of the Essence

HOUSE RULES & EVENT INFO → Angel Music Bar 21:00 — 03:00 Swipe for set times. Tickets This event is SOLD OUT online. A very limited number of tickets will be available on the door. We recommend that you arrive early for the best chance of entry. Once at capacity, it will be one in, one out, with door sales reopening based on movement throughout the night. Resale tickets are available via Resident Advisor. Respect & Safety OTE & Angel Bar have a zero tolerance policy for any form of harassment—this includes sexual harassment, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, sexism, racism, ableism, and any form of antisocial behaviour. If you feel unsafe or something doesn’t feel right, please speak to a staff member. OTE’s DMs will also be open and monitored if you don’t feel comfortable approaching in person. On The Floor Phones away. Stay in it. Facilities All restrooms are gender neutral. Lighting & Effects No strobes will be used. A smoke machine will be in operation. Free entry for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Please DM us ahead of time. Accessibility Angel Bar is not wheelchair accessible, and there is no accessible restroom on site. If you have questions or would like to discuss access needs, please contact [email protected] in advance.

Friday night’s programme → With Roka taking the reigns for his first all night long, it’s a coming together of friends unfolding upstairs that makes it all a little bit sweeter. Joining him is Séarlait, one of Naarm’s most trusted and a cornerstone of the community, returning for a b2b we know just works and we can’t get enough of. Alongside Naarm oracle Ed Kent, who steps in to join Roka for a first-time collaboration, to soundtrack the wobbly hours of the night. Textured, rolling, a bit of steaze & right on the edge. Downstairs, we’re joined by Miki, Asha & Rust-e to keep things stripped back, minimal & glitchy in all the right ways. This event is now fully SOLD-OUT. Re-sale sign up is available on RA. Available via the link in bio. There will be an extremely limited amount of door tickets available early. @roka._____ @searl.ait @edkent_ @ashapriestley @tirumiksu @rust.e.e.e Event info & house-rules will be announced shortly.

Roka – ALL NIGHT LONG Fresh off the back of appearances at Pitch Music & Arts, Sonder Festival and a sold-out release on @esensua.l , OTE is pleased to have Roka land at Angel Bar for an all-night-long session this April. With his slow-burn approach into deep, textured house & low-slung attitude, his debut ANL couldn’t find a more fitting room than at Angel. Joining him upstairs in the booth are some of Naarm’s most respected. Bringing class, curve-balls and that instinctive touch that hits in all of the right places, we welcome Séarlait ( @esensua.l | @1800play ) and Ed Kent ( @telemuzik_ | @sleepertape ). Programming downstairs, Ash, Rust-e & Miki step into the booth. Headsy, dialled-in and club-ready. Friday 24th April – 21:00 - 03:00AM → Tickets available via RA & the link in bio @roka._____ @searl.ait @edkent_ @ashapriestley @tirumiksu @rust.e.e.e Artwork by @rapheek_ ————————————————————————————— OTE acknowledges the traditional owners of the land on which this event takes place—the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. We pay our respects to elders past, present, and emerging. Sovereignty has not been ceded.

OTESESSIONS001 - Merel Helderman (NL) First off the block for our new podcast series OTESESSIONS is OTE favourite @helderman__ . Recorded live from Naarm, Helderman takes us through the soundscapes that shaped her time down under, as well as the first feature of our substack OTE NOTES, where she dives deeper into this mix, her tour + more. Links in bio >>>>

Tonight’s the night. Some housekeeping below - There are EXTREMELY limited door sales available. Priority entry is from 7pm - 10pm. We highly recommend those purchasing on the door to enter during these times to avoid lining up. Final pre-sale tickets available to purchase at the link in our bio. OTE and Music Room have a zero tolerance policy for any form of harassment, including sexual harassment, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, sexism, racism, ableism or any form of antisocial behaviour. If you feel unsafe or something just doesn’t feel right, please speak to a staff member. Level 2 Her Bar is a fully wheelchair accessible space. You can access the room via the lift on ground floor. Phones down, vibes up. We’ll see you in there x

Set times have landed for tomorrow night. We are so excited to announce all artists will be performing extended sets for our first dance at Her Level 2. Get down early, stay late. It’s going to be lush. Extremely limited tickets remaining. Available via the link in bio. @musicroom_melbourne @fafi_abdel_nour @helderman__ @mordi_mcfly

Our final artist to showcase is OTE mother Mordi. Moving fluidly between house, trance and all the dubs in between, Mordi orbits the progressive edges of both, guided more by mood than genre. A frequent of the Australian club and festival circuit with appearances at Sonder Festival, A3, Sub Club & Solace, as well as appearances in EU clubs Lofi & Thuishaven this year, she’s built a reputation for immersive, emotive sets. Threading rolling house, atmospheric melodies and subtle, club-driven momentum, Mordi’s sound is one of contrast and care: subtle but strong, fluid but focused. Tickets are running very low for this Friday. Final tickets available at the link our bio. @mordi_mcfly

✨ SECRET GUEST: FAFI ABDEL NOUR (NL) ✨ After his Deep Jungle masterclass last weekend at @strawberryfields_festival , we are so excited to announce Fafi will be joining us for OTE this Friday. Fafi Abdel Nour finds beauty in the margins and bliss in between — a DJ and community builder on a mission to create connection through music. Growing up as a first-generation Syrian-born kid in the Netherlands, he navigated the space between heritage, queerness, and self-expression, channeling these experiences into queer club nights at OOST in Groningen and beyond. As a DJ, Fafi captivates dancers with timeless, otherworldly sets that thread melodic passages, house-inflected rhythms, and enchanted breakbeats into ecstatic journeys. His sound is both jubilant and introspective, dissolving boundaries between movement and being, and his mantra remains clear wherever he plays: love is the message. We couldn’t think of an artist that better captures the essence of OTE. Very limited tickets remaining → Link in bio @fafi_abdel_nour

✨ Merel Helderman (NL) ✨ With tight, percussive grooves and shimmering ’90s energy, Merel Helderman carves out a house sound that’s hypnotic, warm, and quietly magnetic. Her sets carry a subtle intensity, deep rhythms, crisp edges, and the kind of flow that lingers. Frequenting esteemed EU clubs and festivals like Shelter, Audio Obscura, Onder de Radar, Sisyphos, and Radio Radio, she’s garnered support from the likes of Job Jobse, Shanti Celeste, Pablo Bozzi, and Carista. With OTE the first stop of her debut Australian run, she’s stepping into a fresh space with the same after-hours energy. Limited tickets remain → Link in bio @helderman__

of the Essence - The First Dance. Super excited to be sharing OTE label with the world. A long, drawn out idea that has finally come to fruition. A space to uplift and connect with artists, community and dance floors. For our first dance, we head to intimate space of Her Bar - Level 2. Bringing pure Dutch prowess, Merel Helderman joins the OTE team with driving, percussive house blends and a magnetic presence. Joining her is label-head Mordi, with her signature blends of warm, dynamic house & trance. Closing out the night, a very special international guest, of whom will be revealed very soon. Lineup: Secret Guest @helderman__ (NL) @mordi_mcfly This space is intimate.. so tickets are extremely limited. Available now via the link in our bio. ——————————— Of The Essence acknowledges the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners of the land we gather on. Always was, always will be.