For aspiring DJs and producers, or indeed anyone who appreciates a good story, the genesis of Palms Trax couldn’t have read any dreamier. You know the one; curious yet naive son of the English Riviera lands a job at one of London’s leading record stores and discovers the masters of Chicago house and Detroit techno. Later, stumbling around Berlin, his primitive attempts to emulate the sound of his newfound heroes accidentally land him a bona fide dance floor hit. A gradual but steady stream of EPs courtesy of Dutch dance music powerhouse Dekmantel have allowed his productions to blossom in richer, smoother directions. On 2015’s ‘In Gold’ EP, the following year’s ‘High Point on Low Ground’ and then 2019’s ‘To Paradise’, halcyon hallmarks of house - euphoric piano lines, bubbling acid and luminescent keys - are shot through with Donaldson’s tough, distinctive percussion.

It’s that same connection with Dekmantel that has encouraged Donaldson to quickly, impressively evolve as a DJ of some distinctive taste and talent. A memorable performance at Dekmantel’s flagship Amsterdam festival in 2015 captured open hearts, lost minds and aching feet. Since then, the sound of Palms Trax has been a firm fixture, resulting in a triumphant main stage closing set in 2019.

Drifting seamlessly between vintage house, esoteric disco and the various shades of a bubbling UK underground he has helped define, Palms Trax has carved out a space as a tastemaker of rare repute. Occasional back-to-back performances with the likes of Hunee, Young Marco, Job Jobse and Erol Alkan, each distinct DJs in their own right, speak volumes for Donaldson’s nous, which has lead him on an international trail; from South America to Australia, and from Panorama Bar to Concrete, Contact, De School, and Lux.

In 2020 Palms Trax joined Moodymann and Keinemusik as additions to Grand Theft Auto Online, with his own storyline and a virtual performance in the game’s new club venue The Music Locker. Shortly thereafter in 2021 he founded his label CWPT, an acronym of his beloved Cooking With Palms Trax radio shows and parties.