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Joseph Francis

@joseph.francis___

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👹 music journalist / battle dance enthusiast / Pokémaniac
✍️ The Wire, RA, DJ Mag, Pitchfork, Guardian ++
🌳founder @_pull_up_ldn
🥋radio @aajamusic

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This is my mum, Elizabeth Mills. She was a garden designer, a reader of many many books, a piano teacher, a music graduate who loved listening to Bach as much as she did Lou Reed, a baker of the best crumbles and sticky toffee puddings and flat croissants, a swimmer who never got her hair wet, a circus lover, a hiker, a donkey admirer, a puzzle-solver (when she had her glasses on), a crocheter of cuddly toys and tiny cardigans, a wife, a sister, a best friend, a mother of four and a grandmother.

She gave me the best book recommendations, she brought me along gardening with her when I was a teen so I could earn a bit of pocket money, she always wanted to know what I thought about things going on in the world and she would always chuckle at my silly stories.

In her last days she said she would haunt me which I found so funny and so comforting. She passed away on 8th November 2023 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in June. I miss her so much but I know her character and everything I love about her will always be close by, hopefully haunting me forever.

💚 by @joseph.francis___

SWIPE TO SEE ALL THE NEW AND NEW-ISH STUFF I’M PLAYING ON MY SHOW TODAY AT 4PM BST on @aajamusic ‼️(IN HALF AN HOUR !!🚨)

this month’s show is a pre-record as I’m currently away celebrating my dad’s 70th!

had a great time scrambling these tunes together and then trying to reenact the livestream AAJA experience at home (more on that later!)

done in one take to honour the live format só it’s a bit rough around the edges às always but i hope you discover some new tunes you like in there! no mic sadly so you’ll have to work out the links between the songs yourself!

there’s a bit of a spooooky vibe towards the end for any who like getting in the halloweeen moooood 🎃🧟

ENJOY!

**and in case you’re wondering who the critters are. they are the little devils i’ve been running in my currently unsuccessful run to master ball tier in pokemon champions 🥲 by @joseph.francis___

If you’re thinking about starting a radio show, want to keep getting better at hosting one, or are questioning whether to keep going – this article is for you!

I spoke to @refugeworldwide , @martha_radio and @emily_dust who represent radio stations across Europe, the US and the UK and each of them gave their thoughts on WHY YOU SHOULD CONSIDER BECOMING A RADIO DJ.

Bits of advice are scattered throughout this @alphathetaglobal article alongside some words of wisdom which all ultimately celebrate why this medium has been trumping all other forms of music journalism for the past 120 years, and why there is no better time than NOW to have your own show.

I can only speak for myself but radio is the one source of music discourse and discovery that has been with me for as long as I can remember. From the days of listening to the top 40 every Sunday to loving the DIY side of homemade broadcasts like Young Echo radio on Itunes podcasts and later tuning into NTS shows like Melon Magic, TTB, 72 Nations w/ CKtrl, and Beatrice Dillon, to then falling in love with everything and anything on Noods and now having my own show on AAJA. Radio is simply the best 🏆

thanks to the industry pros in this article for sharing their advice and thoughts. there are so many people doing great things with radio so, if nothing else, I hope this feature encourages you to go and find the radio station for YOU and give it all your lovin.

whether as a listener or a dj, there is a station out there with your name on it

✨🎟️✨

share your favourite shows and/or radio stations in the comments! (i love recommendations!) and head to either my stories now or my linktree later to read the article OR drop a fruit in the comments and i’ll send it to you 🫶

🍇🥝🥭🫐🍉🍊 by @joseph.francis___

I GOT TO SPEAK TO DANCE MANIA LEGENDS DJ SLUGO & DJ THADZ FOR BANDCAMP!

I first pitched this article to Bandcamp back in January and was given a “maybe, but not now” so then tried Discogs due to a large chunk of ghetto house’s back catalogue being recorded on their site. Sadly, no dice, so I went back to @bandcamp in July as I was hellbent on getting eyeballs on all the ghetto house gems lurking in the corners of their platform.

Pioneers of the scene like DJ Deeon, @djslugomusic and DJ Funk all have stacks of new and old tunes on Bandcamp, not to mention @djthadz Clownhouse Muzik, DJ Flint’s Halsted Street Entertainment and Slick Rick Da Master’s own personal account to name just a few more.

Tragically Deeon, Funk and Flint are no longer with us (Flint passed away in August this year), Slugo is one of the few frontrunners of ghetto house left and so I felt super lucky to be able to speak to him not once, but twice! He was keen to share as much as possible on the genre and give his opinions, as was DJ Thadz, who sent over in-depth answers to my questions (which i need to publish in full sometime soon if i can.)

Without these ghetto house producers and Dance Mania’s trust, we might not have had the DJ Rashads, Jana Rush(es) and Traxman(s) of today. And their tunes continue to light up parties – at least I can speak for London. The other day Teddy Kitano switched up a @tropicalwaste party (mostly dedicated to footwork) with a set of ghetto house that was raunchy, pumpy and fun as hell. @bigdopep’s disco and funk-infused juke always raises the roof at each party he plays. And the Chicago Footwork community in London are dyingggg to hear and see Slugo when he arrives on October 16th for another 160 Unity and another important QnA w/ @crpkmn .

….so yeah, after months of battling to land the article I’m now super excited to share it with you all. I’ll pop the link on my story, drop a fun/Pokemon-themed emoji in the comments and I’ll DM it to you, or just message me and ask. (It will also be at my linkinbio but I don’t think anyone goes there.) And please share it with any of your friends who like their rowdy and rude tunes with a side order of HISTORY.

xxx by @joseph.francis___

TODAY AT THE DOJO 🥋 I have dancer extraordinaire @malt_beverage in to speak about his history with dance music, djing and learning to dance chicago footwork . TUNE INTO @aajamusic from 6pm ! Read on to understand a little more about Malt Bev and why he’s been invited into the ring 🤜🫷

Malt Beverage is the co-founder of @after.werks alongside @sohotsospicy (WHO HAS ALSO PLAYED AT THE DOJO 👑). After Werks has been the missing link between the dance and music that London’s Chicago Footwork scene didn’t know it needed – and probably never imagined it would get! 🧎

When ex-Aaja staff @porkchops98 told me that there was a monthly open decks at AAJA where they were teaching people how to learn chicago footwork I didn’t believe him. But, lo and behold, when i rocked up to my first after werks I left knowing my dribbles from my two step and a lot of that was thanks to Malt Bev and the chicago footwork he picked up from Creation Global sensei @tigerstreetdancer

i’ve been wanting to pick Malt’s brains for a long time now so am v excited to finally have the chance! 🙌

i’ll be warming things up for the first 30 mins playing tunes that all link in some way to themes that’ll come up in our chat. Tune in from 6.30pm-ish for a good hour of nattering about all things malt bev

✌️
📸 by me by @joseph.francis___

highlights from my time at the dojo with @djbooster__ who spun some old school kuduro classics and some stripped back kuduro and batida instrumentals @aajamusic

Swipe to hear some of the latter + a couple SZA combos from me.

I wanted to mix batida with baile funk and SZA this radio show, as I feel like RnB and batida can be kindred spirits, especially when you think about PT Musik’s latest record, the way the Tia Maria Produções crew love crooning on their tunes and that Helviofox TEMs remix.

I’ve also noticed a couple batida tunes juggling baile funk rhythms (like the new NegoO track Compasso do NegoO , which gets a play during the show)

Baile funk goes well with kuduro and there’s a comp by Love In The Endz (LITE015) that has heaps of batida artists side by side with funk producers – I pull a few tunes from it for the show.

Here’s to more pop x batida x baile funk x kuduro combos

link to listen in bio or i can DM you the link lmk! by @joseph.francis___

a summer practising chicago footwork fundamentals with some world class dancers

1-2) @kelliforman for @tropicalwaste // @mot.ldn & Base Dance Studios
3) @iam_queencrystal w/ @after.werks // Dance Rooms Dalston
4) @litebulbfootwork w/ @after.werks // Cable St Dance Studios

want to learn? get down to @after.werks or follow @tigerstreetdancer for wednesday sessions ✍️ by @joseph.francis___

@djbooster__ played on my show ‘at the dojo’ a few weeks ago and brought so much gooddd kuduro.

here are a handful of my favourites from his mix, which you can listen back to via the link in my bio.

i’ve labelled them “old school” because most of these five tracks were released in the mid 2000s, with one or two coming out in 2010/2011. as far as i’m aware “old school kuduro” isn’t an actual label.

you can find all these tracks on Youtube and a couple on Spotify. i couldnt find any on apple music sadly.

most of the artwork is not official but taken from youtube music videos by @joseph.francis___

this weekend @_pull_up_ldn will be celebrating its first ever grad party at @aajamusic 🎓

at the end of 2024/start of 2025 we started putting on casual beginner workshops . i led the first handful and then got help from @candice_a.m @discoverbambam @weebabybear @rona________ @missyd411 @jimi_dek @abi.ke @eva_petr__ who i’d met through running the open decks at @jumbipeckham with @taramallen

fast forward to march 2026, @eva_petr__ (who co-runs pull up) and i felt our lessons were ready to bring into a course where beginner djs could then get a radio and club/graduation night at the end of it at the beloved aaja. it would be a way for them to enter the world of djing with a bang.

this photo is of (most) of our first ever group of beginner djs, taken outside buster mantis in Deptford where we went after our last practice session. (two of the group booked and organised it.)

they have been a dream bunch to work with and have all brought such different tastes to the table. we are already onto our second group of beginners who are equally as dedicated and wonderful but i had this photo come through the other day and wanted to stop and share it.

it feels like an important moment and i hope pull up can continue to give more people a space to share their music, regardless of genre or djing ability, both on the course and at our open decks.

pull up tomorrow @aajamusic to celebrate . it’s free, you might make a friend and/or spot a dj for your next night

⭐️ by @joseph.francis___

Get to know DJ Booster! TODAY!

@djbooster__ was a Soundcloud find for me. I was on the lookout for some kuduro mixes last year and came across his short “Kuduro Freestyle” sets with @jotam.beats and then his DJ Booster “130-140” mix and was thrilled to later find out he is UK-based!

Fast forward to Jota M’s first ever @banzelooo party at Jumbi in July and I see DJ Booster on the bill. His set was filled with proper kuduro (I’m pretty sure I heard Puto Prata get a spin) and he got the crowd movingggg

If Banzelo isn’t on your radar, get it on there, and keep your eyes peeled for the next one. In the meantime, join DJ Booster on @aajamusic with me TODAY.

Lock in from 4-6pm. I’ll be mixing together some old Nídia, Love In the Endz and SZA with some new batida bits I’ve been enjoying from 4-5pm

🚀DJ BOOSTER 5-6pm🚀 by @joseph.francis___

Some highlights from my july show on @aajamusic with @carmascoming where for the first part she speaks about…

slide 1) …her experience growing up with Baltimore Club at a time when it was particularly kid friendly
2) why Bmore club doesn’t get the same attention as, say, Jersey Club, despite being the one that started the club music movement
3) Bmore club’s two main dances and the way they influenced the sound

Swipe for highlights of her set afterwards and a new Negoo track I played in my brief intro

4) Kade Young - Leswerk -> DJ Lil Jay, DJ Manny - Champ
5) SDOT - Nigga Mode -> DJ Dizzy - Blazed
6) DJ Dizzy - Blazed -> CalvoMusic - Lose Yo Job
7) SDOT, TAH - SEAMOSS -> Juice - Bring in da Kattz Remix
8) CalvoMusic, DJ Glo 410 - Bend Over -> DJ Dizzy feat. SDOT - DONT FWM
9) ri - DAILY DRIVER -> NegoO - EU TE QUERO

FULL SHOW AT MY LINKTREE by @joseph.francis___

Pull Up’s first EVER cohort of beginners have completed our DJ Course and are ready to knock your socks off at their graduation party on Saturday 5th September.

Expect techno, italo-disco, grime, baile funk, hyper pop, amapiano, trip hop and so much moorrrrreee

Come and support this fantastic group of human beings as they show off the skills they’ve been honing over the last few months down in the AAJA Basement – the home of all the learning!

#londonmusicscene #londonevents by @joseph.francis___