Theory Therapy 28: Ivy

Intimate ambient from a Sydney selector.

Up next in the Theory Therapy mix series is Sydney local Ivy Whittingham. The Aussie DJ and selector’s mix is a finely crafted blend of mainly newer tracks from some of the best in ambient music. 

Ivy may be adept at putting together a club-focused set, cropping up on series like Animalia, Slowburn and Vortex, but they’ve chosen to slow things down for their Theory Therapy mix. Tracks from picnic, Carmen Villain, Ana Roxanne and Space Afrika are delicately threaded together and the whole mix moves at a patient, unhurried pace. 

It’s a pleasure to welcome Ivy on to the series. Dan and I are always coming back to their mixes and are big fans of their Thanks for Sharing show on local station Nomad Radio too. I’m sure we’ll have this one on repeat for a long time to come as well.

How are you today?

I’m okay! I think since lockdown started at the end of June I’ve lost the ability to answer that question properly haha. Life right now is boring and I miss my friends and family but it is what it is, I’m glad that it’s spring now though. 

Can you tell us a little bit about the mix? What were you feeling when you made it? 

The mix is a combination of songs that are contemplative and emotional — I’ve been feeling a bit melancholy lately and I think this mix reflects that.

Where did you record the mix?

I made the mix in my bedroom, it’s a tiny little room that pretty much only fits my bed and a shelf but it gets the most beautiful sunlight all day making it my favourite place to plan/put together mixes. I put most of my ambient/non-beatmatched mixes together on Audacity which I find so much more enjoyable compared to using CDJs — a hot tip for anyone who wants to make mixes but doesn’t have DJ gear or money for expensive software!  

Where would you recommend listening to it?

I guess that’s up to you and depends on where you like to be when you listen to music that’s slow and moody — maybe in your room by yourself or while you go on a big walk? Either or, I hope you enjoy it and find it therapeutic in one way or another :)  

Are there any tracks you’ve used in the mix that are special or significant to you?

Most of the songs in this mix I only heard in the last year or two, but I think the reason I love them so much is that they all make me feel really nostalgic.

‘Echo Lake’ by SUSS reminds me of my parents, probably because of the slide guitar – they’re musicians too and I remember always loving when they would play guitar using a slide. 

Also the last 8-ish minutes of the mix, the vocals that feature in the last few songs are so beautiful. 

Theory Therapy mixes are about sharing the music that you personally find therapeutic and restorative. What does that mean for you?

I find that music is therapeutic when it matches how I’m feeling, like if I’m feeling happy and energetic I’ll listen to pop music, UKG, tech house, RnB or something else that’s fun and upbeat, and if I’m not feeling so great I’d rather listen to something angsty and sad. Listening to happy music when you’re not happy is kind of like an annoyingly optimistic friend trying to force you out of a bad mood, and listening to sad music when you’re feeling good can be equally as uncomfortable.

There are obviously exceptions to that, but I think generally I gravitate towards music that’s on par with my emotions at the time. 

Is there a particular album or piece of music that you find yourself returning to for tranquillity?

Definitely Asmara & Kelela’s ‘Aquaphoria’ — it’s an hour long mix they collaborated on for Warp Records’ 30th anniversary and is literally the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. I have a very busy and chaotic brain, but listening to Aquaphoria seems to organise all of my thoughts. 

A few other go-tos are these mixes from Ura and DJ Python, Frank Ocean’s Blond, anything by Alex G or this song by my bloody valentine.

What do you have planned for the rest of the year?

I don’t really have any plans for this year because of lockdown, but there’s a lot of mixes on my to-do list that I’m looking forward to making. I also want to get my head around using Ableton, which I’ve been meaning to do for like three years. 

I did have some really fun gigs planned for the 2nd half of this year, but lockdown meant they were either cancelled or postponed, hopefully some of the postponed events can find new dates but until then, I’ll just be chilling at home :)

Theory Therapy · Theory Therapy 28: Ivy

Tracklist:

1. Foamy Sun - Geomag

2. Ulla - Something Inside My Body

3. Hideo Nakasako - Asplenium

4. American Landscape Painting - That Summer Alone

5. Kathryn Shuman - Objects

6. Ana Roxanne - Objects

7. AIR Krew - Old Asics (with Крутицкий Кат)

8. Slowfoam - Sky, AI

9. Ethereal Logic - Hidden Path

10. SUSS - Echo Lake

11. Carmen Villain - Simple Things

12. picnic - dewy (Nadia Khan version)

13. Offen - Real Of

14. naemi - hum

15. Klein - only ever you

16. Brin, Dntel & More Eaze - Lauren iii

17. Space Afrika - Girl Scout Cookies ft. Bianca Scout