Northern Irish DJ and producer Holly Lester has released her debut EP, Open Your Mind, on her Duality Trax imprint.
The four-track EP, which is the tenth release on the label, blends tech house, garage, breakbeat and progressive vibes, and “feels like the result of over a decade of production and two decades of being immersed in club culture as a DJ,” Lester explained.
“I feel like I’m finally in a place where I have a clearer sense of my sound, while still being shaped by the influences I first connected with as a teenager.”
According to Lester, there’s a running theme of ‘duality’ across the four tracks, echoed in the name of the label itself.
“I’ve always been interested in the contrast between light and dark, uplifting and more heads-down moments, and how those tensions sit together in music,” she says. “Compared to my previous remixes, this release feels more upfront in its energy. I had summer and open-air spaces in mind while making it, and after road testing the tracks over the last year it’s been great to see how they’ve developed. Releasing it as the tenth release on my own label, alongside marking twenty years of DJing, feels like a meaningful milestone.”
Originally from County Armagh, Lester is now based in Belfast. Alongside her work as a DJ and producer, she co-founded Free The Night, a campaign focused on supporting Northern Ireland’s nightlife and creative communities.
To mark the EP’s release, Duality Trax will host a launch party at Music Room Belfast on 11 September, which will see Lester joined by DJ Life, for a free event. More information cab be found here.
Other upcoming events include Plain Sailing at Ulster Sports Club in Belfast on 18 September, AVA at Fold in London on 25 September, Saltwater Festival in Bundoran on 3 October and Hathor Nights at Oxygenic in Whitley Bay on 17 October.
Holly Lester – Open Your Mind is out now on Duality Trax. You can check it out here, and purchase it on Bandcamp here.
Tracklist
1 – Open Your Mind
2 – Big Fill
3 – Tanit
4 – Open Your Mind (DJ Life Remix)
