mixmag netherlands
What emerges from that period is not just technical ability, but patience. An understanding that energy is not always immediate, and that the work often happens before the payoff. Those early rooms, imperfect, unpredictable, shaped a way of thinking that continues to define how Inafekt approaches a set.
“I started playing at a friend’s weekly club night at E.B.G.B.S in Liverpool around 2018. It was the basement room, basically like a dungeon, sticky floors, low cei- ling, the absolute pits in the best possible way. I was 18 and had a lot of good nights in that place. Some weeks it would be packed, other weeks there might only be ten people in the room. Nights like that teach you very quickly how to read a dancefloor becau- se you have to adapt to whate- ver situation you’re in. I remember there was a period where it was quiet for weeks and then sud- denly one night the place was absolutely rammed. Being able to play to a full room after putting the time in really unlocked some- thing in me. The payoff was un- believable and it taught me early on that patience is a huge part of DJing. Those nights shaped how I think about dancefloors now. It’s not just about playing good records, it’s about understan- ding the room and learning how to build energy regardless of how many people are there.”
The transition from those rooms into wider recognition often arri- ves in fragments. A track pla- yed by the right person at the right time. A moment that feels almost accidental, but carries weight long after it passes. The- se moments do not announce themselves as turning points. They reveal their
significance gradually, through what follows.
For Inafekt, that shift was tied to a first release that moved be- yond the local. It introduced a di- fferent level of visibility, but more importantly, a different kind of validation. The sense that what had been built in smaller rooms could translate into larger sys- tems.
“That moment definitely felt like a turning point for me. I was ac- tually standing at the back of Invisible Wind Factory in Liver- pool when Alan Fitzpatrick star- ted mixing my track in. I rushed forward because I couldn’t quite believe what was happening. Su- ddenly you hear your own drums coming through the system and realise someone like Alan is pla- ying your record. At the time it felt pretty magical and it gave me a huge boost in confidence. It made me realise that what I was doing could actually go so- mewhere. After that, I had loads of people reaching out and it felt like the perception shifted qui- te quickly from people seeing it as a small project to something they started taking much more seriously.”
BUILDING A LANGUAGE FROM THE PAST
What defines Inafekt’s sound is not a fixed genre, but a founda- tion. The reference point sits in a specific era, one that continues to shape both texture and struc- ture. The influence is not applied directly. It filters through selec- tion, through the way sounds are chosen and arranged rather than replicated.
Liverpool’s relationship to rave culture plays a role in that. The legacy of ’90s dance music exists as something inherited rather than discovered. Early exposu- re, often indirect, becomes more significant over time. What once felt like background begins to re- veal itself as foundation.
This connection extends into the act of digging. Not as a trend, but as a method. The process of searching, collecting, and un- derstanding older
records be-
comes central to how the sound develops. It creates a continuity between past and present that feels intentional without being forced.
“For me the key has always been having a solid foundation, and my sound is very much rooted in the ’90s. Growing up in Liverpool the- re’s a huge rave culture around dance music from that era. One of my earliest memories of hea- ring that kind of music was ac- tually from my mum, who was an old school raver herself. She used to play the old 051 mixes from the likes of Lee Butler and Dave Graham. At the time I didn’t rea- lise how important those sounds would become to me. Years later I found myself digging back throu- gh those mixes and even asking Lee and Dave for their track IDs. That digging mentality naturally carried into collecting records. I only started buying vinyl about two years ago and already have over 300 records. It’s incredibly addictive. When I’m producing, I always start tracks from scratch, but the samples and synths I reach for usually come from that same era. The way I select and process them has become qui- te personal over time, and that’s what keeps everything feeling coherent whether
something more techno leaning or something closer
I’m making to house.
For me it’s about carrying those sounds forward and finding new ways to use them.”
That foundation allows for mo- vement without losing identity. The ability to shift between gen- res becomes less about versati- lity and more about continuity. Each transition feels connected because it is built on the same underlying language.
At the same time, that flexibili- ty requires awareness. Context matters. The room, the lineup, the expectation all influence how far a set can move without breaking. The balance between freedom and intention becomes part of the process.
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