Category Archives: Liquid D&B

Ear & Drum: Session 259 – Splash

Summer must be on it’s way in the northern hemisphere because even the Soulful D&B has a certain bounce to it and a little less melancholy from DRS. If you want a good time Atlantic Connection has a B-Sides compilation that is packed to the gills with 50 amazing, lesser known tracks from the US liquid master called unsurprisingly B-Sides. Here you will find Equator from his Red Spaces LP, which also features 4D Spaces.

Another EP worth keeping an ear out for is Mystifics – Good Girl EP from which I rolled Flames and Save My Soul in this mix, along with Peace of Mind from his DNBB Records release. Calibre, Nookie, LSB, Dawn Wall and Break also all bring the vibes in the soulful but upbeat collection of summertime vibes.

Splash – 1hr of Soul Summer tunes

Halogenix – Ivory
Minor Forms & Rider Shafique – Time Ticking (Total Science Remix)
Atlantic Connection – Equator
Atlantic Connection – 4D Spaces
Kingsize – Star Machine (Nookie Remix)
Mystific – Flames
Calibre – Chantilly
Ed:it – Lock Blues
Dawn Wall – Movies
London Elektricity – Fast Soul Music (Dogger & Mindstate Remix)
LSB – Golden
DRS & Tyler Daley feat. Calibre – I Remember
Envy – Beautiful Dreamer
Mystific – Peace of Mind
Bop & Subway – Last Night
Mystific – Save My Soul
Halogenix & Alix Perez – Amé
DRS & Tyler Daley feat. LSB – Too Late
Nookie – Only You (Madcap Remix)
Break & Charlie Brix – Lost

Ear & Drum: Session 256 – Reflections

Here comes the Liquid heat. It’s a bit hard to pin this mix down as it is Liquid, but a lot of it has a hard edge that will have you head bobbing . Kicking things off is Calibre’s – Thrubbin from his 8th Shelflife release. I always look forward to Shelflife releases as the opportunity to catch up on Calibre’s unreleased and more obscure tracks is always appreciated. This one does not disappoint with Heat, No Sense and Thrubbin’ being obvious stand outs for me.

Other big tunes for me a Rockwell & LaMeduza’s – Estranged, a vocal banger with Rockwell’s signature skittery drum work and production. Very good to hear more Rockwell after a short hiatus. Seba also has a new track out on Spearhead’s Soul Warming Sonics LP with Marina Sambą providing the vocal on Whatever You Feel. Not your typical Seba track, but still solid as always. From the same LP is the Workforce Remix of Lens’ big tune from 22′ Feels Like, a tougher more dance floor rerub that does the business.

Reflections – 1hr of Liquid Belters

Calibre – Thrubbin
Telomic – Lesson Learned
Impartial – Flow State
Waeys – Similarities
Calibre – No Sense
Seba & Marina Sambą – Whatever You Feel
Calibre – Heat
Motional – Fall
Rockwell & LaMeduza – Estranged
Lens – Feels Like (Workforce Remix)
Dawn Wall – Judgement
XJ – TImeshift
Deviant – Always
OZB & Charli Brix – Take It All (Halogenix Remix)
Brainwork – Felt Your Touch
Atlantic Connection – Cycles (VIP)
Alex Perez – Wairua
Halogenix & Alix Perez – Amé
Secret Structures – Hurt Me
Sam Bingo & Redders – AYO (Foreign Concept Remix)

Cosmic mix 1

For my debut mix here on the site I’ve put together a mixture of cosmic jungle, heavenly half-time & atmospheric liquid.

There’s new tunes alongside some older favourites in here, with labels including Modern Conveniences, Omni Music, Offworld, Fokuz, Metalheadz and Goldfat represented, amongst others. Most of the action takes place in the 166-172 territory.

Really hope you enjoy the mix – many thanks to Wozowski for inviting me over!

Cheers, fortunecookie20

Link: https://wozowski.com/cookie/Cosmic1.wav

Tracklist:

  1. Jamie Myerson – Shape Without Form
  2. Fortune & Chance – Vortextures
  3. Akuratyde – All We Need
  4. Easy – Push
  5. Fortune & Chance – The Connection
  6. Sunchase – Night Driving
  7. ASC & Synkro – Borderline
  8. Drumantle – Apex
  9. Seijn – Tread On My Dreams
  10. dBridge – Cornered
  11. Silence Groove – The Muses
  12. Jem One – Sunday Rain
  13. governmentfun – Magic Happens
  14. Woken Balance – Voyages
  15. Commix – City Section
  16. LSB – Snap Funk
  17. Mister Shifter – The Reach
  18. Calibre – Moonlight
  19. Trident – Above the Clouds
  20. Woken Balance – Mind’s Eye
  21. Jamie Myerson – Gesture Without Motion

Alwayz WilL Mix @ Melodic Bar Liverpool 26/3/23

Played out this set at the lovely Melodic Bar in Liverpool UK as part of their open deck night. Its a cool spot, highly recommended for any music headz in the area. Has its own radio station broadcasting from a shipping container above the bar –
https://www.melodicdistraction.com/
Maximum boost to the friendly crew there!

Burial – Unite
Djrum – Ode
Photek – Can’t Come Down
Djrum – St Martins
Fikir Amlak – Walk With Jah
Nomine & Youngsta – Foundation
Darkstar – Need You
Dominic Eulberg – Der Tanz de Gluehwuermchen (Rone Rmx)
Synkro – Transient
SpectraSoul – Melodies
Instra:mental – Naked Zoo
Sabre, Stray & Halogenix feat. Frank Carter – Oblique
Alix Perez – Losing You
Kelela – On the Run
Calibre – If you Wait Remix
Satl – So Much Better
Commix – Scarlet
Calibre – Mirage
Bicep – The Game
Burial – Rodent
Echo in the Dark (Hanna & Tommy) – Serotine
William Bell – Forgot to be Your Lover


Ear & Drum: Session 251 – Motions

Heading into the soulful side with this mix of smooth sounds. When it comes to soul Dogger & Mindstate, Calibre, Lenzman and LSB instantly spring to mind, but the vocalist they always lean on is the seminal DRS. Having been around since the hey-day of Bukem and his MC compatriot Conrad, DRS has reinvented himself constantly down the years and his 2020s incarnation as Mr Soul just might be his best yet.

A good chunk of this mix is from DRS’s Del-Rok-Ski LP, which came out towards the end of last year. Collaborating with a who’s who of soulful D&B producers, this LP had way more hits than misses and was one of the strongest releases for me in 2022. Another LP well worth a listen is FX909’s Liquid Heart which also features hear along with a few tracks from Need for Mirrors super strong Nerd EP.

Motions – 1hr of Soulful D&B

Akemi Fox – Lie to You
DRS & Monroe – Kiss & Tell
Dogger & Mildaste & DRS – TMWFTE
Need for Mirrors – Happy Mondays
Auris – The Difference
Colossus – Possession
DRS & Calibre – Embers Reign
DRS & Dogger & Mindstate – Wake You Up
DRS & Duskee & Disrupta – Waiting to Go
Dub Phizix – Snowprints
Gabanna – Always the Same
DRS & Document One – Can’t Explain
FX909 – Without a Name
Missing – Ever Wanted
FX909 – Two Little Birds
Need for Mirrors – Mourning Tune
Echomatics – Sense of Control
Bop & Subway – Last Night
Degs feat. Nu:Tone & Duskee – Can We Talk (Imo-Lu Remix)
Sl8r – Magnolia
Echo Brown & KSR – Motions
DSR & LSB – Sweet Love

Ear & Drum: Session 249 – The Squeeze

I recently had an online chat about how Liquid has become a bit of a dirty word and the genre has split in three down the years into Soulful, Melodic and Stadium style. This mix sits squarely in the melodic sweet spot for me.

Tunes like A-Sides & MC Fats – Never Yesterday feel timeless too me, and in fact they release a variation on this sound just about every year and every year I play them because they are just great tunes. Bop, Dawn Wall and Alix Perez are regulars in my mixes and always bring the goods and it was a good time dropping 2022 remaster of Marcus Intalex feat. Calibre – Meltdown because once again this tune will never get old.

The Squeeze – 1hr of Melodic D&B

Rafa Etamski – Changes
Klinical – Dusk Talks
Impartial – Flow State
Matter – Hold Me Close
Fishy & Freeboard – Cause I Miss You
Bop – Space 2 Breath VIP
Dawn Wall – Fears
A-Sides & MC Fats – Never Yesterday
Dawn Wall – Judgement
nCamargo – On Route
Secret Structure & Shibumi – Holding On
Alpha Rhythm – What I Need
Low:r – Mother
Alec Perez – Wairua
Khyu – 8 Years Ago
EN:VY – Over You
Total Science – Gravy Girls (Calibre Remix)
Secret Structures – Hurt Me
Marcus Intalex feat. Calibre – Meltdown (2022 Remaster)

Ear & Drum: Sessions 245, 246 & 247 – New Year’s Special Selection

For a genre that is declared dead every couple of years, D&B is healthier than ever with a whole new generation discovering the 90s and the OGs still pushing limits of what music can do. To celebrate this, and the fact that 2023 is just around the corner, I’ve put together three mixes that sum up everything that I thought was great in D&B in 2022.

Mix one is dedicated to the Soulful side of things. DRS, LSB, Dogger & Mindstate, GLXY, Heron Flow, Calibre and many more made music this year that reached beyond the generic Liquid category and brought a soul and pathos to their music that is absolutely mesmerizing.

Soul Side ’22 – 1hr+ of Soulful D&B from 2022

DRS & Monroe – Kiss & Tell
LSB – Endless
Dogger & Mindstate feat. DRS – TMWFTE
Random Movement – How Many Ways
DuoScience – Edge
Issue Cross & Wilkinson – Used to This
Impartial – Flowstate
HEFT – Timeline
HEFT – Promise
LSB – Bell Tune
Muffler – Water Piano Ambient
GLXY – Dreamers
The Sauce – BST Vibes
A-Sides & MC Fats – Never Yesterday
Seba – Public Beauty
Intake – Closing
Dawn Wall – Judgement
Dawn Wall – Fears
DRS & Dogger feat. Mindstate – Wake You Up
Wilkinson & iiola – Close Your Eyes
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Dynamite MC feat. Bop x Subwave – Into
LSB – Renaissance Song
GLXY – New Day
DRS & Document One – Can’t Explain
Particle – Drivin’ Me Crazy
Alix Perez & Verbz – Stay the Same
Redeyes & Fox – Wait Ting
Bungle – Forms
Workforce – Forever
Lensman & Echo Brown – Nokia Days
Fox feat. Swing Ting – Day One (Lenzman Remix)
Alix Perez – Wairua
DRS & LSB – Sweet Love
High Contrast – Return of Forever (Came & Krooked & Mefjus Remix)
Dogger & Mindstate feat. Liam Bailey – Broken Home (Calibre Remix)

Mix two is all about the deep, the dark and the heavy. Blocks & Escher, T>I, Buunshin, Dub Phizix, Conrad Subs, NC-17, Acid_Lab and many more tore the absolute roof off this year with BIG tunes and even bigger basslines. Labels like Metalheadz and Critical Music continued to blazer a trail, but even better was all the smaller imprints that popped up and smacked it this year.

Dark Side ’22 – 1hr+ of Deep, Dark & Heavy D&B from 2022

Soul Intent – Infrared Shadow
Seba & Digital – Love Story
Seba & Oilskin – The Future
Latyn – Dust & Ages (Silence Groove Remix)
Mako – The Both of Us
Buunshin & Idle Days – I’m Okay
Voyager – Aurora (Remix)
Fishy & Freeboard – Cause I Miss You
NC-17 & Dunk – New Jack Hustler
Dub Phizix – Demon Seed
Calibre – Verstat
Slay feat. Chimpo & SL8R – Dis One
Heron Flow – Raging Sea
Foreign Concept – China Plate
Technimatic & Komatic – Make Me Feel
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Echo 1 – Shifting Sounds
Acid_Lab – Imagine the Future (Art Cubic Remix)
Beeson & Dynamite MC – ‘Til 4am
Advisory – End Credits
Grey Code – Illiad
Dub Phizix – Item
aBLe – Still There
Script – Set up the Set (DLR’s Clash VIP)
Conrad Subs – Temple
T>I – Outboard
Dub Phizix – Come On
NC-17 – State of Grace
Audioholic – Bottlerockets
Blocks & Escher – This One
FX909 – Now (Half Step Mix)
Emz & Sam Bingo – Don’t Stress
NC-17 – Ghost Song

Last, but no where near least is the 160bpm genre that took over in 2022. Slowing things down and bringing back that original rave sound was THE best musical surprise for me in ’22. Artists like J Majik, Chimpo and ASC have always been there, but it was Fracture who really brought the 160bpm sound alive with his incredible 0860 Mix Tape release. Capturing the 90s pirate radio vibe, this release proved you can look back and still keep a modern production ethic. And I only hope that this is the beginning of more music like this!

Vibez Side ’22 – 1hr+ of 160bpm Vibes from 2022

Grey Code – Primrose
Coco Bryce – Dial M for Mayor
Fracture – Telepathy
The Vanguard Project & Jemima Read – Stitches (Coco Bryce Remix)
J Majik – Hold You (Lemon D Remix)
Fracture feat. Eastman – 0860
Kid Chameleon – Open Soul
Chimpo – Rig Doctor
Cryogenics – Haunted
IMANU & The Caracal Project feat. Josh Pan – La Fournaise
Adred – Before Your Eyes
Fracture – From the Very Top
Conman, Evasion & Mod:co – Lifestyle
Kid Chameleon – Syrup
Moakz – Distant Waves
Antony G – Lockdown
ASC – Black Rain
Mineral – Old School 2022
Fracture – First Aid Kit
D’Cruze – Sublime State

No matter if you are staying home, hitting the parties or somewhere in between there should be a sound here for everyone. Thanks for all the support in 2022 and big ups to Blick and Will for joining the Ear & Drum and bringing even more great music to the people. Happy New Year everyone and may 2023 be bigger and better for y’all.

ALWAYZ WILL: 11th WAY MIX

1st mix on Ear & Drum! Respect to Wozo for reaching out from the land of tall trees. Hope you enjoy this latest edition to my sonic wayfaring. I used to mix only dnb, but slowly and surely other styles have entered the fray.

Runtime just over 1 hour,
Peace and Joy. AW x

Alwayz Will: 11th Way

Liminka – Where Are You Now?
Kahil El’zabar – In The Spirit
Grouper – Holding
Calibre – Manchester Nights
Youngsta, Nomine – 528 
Fikir Amlak, King Alpha – Temperance
Escapism Refuge – Missing 
Mark E – Fighter
PFM – Danny’s Song
Youngsta, Nomine – Foundations
SAULT – Masterpiece
LSB – Lose Yourself
Alix Perez – Desanka
Breakage – Clarandon
Chase & Status – Over & Done
Calibre – If you wait Remix
Kelela – On the Run
Damiano von Erckert – XTC Spirits Evolving to Higher Spheres
Hanna Tuulikki & Tommy Perman – Serotine
Recondite – Taum
Interplanetary Criminal – In My Arms
Floating Points – Problems
Justin Hinds & the Dominoes – Sinners

Ear & Drum: Session 242 – Travels

With summer coming in for the southern hemisphere the soulful side of D&B is again on the rise. Artists like Heron Flow, Dawn Wall and Lensman are shelling it to bits, while GLXY‘s new EP ‘By Design’ on Shogun Audio and Dogger & Mindstate‘s killer 12″ on 1985 show the true depth of the soulful sound.

Shout out to Soul Intent for the free tasteful relick of Bjork’s – Future Forever and Eschaton for passing on his new LP Aboslution from which I’ve slipped in Autumn Mist here. Much appreciated.

Travels – 1hr+ of Soulful D&B

Aleyum – Blue Hour (HumanNature Remix)
Subrix – Thoughts
Dogger & Mindstate & DRS – TMWFTE
Heron Flow – Do 2 U
Seathasky – Circles
Easy – After Dark
Blacklab – You Know
GLXY – Dreamers
Natural Forces – Divine
The Sauce – BST Vibes
Dawn Wall – Fears
Cause for Concern – Angels in the Sky
GLXY – New Day
LSB – Renaissance Song
Lensman & Redeyes – Wet Like Water
Eschaton – Autumn Mist
Bjork – Future Forever (Soul Intent Relick)
Kintsuku – Absent
Fishy – Solar Transit
London Elekticity – Something Rare
Deis feat Nu:Tune & Duskee – Can We Talk (Imo-Lu Remix)
Dogger & Mindstate & Liam Bailey – Broken Home (Calibre Remix)
Total Science – Gravy Girls (Calibre Remix)
Stay feat. Lensman & A Little Sound – Taste of Gold

Mixed by Blick – All PFM Mix – Life After Good Looking

My first mix on the “Ear And Drum” and it’s from one of my favourite artists PFM, Iike to thank Woz for inviting me onto his site and for hosting my mixes. There are quiet a few artist from what people call ” The Golden Era Of Drum And Bass” who have left the scene Like Wax Doctor, Shogun/Artemis, Source Direct and Photek but thankfully PFM is still going and producing the same quality of music as he did back in the day. As the title suggests this is life after good looking.

All PFM Mix – Life After Goodlooking

01 – 00.00 – PFM – The Eleventh Hour
02 – 08.30 – PFM – Aspirations
03 – 16.14 – PFM – Runaway
04 – 23.34 – PFM – Language Of Love
05 – 29.40 – PFM – The Rough With The Smooth
06 – 36.08 – PFM & Tayla – Submarine Tune
07 – 42.45 – PFM – Cruising Detroit
08 – 51.22 – PFM – Without You
09 – 56.30 – PFM – Equilibrium
10 – 102.00 – Justice, Metro – Touch Feel (PFM Remix)
11 – 106.00 – PFM – Broken Tears
12 – 109.50 – PFM & Formula One – If You Were Mine
13 – 114.50 – PFM – For Caron (Are You Ready)
14 – 119.55 – PFM – Driftin On By
15 – 124.56 – PFM – Jones
16 – 131.10 – PFM – This Must Be Love
17 – 137.50 – PFM, Phat Playaz – Time Of Our Live
18 – 144.15 – PFM – By The Chapel (Shes Waiting There For Me)
19 – 149.18 – PFM – Check It Out