The Falls – Ear & Drum Session 73

Lots of exciting things going down in the liquid genre at the moment. Logistics, Duoscience & Majestics all have solid albums out with Majestics – All Is The Music on Liquid Brilliants being the pick of the bunch for me. Not only do you get 23 tracks, you also get some of the best produced melodic D&B to come out this year. The Brazilians are also on fire with S.P.Y, Marky & Duoscience all pumping out great tracks in recent months.

The Falls – 45mins of fresh Liquid D&B for 2012

Total Science & S.P.Y – Piano Funk
Lenzman – How Did I Let You Go
Command Strange – Love Beam
Logistics – Neon
Torn – Ultimate Master
Marky & S.P.Y – Love Affair
Nymfo – Bi-Polar
Majestics – Stay At The Moment
Drudex – Calmness
Sub Zero – Protection
Technicolour, Komatic & LSB – Rotary Motion
Majestics – Gone Away
Majestics – I Feel You
Duoscience – Interlude 02

Shadow Wax 6: 1996 Chilled Intelligence Part 1 – Ear & Drum Session 72

The sixth installment in the retrospective Shadow Wax series looks at the chilled out vibes from 1996. No one could touch Moving Shadow during this era of sublime melodies and blissful beats. Artists like PFM, Flytronix, Wax Doctor, Dave Wallace, EZ Rollers and Unit 1 read like a who’s who of top Intelligent D&B producers.

For me these are some of the finest musical moments in Drum & Bass that still sound just as fresh today as when they were made. ’96 truly was a golden era for this sound, so if you like you beats chilled and smooth I suggest you kick back and enjoy the ride.

Shadow Wax 1996: Chilled Intelligence Part 1 – 1hr+ of Chilled out Moving Shadow

PFM – Cruising Detroit
Teqniq – Razzmatazz
Fytronix – The Rhode Tune
Mastermind – The Essence
Hoax – Meltdown
Essence of Aura – So This Is Love ’96
Neil Trix – Revolution
JMJ & Flytronix – Delusions
Wax Doctor – Cool Breeze
Unit 1 – Atlantic Drama
Dave Wallace – Flight
Dave Wallace – Waves
EZ Rollers – The Morning After
Hoax – Pipe Dreams
EZ Rollers – Vintage Moments
Vext – Visions

Tough Break – Ear & Drum Session 71

This is a quick mix of some recent tunes from the tougher edge of the D&B spectrum. We kick off with the epic Metalheadz 100th release Freedom by Goldie, roll into a classic remix of Klute’s We R the Ones by Ulterior Motive and finish up with the huge Muffler & Cat Knight collaboration Put Me Down. Special thanks to Fanu for the free track Desert Jubie for his generosity on The Take.

Tough Break – 1hr of Tough Beats

Goldie – Freedom
Fanu – Desert
Klute – We R The Ones (Ulterior Motive Remix)
Soul Culture – Stronger
Amit – Manic Miner
Commix – Tracking You
Enie & MC DRS – Obsession (Foreign Concept Remix)
Gridlock – Enemies of the State
Madcap – Our Love
Jubei – The Take
Die & Break – Grand Funk Hustle
Krusha – Need Your Loving
Break & Mikal – Just a Game
Muffler & Cat Knight – Put Me Down

The Soulution – Ear & Drum Session 70

So recently on a certain D&B forum a colleague of mine suggested that the problem with D&B was that it couldn’t be fun without being cheesy or chavvy. Obviously hearing is in the ear of the beholder and every body’s idea of ‘fun’ is different, but it did get me thinking about the more fun and accessible D&B I had been overlooking lately. For me the D&B with the widest audience accessibility (ie. stuff that not just the headz would listen to) is the vocal and soul fueled variety. It has the vocals to hook in the ladies and give that sense of fun, it has the soul to get the hips swaying and it still has the beats & b-lines to keep the floor moving. Best of all it doesn’t have to degenerate into the cheesy festival style D&B that is seen as commercially popular.

So in response to my good chum Ocelot Ed’s question I put together this mix to provide a solution to Ed’s problem with D&B. As I said, everyone’s idea of ‘fun’ is different, but for me these types of tunes offer up a good balance of fun without the fromage, and there is still enough D&B grunt to keep the headz happy too.

Props have to go to Komatic as he seems to be all over this sound that’s not quite liquid and not quite deep, but has loads of soul and a real pump to the bass and beats. Other notable exceptions are Young Ax who always brings it with a real live sound to his soulful productions and the usual suspects of Duo Science, Spectrasoul and Technicolour who seem to constantly pump out quality tracks on a monthly basis.

The Soulution – 1hr of Soul Fueled D&B

Komatic – The Open Choice
Mage & M25 – Savanna
Young Ax – High Rollers
Komatic – Earth Turns
Paperclip – Whom I Belong
Anile & Hybrid Minds – Old TImes
Madcap – Our Love
Duo Science Feat. Skyeyes – Let Me Know
Deeper Connection – Quiet Storm
Soulproof – Inna Dem Clothes
Villem & McLeod – Hush
Spectrasoul – In Profile
Technicolour – Winter Rose
High Contrast – The Stand
Technicolour & Komatic – We Were Always One
Soul Culture – Stronger

Roll Playing – Ear & Drum Session 69

Everyone loves a roller, and no era did rollers quite like the start of the millennium. Stakka, Ed Rush & Optical, Matrix, and J Majik were smashing out big funky b-lines with those rolling techy beats that sent the floor crazy. Metro Recordings were one of the BIG labels in the game at that time and to celebrate the re-releasing of their classic tunes onto digital I thought I’d put together a mix that, for me, summed up the times and that awesome rolling sound.

If you are looking for the Metro back catalog you’ll find it here – The Metro Collection.

Roll Playing – 1hr from the Golden Age of Rollers

Optical – The Shining
Klute – Unwind Yourself
Ed Rush & Optical – Fastlane
Stakka & Skynet – So Confused feat. K.Tee
Matrix & Danny J – Paradiso
Matrix & Danny J – Vertigo
Ed Rush & Optical – Reach Out
J Majik – Solarize (Optical Remix)
Ed Rush & Optical – Kerbcrawler
John B – Up All Night (Epic Remix)
High Contrast – Music Is Everything (Influx Datum Remix)
Matrix Vs. Goldtrix – It’s Love (Trippin’)
Pressure Rise – Focus
Hatrias vs J Majik – Spaced Invader

In A Round About Way – Ear & Drum Session 68

In a round about way this is a liquid mix. I say this because liquid seems to be morphing lately and is a hard genre to pin down these days. Originally melodic party music, liquid now encompasses a much wider range of directions then it used to. There’s the still the up for it dance tracks, but lately also a deeper and more mellow aspect that has drawn me back into a music I thought might have be in danger of becoming to formulaic for it’s own good. I’ve also noticed some tracks taking on a more live jazz based flavour, reminiscent of Reprazent’s classic Brown Paper Bag.

So in the spirit of diversity I’ve tried to cover a little bit of everything in this mix. It actually started out as a quick sound check on my new set up, which now includes an Allen & Heath mixer, until I got carried away and went into a full blown set. So let me know if you can tell a difference in sound quality. 😉

In A Round About Way – 1hr of Chilled & Melodic Vibes from 2012

Phat Playaz & LM1 – Colour Of Time
Centik & Grimm – Don’t Wanna Do This
Phat Playaz & PFM – Time of Our Life
Sapphire – Snowdrop
Roygreen & Protone – Danube
Phat Playaz & MJT – Want You
Oscallist – The Silver Lining
Queensway – Darlin
Override – Take Your Time
Sato – Barn (Break Remix)
Break – They’re Wrong
Command Strange – Everything
Static & Scott Allen – Eastern Horizon
Smooth – Shifting Sands feat. Shaz Sparks (Part 2)
Crimson, Nizzo & Promenade – Stay
Roygreen & Protone – Tartagura
Plug – A Quick Plug For A New Slot
Command Strange & Dynamic – The Beautiful Things
Brother – Riverbank

Fluctuations – Ear & Drum Session 67

Coming in deep and hard on this mix of new tunes for 2012. Whilst not everyone has loved the minimal revolution, there is no doubt it’s influence has been felt across most genres and no more so than the harder end of D&B. Tracks like Dub Phizix & Skeptical – Marka have shown just how devastating the minimal sound can be when mixed in with some tough beats and a good vocal.

This stripped back sound has played right into the hands of producers like Loxy, & Ink and Jubei who already had quite a deep and minimal sound. Plus, it has allowed a few of the more chilled out minimalists such as June Miller and Need for Mirrors to step up and have a go at producing some harder edged music.

As the boundaries begin to blur across the D&B genres it’s the music that profits as people focus less on what the music is called and concentrate more on what it sounds like. Which means 2012 is looking like being a sweet year for D&B.

Fluctuations – 1hr of Hard & Deep D&B

Dabs & Amoss – Still There
Phobia – Clean Break
Mr Foul – Land of Look Behind
War – Rafale
Dom & Roland – Enforced VIP
Skeptical – Cold One (Jubei Remix)
Need for Mirrors – Columbia
Jubei – The Path
Subwave – Wheel of Time
Sunchase & Nickbee – Dawn Time
Dub Phizix & Skeptical – Marka (feat. Strategy)
June Miller – Walls of Jericho
Krakota – Tunnel Vision
NC-17 & Time Reaper – Burial Ground

Shadow Wax Vol.5: 1996 Hard Intelligence – Ear & Drum Session 66

Coming on strong with mu favourite era of Moving Shadow, 1996. The amount of tunes Moving Shadow released in 1996 was astounding, and even more incredible was the diversity and quality the label kept up during this time. This mix looks at the harder end of the Intelligent sound which was a precursor to the Jazz & Bass sound Shadow would specialise in a little later down the track.

EZ Rollers & Aquasky were the two main stays of this sound and Walk This Land turned out to be THE defining tune going on to be remixed a million times and featuring in the sound track for the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. At the same time some of Shadows more chilled artists were having a go at the hard sound with Omni Trio’s – Rhythm Methods and Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 1 getting a remix from Tango as prime examples.

Basically you can’t wrong with any of the Moving Shadow tunes from 1996, sp strap yourself in for some intricate drum work, wicked breaks and some sweet melody.

Shadow Wax Vol.5: Hard Intelligence – 1hr of 1996 Moving Shadow

EZ Rollers – Bad Up
Kudos – Horizontal Movements
EZ Rollers – Sunset Phobia
EZ Rollers – Walk the Land
Aquasky – Kauna
JMJ & Ritchie – Illicit Groove
JMJ & Ritchie – Universal Horn Remix
Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 1 (Tango Remix)
Omni Trio – Rhythm Methods
Technical Itch – Can’t You See (Funky Technicians Remix)
Foul Play – Karma Part 1
Omni Trio – Astral Phase
Aquasky – Nylon Roadster
EZ – Rollers – Rolled Into 1 (Photek Remix)

Call The Ambience Part 3 – Ear & Drum Session 65

Ambient D&B continues to go from strength to strength in 2012 with a few artists clearly leading the way. Obviously ASC and dBridge are doing some great things through the Exit label and June Miller continues to release consistently strong tunes. But Sam KDC and Skeptical are also proving to be ones to watch with their own take on the laid back sound.

The good news is that there are more ambient releases coming out that any other time in D&B’s history which can only be a good thing for the lovers of chilled beats.

Call The Ambience Part 3 – 1hr of Ambient D&B

Sam KDC – Everything You Touch
dBridge – City of Lonely Runways
Skeptical – These Words
Dominic Ridgway – Digital Funk
Asphonic – Forest Lullaby
Naibu – Come In Slow
June Miller – Tundra
Blue Motion – Blueberry’s in Autumn
ASC – Ubik
Data – Overflow
MC FLava & Blue Motion – Hide Me
ASC – 3rd Eye
Sam KDC – Dote (A Tribute to Nostalia)
ASC – Error Code

11: The Best of 2011 – Ear & Drum Sessions 63 & 64

These are my picks for the best tracks of 2011. I split the mixes into two because there was definitely two sorts of flavours going on. Part 1 looks at the deeper side and Part 2 is more melodic and liquid based.

I hope 2012 is good to you and that we see more tracks as good as, or better, than these see a release in 2012. Happy New Year to you and yours.

11: Part 1 – The Best Deep D&B of 2011

N4m3 – Make Your Soul Open For The Road On Imagination
Nusense & NC-17 – Dirty
Dub Phyzics & Skeptikal – Marka (feat. Strategy)
Ill Skills & S.P.Y – This is Why
Calibre – Smooth Baby
Lynx feat. Sense MC – 9 Muses
London Elektricity – U Gottah B Crazy (Enei Remix)
Dub FX – Flow (Ill Skillz Remix)
Lenzman – Masquerade (Die, Interface & William Cartwright Remix)
Legion – Both Sides (feat. Adam White)
Icicle feat. SP MC – Dreadnaught
J Majik & Wickaman – Ritual
J Majik & Wickaman – Old HEadz
Rockwell – 4U

11: Part 1 – The Best Melodic & Liquid D&B of 2011

Marcus Intalex – Meltdown 2012 (feat. Calibre)
June Miller – Isis
Brookes Brothers – Tare You Down
Friction – Someone (Feat. Mclean) (The Prototypes Remix)
BCee & S.P.Y – Is Anybody Out There? (Friction & K-Tee Remix)
London Elektricity – The Plan That Cannot Fail
Panic Girl – Hide and Seek (Duo Infernale Remix)
Seba & Paradox – The Light (feat. Kirsty Hawshaw)
Anile – Change of Direction
Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Nu:Tone Remix)
DJ Marky & S.P.Y – Mystic Sunset
Marco Del Horno feat. Emi Green
Nu:Tone – The First Time (feat. Natalie Williams)
Calibre – Touch Me
BCee – So Right (feat. Darrison)
Bungle feat. Ayah Marar – The Siren