RA exclusive: Stream Watergate 19 mixed by Soul Clap

Knowing the set would be used for a mix CD, how did you prepare differently? We started out preparing the same way we would for any mix CD project. First we chose a ton of music that fit the vibe (in this case a magic morning on Watergate's Waterfloor). Then we found out what tracks had been approved for licensing, but there were still way too man. So to narrow it down we just used records that have never been released digitally. The real difference with this set is that we planned the order. We were on the road when we got the final licensing list so we had to try playing the records at a few gigs leading up to the actual performance to get it right. Were there any unexpected detours? Of course there's always something that goes wrong when you're playing vinyl—that's why we love it so much! Halfway into our set Ryan from PillowTalk was trying to gently put down a bottle of tequila but he tripped and the record skipped. So we had to edit a little bit. How did the crowd influence your track selection? We're usually all about feeling the crowd and letting the party guide our performance, but since we wanted everything to be perfect it was more about pre-planning this time. We do really like selecting appropriate music for specific times or locations so this was really an extension of that. The licensing process must've been tough—did you take this into consideration when preparing for your set? Licensing old music is defiantly harder then new stuff. Many of the labels we included have been closed for years and it can be really hard to even find a contact, let alone get approval. Luckily the Watergate team did a great job of getting most of the music approved. We did sneak a couple records in at the last minute that ended up causing some problems, but it all worked out in the end.