Delayed x Mostra: Al Blayney
In recent years, our relationship with music has been transformed. It’s not just about how we consume music now, but about how we gather around it, safeguard it, and seek out collaborators. As much of the industry folded or disappeared, certain communities became anchors, places where people consistently showed up, built on shared values and trust. That is where this collaboration begins for me.
We are talking about Mostra Festival, which has been a shining star in the whole scene for the past five years, celebrating true values and artistic freedom in electronic music, both on and off the stage. What makes Mostra special isn’t measured by scale alone or visibility for its own sake. It is the way it feels when you return. Familiar faces. Conversations that pick up mid-sentence from the year before. Artists present whether they are playing or not. A shared understanding that this gathering exists to support the music, not to extract from it. I’ve written about that feeling before, reflecting on previous editions - Mostra 2023 and Mostra 2025, because it’s something that continues to deepen with each return. Being back in Barcelona each year feels less like attending a festival and more like returning to a place that grows through the people who come back and those discovering it for the first time.
Our collaboration with Mostra has always been personal. So, it felt right to open this year’s chapter with a mix that shares that sense of closeness. Al Blayney’s approach to music is rooted in care, not display. His Appian Sounds imprint has quietly built a catalogue that many revisit when seeking to slow down and listen. His guest mix for Delayed lives in that space.
This mix unfolds with the patience of a warm-up and the intimacy of home listening. It's the kind of mix that finds rotation on long winter nights, something to play when temperatures drop and time stretches. Dub techno anchors it, while subtle rhythmic shifts keep it fluid yet balanced. Blayney carefully manages how tracks pass energy, letting momentum build quietly. Track selections are impeccable, and the mix holds its shape, making repeated listens natural. Simply put, this mix is timeless.
It's no wonder that Mostra placed Al in charge of opening the floor on Saturday. He knows how to set a room. He welcomes people in without spelling things out. This mix captures that sensibility perfectly. It feels like the right way to begin another year of shared ground between Delayed and Mostra.
All information and tickets for the fifth anniversary edition of Mostra Festival can be found via the festival’s official website.