A stoplight loosejaw is a variety of fish found in the depths of the ocean where light doesn’t reach, not a guy crossing the road in Shoreditch at 3am. These tracks are all from the deeper end of the D&B spectrum where the drums are stripped back and the bass is way down there.
Mayhem from Creatures & DRS should be well known by now, but you might not know that London Elektricity has broken away from the hands in the air liquid for a moody roller called All On Top (ft. Conrad Subs & Genesis Elijah) on Metalheadz no less. Closing things out is Bungle’s new piece on 31 Recordings from his Aline EP which gives me solid Marcus Intalex vibes.
88 Katanas – Overdrive
Bailey – Letter From Detroit
Mikal & Riot – Bamboo
Halogenix, dBridge & Steve Spacek – Take Me Away (Mantra & J:Kenzo Remix)
Technical Itch – Endless Stars
Data – The Brink
Photek – The Forge
Conrad Subs – Radius
Rozzer – Disruptorr
Akinsa – Rastafari (Offish Remix)
K-Chaos – Arrowhead
Workforce & Bobble Johnson – Deep Ones
Acid Lab – Listen
Sustance – Cycles
Monroe – Last Verse
Creatures & DRS – Mayhem
London Elektricity – All On Top (ft. Conrad Subs & Genesis Elijah)
Bredren – Conflicted
Philth – The Fear (Dispatched 2024 VIP)
Eijer – Between The Gap
Bungle – Ordinary
Mk.Gee – Dream Police
Thabo Tonick – Joy Boy
Nelson Freitas – Nightcrawler
Atmos Blaq – Mfana Wase Dobsi (Citizen Deep Edit)
Bongeziwe Mabandla – Sisahleleleni (Henrik Schwarz remix)
DJ Timbawolf – CRUSADE
Vanco, Muneyi – Khumbaya
Moa Anbessa feat Prince David – His Foundation
Dennis Brown – Want to be no General
Synkro – Different Sound
Calibre – Jump Around
Calibre – Wrong
Ruti – Lungs (Calibre Extended remix)
Reel By Real – Surkit (Calibre remix)
Commix – Backchat
Walk:r – Close to You
Wagz – Zzap!
Tyler Daly – Been Trying (Workforce remix)
Harmony – NY Soul
ASC – Nightvision
Tim Reaper – Monsoon Season
Mk.Gee – Are You Looking Up
Bungle – Twilight
Workforce feat Tyler Daly – Falling Down
LSB – PCT
Fantasia – When I See You
Shabaka – Breathing
Qasim Naqvi – Plastic Glacier
Halima – Igwe (Live from Rotterdam)
Mary Lattimore & Walt Mcclements – The Poppies, The Wild Mustard, The Blue-Eyed Grass
Kelela – Raven (unplugged)
Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force – Simb
Steve Spacek – Something Tells Me (featuring Raphael Saadiq, Steve Spacek)
Mk.Gee – I Want
Maxime Denuc – Edo
Transaction – Ocean
Moa Anbessa feat. Prince David – Jah Fire
Calibre – Feel The Heat
Rival Consoles – Known Shape
Rhythm & Sound – Smile (With Savage)
Maxime Denuc – Agoraphobia
nonkeen – that love
Cymande – Heart Of The Willing
Qasim Naqvi – The Glow
Civilistjävel! – A2
Kid Drama – Last Night
Commix – Life We Live
Drs – Keep The Faith Ft Calibre
Aural Imbalance – Artificial Satellite
Mk.Gee – You Got It
Oren Ambarchi, Johan Berthling & Andreas Werliin – Två
Ryuichi Sakamoto – 20210310
The Joy – Ngiphuphe Ngilele
I recently did an all Calibre remix set and was alerted by Silent Dust of None60 Records fame, that I had missed not one, but two Calibre remixes of his tunes on the label. Now I knew None60 because of their excellent Government Fun – Hours EP and a few of their other releases, but I really didn’t know much about Silent Dust. So down the rabbit hole I went…
It turns out Silent Dust & DRS – Refuse (Calibre Remix) is one of THE Calibre remixes I’ve been hunting for the longest time. And it also turns out that Silent Dust is also an incredible D&B (and Hip Hop) producer with a style very much in my wheelhouse. So two album purchases and a great deal of listening later, I have produced this all Silent Dust mix to a) make up for missing out on these in my former mix and b) because you really need to hear some of these tune!
If you like your Drum & Bass deep and dark, then this one rolls like a marble across a metal floor. Setting the pace with the rolling master, Amit and his cavernous new tune Flow Off into one of my dream collabs Mako & Seba with their latest Stockholm Syndrome, this set kicks hard.
Kid Drama features heavily throughout via his collab with Garvo on CNVX – Nitrosurge along with solo efforts Rectify and Bulldog. Shouts to Rainforest for extending his range and heading into darker territories with his cuts Combative and Hypocrites (Bwoykah Remix) off the new Ascendant Warrior LP. And big ups to Myth, Conrad Subs, Kasra and Raiden and Offish & Attempt for their hefty contributions too.
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 hot minute since I’ve dipped my toe into the deeper end of the D&B pool, but since I have I decided to dive right in. Ink’s Architecture Recordings has always been a source of deeper inspiration and his latest The Tree and the Wind LP with Sin is no exception. Loxy & Resound have also stepped up with their killer Dub Pack Vol.1 full of stripped back deep cuts of dark D&B. Last but not least, Mystic State has been releasing some absolute gold on his Bristol based label, The Chikara Project for years now. His LP Between these Moments has been one of the strongest release this year for me, and you can expect to be hearing a lot more Chikara Project stuff in future mixes.
It’s been a hot minute since I’ve pulled out an Ambient D&B mix, but this one is special. Ibunshi has been releasing some quality D&B over the last few of years, but his recent Deepest Secret album on Omni Music is a step away from his regular technical sound into what he describes as ‘synthwave inspired atmospheric beats’. Yes fucking please!
Anyone I’ve put this LP onto has either bought it straight away, or streamed the hell out of it as it is quite simply a lush, cohesive work on an atmospheric theme that massages the ears in all the right ways. Big ups Ink, Soul Connection, Ivy Lab and K3Bee for playing support, who’s tunes are in no way any lesser than Ibunshi’s master work on display here. Tune in, turn on and drift out.
Ibunshi – I Remember (We Played) Ibunshi – As the Ocean Ibunshi – Walking in the Storm Ink – Lost in Time Muffler – Water Piano Ambient Ibunshi – Burst in Fire Ibunshi – Her Eyes Carries Storms Ibunshi – Waiting for You Soul Connection – Longing Ivy Lab – Late Night Fit Ibunshi – A New Day Leodia – Badkat Sonics Soul Connection – Worlds Ibunshi – Deepest Secret K3Bee – Drained Ibunshi – Like Crystal Tears Ibunshi – Green Mirrors
Heading into deeper territories with this mix of half time and more minimal rollers. Scar features heavily with tracks from their moody Metalheadz LP release The Road Less Travelled as does J:Kenzo with Typhoon / RawZ on Alternate Recordings, both well worth investing in.
Shouts to my DOA brethren, Satl for his track UFO off the Gloom LP on the ever present and tasty The North Quarter. So too Electrosoul System for the unique Black Album, very nice to hear him stepping away from liquid and flexing deeper and darker take on his sound.
This one is best listened to travelling on a rainy day through some headphones watching the world slide by. Enjoy.
For my debut mix here on the site I’ve put together a mixture of cosmic jungle, heavenly half-time & atmospheric liquid.
There’s new tunes alongside some older favourites in here, with labels including Modern Conveniences, Omni Music, Offworld, Fokuz, Metalheadz and Goldfat represented, amongst others. Most of the action takes place in the 166-172 territory.
Really hope you enjoy the mix – many thanks to Wozowski for inviting me over!
