Even by the standards of an internationally renowned DJ and producer, 2024 was a busy year for Samantha Poulter aka Logic1000. Off the back of a string of critically acclaimed singles and EPs she released Mother - her long awaited debut album, to widespread acclaim which included gracing the cover of NME, being named DJ Mag's 'Album of the Month', delivering a sensational Crack Mix, Boiler Room session, Radio 1 'Future Artists' mixtape and more. She also released rebirth – it’s accompanying EP which featured Empress Of, Vagabon and Vv Pete, as well as being tapped for remixes for the likes of Dua Lipa, Shygirl and more. In amongst this she launched and hosted Therapy, her own podcast with guests including Jayda G, Aluna, Anna Luneo and Jamz Supernova, and toured across three continents, including making her Glastonbury debut. All this while remaining a staunch activist and a fiercely dedicated mother to her still new daughter. It’s no wonder then that when she was asked to contribute to !K7’s iconic DJ-Kicks series, she was seeking a sense of calm, and a sense of home.

“This DJ-Kicks truly represents my listening habits of the past three or so years”, says the Sydney-born, Berlin-based artist of the music she’s spent the most time with since the start of her music career proper and, coincidentally, the birth of her daughter. “I’ve really slowed down and found myself going deeper with the music I find and love. The reason I chose these tracks is because I adore my mornings and home life so much. There’s such a huge amount of peace and silence in my home that when I play music like this in my space, it adds another layer to the calmness”.

The result is remarkably transportive. A calmer side to Poulter than we’ve yet seen but still woven together with the deft hand that makes her DJ sets so enthralling. There’s a magic to those first hours of the day at home. A sense of suspended serenity, a bubbled isolation that, rather than feeling lonely, glows with possibility and purpose. This feeling isn’t one that can always be found – especially if you have a three-year-old – but Poulter bottles it perfectly in the opening moments of her DJ-Kicks. As the unfurling loops of Oklou & Casey MQ’s opening ‘Lurk’ morph and overlay the gentle whispers of the first Logic1000 exclusive ‘under the sun, beneath the rainfall’, Poulter presents her sanctuary as a tool for others to help find theirs.