Phonica Friends & Family Mix Series 24: Nick Williams

If you have been coming to Phonica for the last 15+ years it would be pretty impossible for you not to know the name Nick Williams.

From 10:45 til close Monday to Friday Nick has Stood behind the Phonica counter for over a decade and a half. With his keen ear he has been slinging vinyl to some of the biggest names as well as to some of the most out there up and comers in the UK and the world over. A man of all Varied tastes and genres, be it his love for soundscapey ambient cuts, classics from The Cure, warped edits of Arthur Russell, wonky bass grooves, pumping house anthems or blissed out experimental techno or modern classical – his taste is truly of a well rounded musical connoisseur.

Nick is of course also known for running his long time imprint Meda Fury Records – the label quickly carved out a unique space in the electronic landscape—one where soulful experimentation, global rhythms, and left-of-centre club sounds collide. Nick’s curatorial approach is driven by instinct and depth, drawing from his years behind the counter at Phonica and a lifelong obsession with eclectic music. The label’s catalogue reflects this: from the warm, broken house of Rimbaudian and the hypnotic grooves of Lady Blacktronika to the off-kilter electronics of Hazylujah and Sad City, not forgetting discovering DJ Seinfeld and releasing his debut album “Time Spent Away From U”!

As a DJ Nick has played some of London’s most iconic clubs – Fabric, Corsica, Plastic People, Pike’s and more and has shared line ups with some of the biggest names like Moodymann, Four Tet and Carl Craig but to name a few. This mix is a sprawling, immersive journey that reflects both his deep knowledge of music and his refusal to be boxed in by genre. Starting slow with trip-hop textures and off-kilter sonics, it gradually shapeshifts through leftfield house, post-punk, shoegaze, trance, hardcore, jungle, techno and pop edits—touching on rare library gems and unreleased cuts from his Meda Fury label along the way. It’s the kind of mix made for long journeys, late-night headphones, or zoning out mid-chore—layered, emotional, and full of the unexpected. A sonic scrapbook from a head who truly listens.

We had a little chat with Nick about the mix and about his years at Phonica and more:

Hey Nick, thanks for joining us! Can you tell us about your mix and the idea behind it?

No worries mate, whenever I put one of these together, which isn’t very often, I basically overthink it, and try really hard to present a varied amount of genres and styles, as I like a huge amount of music, I don’t want it to be boring either, so that’s why they end up being a bit long! Sorry about that, personally I like a long mix that you can disappear into and lose yourself, ideal to stick on for long journeys, house parties or home work chores.

Can you tell us a bit about how you usually approach recording a mix or a set?

I approach one of these fairly differently from a live club set. There’s so many variables when you’re out in nightlife – which dj am I following, what time in the evening or day is it, do i want to keep a mood going or reset the dance-floor etc. Putting together a bespoke mix the brakes are off and I can suit myself, it can be whatever it wants to be in isolation from everything – but I try to have a beginning/middle/end and although a cliche, some kind of ‘journey’. This mix starts slow and very eclectic, gradually getting into various club sounds, moving into much faster hardcore styles that I rarely get to play, and ending with some pop/library/soundtrack/modern classical…

What are your preferred methods for finding new music—do you still enjoy digging around in dusty crates, or do you prefer to buy online?

I much prefer digging in shops, but I’ll settle for online as a secondary option. It’s all very well with the convenience and getting upfront promos etc, but I never form a relationship with a release or track that way, I always do with physical media.. and the unexpected pieces you come away with digging in bricks and mortar – that never happens when browsing web-stores. Currently being off sick I’m having to put up with digital digging – and I’m very glad it’s there in this circumstance.

You’ve been working at Phonica for a very very long time. Any fond memories worth mentioning?

Oof too many to be fair.. every Record Store Day is a vibe and all sorts of things end up transpiring, obviously we confirm everything with dj’s quite a way in advance, but one year I couldn’t get a final headliner confirmation from Juan Atkins, so we didn’t know if he’d turn up, so with not long to go I was asking all the dj’s that had played so far and were still present to go b2b for the finale, which luckily they were up for – but then I looked out in the crowd and there was Juan, dancing away. I ran over and hugged him – he looked at me strangely. I said “does this mean you will play for us?” He did ofc. But only if I helped him get some candy first. So I took him to a Soho corner shop where he bagged up countless UK snacks and drinks like monster munch, dairy milk, iron bru and ribeena… “you can’t get this sh*t in Detroit” RSD always gets very sweaty in the basement due to the constant dancing and not enough extraction – one year it was stormy outside so a lot of the crowd had umbrellas with them, the sweat in the basement gets to a certain level where the droplets form on the concrete beams and ceiling and finally they get big enough to fall – cue a lot of umbrellas opening indoors! Instores are always similar fun, particular memories are crowd surfing at Daniel Avery, being so hot and sweaty at Boo Williams that nobody could see anything, and the Hackney Colliery Band live, the band walking out of the shop while still playing and the crowd following them up and down Poland St, then back into the shop. The 50 Years Of Island exhibition and party under the shop was incredible too, Chris Blackwell’s lethal rum cocktails and DJ sets from Don Letts, DJ Shadow, and PJ Harvey live! Plenty of celeb customers over the years too – Bjork, Grace Jones, Vic Reeves, Lenny Henry all come to mind, and some become regulars themselves for a time like; Steve Davis, Colin Greenwood, Holly Johnson, Ben Miles and Toby Jones.

What are five records you couldn’t live without? 

I hate questions like this as the choices can change and 5 isn’t enough tbh… but I guess the following and more:

Spirit Of Eden, Pick-A-Dub, Recurring, Paul’s Boutique, Loveless, Operation:Doomsday, Amnesia, Chill Out, Disintegration, Suite For Max Brown, Hex, Mwandishi, Violator, Richard D. James Album, Peggy Suicide, Welcome 2 Detroit…

Got any advice for anyone who wants to manage a record shop? 

Erm… well you’ve obviously got to care a hell of a lot about what you’re responsible for. Organisation is the key at all times, keeping systems and rules in place and not breaking them. Apply discretion when needed with customers, and remember that they are the priority at all times. They pay your wages.

Thanks Nick, see you soon! 

I really hope so, and I wish it was soon – I miss you all!

Tracklist:

Rouge Mécanique – Olahip [Unreleased]  <Meda Fury>
Water Melon – 2次元の仏塔 (Indope Psychics Remix)  <Major Force>
KMD – What a Niggy Know? (Instrumental)  <Elektra>
My Bloody Valentine – Instrumental no.2  <Creation>
Wu-Ki – Gygy [Unreleased]  <Meda Fury>
Wham! – Blue (80’s Unreleased Extended Vocal mix)  <White Label>
Pink Rhythm – India  <Beggars Banquet>
Cheryl Glasgow – Glued To The Spot (Club Mix)  <Numero Group>
Unknown Artist – 50Peter20  <U-Bend>
Cocteau Twins – Fifty-Fifty Clown  <4AD>
Morris Mobley – Glamour Profession  <Arcane>
Miss Vera’s Boys – Moon Mixture  <Rare Bullet>
My Bloody Valentine – Soon (Andrew Weatherall Mix)  <Creation>
Flippers Guitar – Big Bad Disco  <Polystar>
Bark Psychosis – Blue (12” Mix)  <Circa>
Club Winston – Big [Unreleased]  <Meda Fury>
The Cure – Harold & Joe (16B Edit) [Unreleased]  <Fiction>