From there, Carnivalism found its feet quickly. Soho, Old Street, Camden, Brixton the early 2000s London circuit, played on its own terms. Free entry on the guestlist, eclectic lineups, a refusal to be pinned to one sound. River Thames boat parties followed; five hours of messing about on the water with disco, house and twisted beats, dancing under bridges as London drifted past.
The podcast launched mid-decade, a quiet act of stubbornness in the pre-streaming era, putting mixtapes on the internet because why wouldn’t you. Before that, free mix CDs pressed into people’s hands at the end of the night. Free CDs to free podcasts to Mixcloud to Twitch. Times move fast.
When both Matt and Dom eventually decamped to the South West, the project came with them. Lockdown brought the Twitch sessions full-length disco broadcasts beamed into front rooms during the years when that was all anyone had. When the world opened back up, Carnivalism got back to what it does best: sunshine terrace parties, secret festival slots in the small hours, and a growing network of kindred spirits in the South West scene.
More than two decades in, the spirit is unchanged. Good music, good people, free entry where possible, and no interest whatsoever in taking the short way round. This site is the archive mixes, shows, listings, and whatever else we feel like putting out.
Glad you’re here.
