Heading back out to the depths with this mix of minimal and deep D&B. This style seems to be slowing down a little in terms of output, but the quality is still all there with artists like Anile, Shinbu and Mako still blazing a trail of stripped back beats and low sub-bass.
It’s also interesting to note that older producers know for completely different styles like Carl Cox and Dom & Roland are chipping in with their own unique take on the sound. Shouts once again to Thermal for his Black Dog Remix of Heitor Leal Farnese’s – E näo foi à lápis.
Hexa – Solitude Anile – U No who U R M-Zine – Skulk Digital – Robber VIP Enei feat. Charli Brix – Just One Look Shinbu – Sleep Box VIP Sedax – Subframe Mako – Flip It Particle – Camberwell Melinki & Trex – Listen Ray Keith – Renegade (T>I Minimal Remix) Shinbu – Traitors VIP OZB feat. Rider Shafique – City on the Look Brain & Zerozero – Electronic Music Spinline – Brighton Russell Small – It Is What It Is (Bad Ass Disco) Carl Cox Remix Ricky Force – What’s Up Workforce – Your Moves Rohaan & Tek Genesis – People of Eve Dom & Roland – A Broken Heart Heitor Leal Farnese – E näo foi à lápis (Thermal’s Black Dog Remix)
Liquid D&B has been so solid this year it really is a genre I can’t stop mixing. The warm but deep, solid b-lines, sublime melodies and vocal hooks have taken D&B by storm in 2020.
Producers who have had long term underground success with the sound like Alix Perez, Nelver and Rowpieces are now definitely getting some more mainstream recognition. Plus we are seeing other ‘big name’ producers like Shy FX, S.P.Y. and Breakage successfully switching their sound to a more liquid style.
This mix encompasses some of the best Liquid tunes from the first half of the year and rolls them into a solid hour.
Alix Perez – Concrete Monrroe feat. Sydney – As I Fall Enei feat. Charlie Brix – Just One Look Shy FX feat. Chronixx & Jvck James – Bye Bye Bye (Spy Remix) Keeno – Equinox Nelver & Aperio – Constellations Pacific – Dust London Grammar – If You Wait (Long Enough You’ll Get the Calibre Remix) Bronski – Hype A-Sides – Follower Duoscience – SpaceX Mollie Collins & Y-Zer – Try More A-Sides feat. MC Fats – Arctic Emba & DRS – Move Steady Rowpieces – The Storm is Here Phaction – The Fall Nelver – Start Key Resound – Bouge Bass Shy FX feat Sinead Harnett – Too Shy (Breakage Remix) Frederic Robinson – Skip Koherent – Close to Me The Outsiders feat. Ida – Run Away
I don’t often dip into the heavier side of D&B, but always enjoy it when I do. With old classics being remixed like Benny L’s remix of Dark Soldier and T>I’s Minimal VIP of Ray Kieth’s – Renegade, plus new drops from the likes of Adred on Metalheadz, A-Sides and Amon Tobin and Double Click’s – Two Fingers project there is plenty in here to be happy about.
Special shout out to Thermal for his Black Dog Remix of Heitor Leal Farnese – E näo foi à lápis. Remixes don’t come much more obscure, or tougher than this. Thanks for thinking of me.
Step in the 90s was all about rugged and raw beats and bass smashing through the speakers. But is also had it’s lesser know deeper and moodier sound that was being pushed by pioneers like Tonic, T-Power and to a lesser degree Ed Rush.
This was Tech Step with long, creeping b-lines and beats that had the odd high passed Amen threaded through it to give a more atmospheric take on the 2-step machine music.
Some of these tunes are my all time favourites from an era that was full of incredible Tech Step based D&B. From Tonic’s Renegade and Outcast, to B.L.I.M.’s Their Culture, to Purple Kola’s menacing The Thing — this is 90’s Tech Step done right.
Tonic – Renegade Doc Scott – Machines Genetic – Implants T-Power – 33rd Parallel Tonic – Outcast The Anger – Footlose Tonic – Renegade Phazed Ed Rush – Check Me Out B.L.I.M. – Their Culture Rescale – The Vision Urbanites – Transend Purple Kola – The Thing T-Power – Symbiosis DJ Nomad Vs. DaHeadbanger – Lord of the Rings
Back on the Liquid roller tip, this really is a genre that has come into its own. The groove and funk crafted into tunes by the likes of Furney, Workforce, Lenzman and their contemporaries is nothing short of amazing. And it is hard not smile and move when you here these tunes.
Special shout out to the classic combo of A Sides feat. MC Fats who tune Arctic could quite possibly be my pick for tune of the year.
Sunchase – Why We Are Here (I Wannabe Remix) Larigold – Half a Wonder Furney – Haze Senpai – Atlantis 2046 Seba – Lviv Calibre – Years Nu:Tone – The Moment feat. Lea Lea Bop & Unquote – Drifting Away Seba – Chebourashka Mako – Holding You Radical – Without a Word (I Wannabe Remix) Workforce – In the Throws Villem, McLeod & MC Fats – Perfect Solution (Black Barrel Remix) Altitude – Wounded A Sides feat. MC Fats – Arctic Calibre – Sense Soirée GLXY – Falling Miss Redflower – Conundrum Senpai – Hypersleep Lenzman & IAMDDB – In My Mind (Break Remix) mSdoS – Dissappointments
I have always been a huge fan of Teebee’s early works on Certificate 18 and later on his own Subtitles imprint. Teebee recently went on a remastering rampage on his entire back catalogue of early LPs, EPs and 12″s all of which can be found on his Subtitle’s Bandcamp – https://subtitlesmusic.bandcamp.com/
To say I was pleased is an understatement. I pretty much own most of these tracks on vinyl already, but was more than happy to pony up again for the digital remasters because there is just so much great music in this man’s back catalogue. From singalong R&B bootlegs to dark, brooding techstep monsters one thing Teebee’s early work has is serious funk.
If you are feeling any of the tunes you hear in this mix please do the right thing and purchase them for yourself. They are cheaper than ever and have never sounded so good.
Number 15 in an ongoing series of Ambient D&B journeys. Featuring masters of the chill like Bop, Flowrain and Rainforest. Plus a few unexpected takes from artists better known for their heavier styles such as Sunchase, Elementz of Noize and Adred.
Bop – Waterfall Dharma Kaya – Flux Zero T & Beta 2 – Misdemeanour Sunchase – Karabi Elementz of Noize – In the Wake of an Avalanche Flowrain & Simstah – Manaslu (Interlude) Kid Drama & Om Unit – Untitled 2 Klute – Highly Addictive Adred – Before Your Eyes Bop – Memories Sofie Birch – Time Swim Rainforest – Firefly Sanctuary Hiddenwave – Visualise Korsun – Dove Lowbreaker – Free Your Mind Elementz of Noize – Permafrost Nasty Habits – Liquid Fingers (Goldie Remix)
Heading back out into deeper waters with this mix of moody and minimal sounds. D&B is all about setting a mood, so this seems fitting for the times.
The whole thing starts and finishes with Dom & Roland who’s latest album, Lost in the Moment, is a much deeper and pensive affair than his usual style. Other standouts are Dub Phizix & Strategy making a return with their signature sound on Deh, new comer Jolliffe with Time Please and Creep in the Dark and Breakbeat luminary Decline going back to his D&B roots with Crossover.
I’d like to send a thought and prayer out to all those currently in the war zone that is the USA. Stay safe, be the change you want to see and know things are always darkest just before the dawn. #blacklivesmatter
Dom & Roland – State of the Art Oliver York – Treasured Entire – Taura Moresounds – Flocon T>I – Foot Drop Dub Phizix & Strategy – Deh Atlantic Connection – Gravity Dom & Roland – Binary Star Jolliffe – Time Please (feat. Jake Blake) Contact Lost – Vector Jolliffe – Creep in the Dark (feat. Ad-Apt) Adred feat. Robert Manos – Flesh Wounds Fetus – Dirty Air Rockwell – Vent Decline – Crossover Adred – Sci-Fi Acid_Lab – Instinct Dom & Roland – A Broken Heart
Part two of a series focusing on classic 2-Step and Techstep tracks from back in the day. This time we’re heading into the late 90s early 00s sound with such luminaries as Boymerang, Reprezent, Nasty Habits, Ed Rush & Nico, Jonny L and more!
This really is a who’s who of the turn of the millennium 2-step sound. This mix is designed to keep you bouncing around the house until it’s safe to go outside again. Enjoy!
Boymerang – Soul Beat Runner Ink – Ice Age Outfit – New York Dillinja – Hard Noise The JB – Say What (The Blind Man) Reprezent – Share the Fall (Grooverider’s Jeep Style Mix) Phobia – Clean Break Scorpio – Trouble DJ Krust – Warhead Nasty Habits – Prototyped Ed Rush & Nico – The Force is Electric Ed Rush & Nico – What’s Up (Alternative Mix) Desired State – Invasion Jonny L – Moving Thru Air Future Forces Inc. – Point of Origin Technical Itch – The Dreamer (Future Forces Remix) Flatliner & DJ Freedom – Deeper Levels (Remix) Marcus Intalex & ST Files – How You Make Me Feel
I built this mix around The Vanguard Project’s self titled debut LP which has so many great tunes on it that I simply couldn’t resist. Spearhead label boss, BCee and Villem’s collaborative project has yielded a bunch of great music down the years and this LP with 12 new tracks and 14 older cuts is living proof just how fruitful the team up has been.
On top of this we have some smashing remixes like Monrroe’s take on BCee’s – Little Bird, Bop’s twist on Come Together by Camo & Krooked and Pacific’s cheeky bootleg of Blinding Lights by The Weeknd. I also thought I’d throw in J Majik’s classic Love is Not a Game just for kicks.
BCee – Little Bird (Monrroe Remix) FX909 – Stay Focus The Vanguard Project – Stitches (feat. Jemimah Read) Level 2 – Conquest VIP The Weeknd – Blinding Lights (Pacific Remix) Camo & Krooked – Come Together (Bop Remix) Submorphics – Luminosity The Vanguard Project – All this Time Carlito & Addiction – Hellas Edlan, Djah & Smote – Heathen (Give Me More) The Vanguard Project – Driftwood Low:r – Social Mania (feat. Sixar) The Vanguard Project – All That I Need (feat. Pat Fulgoni) Villem, McLeod & MC Fats – Perfect Solution (Black Barrel Remix) Soul Connection – Smooth N Groove Jay Dubz – Lily Louisa The Vanguard Project – Everyday is Stolen (feat. DRS) The Vanguard Project – U MAKE ME FEEL Dexel & Charli Brix – Speechless J Majik – Love is Not a Game (Original Radio Edit)
