Category Archives: Ear & Drum Session

1996, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 172 – Flight Nine Six Two

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This is part two of my deep dive into obscure and rarer track from 1996. Last time we looked at Intelligent D&B and this is on a similar tip. While a lot of these tunes could be considered Intelligent, I think of them as even more chilled out.

Artists such as T-Power, B.L.I.M. and Kid Loops had their own take on the Intelligent sound that was less jazz focused and chopped up drum edits and more soulful cruising and laid back. Perfect for a couch session or recovery after the party is over.

Flight Nine Six Two – 1hr of Chilled out D&B from 1996

Gangster Sound feat Mrs B – Paradise (Dangerous Mix)
Lunar Funk – Spacewalk
United Future Organisation – Loud Minority (Alex Reece Remix)
Kid Loops vs Cool Breeze – Shift Then Return
Universal Love – Deeply (Ryder’s Dream 128 Mix)
T-Power – The Inti Raymi (Remix)
B.L.I.M. – Jeamland
Herb E – Light (Darwin Mix)
Jodeci – Feenin’ (LTJ Bukem Remix)
Kid Loops vs Cool Breeze – The Valley
Kid Loops – Digital Breakdown
Kid Loops vs Cool Breeze – Five Seven Five Seven
Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 2
Mr Psyche – The Drop

2020, Atmospheric, Ear & Drum Session, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 171 – Atmospheric Glow

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There’s been a quiet revolution going on in the world of atmospheric D&B. A lot of producers have been putting the modern day D&B sounds aside and returning to the the golden atmospheric era of the mid 90s.

J. Majik released his aptly named Full Circle album chock full of retro sounds from the 90s. Producers such as Total Science, Dave Wallace, Seba and Blu Mar Ten have also gone back to their roots releasing lush, deep atmospheric beats reminiscent of the days of Bukem and Logical Progression.

This collection of atmospheric tracks is an encapsulation of all that is great within the sub-genre and well worth a listen if you enjoy swirling melodies and majestic vocals over repecharge beats and tight amen edits.

Atmospheric Glow – 1hr of Atmospheric D&B

G-Force – Proximity (Furney 2019 Clean Up)
Okee – Earth Sky
Duoscience – Eternity
Total Science – Winds of Change
Dave Wallace – Lose Control
J. Majik – The Lost Tribe
Seba – Ryu-ki
R1C0 – Mission
Kid Drama & Om Unit – Untitled 1
Blu Mar Ten – Sandstorm
Dave Wallace – Echos of Speed
Okee – The Invisible Limits
Kyhu – Time Lapse

1996, 2020, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic, Old Skool

Ear & Drum Session: 170 – Flight Nine Six One

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Welcome to a new series of mixes based around lesser known tracks from the 1996 golden era of D&B.

Those that know me, know I love ’96 era of music. It was the time when I was first getting into D&B, and I have spent decades collecting D&B and other music from around this era. These tracks are mainly sourced from obscure CD compilations, with the odd recent re-release and original vinyl thrown in for good measure.

The aim of this series is to dig up tracks you’ve never heard before. So I’d love it of people could comment on what tracks are new to them. Mainly I’ve gone for rare and obscure remixes combined with a bunch of B-sides and CD only releases.

Being a series this is only part one of the journey, and if people are feeling it I might look into some other years from back in the day. Again let me know in the comments.

Flight Nine Six One – 1.5hrs of Rare & Obscure D&B from 1996

Drum and Bass – Intelligence (Inst Mix)
Hidden Agenda – Vindication
4 Hero – Universal Love
Cloud Nine – Teach Me To Fly
DJ Pulse – Planet Funk
Just Intelligence – Trip Out (Intelligent Mix)
The Dominion – London Nights (Ryder’s Dream No. 102 Mix)
Jonny L – Sam
Ryders Project 1 – Heidi’s Dream (Ryder’s Dream No. 100 Mix)
Alex Reece – Feel the Sunshine (Pulse Mix)
Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 1
Galliano – Slack Hands (Aquasky Remix)
Frame – Spirit of the Sun (Aquasky Remix)
Gangster Sound – What’s Going On (Jazz Mix)
Aquasky – Sea Monkey
Best Boy Electric – Dawning
David Holmes – Gone (PFM Mix)
Aphrodite – Q-Flutes
Tamsin – Innocence
Cloud Nine – The Ultimate Seduction
Abstract Truth – Get Another Plan (Rob Playford Remix)

2020, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum Session: 169 – Undefined

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Another tasty liquid roller featuring some artists I’ve been meaning to call out for awhile now.

First up Workforce AKA Jack Stevens is one half of Spectrasoul and has been absolutely killing it lately. His track ‘Your Moves’ of the EP of the same name is in my top 5 tracks of last year. Secondly, FX909 who has been making quality liquid D&B for almost 20 years has also been on fire of late. And last but least, Monrroe the Cheltenham based producer who’s track ‘You Got Me’ has been stuck in my head ever since it came out.

And an extra shout out to Calibre for finally releasing his remix of London Grammar’s – If You Wait. And wait we did, for two bloody years and it was still totally worth it.

Undefined – 1hr of Liquid Rollers

Workforce – Your Moves
Monrroe – Everywhere I Go
Dawn Wall – Take Control
Koherent & Charli Brix – Voices
Monrroe & Alexa Harvey – You Got Me
Enei – Get Closer (feat. Charlie Brix)
Dawn Wall – I Should Have Been There
FX909 – Undefined
FX909 – Ultra Thin
Peshay & VSY – Infinity
Etherwood – See The Sky (feat. Thomas Oliver)
London Grammar – If You Wait (Long Enough You’ll Get The Calibre Remix)
Natural Forces – Alone
Dawn Wall – Legends
T:Base – Is It True
Document One & Cimone – Newborn
Workforce – Fragments
Henry Fonda – Musical Soldiers
Dawn Wall – Birdmask
Workforce – Your Moves (Tease)

2020, Amen, Ear & Drum Session, Jungle

Ear & Drum Session: 168 – Irie Fyah

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There is no denying Jungle has made a huge comeback in the last few years, but I have deliberately steered away from New Jungle as a style I play for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I’ve played a tonne of 92-96 Jungle sets in my time and, secondly, I love the rough and ready nature of original Jungle and that seemed to be missing a little in the newer, cleaner tracks I was hearing.

That being said, there has been some serious fyah laid down recently and quite a few unreleased tracks appearing from back in the day. So I thought I’d dip my toe back in the Jungle waters by combining some of the newer tracks with some straight up classics and rarer tracks.

On the unreleased tip we have PFM’s superb Runaway. I can’t believe this didn’t get a full release back in 94/95, although I’m positive it would have been cut to dub plate and played. And of the new releases (that sound genuinely original) we have Unglued & MC Conrad – Born in ’94 (Pirate Radio Mix) and Breakage – Wicked. All the rest are classic Jungle tracks I’ve always loved and never get tired of mixing.

Irie Fyah – 1.5hrs of Jungle Mania

Desert Storm – Hit After Hit
Back2Basics Recordings – Fighting Vipers (Drum & Bass Mix)
Wots My Code – Dubplate
DJ Crystl – The Dark Crystl VIP
Remarc & Lewi – Shinobi X (Jungle Mix)
Blame & Justice – Night Vision
Bay B Kane – Addictive
PFM – Runaway
Fourth Dimension – Sun Vibes
Adam F – Apocalypse
The Root Project – Can’t Control
Unglued & MC Conrad – Born in ’94 (Pirate Radio Mix)
Noise Factory – The Future
Brainkillers – Screwface
DJ Rap – Spiritual Aura (DJ Rap’s Get Raw Remix)
Breakage – Wicked
Gin & Tonic – Right Bullet, Right Time
Kenny Ken – Athlete Kings (Jungle Mix)
Remarc – Soundmurderer
Foul Play – Being With You
Expressive Records – Nights (Drum & Bass Mix)

2020, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session 167: Full Phat

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First mix of the new decade and it was made on the first day of the new year. Full of phat rollers and liquid niceties from the back end of 2019, I really should call this mix the DRS sessions. The MC from Manchester is all over this with collaborations with LSB, Artificial Intelligence and Anile. If you haven’t checked out his The Blue Hour LP with LSB it is well worth a listen.

We also have new tracks from Klute’s new Whatever It Takes LP, the return of D&B royalty Peshay plus both sides of Seba & Paradox’ latest 12″ on their brand new label.

Full Phat – 1.5hrs of Phat Rollers and Liquid Drops

Peshay & VSY – Infinity
LSB & DRS – Like It Used To
Marvel Cinema, T:Base & Matt View – Need To Know
LSB & DRS – Keep The Time
Ed:it – Can’t Stop Thinking
Duoscience – 1981
Klute – Flesh Eaters
Seba & Paradox – Jupiterize
Came & Krooked – Come Together (Bop Remix)
LSB & DRS – Frozen
Kimyan Law – Magic (feat. Clara Luzia)
Klute – Highly Addictive
Dave Wallace – Light Phase
Cosmology – Raindrops
Kyhu – Time-Lapse
Random Movement – Lost on Purpose
Makoto – Transparent (feat. Whiney)
Seba & Paradox – Over Now
Bladerunner – All My Love
Artificial Intelligence feat. DRS – Isolate
Smote – Just Come Back
Madcap – Believe
Workforce – Your Moves
Smote – Summertime VIP
Seathasky – 1999
Anile & DRS – Constant Reminder
LSB & DRS – Could Be

2019, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Ear & Drum Session 166: Altitude

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One last mix for the decade before we dive head-first into the 20s.

It really doesn’t seem that long ago that Photek’s ‘Into the 90s’ was released, so to be here 30 years later is pretty crazy. Thank you to everyone who has listened in at the Ear & Drum during the past 10 years and here’s hoping the next 10 years (or even just the next) treats you better than the last.

If I could wish for anything in the new year it is for people to do more listening. Not just to music, but in general. I think the last decade has been dedicated to the self absorbed masses shouting out there opinions without giving anyone else’s opinion a second thought. You can’t form a proper opinion without listening to the other side of the argument, so sit down, shut up and just listen.

Here is to less shouting and more listening in 2020.

Altitude – 1hr of Cruising D&B

Bop – Waterfall
Kimyan Law – Luba
Document One – Holy Moly
Bladerunner – Breathe
Alix Perez – Trinity
Sunchase – Karabi
Seba – Curved Boundaries
Seba – In Your Arms Again
DRS & Need For Mirrors – Bobby
Came & Krooked – Black & White (Kimyan Law Remix)
Kimyan Law – White Moth Anthem
Bop – Memories
Hiddenwave – Visualise
Smote – Just Come In
Hiddenwave – Nior
Workforce – Your Moves
Rainforest – Horde
Hiddenwave – Hold Me
Two Fingers – You Ain’t Down

2019, Ear & Drum Session, Tech Step

Ear & Drum Session 165: One Giant Leap

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In 1995 when Alex Reece released Pulp Fiction and the D&B world lost it’s collective shit about the step beat in and pulsing bass in the track I just thought it sounded plodding and boring compared to the repecharge beats of the Amen break. When it spawned a million copycat tracks and then it’s own genre I thought the music had taken a huge step (excuse the pun) backwards.

Fast forward to 2005 and D&B had seriously run out of ideas and was looking for a sound to excite me again. Pouring over the back catalogue I started listening to all those old Tech Step tracks and the penny finally dropped a full 10 years later. Ever since I’ve made sure I pick up any old Steppers I come across knowing one day I’d come back to mix them and that time is now!

This is a who’s who of Tech Step classics. No point in calling out high lights as every track in here is there because they shaped a genre that turned out to be one of D&B’s best and most unique sounds. With new listeners currently drooling over Jungle as THE sound of D&B, it is only a matter of time before it takes another giant leap into the sounds of Step.

Remember you read it here first.

One Giant Leap – 1.5hrs of Classic Tech Step

Gang Related & Mask – Dictation (Michael Caine Mix)
Ed Rush, Optical & Fierce – Cutslo (Locuste Remix)
Ray Keith – D4 Toxic Waste (Elementz of Noize Remix)
Capone – Tudor Rose
Dillinja – Go Dillinja
Photek – Baltimore
Jonny L – Wish U Had Something (Remix)
John B – Secrets
Nasty Habits – Shadow Boxing
Genotype – The Germ
Atom 1 – Imminent
Adam F – Metropolis
Dillinja – The Angels Fell
Boymerang – Still
Tonic – Delta
DJ SS – Lost iN New York
Dieselboy – The Descent
Dom & Roland – Dance All Night
Jonny L – Piper
Fortran – The End Part II (feat. Fierce)
Ed Rush & Nico – August (Unreleased VIP Mix)
Ed Rush – The Raven

2019, Chill Out, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B

Ear & Drum Session 164: The Other Side

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A sweet mix of chilled out Liquid beats from some of the scenes best new and established talent. On the old guard side of things you have DJ Trace doing what I think is one of his first ever chilled out tunes, Calibre remixing Vanguard Project’s – Elation and a very special tune in the fact that is probably one of the last Marcus Intalex (RIP) remixes we’ll probably ever hear in Adred feat. Robert Manos’ – Captivate.

On the newer side of the production fence we have a stack of new Etherwood tracks. This man’s talents know no bounds as he continues to straddle the fence between traditional song writing and D&B. Etherwood is backed up by Adred who’s new EP on Metalheadz was a complete surprise to me, Satl & Ill Truth who’s tune, In Your Soul, receives a very tasty Lenzman remix and T:Base who’s Is It True EP on Fokuz Recordings is well worth a download if you get the chance.

The Other Side – 1hr of Chilled Liquid Beats

Etherwood – The Night
Etherwood – Away From It All
Satl & Ill Truth – In Your Soul (Lenzman Remix)
DJ Trace & Emery – Elation feat. Sofi Mari
The Vanguard Project – Stitches (Calibre Remix)
Etherwood – See the Sky feat. Thomas Oliver
Critical Event & Scott Allen – This Love’s For Real
Surreal – Riding Out
Furney – Sit Down & Dance
Scar – Hey You
The Vanguard Project – Flying Away
Polaris – Prismatic Gate
T:Base – Is It True
Document One & Cimone – Newborn
Adred feat. Robert Manos – Captivate (Marcus Intalex Remix)
Adred & Ant TC1 – 1238
T:Base – When I Fear (Who I Am)
Smote – Power of Nature
Eastern District – Ordinary Man
Smote – Power of Nature (Tease)

2019, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum Session 163: Blue Rinse

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Inspired by the tougher sounds of Blue Note era Metalheadz, this mix proves that not all hard D&B needs to be mid-range bass lines, high pitched snares and screeching synths to make an impact.

The classic heavy sound seems to be making a serious comeback lately and is moving forward by looking back to the golden era of the sound. Fixate’s – Ripgroove remix being a perfect example of a classic reworked for modern day sound systems and listening. Other’s such as Brazilian producer Bungle, D&B super group Kings of the Rollers and new kid on the block Pasha Solecci are following suit bringing a new production techniques to the OG sound with devastating effect.

Blue Rinse – 1hr+ of Hard D&B

ANAPA – Damager
Pasha Solecci – Jacobs Ladder
Document One – Holy Moly
Bungle – Infinite
Calibre – Eschaton feat. DRS
Amit – Knuckle Duster
Goldie – Demonz (Gremlinz & Jesta Remix)
Bione – Orcas
Alibi – Shurikan
Dub Elements & Coppa – Massai
Macca & Melinki – Ok
Mefjus – If I Could (Loadstar Remix)
Fixate vs Double 99 – Ripgroove (Fixate Remix)
Sikey & Speedwagon – Conquer
King of the Rollers – You Got Me
Mefjus – Volition (Former Remix)
Bungle – Physical Dub
Bungle – Inner Mask
Muffler – Half Light
Humanature & Induktiv – Paroxysm
Pasha Solecci – Coke & Tea
Skeptical – Charge
S.P.Y – Dreamcatcher
Alix Perez – Slink
Dub Elements & Gyrda – Firing Pin
Pola & Bryson – Hyperborean feat. Data 3
Phaction – Aviatrix feat. Riya