Category Archives: Deep D&B

2015, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

In Deep Water – Ear & Drum Session 111

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Really enjoyed putting this mix together. I’m not sure if it was the fact I haven’t mixed for months, or just the selection of tunes, but it felt right.

Offworld Recordings wunderkind Silence Groove kicks us off and also features later on with Shine Through. Metalheadz is represented via Halogenix who’s All Blue EP harks back to the Blue Note days and gets three tracks dropped in this mix. And the final shout out is for ElectroSoul System, who’s new LP on Med School is everybit as good as I would expect it to be.

So get on it, give it a rinse and as always turn it up.

In Deep Water – 1hr of Deep Liquid D&B

Silence Groove – Cue
Eavesdrop – Past Life feat. MC Fava
Electrosoul System – Traffic
Aux Verba – The Hardest One To Find Is Ourselves
Instra:mental & dBridge – White Snares
Ehterwood – Souvenirs feat. Zara Kershaw (Ulterior Motive Remix)
Two Fingers – Saint Rhythm
Halogenix – All Blue feat. Cleveland Watkiss
A-Sides & Makoto – Night Flight
Silence Groove – Shine Through
Halogenix – Beyond The Bounds
Electrosoul System – Timetraveller
Nummix – Mirrors of Illusion
Liqutek – Aurora
Stray – Dizzy
Enea – Nightwalk
Halogenix – Paper Sword
Electrosoul System – One, Two… Madness

2015, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Cuts Deep – Ear & Drum Session 109

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Stripped back drums and arcing sub-bass is the order of the day in this deep rolling set. Om Unit, Alix Perez and Fanu all bring their signature sounds and Calibre and Marcus Intalex help bring a more melodic take on what is one of modern D&B’s most popular sounds.

Cuts Deep – 1hr of Deep D&B

Om Unit – The Hand
Fracture x Chimpo – From Early
Ital Tek – Vector
Fanu – Dreamers’ Union
Alix Perez & Stray – Rip N Dip
Alix Perez – Understand
Hidden Turn – Dream of Tron
Fanu – Sleepwalking
Mark System – Optix
Loxy – Purity
Marcus Intalex – These Days
Skeptical – Square Breathing
House of Black Lanterns – Take Control
Thing – One Million
Om Unit – Grey Skies Over Chicargo
Ivy Lab & Hydro – Make It Clear (feat. Frank Carter III & Lucy Annika)
Calibre – Deep Orca
Skeptical – Offline
Digital & Spirit – Mosquito

2015, Amen, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic, Old Skool

Signs of Intelligence – Ear & Drum Session 108

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Ah the 90s – electronic music’s golden era and definitely D&B’s original hey-day. Around ’96 D&B was everywhere and everyone wanted a piece, from movie soundtracks to TV advertising to mainstream music labels, they all wanted what D&B had. And what D&B had was some of the planet’s hottest production talent exploring electronic musics most diverse musical genre.

Photek was in his prime, dropping must have tune after must have tune. LTJ Bukem and his label, Good Looking, were killing it with an incredible artist roster including legends such as Blame and PFM. And Jonny L was on the verge of greatness and flexing some seriously beautiful music.

It was a gentler time, when D&B didn’t feel like it had to be dark or underground and it was an era I still love coming back to so I can lay down sets like this.

Signs of Intelligence – 1.5hrs of 90s Intelligent D&B

Photek – Into the 90s
Madalay – Flowers Bloom (Secret Lovers Mix)
Therapy – Loose (Photek Remix)
Fallen Angels – Frequency (Tango Remix)
Big Youth – Jim Screechy (Smith & Mighty Remix)
Everything But The Girl – Before Today (Adam F Remix)
Lil Louis & The Party – Clap Your Hands (PFM Remix)
Arkatuba – Josimar (Fila Brazillia Remix)
JMJ & Ritchie – Universal Horn
Jonny L – This Time (Cool Dub)
LTJ Bukem – Music
Sneaker Pimps – 6 Underground (In The Jungle Mix)
Everything But The Girl – Before Today (Dave Wallace Remix)
Photek – The Rain
Blame – Overhead Projections
PFM – One & Only
Everything But The Girl – Blame (Fabio Remix)
Neil Trix & Danny Mills – Pearls
PFM – Western (Words 2 B Heard Vocal Mix)
Jonny L – Nightlife
LTJ Bukem – Horizons
Eugenix – Sunshine

2015, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Unfathomable – Ear & Drum Session 107

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A spiritual successor to the Fathoms mix that I did last year, this is deeeeep. Simple beats looped to tick along while rolling bass carries you away. The simplicity of a lot of these tracks belay their complexity.

A big thanks has to got to Doc Scott and his 31 Records imprint for the Future Beats album which features heavily here. Plus Kid Drama, Sulex and Clarity all who I had never come across before but sure am glad I did.

Unfathomable – 1hr of Deep D&B

Ital Tek – Vector
Clarity – Surge
Kid Drama – Azure Pt.1
Kid Drama – Crimson (Don’t Look Down)
Marcus Intalex – These Days
nClear – If This Then That
Kiat – Feeder
DFRNT – Dark Blue
High COntrast – Racing Green (Modu’s Rework)
Seba – Inside Yourself
Skeptical – Imperial
Dub Motion – Azure
MAV – Skylines (Inertia Remix)
Moresounds – Rahstok
Bios Destruction – Crystal
Klute – you Won’t Like It
Atlantic COnnection – Geppetto feat. Tunde Olianiran
Clarity – Cyclone (with Indigo)
Skeptical – Offline
Sulex – Root
Calibre – The Wash

2015, Ambient, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Down Low Session

Call the Ambience 7: Deep Sleep Therapy – Ear & Drum Session 105

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Perfect for the weekend, this mix of the chilled out and laid back will make surfing the couch a dream. I’m not even sure if a lot of these tracks can be classified as D&B. But they all share a wonderful ambient style and certainly blend together beautifully.

Slide on your headphones, close your eyes and drift off into deep sleep therapy territory.

Call the Ambience 7: Deep Sleep Therapy – 1hr of Ambient D&B

Cern – Don’t Leave Me
MAV – Time & Space (LM1 Remix)
José Raúl – Cala Den Serra
Seba – Painted Sky (DFRNT Remix)
Implex & Julia Marks – 1000 Years (Pryzma Remix)
Afterlife – A Little Bit of Love
Mobility – Sunrays Through Rain
DFRNT – Dark Blue
Atlantic Connection – Sirens Song
Krone – Microcosmos
Andre Donaldz – Soft Landing
Andrew Cash – The Sound of Eternity
DFRNT – Everything
Bite My A – A Lonley Place
MAV – A Journey Through Skylines (But Sweet Dreams) (Microspacefunk Bop Remix)
Thriftworks – Pad FUKKK
Twicey – J6
Mistabishi – The Howling Void Where Your Soul Should Be

2015, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

The Depths – Ear & Drum Session 102

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Strap on the tanks and come for a dive into the deeper side of D&B with me. We’ve got some Drumfunk, Minimal, Half-Beat, Dub and a little bit of Liquid to smooth it all out – oh and a some quality grime-style lyrics courtesy of Kool Keith, Fixate and Skittles.

Tune in, turn up (the bass) and chill out as we plumb the depths.

The Depths – 1.5hrs of Deep Drum & Bass

Rainforest – Dopamine Paradise
Snug – Ascension
Skyweep – Wisdom Goddess
Earl Grey – Bob Dub
Calculon & Austin Speed – Get Murked (Deft Remix)
OM Unit – the War
Nu:Tone – Metaphor 6000 (Feat. Kool Kieth)
Machine Code – Requiem (Huron Remix)
Mobility – Fully Interlocking (Feat. Dana)
Bungle – Lights
Mauoq – Dream On (Stunna Kingston Dream Dub Remix)
Abiotic & Wallwerk – Polar Lights
Chimpo – Haymaker
Chimpo – Bun it (Feat Fixate)
Icicle – Problem (Feat. Skittles)
Thriftworks – Pad FUKKK
Goldie – My Little India
OM UNit – The Crossing
Airstrike & Blak – Karma (Mercury Remix)
Blu Mar Ten – Thin Air (Kid Drama Remix)
Skyweep – Everytime (Feat. Natalie Williams)
PLK – Her Side
Synkro – Transient
Dexta & Mauoq – Time Patrol
Vromm – Fields of Vengence

2014, Ambient, Cross Genre, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Call The Ambience 6: Lost Patients – Ear & Drum Session 96

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It’s taken me a long time to build up a good selection of tracks to continue my Call the Ambience series, but this one is worth the wait. Starting out almost beatless, we move into Bukem-esq atmospheric territory and then toughen up with a claustrophobic sting of tougher (but still spacious) tracks. It does settle back down towards the end, but the light and shade is definitely what makes it.

You might notice the tracklist has some interesting characters in it, including a couple of D&B’s lost sons in the form of Mistabishi and Alex Reece. Neither of whom have lost any of their experimental touch. One of my favourite producers of deep darkness, Amit, gets the back-to-back treatment plus Seba and Klute also go-head-to head. The best transition however is Skeptical – Always Be Mine (feat. Collette Warren) into Facing Jinx – Time which elevates to a crescendo that reminds me of the old Good Looking nights at The End.

This one goes out to Dan who’s courage in the face of adversity is a true inspiration to me, and my old mate Stelf who I know is feeling the ambient version of Snowflakes. Stelf (if you’re reading this) consider this your belated birthday present. 😉

If I had to call it, I’d say this is the best mix I’ve pulled of this year, so if you only download one mix from the Ear & Drum I’d make it this one.

Call The Ambience 6: Lost Patients – 1hr of Ambient D&B

Mistabishi – Dark Pools
Rawtekk – Snowflakes (Ambient Version)
Rantoul – Paper Shuffler
Alex Reece – Retrowaxable
Skeptical – Always Be Mine (feat. Collette Warren)
Facing Jinx – Time
Vadav – Karma
Amit & Nomine – Mr CLark
Amit & Rani – I’ll Cut You Down
Seba – Mesmerism
Klute – Give It All (feat. Naomi Pryor)
DLR & Skript – Blue Room (feat. Martyna Baker)
Congi – Transparent
Marginal – Elusive Moment
Derrik & Tonika – Genius
Nuage – Above Time
Alix Perez, DJ Rashad & DJ Spin – Make It Worth It
Soul Intent – Dubplate Special
Acra – Boarderland State
Alex Reece – It’s Alright

Amen, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic, Old Skool

Shadow Wax 8: 1997 Chilled Intelligence Part 1 – Ear & Drum Session 84

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Back to the golden era of Drum & Bass with this tidy selection from the god father of D&B labels Moving Shadow. This rolls and flows majestically through intelligent amen driven beats and bass from start to finish.

Omni Trio, JMJ & Ritchie, Flytronix, EZ Rollers, Hoax – all the big names are in here and so are some of their biggest tunes. Anyone who can remember far back enough to when The Rhode Tune, Sanctuary and Free La Funk first hit will remember they changed everything.

If these tunes are new to you, you are in for a real treat. If you were luckily enough to be listening to drum & bass back in 97, enjoy this roll down memory lane.

Shadow Wax 8 – 1hr of 1997 Chilled Intelligence

Hoax – Temple Bell
Omni Trio – Sanctuary
Omni Trio – Sancturay (Funky Technicians Remix)
Essence of Aura – So This Is Love
Flytronix – The Rhode Tune
Dead Calm – Searchin’
EZ Rollers – Subtropic
JMJ & Ritchie – Free La Funk
Kudos – Soul Searching
Hoax – The More I See You
JMJ & Ritchie – Beyond Therapy
Mastermind – The Morning After
Hoax – Pipe Dreams (Flytronix Remix)
Hoax – The Mission

2014, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Set Adrift – Ear & Drum Session 92

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A second dose of deepness for the New Year, this time with a liquid twist to it. The is one of those smooth rolling sets you can listen to in the background or put the headphones on and get really involved with. Perfect for any sore heads still feeling the jared from New Year’s Eve celebrations. 😉

A lot of the usual suspects I’ve been playing for most of 2013 appear in here, with the notable exception of Klute who finally came good on dropping a new album, The Draft, in October. I’m glad to say it’s his strongest work in a long time and well worth grabbing if you haven’t already.

Other notables are Seba for killing it all year long, Technimatic for coming out of nowhere and making a BIG splash and Calibre for just being Calibre and always coming correct.

Once again thanks for all the support in 2013 and I hope 2014 turns our for you and your ears. I guess you could say ‘Happy New Ears’. 😛

Set Adrift – 1.5hrs of Deep & Rolling Liquid D&B

Sub Focus – Twilight
Paramount – Northstar
Villem & McLeod – The Reason feat. Piathaleia
Breach – Jack (Calibre Remix)
Nitri feat. Grimm – Lies
Medium – The Abyss
Silent Type – All I Want
Greyscale – Impossible Dream
Thesis – Homecoming
dRamatic – Straight Talking
Seba – Shades of Me & You
Seba – Never LEt You Go (Blu Mar Ten Remix)
Calyx & Teebee – Prehensile Dreamer Part 1
Electrosoul System – Traffic
Thesis – Event Horizon
Total Science – See Your Face feat. Riya
Technimatic – The Evening Loop
Greyscale – Horizon
Seba – Under the Sun
Klute – Turn Around
Paramount – Dreamworld
Seba – Can’t Describe
Airstrike feat. Allison Gray – Frozen
Technimatic – Frozen Leaves

2014, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Fathoms – Ear & Drum Session 91

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First mix in aaages and first mix of 2014, so I guess I’d better make a good one right? 😉

Leaning on the deeper and more stripped back styles, this mix sums up a lot of what was great about D&B in 2013 – deep, cinematic and textured tunes with tons of atmosphere to pick you up and transport you somewhere else.

SpectraSoul, dBridge, Stray, Om Unit and MachineUnit all managed to keep coming up with new and interesting ways of twisting the D&B sound and we were lucky enough to have a small Felix K project, Flowers of Destruction, come out towards the end of 2013 to take his particular sound deeper that it has ever gone before.

Thanks to everyone who listened during 2013 and here’s hoping this year is even better than the last. Happy New Year.

Fathoms – 1.5hrs of Deep Drum & Bass

Overlook – Digital
House of Black Lanterns – Truth & Loss (Fracture’s Astrophonica Remix)
SpectraSoul – SOUR (Rockwell Remix)
Defo – Culture
Fracture feat. Dawn Day Night – Sick Wid It
Amoss – Bumbaclart
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #4
Derrick & Tonika – Trentino
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #2
dBridge – Not Known
Breach – Jack (Calibre Remix)
Stray – LA Zoom
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #3
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #6
Foreign Concept – Solid State Dreams
System – Sound Man
Machinedrum – Eysdontlie
dBridge & Skeptical – Move Way
dBridge – Death of a Machine Drum
Om Unit – Grey Skies Over Chicago
Skyweep – Never Surrender
Friske – Venture
Lung – Too Cold to Start a Fire
Gridlock – Westbank
Machinedrum – Gunshotta
Frederic Robinson feat. Stray – Bloom
DJ Fresh vs. Diplo feat. Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake (Edit)