Juno Daily – In The Mix & interview: Auntie Flo
We go with the Flo
Acclaimed DJ, producer, and live performer Brian d’Souza, better known as Auntie Flo, shares his brand-new album, In My Dreams (I’m A Bird and I’m Free), set for release 21 November. The album, a rich blend of electronic music, live instrumentation, and global influences, will be available in both digital and vinyl formats on his own label, A State of Flo Records.
“This album is deeply personal and a reflection of the journeys I’ve taken—both literal and musical,” d’Souza says of the project. “From Nairobi to Mexico City, Havana to Waiheke Island, the tracks on this album all have a special place of origin. It’s a celebration of migration, freedom, and connection, while also being an evolution of my sound.”
As someone whose properly wideranging tastes are obvious from his productions, we thought he’d make the ideal candidate for a Juno Daily – In The mix session… Naturally enough, we also grabbed the opportunity to put a few questions to him.
TRACKLIST
1. Molero – Tambores y Frecuencias Rituales
2. Quiet Village – Reunion
3. Osunlade – Elyodcire
4. Rico Jorge – Esteja Livre Pra Morrer
5. Indian Man – Earth Patch Feat. Diabel Cissokho (Auntie Flo Remix)
6. Diego Barrera – Kofumba
7. Bolla – Makussa (Raw Drum Mix)
8. TSVI & DJ Plead – Twos And Fours
9. Blck Mamba – Get Up And Move
10. Kasra V – Encore
11. 82J6 – R228 (Beatless Mix)
12. D Monk – Listen
13. RFID – Africa By Accident
14. 1234 Bisous – Louder
15. Francisco Allendes, Felipe Venegas – Llovizna (Luciano Remix)
16. Auntie Flo – Bird’s Eye View (Club Mix)
17. Bolla – Downward Staircase
18. Los Hermanos – Quetzal
19. Auntie Flo – Ceibo (Rain-A-Pella)
Hi and thanks for your time…. First of all, can you tell us where you are right now, and what kind of day you’re having… Been anywhere already or going anywhere interesting later?
Right now I’m in the studio, which is at Ten87 in Seven Sisters, London. I’m working on the music for a short film called The Lonely Mushroom. I did a forage in South London yesterday with a team from 6Music. They are interested in how I create bioelectrical music from mushrooms and other living things. It’s been sunny so I’ve been feeling good.
Tell us a bit about your formative musical experiences… Early musical memories from siblings, parents, schoolmates… First record bought, first band/performances, and how you feel in love with the music you make now?
Listening to John Peel on the radio as a teenager. Writing down his track lists and then spending my pocket money in my local record store buying the records he used to play. This was completely formative as it got me into record collecting, digging for music outside the mainstream and hungry to explore weird and wonderful musical terrain that challenges as much as it excites
Give us a brief precis of what you’ve released to date and any other notable career landmarks…
I’ve had a 20 year career as a DJ and been releasing music for over 12 years. That makes me feel old. Next week I’ll be releasing my fourth studio album ‘In My Dreams (I’m a Bird And I’m Free)’. It is a special record for me and one that at times over the past five years didn’t think would ever come out. I had reached a career high with Radio Highlife in 2018, released on Brownswood. I was playing big venues and had many career highlights through that record – winning the SAY award for best album, playing the headline slot at We Out Here on the main stage Saturday night and selling out our UK tour. Then COVID hit and I lost love for dance music, DJing and the scene. Five years later, I’m now more excited by electronic music than ever and super excited to be sharing this album. It’s definitely the best thing I’ve ever done, so hopefully it will be another career landmark.
Tell us what you’ve kindly served up for us in the shape of your mix…
The dance music that I return to is the stuff that can be called ‘real music’. Although that’s a naff term, I’m talking about music with soul, with real meaning and expert musicianship. The stuff that Joe Claussell puts out, the stuff on Underground Resistance, Osunlade. So there’s that element but also a cross section of new music that I’m excited about. Since I started our Highlife parties in 2010, there has been an explosion of fusion music, blending electronic with music from the global south – ultra effective visceral club music with weird percussion and made vocals.. I also included a couple of new tracks from me – Bird’s Eye View, which is on the new album and a remix that I just did for Indian Man . Both are airing for the first time..
Auntie Flo – great artist name. It was used as a codeword in WW2 at Bletchley Park, but apparently your choice to adopt it was not based on that… Tell us more anyway.
I did not know that! It’s after an auntie of mine from Goa. She’s actually on the new album singing in Konkani on the closing track. She died shortly after we recorded so it’s extra special to preserve her memory on the album.
Likewise your album title – In My Dreams (I’m A Bird & I’m Free). Where did that come from?
I spent five years trying to come up with a title that talked about the freedom of birds, how they can migrate across borders much easier than humans. It’s one of the major themes of the album. I asked Joshua Idehen to write a poem about this for the opening track and one of his lines was ‘In My Dreams, I’m a bird and I’m free, which sums up the albums perfectly – so I used it for the title.
How would you describe your sound on it? There’s quite a lot of different stuff going on in there – house, synthpop, Afrobeat, broken beat… erm we could go on.
I try my best not to be categorised. I don’t start a track and think ‘I’ll make a such and such genre of song’ ever.. My influences are diverse but I try to make every song personal to me, with meaning and depth and a real story behind it, which these all do. I am a globalist and believe in the power of music to bring us all together, breaking down language, cultural and other barriers. Maybe I’m being overly ambitious, but in this increasingly fractured world, I think it’s important.
And what else are you up to musically at the moment? What are you hearing that’s inspiring you? Any more DJ/live or release action we should know about?
I’m working on a follow up album and EP that are due to drop next year. I’m also working on a new generative AI music app, which will hopefully come out next year. And I’ve got the beginnings of a live AV show coming together, which will help to showcase the new album.
Before all that, come to my album launch party at Phonica Records on Thursday November 21! It’s free and I’m going to play some of my most treasured vinyl.
Buy Auntie Flo’s In My Dreams (I’m A Bird & I’m Free) on vinyl by clicking here