VINYL MIX: EL CHINO | ALL VINYL BRAZILIAN FUNK, LOVERS ROCK & DEEP ROOTS

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ELCHINO AT SOUL OF SYDNEY

For our 14th Birthday Open-Air Jam, one of Sydney’s finest selectors, El Chino, stepped up to set the tone with a beautiful all-vinyl journey through Brazilian funk, lovers rock, deep roots reggae, soul and rare groove.

Recorded live outdoors in November 2025, this warm-up set captures everything we love about real DJs playing real records. From Mato’s reggae reworks and Brazilian boogie classics by Marcos Valle and Tony Bizarro through to Roy Ayers, Garfield Fleming and Skyy, El Chino delivers a masterclass in soulful selection.

Known to many as the host of Departure Lounge on 2SER, Trevor “El Chino” Parkee has spent decades introducing Sydney audiences to incredible music from around the world. His knowledge, taste and passion for digging make him one of the city’s true musical treasures.

Recorded live at Soul of Sydney’s 14th Birthday. Open Air • All Vinyl • Real Music • Sydney NSW

TRACKLIST

00:00 Mato feat. Ethel Lindsey – What You Won’t Do For Love
03:24 Mato feat. Lady Gatica – You Can’t Turn Me Away
07:48 Tony Bizarro – Estou Livre
11:12 Marcos Valle – Estrelar
17:36 Brenda – Natureza Viva
22:00 Unknown – Unknown Funky
26:24 Roy Ayers – Land Of Fruit And Honey
30:48 Garfield Fleming – Don’t Send Me Away
35:12 Dunn & Bruce Street – Shout For Joy
39:36 Skyy – Let’s Celebrate

More from ELCHINO: (Trevor Parkee)
Trevor Parkee — known to the faithful as El Chino — is a DJ, music producer, and radio presenter, and the pilot of the long-running radio show Departure Lounge on 2SER, dedicated to making old music sound like new and new music sound like old. 2ser.

A well-known Sydney DJ and music aficionado, El Chino spent years wandering the globe, crate digging and developing his repertoire — building what became one of the smoothest flights on the 2SER roster, covering everything from nu-jazz and Afrobeat to disco and hip hop. Having started his career in the early 80s, he has taken his music selection internationally, playing in London, Barcelona, Germany, and at the infamous Jazzrooms in Brighton. Soulofsydney2ser
Every Saturday afternoon on Departure Lounge, he takes his frequent flyers on a journey around the world — touching down in old and nu jazz, broken beat, Brazilian, Latin, soul, funk, folk, and electronica. 2serTune in / Follow El Chino:
🎙️ Departure Lounge — Every Saturday 3–5pm | www.2ser.com
www.2ser.com/programs/departure-lounge

LISTEN TO MORE OF OUR MIXES AT https://www.youtube.com/@SOULOFSYDNEY

THIS SAT: Free Funk @ The GROOVE DEALERS Reunion ft. DJ ADVERSE, CARATGOLD, CMAN, JUZZLIKEDAT, MAKOTO + VJ SPOOK | Funk Hip Hop Breaks & more

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Graphic promoting 'The Groove Dealers Reunion' event featuring various artists, with details on date, location, and free entry.

This weekend, our good friends GROOVE DEALERS return for a free night of music at Ramblin Rascal Tavern, one of the spiritual homes of Sydney nightlife (formerly The Globe). We highly recommend getting down if you’re after a dope night of heavy funk, soul, disco, hip hop and R&B party jams. 🔥🎶🕺🏽💃🏽

THE GROOVEDEALERS REUNION

After years apart, The Groove Dealers return to the decks for a rare late-night reunion session celebrating the sounds that shaped dancefloors, clubs and underground party culture across the decades.

Expect a heavyweight blend of classic funk, deep soul, disco grooves, golden-era hip hop, slow jams from some of Sydney’s finest selectors & soul of sydney crowd favorites. Real DJs playing music that moves..& timeless grooves:

DJ Adverse • DJ Caratgold • DJ Cman • DJ Juzzlikedat • DJ Makoto • VJ Spook

9PM ‘til late | FREE ENTRY

At Ramblin’ Rascal Tavern (The Old Globe Basement, 60 Park Street, Sydney CBD

FB LINK | https://www.facebook.com/events/961064453330364/

Never Mind The Balearics Feat. MR DISCO KID (Japan) + JEREMY SPELLACEY (Soundway Rec) | June Disco Session

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Never Mind The Balearics

Never Mind The Balearics return for a long weekend inner west disco session

Legendary Sydney disco party crew Never Mind The Balearics are back, and this one is shaping up to be a proper long weekend Inner West dance floor moment.

If you know, you know. These are the crew who were bringing artists like Rahaan and Al Kent to Sydney back when deep disco edits weren’t as widely celebrated as they are now. Many of the records we still love — and still play out on dancefloors today — were first heard through their nights. Their taste has always been next level.

For a lot of us, we were dancing at their parties long before we even started running our own events. Proper selectors, proper community, and a serious respect for disco, funk and house in all its forms.

Now they’re back doing what they do best — curating a seriously strong lineup and bringing that energy back to Sydney.

Heaps Balearic – Long Weekend Special

Never Mind The Balearics present:
MR DISCO KID (Japan) + JEREMY SPELLACEY (Soundway Records)

Alongside residents and Balearic cornerstones:
PETE DOT + INNERWEST SOUL

📍 Heaps Normal Health Club, Marrickville
📅 June Long Weekend (Saturday 6 June 2026)
🎟 Tickets from $35

Facebook event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/heaps-normal/heaps-balearic-feat-mr-disco-kid-jeremy-spellacey/1692105295537638/

Never Mind The Balearics:
https://www.facebook.com/NeverMindTheBalearics/

About the event

On Saturday 6 June 2026, Never Mind The Balearics and Heaps Normal come together for a massive long weekend all-dayer — Heaps Balearic.

This is a party built on open-minded music selection — no genre rules, no expectations, just DJs who move freely through disco, house, soul, funk, global cuts and beyond. A room full of like-minded music lovers, and a proper sound system tuned for that sweet spot directly under the disco ball.

The lineup

Mr Disco Kid (Japan)
A phenomenon in the world of rare groove and deep record collecting. Known for his explosive, high-energy DJ sets and a Mary Poppins-style record bag full of impossible-to-find cuts, Mr Disco Kid is a trusted source for some of the world’s most respected selectors including Gilles Peterson, Luke Una and Floating Points. Expect everything from jazz and disco-funk to house, techno and soulful deep cuts.

Jeremy Spellacey (Soundway Records / Crown Ruler)
A globe-trotting musical archaeologist and respected compiler for Soundway Records. Jeremy has dedicated years to uncovering and reissuing rare global dance music. As a DJ, he moves effortlessly between slow soul, African boogie, tropical oddities and deep electronic gems from around the world. A true selector’s selector, with DJ Harvey among those who dig into his record finds.

Expect surprises on the day, drinks specials, and a proper long weekend finale energy.

Don’t sleep on tickets — this one is set to be a dope.