Moodsavers: crew co-creation as a template for sonic abundance
What a weekend of events in Brooklyn means to us—and how you can join in.
Did you like our double feature last week with Detroit-based purefastmoods and LA-based agraybé ? Take a listen if you haven’t already!
Over Moods’ seven-year history, our mission has roughly remained the same: build a community of nightlife workers, techno fans, and artists that platforms music outside of (and beyond) techno. When we do this, we explore our community’s sonic roots and origins, witness how music migrates from one geography and generation to another, and move a few steps closer to the vision we have of the world we want to live in.
For a dash of context, here’s Moods’ vision statement we first wrote around 2020:
We envision a world where the techno community is softer, kinder, slower, and more intentional with our stories and each other. We make space to discuss narratives that inspire us on and off the dance floor. We hang out during the day, we spin Motown, we share recipes, we show up, and we remind each other of our strongest elders and ancestors.
There are no keepers of the gate; just keepers of stories.
With every new season of Moods, we use our mission to move toward our vision. Our longstanding monthly mixtape series, merchandise, and low-capacity events have anchored our programming, point of view, and values to 20,000+ listeners across 6 continents. We’ve distributed $18,000+ to 70+ musicians, cultural workers, and causes. And next weekend, we’re exploring a new dimension to the Moodsworld with a collaborative three-night event series with the NYC-based crew Lifesavers.
Save your mood, save your life
Lifesavers—co-run by Moods Season One alumni Jordan Stanton and (soon-to-be!) Season Seven alumni Sarah Zarina—program events across New York City, celebrating music that saved our lives. Their work resonates deeply with Moods’ own mission and vision, offering deejays and musicians an opportunity to center the songs and sounds closest to their heart, history, and home.
This upcoming collaboration spans three nights in May, weaving together a selection of Moods alumni over the past seven seasons. Join us at any or every event; expect a celebration of music that’s saved our moods and saved our lives. They include:
Bossa Nova Civic Club May 3rd with
Endash (Moods Season 1)
YASMEENAH (Moods Season 7)
*Fun fact!* Moods held their first event, Moods on Tuesday, at BNCC back in 2018. The fullest of circles!
Jupiter Disco May 4th with
Jordyflower (Moods Season 1)
Miguel Cisne (Moods Season 4), who will also be on the Lot Radio that day
*Another fun fact!* Very J sold records via Duty Free Records at the Finjams x Moods series in 2021.
ANYTHING May 5th with
DJ Etta (Moods Season 3)
Gil A.D. (Moods Season 4)
*A third fun fact!* Anything is Moods co-organizer Daniel’s favorite bar in Brooklyn. His favorite restaurant, however, is Rolo’s, and everyone knows that.
A template for all—and a pitch for the future
With the collective strength of two crews co-creating a weekend, we hope to do a few things beyond our mission and vision:
Offer a template for other crews to program a series of events in their towns, cities, and regions. One-off parties can get lost in the shuffle; weekend takeovers (with a smart budget) can really make a splash.
Dig deeper into Moods’ alumni catalogue, and pair them with new, established, and emerging talent.
Platform and channel resources to our friend and community organizer Rami, who is traveling to Cairo to work on-the-ground with Gazan refugees in need of housing, medical equipment, and food for their families.
Ground our work in sonic abundance: there is, in fact, enough resources for the music community to work together and support one another. Silo-ification is boring and capitalistic. Collective liberation requires all of us, step-by-step, to rebuild the world we want to live in, and we’re exploring what that can look like with Moodsavers.
We hope to see you there. Or maybe you want to bring Moodsavers to your own city, community, and region—just reach out. Let’s do this thing.
Wheee!
-Sarah and Jordan from Lifesavers and Crystal, Miguel, and Daniel from Moods