After much persuasion, Rachel Auburn has agreed to come out of retirement for a one-time greatest hits set at the Love Muscle XX Birthday event on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Rachel Auburn had officially retired from DJing, with her final performance on the London gay scene taking place at ‘Trade 25’ in 2015.
“I’m paying homage to my past, having been involved in Love Muscle XX since 1997, during such a unique and wonderful time for the gay community.”
Rachel on her return to Love Muscle XX
DJ, music producer, and British fashion designer Rachel Auburn made a significant impact on the London gay scene and internationally during the 1990s. She held sought-after DJ residencies at some of the most iconic club nights and events of the era, including Garage at Heaven, Sherbet, The Sound Shaft, Trade, Tidy Trax, and the unforgettable Love Muscle.
Rachel Auburn broke barriers as the first female DJ to perform in China and the first to showcase 1980s London club fashion in both New York and Tokyo. Her musical talent led to success on the UK charts, both under her own name and through her aliases, Tidy Girls and Candy Girls. In collaboration with Paul Masterson, the Candy Girls’ hit single “Wham Bam,” featuring Sweet Pussy Pauline, peaked at #20 on the UK Singles Chart in 1996.
Rachel Auburn was a prominent figure at Love Muscle XX throughout 1997, recognised for her signature fluffy and bouncy style of techno—a lively conclusion to Marc Andrews’ Hi-NRG sets. Now, after 28 years, she is returning to Brixton, prepared to spin the very tracks that defined her sound in the ’90s.
The London gay scene has always cherished Rachel Auburn. Expect a euphoric wave of nostalgia, rare mixes, and long-lost anthems that promise to make this birthday celebration one for the history books.
The Love Muscle xx Birthday event is on Saturday 8th November 2025, 11pm – 6am (last entry 3pm), at Electric Brixton, Town Hall Parade, Brixton Hill, London SW2 1RJ, United Kingdom.
Photo © Andrew Czezowski & Susan Carrington – The Fridge & Roxy Archive
