Leeds DJ Sara brings underground music to the surface

Sara Garvey

Can’t get away this summer? Fear not as the summer party vibe of Ibiza has come to Leeds.

After an epic launch party and last year’s Cafe Del Mar Sundays, Ibiza Takeover is back at Angelica for a summer season of Sunday terrace parties.

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Leeds DJ Sara Garvey, with a line-up of four other acts, plays chilled out Ibiza tunes all day every Sunday on the roof top terrace to stylishly finish off your weekend.

An opening party to start the season was rammed and with European style weather of late it has made for a festival feel after what was a speculative start last year.

Garvey said: “It is like we are back together. There are people that wouldn’t have met, all types of people and ages, there is no judgement.“Last year we hoped it would be good but didn’t expect it would go off like it did.“It is very chilled out but we bring a full rig on the terrace and it is like a little festival and that is probably why it works so well.”

Summer songs. The rooftop terrace at Angelica basques in the sunshine.

Another reason is probably the music that Garvey plays.

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An underground DJ, she says the music she plays would probably get her sacked from a commercial club or gig within an hour.

She explores and makes her own music, listening to, recording and incorporating snippets of every day sounds such as rain water, blending in house and afro music.

The eclectic mix is borne out of her childhood. Her mother is Ugandan and her father is an Oxford graduate who loves classical music. She lived in Zambia as a child and the influences of both amalgamated into how she now approaches music.

She says: “I moved to Leeds when I was a kid and was a singer in a band but got fed up with doing that. I thought, ‘I don’t feel like making music’ so I will do a bit of DJing and it took off really quickly.“I have played in Leeds, Croatia, Munich all over. When Angelica asked me about sessions I wanted it to be underground, very obscure and different. I was playing stuff which would never get to commercial but Angelica lends itself and I don’t think there is anywhere else you can do that.”

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Initially, Garvey joined Leeds based project OAK to write a debut album working with Chris Martin of Coldplay among others and DJ and producer MJ Cole.

She also spent summer 2002 touring with Leeds co-horts Nightmares On Wax in Australia, and back in the UK what was supposed to be a summer of writing ended up being seven years and more tours before forming Phoenix Pearle in 2009 as well as contributing to Cafe Del Mar compilations.

The temptation has been to stay on the road or base herself in London but she says the music scene Leeds currently finds itself in rules out the need to look for more elsewhere.

She said: “I love London and I love the energy and always thought I would move down there but never have. One, because it is too expensive but I really like Leeds.“I feel like there is something coming around. Five years ago maybe not and I was looking around for things to do.“But now there are a combination of factors, there are people like myself, Kmah Radio, Superfriendz and Wire. They are all coming to the same point at the same time and creating a scene and now people are coming up here.”