This was one of the last mixes I did for Jungletrain, and it is a good representation of where D&B was at towards the end of 2008. From the deep vibes of Commix – Bear Music to the rolling Hang With Me by Klute and through to the demolition that is Hive’s – Neo (2008 Mix) this mix has it all.

Goes Around Comes Around – 1hr of beats from 2008

Commix, Nu:Tone & Logistics – Ghost Snare
Commix – Bear Music
Prime8 – Karma
Cybass & Peixe Kru – My Girl feat. Melianti (Madmen & Poets Remix)
Logistics – Intervention
Klute – Hang With Me
Nu:Tone – Balaclava
Klute – Divinty
Hive & Tech Itch – Detox
Commix – Talk to Frank (Break Remix)
Seba & Krazy – Imperial Moment
Break – Headz Up
D.Kay & Lee – Extazzy
D.Kay & Lee – Wax’d (D.Kay Remix)
Hive – Neo (2008 Remix)
Commix, Nu:Tone & Logistics – Ghost Snare

First the first time in 3 years (since my son was born) I was left alone on a Saturday night to just get my head down and mix for mixing sake. There are no themes or tricks to this mix, it’s just what I felt like playing at the time. I pull out some new stuff, some old stuff and some down right dirty stuff.

This is the sound of me letting lose on a Saturday night.

A Saturday Night Sumting – 1.5hrs of Rolling Beats

Fanu – The End of An Era
Alix Perez – Down The Line (Break Remix)
Fourward – Eyelash
Dom & Roland – Mind Feeders
Ed Rush & Optical – Rock Da House
Clive Concept – Out Of Control
Theory – Aurora Flash
Lenzman – Coincidence
S.P.Y. – Hurricane
D.Kay & Lee – Tuning (D.Kay VIP Mix)
DJ Kalm – Violet
SKC – Dream Come True
A-Sides – Rebel Rouser (feat. MC Fats)
Klute – Divinity
Trei & Dose – The Other Part of Me
Ian Brown – Illegal Attacks (Rufige Kru Remix)
Martsman – Halow
Bachelors of Science – The Rush
AK1200 – Junior’s tune (Digital Remix)
Sunchase – Remove Heaven
Kiko – Passport
DJ SS – Black (Bladerunner Remix)
Raiden – Aquarius
D.Kay & Lee – Extazzy

I had the great honour recently of being asked to do a mix for DOA of jungle tunes contributed by members from the Grid section of the site. The Grid is where the producers hang out and I wasn’t sure what to expect really. But I gottah say the quality of the tunes and the nailing of the 94-95 jungle sound was spot on. There were a few exceptions that I wouldn’t personally call jungle, but they were still great tracks and went into this mix.

So if you are a jungle fan and want a mix of never before heard tracks all written in 2010 then this one should fit the bill nicely. A big thanks to Ben Kei and Drumbeat Agenda for getting me involved and all the producers for being so generous with their production output.

DOA Jungle Competition Mix – 1hr+ of brand new tunes in a 94-95 jungle stylee

Sonny Jim – Loop
Poshek – Unknown
ATheory – Inside Your Love
dib – Watch We For
Amen Fyre – Badboy Sound
Skywalka – Bad Boy Ting
DJ A Twat – Jah
DJ Rubdown – Hold It Down
Lite On – Untitled
Mocks – One Big Ghetto
Lethargik – Down Time
Over Drive UK – Test Primitive
Ben Kei – jungle Fiddler
Drum Mekanik – Jungle Vision
Adsih – Shotdown
Frantik – Deadline Pressure (Dancehall ‘Ear Dis)
Candy Hands – Journey Outwards
Artists Unknown – Bad Hearing Organisation
Sonny Jim – Junglist
Barry of Button – New Fashion For 94
Drumbeat Agenda – The World Is Yours
DJ id – Cocaine 12

Ah Intelligent Jungle. If ever there was genre of D&B that melts my heart this is the one. Back in the day the MC would shout out, “This one’s for the ladies.” And you just knew that what would come next would be pure musical ecstasy.

There are some big names in this mix like Omni Trio, JMJ & Ritchie, DJ Pulse, T-Power and A-Sides, but I’ve tried to keep eclectic and slip in the sneaky remixes and the producers most people haven’t heard much of. Not much else to say about this one but let it roll baby.

A Gentleman’s Selection – 1.5hrs of Intelligent Jungle from 1995

Universal Love – Killer Whale
The 2 G’s – Energy (Remix)
Omni Trio – Soul Promenade (Nookie Remix)
DJ Pulse – So Fine
SE9 Crew – So Sweet
T-Power – Mutant Jazz
Essence of Aura – Northern Lights
Pascal – P-Funk Era
Concept 3 – Rush (Remix)
Jodeci – Feelin’ (LTJ Bukem Remix)
Intel Inside – I’ve Got the Music
DJ Pulse – Let You In
Omni Trio – Renegade Snares (Foul Play VIP)
Urban Jungle – Volcano Style
JMJ & Ritchie – Free La Funk
Dub Selector – Champion Dub (Exclusive VIP Remix)
Drum + Bass – The Feeling
Matrix – The Message
A-Sides – Illusions (Exclusive Dub Plate Remix)
J & J – Midnight
Mental Power – Deep Soul

The second part of Decadance focuses on the big smashers of 2000. RAM, BC Records and Renegade Hardware totally killed it and built their reputations as the BIG labels of the scene. Moving Shadow as always chipped in with the mighty Dom & Roland and Technical Itch delivering some huge tunes like the Thunder Remix and Can’t Punish Me. Surprisingly Metalheadz went almost a whole year without a release.

As MC Justiyc says in his colab track with John B – Double J, “This one is strictly for the drum and bass heads.”

Decadance 2000: Part 2 – 1hr of BIG tunes from 2000

Roni Size & Reprazent – Dirty Beats
Dieselboy – The Descent
Dom & Roland – Imagination
Bad Company – Breath
Dom & Roland – Thunder (Remix)
Technical Itch – The Extraction
Dom & Roland – Can’t Punish Me
John B & MC Justiyc – Double J (Club Mix)
J. Majik – Love Is Not A Game (Dillinja Remix)
Future Cut – Horns 2000
Usual Suspects – Shrapnel (Stakka & Skynet Remix)
Usual Suspects – Syndrome
Dylan – Spasm
Aquasky – I Can’t Wait No More
Konflict – Messiah

This is a new series of mixes I’m going to do from year to year that looks back at where D&B was at 10 years ago. This mix is part 1 of 2 that looks at the year 2000. I’ve concentrated on the more melodic stuff for this mix and the part 2 will look at the big smashers.

The new millennium seemed to fit D&B perfectly as it was always a forward looking music. D&B parties seemed to explode again after dying off a little in 98-99 and a new generation of producers and labels started to forge their own new sounds. Music technology was getting better and cheaper allowing more and more people who had always loved the music to finally start writing their own tunes. It seemed like everyone was trying to make D&B.

J. Majik had one of the biggest hits of the year with Love Is Not A Game and a little known label called Hospital was starting to show some serious promise. LTJ Bukem released his first solo album Journey Inwards to critical acclaim and Klute, Marcus Intalex & ST Files and Omni Trio continued to show how it was done when it came to melodic D&B.

Decadance 2000: Part 1 – 1hr of Melodic D&B from the year 2000

J. Majik – Love Is Not A Game (Original Radio Edit)
Fellowship – Coming On Strong
Klute – Three of Us
Real Time – Mine
Omni Trio – Secret Life
LTJ Bukem – Deserted Vaults (Instrumental)
Grand Unified Featuring Kadeem – Music Makes Me Feel This Way
London Elektricity – Superstructure (John B Remix)
London Elektricity – Wishing Well (Danny Byrd Remix)
London Elektricity – Round The Corner (Origin Unknown Remix)
Citizen & DJ Kalm – Venus
Marcus Intalex & ST Files – Moonwalk
Klute – Chicks
Bad Company – Colonies
Future Cut – Busted
Total Science – Let It Go
Big Bud – Millennium (Carlito Remix)

Basic Operations (Atlantic Connection & Kevin Focus) went their separate ways in 2005 leaving a legacy of awesome music. But even better they left a swag of unreleased tunes which they are now putting out under their ‘Lost Tapes’ series. Classics like Drifting on an Aspect (VIP), Keep on Dreaming, New Dawn and Since I’ve Seen You which Bukem caned on dub for years.

You can get a listen and buy it exclusively from bandcamp.com. And to top it all off Basic Ops are also slated to be going back into the studio again to work on some new releases which I am hoping will hit sooner rather than later.

LSTPS001
Basic Operations
The Lost Tapes Vol. 1

1. Drifting on an Aspect (VIP)
2. Since I’ve Seen You
3. O.S.F
4. Keep On Dreaming

Say what you like about the minimal trend in Drum & Bass it looks like it is here to stay. It might not ignite the dance floors but it is sweet on the ears and awesome to veg out to. This is a mix of the latest minimal tracks that are doing it for me.

Sunchase dominates with his new album Static Nitro, but s13 also puts in a good appearance with his Yourself EP. See else where on the blog for a free download of this killer EP from a fresh name. Lenzman, Rockwell and S.P.Y. get honourable mentions for always coming correct with their minimal sound.

You may notice there is a track not listed. For the life of me I can’t find it and if anyone out there knows what it is I’d be mightily pleased if you tell me what it is. Cheers.

Vegetative – 1hr 15mins of Minimal Lushness

Sunchase – Asphalt
dBridge – Love Hotel
Sunchase Violet
s13 – Earth Ulro
Sunchase – Keyring
Netsky – Storm Clouds
Rockwell – My War
Lenzman – More Than I Can Take
Blue Motion & The Square – I’m Dreaming
???
s13 – Immortal
Synthetic Pigments – Morning Glory
Anile – Never Together
Omar – Lay It Down (Triad Full Vocal Mix)
BCee – Mr. Bidigan (Total Science Remix)
Lenzman – Open Page (feat. Riya)
Furi Anga – Inside the Sun
Jose James – Warrior (Rockwell Remix)
Dephzac – We Are Together
S.P.Y. – Hurricane

This year has been a good year for big vocal numbers with a smashing beat behind them. Hospital as always are leading the charge, but labels like Horizons, Esprit, Spearhead and Fokuz are also putting out some amazing dance floor drum & bass. Netsky is on fire right now and artists like S.P.Y., Lenzman and Bachelors of Science keep consistently banging out great vocal D&B.

Some people have been calling this sound ‘commercialised’, but to be honest I don’t hear it. It might be accessible and something your girlfriend might drag you onto the dance floor to jump around to. But when has that ever been a bad thing?

1hr of New Vocal D&B

Madmen & Poets – Leave It
Netsky – Your Way
Netsky – Mellow
Netsky – I Refuse (Shock One Remix)
Lenzman – Coincidence
Coldbreaker – Don’t Give Up
Robot Redford – Dying Star
Dephzac – We Are Together
Total Science & S.P.Y. Above the Clouds
Bacelors of Science – The Ice Dance (Lenzman Remix)
Netsky – Let’s Leave Tomorrow
Stunna – Back In Time
D Kay & Concept – For Love or Money
Blue Sonix – Luv Me (Logistics VIP)
Chew Lips – Karen (Netsky Remix)
Fat Freddy’s Drop – Cay S Crays (Artificial Intelligence Remix)
Netsky – Iron Heart
Netsky – Memory Lane

Someone recently asked for a mix of similar stuff to the music found on the Brazil EP that came out on V Recordings. With summer kicking in over in the Northern Hemisphere I though I might try my hand at a quick Latin mix for all those looking forward to the sunshine.

For me there has always been a fine line between good Latin D&B and pure cheese, so I’ve tried to put together a mix that takes in all that is good about the genre whilst trying to avoid the fromage. Everyone knows Marky and XRS as the Latin D&B masters, but I’ve also tried to get in some lesser known Brazilian producers in here. Plus a few impostors, not from South America, who got the sound right such as Greg Packer, Nu:Tone and John B.

So light the BBQ, get out the spices and salsa and kick back with a hip shaking take on the D&B sound from Latin America.

Fluent Latin – 45 Minute Latin D&B Fiesta

John B – We Like The Music (Latino Remix)
Drumagick – Easy Boom
David W.S. – Talarico
Marky & XRS – LK’
The Mitchell & Dewbury Band feat. Billie Godfrey – Beyond The Rains (Drumagick Radio Edit)
Total Science & MC Conrad – Soul Patrol (Total Science Sunny Side Up Remix feat. Bungle)
Marky & XRS – Rotation (Stress Level & TC1 Remix)
Greg Packer – Be-Bop
Ramilison Maia – Ser
Bebel Gilberto – So Nice (Marky Radio Edit)
Deeper & Pacific feat. Geanine Marques – In The Summer Breeze (Mad Zoo’s Sambass Remix)
Nu:Tone – e.Spresso
David W.S. – Subida Do Morro
M.I.S.T. vs Marky & XRS – Sunshine (Touch Me)
Marky & Makoto – Long Distance
Marky & XRS – Closer