I feel like being a little behind the mark on these might start to be a trend, but to be fair there was a lot of coordination and editing that went along with this one, and on top of it all my external hard drive gave out and I lost years of work. But anyway, here we are.

I got the idea for who I wanted to work with on this mix while in the back of a tuk tuk in Thailand, bumping through traffic, dodging motorbikes, feeling the chaotic energy of crowded Bangkok streets. So I knew just who to call. I put the bat signal in the air for the handcrafter of vibes himself, Andre Doughty.

From Twitch to TikTok, Dre can be a calm menace in the best way. One minute he's live streaming nothing but soundboard chaos, the next he's playing the infamous Thanksgiving song for ten hours straight. He's a living loot box. You never really know what you're gonna get.

Day to day, Dre comes across as an easygoing, chill, go with the flow dude. His energy is steady, relaxed, almost nonchalant. But when he steps behind the decks, it's like an alter ego takes over. The calm fades and his high energy self snaps into place. Suddenly he's controlling the room, reading the crowd like it's his second language.

This mix has exactly the energy I knew Dre would bring. A high energy, eclectic mix of afro house that captures that feeling of moving through streets on a good night out. I'm gonna be vibing to this for a long time. You should do the same.

I started this project for a few reasons. One, to tell the stories of creatives around the globe, but also to inspire. I asked Andre a few questions based on that.

Me: What inspires you to create/DJ

Andre: I think all DJs have an intrinsic desire to share the music they love with as many people as possible, whether that's in a public space, on the radio, or on the internet. And so that desire to share music and create community motivates me to DJ.

Me: What would you want to say to creatives out there in a rut?

Andre: for anyone who is stuck in a rut or looking to get started on their creative journey, just do something. Whether it's good or it's bad, whether it's paid or unpaid, do something. By doing something, you give yourself the opportunity to learn from your successes and learn from your failures. So just do something. Get it done. Put it on paper. Put it in a file, whatever it may be. Just get something done