Andrew Devlin | Soundcloud | Instagram | The Level Party
For the third episode of our Truancy Sessions series, we’re thrilled to feature New York-based DJ and promoter Andrew Devlin, renowned for his iconic Level parties. Since its inception in 2014, Level has evolved from filling dancefloors in small Bushwick dive bars to becoming a staple of NYC’s nightlife scene, with a recent expansion to Miami showing they are still in ascension. Andrew, along with his team of five residents, has cultivated a musical ethos that spans from tasteful record selections to peak-time party curveballs, showcasing his versatility and range as a gifted DJ. His opening set at Sustain Release in 2022 exemplifies this, seamlessly blending Carly Simon, Beck, Portishead, and Chaka Khan with cutting-edge dance music. We knew Andrew would deliver a stellar selection for our Sessions series, and he has certainly exceeded our expectations.
What can you tell us about the mix you’ve recorded for us? “This is a vinyl mix I recorded at home at the end of February this year. I’ve been getting back into buying records lately and really enjoying the random nature of both digging for and playing them. I tried to lean into the wiggliness of playing records here, rolling with the little mistakes and trying to capture the spontaneity of a session at home. In my mind I was thinking about playing an “adult” party in a nice club somewhere, maybe around 5am. It’s a deep one that I imagine could soundtrack an afterparty or sunset cocktails, too. Hope you enjoy.”
You recently celebrated a decade of your The Level Party, for those of us who haven’t been lucky enough to attend yet can you give us a little lowdown on how it started, the progress you’ve undertaken and how you look back on these last 10 years? “I started Level in 2014. Our first parties were in the basement of a burlesque bar in Bushwick, a woodshop in Bed-Stuy, some catacombs in Chinatown. We sort of migrated into clubs as they opened up, settling now at Good Room and Le Bain. Today we’ve got 6 residents: KFeelz, Nigelthreetimes, Alien D, Yibing, No Sir, and myself. Level has always meant balance to me. It’s a party for party people and record snobs, house heads and ravers, your cousin visiting from out of town, the bartender clocking out early, the bookish Aphex Twin fan. Accessible, good music. No pretension. Less rules. A place where you can make out with someone who looks different than you, with good music in the background. Or not. Whatever you’re into.”
Photo 1: Yuppie Sunday, winter 2024 Photo 2: Level family day 1
Photo 3: Sunrise vibes for Myles Mac & DJ Possum. Photo 4: Rekordbox, but in real life. Photo 5: Recovery time
Photo 6: My wife and I at Cal and Bailey’s wedding. Photo 7: Just So by Alan Watts.
You can download Truancy Sessions S01 E03: Andrew Devlin in 320 kbps and view the full tracklist on Patreon here. Couple tracks are unknown white labels so may need some help naming. Your support helps cover all our costs and allows Truants to continue running as a non-profit and ad-free platform. Members will receive exclusive access to mixes, tracklists, and discounts off future merchandise. If money is tight however and you’re desperately after any ID, please leave us a comment over on the Soundcloud link and either us or Andrew Devlin will get back to you :)
