I've found a new hobby to pass the miserable winter cold. Charity shops around London are hidden treasure troves of rare and uber cool vinyls. The Technics at home are going to be put to work , so I hooked them up to my mixer and dug out the vinyls I had.

This inspired a search for the old forgotten black discs gathering dust on the shelves of mothball scented charity stores.
Here's what the last few days efforts have found:

Claude Debussy : Images / Children's Corner
Performed by Claude Helffer

Found at Oxfam, Soho for 2 quid. I love Debussy's work, it's like floating on cloud 9. Light, airy, sparkly dare I say.

Earl "Fatha" Hines

I love anything jazz. And to find this gem marks is a successful hunt. my favourites songs on this record are If I Had You, Honeysuckle Rose and Dark Eyes.
The back of the sleeve writes a short history of Mr Hines. Also written is a 'Statement of Purpose' - an almost decree of why the record was made. It's interesting to note that this is a remastered record, derived from poor quality discs of 78r.p.m that engineers spent hundreds of hours 'tediously splicing, editing and adjusting' to bring this particular record to life.

 
Chopin
4 Ballades & 3 Mazurkas
My ultimate favourite pianist and classical composer. The difficulty is that you have to find the right pianist, who can translate the immense emotion withing his pieces with the appropriate strokes of the ivory.

I took a bet on this one having never heard of the pianist (and yer, ok the cover got me) and was pleasantly surprised. The notes were played out at just the right speed. Softly, intensely, just as one would imagine Chopin to have played them.

Another Formula E race upon us, this time in the City of Love ... Paris. The temperatures dropped for the weekend but the excitement didn't. How can spirits be dampened when you're in the middle of a city seeping with such beauty and culture?

It was the first time a race of this magnitude was set in Paris. With a track wrapping in and around such iconic landmarks of the city, the pressure to deliver was very much felt.

The track wrapped around Les Invalides with glimpses of the mighty Eiffel Tower. The Emotion Club was a large affair, with two rooms separated by a garden terrace. And in other news...I was made a cartoon for the Paris edition of the Formula E guide.

The gala dinner was held at the stunning Hotel du Ville. It was like being princess for a night. A ballroom of royal grandeur. Majestic chandeliers hung in their weighted crystal glory, the wooden floorboards creaked as I imagine they would have under the satin, buckled shoes of white-wigged nobility. I took in as much of this moment as possible...

The second Shop.Drink.Play saw another successful night of fashion, music and cocktails.
 My SDP partner Sarah and I worked tirelessly to bring together eight designers, a venue, sponsors and guests together to celebrate the independent spirit in fashion and music.
 
Straight from the excitement of Mexico City, yet with a case of suspected bronchitis on my chest, the show went on. We held the second SDP at 12 Hay Hill -  a beautiful, breezy members club in the heart of Mayfair. Cocktails were served thanks to our sponsors Sauvelle Vodka and Imbibery cold-pressed juices.
 

 
Cocktails were served thanks to our sponsors Sauvelle Vodka and Imbibery cold-pressed juices. Snacks were provided by our friends at Propercorn and our fabulous gift bags were filled with treats from Sjal skincare.
 

The soundtrack of the night was a mix of NU Disco and vocal deep house. As you know, I'm quite into disco at the moment and find it's a great ice-breaker for an eclectic group at the beginning of the night.
 
Sarah and I would like to thank everyone who came to the second Shop.Drink.Play and supported the local talent that inspired our fashion trends. Till the next SDP, a bientot!

The gala dinner before the Mexican race was held at St Regis Hotel. A glittery ball gown affair to the tune of Pompougnac-esque music. Jazzy upbeat tunes that are safe across all age groups.

After the gala a few of us still had energy for a night cap. I'm always intrigued by cities such as Mexico City which are not easily accessible to foreigners unless you have someone in the know to show you the hot spots. Or in this case, spots where you won't be found dead soon after. So given we had a guide and willing one, I took the opportunity to explore.

We found ourselves at a small happening place called Dixon. A 70's inspired lounge with current deep house music and what was quite evidently the cool kids on the bloc. Table service where more than four glasses couldn't even fit on the table. That kind. After that was due to close - about 2am, we shimmied on in our black tie to a very underground club by the appropriately dark name of Dinsmoor. 

What's it like to be on an afternoon flight bound for Mexico City full of Mexicans?
Think of it as a small village wedding that you accidentally crashed and couldn't get out of. Copious amounts of alcohol, females congregating around you yet you're not part of the conversation, and more alcohol. So as you guessed I had not one wink the whole eleven hour flight.

Straight off the plane and to an FE welcome dinner, inevitably followed by 'just one drink' at the after party venue Love Polanco. Too much tequila later and that was a very weird first night in Mexico City. But let's be honest - the only way to beat jet lag.

After a healthy catch-up, my friend took me to the streets for a wander. Of course thanks to the Spanish colonisation, these parts of town had a Buenos Aires feel to them. A pretty path under cascading trees was constructed in the middle of the road. The buildings and their architecture down to their paint colour was all so fascinating.

The afternoon was pleasantly finished off by running into some friends in a cute restaurant named "Rosetta". I'd been told of this place but didn't expect it to be so charming. And the food. Wow. Rustic charm paired with sensual food and a carefree spirit really made for a perfect afternoon.

Also a place worthy of mention is Rosetta's cafe patisserie, a stones throw away. Plump, glistening balls of chocolate iced doughnuts. Flaky crispy pastries with rich marmalades of native fruits. The coffee selection is vast. Want almond milk with your latte? Expect a frothy cloud of perfectly steamed almond milk. Just avoid coming at lunch time, where a mad rush of locals will have you easily pushed out of the small cafe and onto the street.

Ojo de Agua Condesa | Calle Citlaltépetl 23C, Cuauhtémoc, Hipódromo, 06100 Ciudad de México, D.F.,
Rosetta | Calle Colima, 166, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, Col. Roma Norte, 06700 Ciudad de México, D.F., 
Panaderia Rosetta | Colima 179, Cuauhtémoc, Roma Nte., 06700 Ciudad de México, D.F., ​

If you're in London you've no doubt heard - or been to - the new 'it' place Sexy Fish. With a casual 15million pound decor, waiting list as long as Santa's naughty list ... there's a reason it's talk of the town.
I've started to play there thanks to fellow DJ, Jez Pereira. Admittedly, I was totally out of my comfort zone before the first gig. The music requirement was disco, sound of Studio 54 mixed with a bit of sexy Nu Disco. I even when to the local library for some good old fashioned research. I stumbled upon a 3 disc CD (yep they still exist!) of a brilliant compilation named "Now That's What I Call Disco!". This was the foundation of my search, which then led to hours of finding lesser known, just as groovy disco tracks that spread the message of love, sex and love. Or is it the other way round?

As more of my free time was consumed by listening to as many records from the disco era as possible, I was quite taken aback just how much 'inspiration' border shameless theft today's music has taken. I can't help but think that today's musicians and producers lack creativity and originality perhaps due to society's restrictions, technology and the subsequent plain laziness that accessibility has created.

The liberty and sense of freedom that can be seen well documented in pictures, creative ways of evading censorship, do we just have it too easy now?

Another thing on music videos and general performer presentation. This can also leak into the 80's and early 90's visual representation of artists. NOT ONE NAKED WOMAN needed to sell music. NOT ONE SHIRTLESS MAN flashing his abs. Well I guess good music doesn't need the blatant forcing upon of sexual imagery and unbalanced power relationships between men and women.

Rant over.

So to celebrate and give you a taste of what's being played at Sexy Fish and in turn inspiring my future sets, here's a little trip through disco era. The songs I imagine were pumped out along with the tonnes of glitter under the roof of Studio 54.

Race day! And what a busy day it was ... The Emotion Club turned into a beach club complete with Mojito shack conveniently by the track. There was then an after-race beach party right by Le Mano - the sculpture by Chilean artist Mario Irarrázaba complete in the summer of 1982. Both the Formula EJ and I took turns at the turntables.

I had merely an hour to change and get myself together before a white-themed dinner held at Giuseppe Cipriani's storybook house in the country-side, appropriately named Gin Tonic. The chef at the household is Cipriani trained teamed with a mighty wood-fired oven and grill that majestically sits outside for all to see. If I was a meat-eater this would be the golden pot at the end of a rainbow. 

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After it was off the Official After Party - at Ovo Beach Club. The drive there was quite an adventure itself. A driver who wanted to get in on the action and purposely drove the long way round to have a boogie in his seat. Little did he know he was carrying the DJ who was now a cool 30 minutes late. At least I can always cry kidnapping!
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In true Izy style of course there was a glitch. I swear I am a magnet for defected situations which make me have to somehow quickly adapt to abnormal DJ environments. This time one of the CDJS' USB ports was kaput. Well who would have thought CDs were here to save the day and thankfully I had brought my house collection.

The party ended at 4:30 with a full house. I'd wanted to close with a remix of Marky Mark's "Good Vibrations" ever since I had found it, and this was its moment. Good vibrations for a night of good vibes!

The time has come for one of  FIA Formula E's favourite races - Punta del Este, Uruguay. Often dubbed the St.Tropez of South America, and with one of the shortest holidays seasons in the world (count three weeks) it has a reputation for partying HARD.

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Straight of the grueling 13 hour flight, a reward was needed. La Huella. Quite possibly the best restaurant on this side of the hemisphere, it's atmosphere and food was the perfect anecdote to slip into the busy week ahead. And a sneaky Caipirinha.

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As usual, a Gala Dinner was planned then night before race day. This time it was to be held in a beautiful house in the country side transformed into a glittery affair. Long, communal tables, lanterns and champagne flowed well into the night.

I'd been working on this mix ever since leaving London and had anticipated it would be out sooner. What was holding me back was the last track which I really wanted to include for you. "American Jones" by Jamie Jones, a slick take on the Kanye West song "American Boy".

It was played to me by Dyed (Soundorom) during the two-day festival Mint, up in Leeds. I was making this mix around the same time and instantly this spoke to me as the closing track. A nice way to round up things - vocals, groovy bass and those repetitive "shakey shake" high-hats. Of course getting a track from a touring and most-wanted DJ isn't as simple as get home, upload to WeSend and bam! it's in the library. 

The other tracks featured in the mix are floor-killers and popular hits of the Ibiza Summer of 2015. I wanted this mix to be quite energetic and strong so bass plays a heavy role. Kollektiv Turmstrasse's "Sorry I'm Late" ruled many Dj's playlists over the summer. "Sensation" by Volkoder was one of the most Shazamed tracks on the island. Bas Ibellini's "That's Right" - many will agree - was his final breakthrough into the scene. A track that was played at Timewarp Mannheim right through till the ed of summer.

So enjoy the mix that had many stories and joint forces to make it possible ! Consider "American Jones" an exclusive treat, as it's not available to buy ;-)

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Season two is upon us. With two cities added - Mexico City and Paris, and new rules the Championship can only grow further.

This year will also see more from the music side of things. Exclusive mixes, previews of the Emotion Club and collabs with the official EJ make for exciting times.
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As with every year, there is an event the night before to mark the opening of the race. This year, it was again in the Pangu Residence with a opulent Chinese-themed cocktail reception. With no Chinese dress to wear, I set out to find a headpiece that would make a statement.

With less than 24hours to find one ... success came in the form of some angels and the W Hotel concierge.

It was not an easy feat to DJ with a gold Pheonix atop one's head.

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My home for the race day is the Emotion Club.
A VIP enclosure for those who want that extra special attention and care during the race. And they get to listen to my beats all day! The after party this yera was held in the basement of chic hotel Opposite House. It's sharp architecture reminded me of the Prada store in Omotesando, Toyko.

Sample track list:

"Dear Life" - Claptone
"Rolling in the Deep" (Hannes Fischer remix) - Adelle
"Headlights" - Robin Schulz
"Show me love (EDX remix) " - Sam Feldt
"Sad Piano"  Charles Webster remix - Justin Martin