Ades can’t help but be a little nostalgic for the pre-CDJ, pre-USB stick era of DJing. At the time, catching the eye of a fellow dance fan while crate digging at music hubs like Frankfurt’s Delirium or Cologne’s Kompakt could feel like a secret handshake for many devotees. “The record stores were a meeting point for DJs,” says Ades. Copies of the latest mixes were both scarce and highly-prized. “If there was an import from America or Japan, there were sometimes only 100 copies.” Sounds like an expensive habit? “Yes, but you considered yourself lucky if the owner had put one to the side for you!” Ades says. 

As well as a place to pick up rave bibles like Groove Magazine and Partysan, bricks-and-mortar record shops were treasure troves for DJs on the hunt for cutting-edge white labels for that night’s set. “Nobody could Shazam it, and most people would never hear that track again,” Ades notes. “With all the social media, it has become so different. People are going [to clubs] so they can show people Look where I am. It’s less about living in the moment.”