The heavier side of Drum & Bass has recently decided to get it’s groove back, which I am here for. Not so abstract, still dark and heavy, but with a distinct dance floor flavour that gets the head nodding.
As per usual, Kasra and Critical Music seem to be on the bleeding edge of the sound with releases such as Shatter with YAANO and bb.oo. Metalheadz are holding it down too with Marly Marl’s Feel Deep Headz and Run Away doing bits, Dark ’97 by Immerse, Philth & Ant TC1 rolling out and Inner Terrain’s killer track No More also holding the groove. And I couldn’t resist throwing in the recent Universal Project remasters of Bleach and Rux Flava because they are just too damn good.
A word of warning that there is a slight glitch in this mix around 30 minutes in due to a recording muck up. I loved the rest of the mix so much, that the thought of re-doing it just to smooth over a tiny glitch just didn’t feel right. Hopefully you can over look it while listening through.
Soulful D&B can be a bit of a Marmite sound, you either love it or hate it. I personally love the groove, the soul and the smoothness. And when it comes to smooth it is hard to beat people like DRS, Lenzman, GLXY, Naibu and every other producer in this mix.
If you like this sound and haven’t discovered DRS’ Everything Must Go! album, get on it! Ditto for GLYX’s incredible Love, Chaos EP and the new Nauibu joint Sans Soleil. So much great soulful stuff around at the moment.
DRS & Mither – Angels On My Shoulder GLYX – Detached GLXY & Catching Cairo – – Fine Lines DRS & Mither – No Surprises T.Base – Universe DRS, The Skeptics & MC RVS – Stand Calm GLXY & [KSR] – What it Seems Mohican Sun – Blurred Peak Lenzman & Reeves – Play Around Random Movement – Modelo Fumunda Brainwork & mnml – Grey DRS & SI8r 0 On Us Lately Naibu – Sunless (feat. Robert Manos) Naibu – Sans Solell (Reprise DRS & Vangellez – Hurts To Breathe Naibu – Spring Soul Connection – Truly The Sauce – What’s Going Down Heron Flow – Snow
Part two of my infrequent series focusing on beats at the 164bpm range. There is too many great tunes in here to call them all out. I will highlight MOOD$ impressive Soul Music EP on Outhouse Sounds however as every tune on it is a straight up banger.
Shouts to ASC and Eshaton too for hooking me up with a slew of incredible music on the regular which I very much appreciate. Keep the goods coming.
Sub Motion – Random Movements Aural Imbalance – Altered Perception Starski – Eros Cryogenics – Shadow Path ASC – Repetition HAIDA – Don’t Need A Title (Mystic State Remix) The Noise Of Art – Aquatic Comedown The Noise Of Art – The Revival Technimatic – For All of Us Thought-Forms – X3 Perspective:R – Rays of R Starski – Dawn Dew Calculon – California Heat WUFO – The Day Perspective:R – Don’t Go Marenn Sukle – Never Hurt U (Mystic State Remix MOODS – Jodie’s Song MOOD$ – Soul Music Addison Groove – Meaty Business MOOD$ – Severence Levrige & Mystic State – Undercurrent
Always out to prove that Liquid isn’t a dirty word, this mix has a little bit of everything except the stadium sound that most people associate with the genre. Furney’s cracker track Tantrum is a jazz fused number with a heap of grunt behind it and we have the title track from his recent So Cold LP on Soul Deep. Break is back, also with a new Digital World LP on Symmetry Recordings from which I’ve drawn Tell Me and his amazing vocal track Wait for You with Lorna King. And I’ve pulled Daylight and Low Flying from Bungles recent Under Influence EP on the titular Influence label.
Other tracks of note that I’m feeling are Green Lane by the dream combo of Alix Perez & GLXY. These two just don’t let up on their quality liquid output. Eddy Don’t Sail & Isla Wolfe – No Place Like Home, which is just a straight up banger of a vocal track and the classic Artificial Intelligence track Switch On that recently received a much appreciate remaster.
Alix Perez & GLXY – Green Lane BCee – Creed Technimatic & Ruth Royall – Help You Stay Furney – Tantrum Technimatic – Coming Back Eddy Don’t Sail & Isla Wolfe – No Place Like Home (Extended Mix) Break – Tell Me Furney – So Cold BCee – Shelter Random Movement & Anthony Kasper – Tomato Bisque Total Science feat. Riya Quartz – Walk the Same Line (Villem Remix) Quartz – Way Back Quartz – Ivy PA – Live Life Break feat. Lorna King – Wait for You The Vanguard Project – Chimney Qua Rush – Honey (feat. Sista Lu) The North Quarter All Stars – Never Calibre & ST Files – Astral Plane Artificial Intelligence – Switch On Bungle – Daylight Bungle – Low Flying Eddy Don’t Sail & Isla Wolfe – No Place Like Home (Extended Mix)
I stumbled across The Chikara Project at the end of ’22, and fell down the rabbit hole in ’23. Pretty much every release of Mystic State’s has something to draw me in. As a production duo they are obviously talented, but as a label they incredible. Adding artists like HAIDA, Marenn Sukie, Deviant, Levrige and Brainwork to really up the ante.
There is something infectious in the The Chikara Project’s ability to be chill and ambient, but add enough grit to get you nodding your head and moving. The bass is warm but huge, the beats are tight and the vibe is there. There isn’t enough of this sound in D&B, but at least Mystic State are holding it down. Respect.
Mystic State – One For You Mystic State – Dreamscapes Mystic State – Light Of Day feat. Marenn Sukle Mystic State – Solva feat. Alicia Kiah Mystic State & Marenn Sukie – This Time Mystic State feat. Congi – Too Late (Captivate Remix) HAIDA – Don’t Need A Title (Mystic State Remix) Marenn Sukie – That Time Mystic State & Marenn Sukie – Find Your Way Mystic State – Retaliate Deviant – Always Marenn Sukie – Never Hurt U (Mystic State Remix) Brainwork – Felt Your Touch Mystic State – We Can Help Each Other Mystic State – Right Here Marenn Sukle – Never Hurt U Brainwork & mriml – Grey Mystic State – Expectations Levrige & Mystic State – Undercurrent
It’s been a long time between drinks for a Down Low Session, but Mystic State’s label The Chikara Project has brought me back into the chillout fold with their sublime take on Dubstep and Garage. Shouts out to Marenn Sukie who leads us in on this mix for the CHikara crew, but followed by Mystic State, SMBR, Jevon Ives, HAIDA and Therma.
Other stand outs are Calibre (when isn’t he a stand out) with Has to Happen from his LP Feeling Normal, the mighty Leftfield with Storms End, Fixate on Exit Records with the bottomless Dead End and a killer Remix of Lennie De Ice’s seminal We Are IE by Caspa & Rusko.
Marenn Sukie – In Love No More Marenn Sukie – Need You Tonight Mystic State & SMBR – Ruminate Mystic State – Stutter Mystic State & Jevon Ives – Hold HAIDA – Don’t Need A Title Sustance. – Inherent Mystic State feat. Elana Montgomery – Fly (Sepia’s Lights Out Remix) Mystic State – U Need It 2 Calibre – Has to Happen Leftfield – Storms End Marenn Sukie – Storms End Mystic State & Elysia Grace – Telling Me Nothing Therma – Introspect (Mystic State Remix) Fixate – Dead End Biome – Light Lennie De Ice – We Are IE (Caspa & Rusko Remix) Marenn Sukie – Do What You Want
