The LowDown #119

One-hundred and nineteenth installment of our weekly newsletter from the Team.

Mar 04, 2026

From the Team:

Repeat after me…Saturday…April…11th. Yup - we are confirmed. I am going to hold back on some specific details buuuut I will say that this will be a release party. For those that came to the one in November 2024 for Chiara Manchia, you’ll remember how much of a party it was. This one, will be at a new space in East Williamsburg with good sound and approximately 200 +/- capacity. So a little bigger than the party at TBA (now Mad Radio), but still intimate enough. Also one exciting detail is that the artists that will be releasing with us, and celebrating on April 11th, are local so the turnout should be huge. We are probably going to have vinyl spinning and hopefully the event will feel a little less structured than your normal event. We want to keep it loose!

More details to come!

-George (Costanza)

Artist of the Week:

Per Hammar

Instagram: Perhammar2000

When Per Hammar was young he used to listen to music through a guitar amp. It was not until he got his first speaker that things changed and he was really set off down the path of music. He started off talented with minimal equipment, recording 6 minute songs without looping beats on a sequencer but manually staying in sync on his toy keyboard. Starting his career in Sweden there is no choice but to stay focused, the lackluster weather makes for a lot of time spent inside and if you don’t find a way to make use of that situation you will waste time.

As he began catching steam as a producer and DJ he was involved in a pretty lawless underground house scene, with guard dogs on the dance floor and no worries about the law (sounds epic). This is what shaped his desire for his own label and his curiosity for music and other scenes going forward. In 2014 he launched Dirty Hands, followed by 10YEARS and De Vloer. The whole point was to make his own rules and control the destiny of his sound. He moved to Berlin in 2017 and has been a staple in the underground ever since. His DJ sets are known for blending forgotten vinyl treasures, often in his own re-edited versions, with the latest releases from the new generation of artists.

The dedication Per has to music is something else. He has slept in the studio multiple nights and has used his studio equipment to keep warm instead of turning on a radiator. Not a metaphor, just a guy who would rather be in the studio than anywhere else. That last detail might be the most hardcore fact I have come across in my history of doing research for the Lowdown.

He is also genuinely curious about the broader scene in a way that goes beyond just playing shows. He spends time travelling, meeting other DJs, and pulling inspiration from different scenes and cities. His YouTube series Road Skills documents a lot of this, taking him on the road, getting into the processes of other artists, and exploring the close crews that make each specific scene feel unique. Worth a watch if you have some time.

His sound sits somewhere in dubby prog techno territory, hypnotic and precise, with a synthy layering that runs through a lot of his tracks and makes them immediately recognizable as his own. There is a constant forward roll to his music that feels like you are being propelled forward. After learning more about him and how much precision goes into his production it only makes the music hit differently. Great for the club, and also, completely irresponsibly, great for riding a city bike home at 3am when it’s foggy out, airpods full volume. I am not liable for that recommendation. But if you were wondering… I was listening to the track below, Hydra T Dubb. C’mon say that name out loud in an airport and you might get tackled

-Mike

Another great Dubb in his catalogue.

Mihai just had to get his hands all over this one.

Event of the Week:

Dam Swindle, Josh Butler & (Cristiano?!) Ronaldo @ The Chocolate Factory

Imagine it was Cristiano Ronaldo playing at The Chocolate Factory. Opening from 10-11pm with the most firm looking head of black hair. He would definitely spin tech house banger after banger without a smile.

ANYWAY that is not the case. The Sights and Sounds crew is returning to The Chocolate Factory in East Williamsburg, right next to Elsewhere, Saturday night with a lineup of heavy hitters. Unless you lived under a rock, Dam Swindle and Josh Butler should be familiar names. Josh will be laying down some deep heat that is meant for the lower back and finger wagging on the beat drop. Following him, the Dam Swindle duo will bring their iconic, contemporary disco sound that will (hopefully) have you locking eyes with someone as you shake your hips.