STAY+ X BONAFIDE BEATS #23

Stay+ are something of an enigma, and by all accounts they’re very keen to keep it that way, adopting a meme like course of action to do so…

Here’s what little we do know about the collective; this summer they were forced to change their name from the ludicrously funny Christian AIDS after the charity name-sake issued them with a rather uncharitable ‘trademark infringement notice’, they come from Manchester and released only their second physical release this week, the bewitching Fever, via a 12″ on Ramp.

So what about the actual music? Well, judging from a handful of singles and remixes there’s certainly a whiff of nostalgic 90s rave while indistinguishable vocals ghost throughout the tracks in a manner reminiscent to a chillwave Burial and the recent garage renaissance within dance music (as discussed here) and with titles like Stay Positive and 5 Ways to Stay Positive in a Negative World, the name of this particular mix, there is a certain Weltschmerz about them that charms. 


This mix also comes with a visual, at Stay+’s request, a ‘live self-help dance mix featuring Bob Mangroo’ on narration. Bob, on a little digging, is a real life ‘personal potential coach and spiritual teacher’ who Stay+ seem to have a symbiotic internet relationship with, a quirk that should add to rather than detract from their music, proving there are still original ways of doing unoriginal things.

I can’t quite work out if the incessant use of the ‘Bonafide‘ audio idents on the mix is something of a piss-take or a sign of playful genuflection, either way with a track list this dope i’m smoking it.

Blue Daisy – Status Off Air
Flying Lotus- GNG BNG
Joker and Rustie – Play Doe
Joker & Ginz – Re-Up
Alter Ego – Fuckingham Palace (Modeselektor’s SW1A1AA Remix)
Africa Hitech – Out In The Streets

Filed under: Bass, Electronic, Mixes, Video by D.K.