The London-based DJ duo are here to entertain while fundraising for Ukraine
BY HOLLY HOULTON
Will Corder and Max Mclean, otherwise known on the dancefloor as DJs Will C and Macwel are quite literally, as their Latin name precedes them: “seizing the night” in London’s club scene with their new business. Will recaps how it started: “Carpe Noctem kind of just happened… Max started putting on ‘Dance Nights’ in local event spaces… and we’d get together for a much overdue knees-up. I started DJing for Max in 2022 and… Earlier on this year, Max and his partner who he used to put the nights on with decided to go their separate ways and it just fell into place that I took up the reigns with Max, bringing my fresh perspective and ideas to the table, and Carpe Noctem was born.” Max explains that their purpose was “to create a safe space for like-minded people to come together and DANCE.”
Will is a part of the LGBTQIA community, and says, “Max is very much an ally and supporter of the community and a lover of the vibe and freeing atmosphere that comes with LGBTQ+ venues and events.” Will shared that he feels as though he owes his community “a great party, with awesome music in a safe space” because of his time in the club scene, which contributed to shaping who he is today. From these experiences, he was able to help bring an unorthodox way of partying to Carpe Noctem, in comparison to the pre-existing clubs out there.
Not only this, but they’re helping Ukraine: “Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, I have been looking for a way to support Ukraine”, says Will. It is also important for Carpe Noctem to provide help because of the changing LGBTQIA rights in the country. In a June 2023 article sourced from The Guardian written by Emma Graham-Harrison and Artem Mazhulin in Kyiv, they state: “A draft civil union law that would give same-sex partnerships legal status for the first time was introduced this year to Ukraine’s parliament, which is still functioning despite the war.”
With this knowledge of the difficulties the country is facing, and with Will and Max’s important values in mind, they’ve arranged their official launch night to take place on 2 July at the queer venue Village 512 in Dalston, London, coinciding with the Pride in London weekend. In support of Ukraine, Will decided to reach out to Sofia Lapina the president of UKRAINEPRIDE and they’re now collaborating on this event to fundraise for the country in crisis, with a Ukrainian DJ playing on the night. Sofia explains: “The Ukrainian LGBTQ+ community is an integral part of Ukraine’s cultural identity… When war comes to your land, it does not ask about your gender or sexual orientation… For us, the support of Carpe Noctem is [solid], it [brings us all together to remind us of the initial idea of what Pride is about – promoting the community’s protection of rights and equality in solidarity]. We are extremely grateful for this support and are honoured to [partner with them].”
That’s not all this delightful duo is doing for Ukraine. Come August this year, they’ll be hosting a 24-hour marathon mix DJ livestream, with a couple of Ukrainian guest DJs mastering the decks alongside them. They’ll be asking for sponsorship and support for the event from people and organisations who they hope will lend them studio space to host the event. Viewers will be able to make donations and leave comments whilst watching the magical melodies come to life, as they stream live on Twitch and Mixcloud. All proceeds will go to UKRAINEPRIDE.
So, what are their nights like? We hear you ask. Well, definitely not what you would expect from your average club night out, these guys are doing things differently. Will exclaims, “it’s all about [having a] good time… we have live sax and percussionists who play along with our DJs at our parties at the end of the month… to add their magic”. Max says, “[we play] a diverse range of underground house music from the last 20 years spanning [across genres of] disco, progressive, melodic, tech and funky house.” Will adds that their latest themed event, Disco Royale: The Other Coronation Party at Village 512, was “a great success and has led to us putting on bi-monthly events at the venue”. Alongside their upcoming events, the team’s future plans are ambitious. Max notes, “We intend to build a community that caters for queer, creative and unconventional audiences.” Will adds, “We want to create legendary nights… with music that you won’t find on the high-street.”
Don’t just take their word for it, grab your tickets to their launch event now before they’re all gone!
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