, stressed.

What recent trends in music have you been paying attention to? Have you caught onto them?

I noticed that the trend is leaning towards old progressive house or 90s trance. There has always been a certain nostalgia for songs made back in the 90s. I try to mix a bit of these genres into my sets while still mixing in house or 90s techno.

Are there any producers and DJs in Asia that have recently caught your attention?

Karlo, a DJ from Elephant and SadoMasoDisco, has really caught my attention because of the way he seamlessly mixes and transitions from one genre to another.

Hideki Ito, who is also a producer and a DJ, is also great with mixing songs but he really excels in making his own edits of Filipino pop songs mashed up with techno.

Thirstkid (Jacob Mendoza), who is also a producer and DJ under the collective of Sounds Nais, not only makes superb music but he also allocates an amount of the proceeds from the sales of his compilations to different NGOs in the Philippines.

Describe one prediction you have about dance music in a post-pandemic world that’s being driven by new technologies.

With the way Artificial Intelligence keeps improving, I think it won’t be long before AI will start to replace DJs. While AI can’t fully pick out which songs go well with other songs, I believe that mixing-wise, it will probably be able to beat-match perfectly.

Tell us about the inspiration behind this mix - what drove your thoughts and emotions, and how did you curate your selection?

For this mix, I wanted to show the progression of what a night out is for me. The earlier part of the mix signifies the beginning of the night so the songs are not high tempo but are still songs that we can dance to. As the mix progresses, the energy starts to build. Then the mix subtly ends with a song that has just the right elements needed to end a night out. The songs in the mix are dance music from the 90s and current dance music from producers I really like.

What equipment did you record this mix on?

A pair of Pioneer XDJ 700s, Allen & Heath Xone 62 mixer, and a Scarlett 2i4.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen happening from the DJ booth?

I guess my story is more funny than weird. I had to wear a sling at some point last year. At one of my gigs, a guy came but... in crutches. It was a funny coincidence that we still went out even if we both were injured.

Where can we hear you playing next?

My next gig is SadoMasoDisco with Ani Phoebe (Bad Times Disco HK) on April 1.