FRIEND (SA) // CLUB ROOM SPECIAL EDITION // THURSDAY April 4, 2024 AT HUM STUDIOS

Friend
Friend is the DJ project of Dominic Irla (age 33) from Cape Town, South Africa, where he spent his early years as a dedicated promoter and music journalist in the thriving festival circuit (founder of Psymedia in 2010).
In 2018, a friend travelled to Southeast Asia and established himself as a formidable DJ and promoter in Hanoi, Vietnam, for 3+ years. From sandy beaches down south and mystical caves up north, reputable promoters by the likes of Savage, Studio Adventure Collective, Defused Mood, Electric Bazaar, Equation, VibeNation, and We Groove; Friend played at many clubs, festivals, and tropical jungle raves across the country.
In 2020, Friend co-founded the Vietnam-based record label Magic Box Engine; pushing out eclectic releases, guest mixes, events, and art. The label also became known for their conceptual “This is” events and wild MBE after-parties in unique locations within the underground music scene of Hanoi.
By the end of 2021 friend marked the end of his chapter in Vietnam and returned to Cape Town as an independent DJ. Since his resurgence on home soil - he's been featured regularly on lineups at the mighty Mødular precinct; namely Destination Saturn, Killer Robot, Revival, and the SBCLTR Collective.
Notable festival gigs in South Africa so far include Origin Festival, Into the Wild, Organik Love Project, Tribal Groove, H20 NYE, Bazique Festival, AfrikaBurn, Psymedia Under the African Sky, With You’s Rumours by the Lake, Mantra Music Festival, and Alien Safari x Vortex Little Forest NYE.
Whether it’s downtempo, house, minimal, techno, electro, or breakbeat - Friend is a true digger who’s never afraid to switch up the tempo or genre. Heavily inspired by his nomadic travels in Southeast Asia, Latin America and Europe; he taps into a sonic world without borders and delivers obscure yet tasteful mixes for any time of day or night. His signature sounds are often riddled with groovy basslines, acid frequencies, hypnotic atmospheres, and psychedelic undertones.
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Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/friend-sa
Facebook: friendbeats
Instagram: domirla
Resident Advisor: www.ra.co/dj/friend