When I say I DJed at Marsha Smith’s 7’s Unda The Stairz night last week, I do so with single quotation marks in the air and with the humble reservation that DJing is a noble art and that the most I can hope to say is that I can select alright.

Lets just say me and the faders need to spend some more time together. I really enjoyed it (apart from the silence when I crossfaded the wrong way) and it was a chance to pull out some of my favourite 7″s. Although I did end up in a bashment cul-de-sac after playing Turbulence’s ‘Notorious’ a little too early. Madlib’s Beat Conductor 7″ EP came in very useful, although I didn’t get to play Furniture’s amazingly brilliant 1986 pop hit ‘Brilliant Mind’. That’ll have to be another time. Ms Smith played a lot of lovely soul records (and some Oran Juice Jones) and Hugo Mendez, a proper DJ, went deep and tropical. More info on what’s shaping up to be a proper London night here.

All pics Marsha Smith.