Category Archives: Minimal

2023, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Ear & Drum: Session 266 – Rolling in the Deep

Leave a comment

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.

Rolling in the Deep – 1hr of Deep D&B Rollers

Mystic State – Solva feat. Alicia Kiah
Seba & Paradox – I’II Wait
Loxy & Resound – Paradigms VIP
Ink & Sin – Black Lotus
Ed:it – Wikd Bad
A-Audio & Unoaked – Dip Out
Cnof & Macca – Like That
Minor Forms & Kublai – Lift Music
Calibre – Treason
Loxy & Resound – Fusion
Loomis & Blood Trust – Body Double
Aleyum – Glowing Memories (Silence Groove Remix)
Ink – Tell Me (feat. Collette Warren) (J. Robinson Remix)
Soul Connection – Longing
Mystic State – Retaliate
Amoss – Hydra
Soul Connection – Subvision
Hyroglifics – Albany Road
MSDos – Asteroids
Forgiven Soul & Offish – Inverse Element
Ink & Sin – Hydro

2023, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Half Beat, Minimal

Ear & Drum: Session 255 – Swept Under

Leave a comment

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.

Swept Under – 1hr of Deep D&B

Scar – The Lane
Resound – Rhytual: Pagan (Inner Terrain Remix)
Telomic – Lesson Learned
Electrosoul System – Suicide Suicide
Satl – UFO
Skoel – Leftsound
Marcus Intalex feat. S.P.Y & Ras Tweed – Make a Raise (2022 Remix)
Atlantic Connection – Rockdub (Instramental)
Leaf – Keep on Trucking
Scar – The Road Less Travelled
Scar – Lifted
Moakz – A New Future (Mineral Remix)
Flipper – NErgal
Enei – Falling
J:Kenzo – Typhoon
Electrosoul System – Chuck Norris On LSD
J:Kenzo – RawZ

2020, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Ear & Drum: Session 196 – Brutalism

Leave a comment

Part two of the holiday mixes focuses on the deeper side of D&B with new tunes from Fixate, T>I, Serum, Om Unit and Conrad Subs. While Minimal seems to have faded a little in 2020, a new more rolling take on the stripped back D&B sound has taken it place which I am totally there for.

Perfect for a late night couch session, this mix might go well with a drop of something stronger and a smoke.

Brutalism – 1.5hrs of Deep D&B

H20 – Dusted
Fixate – Focus
Oat – IntoTheSun
FX909 – Meltdown (Peyo Remix)
Degs feat. Pola & Bryson – Sleepless (Bladerunner Version)
Goldie – I Think of You (Digital & Spirit Remix)
H20 – Parasite
DJ Marky & Pola & Bryson – Run the Streets
Mistrust – Dreamer
T>I & Zombie Cats – Sidestep
Airglo & Stash the Groove Bug – Boom
Daniel Power – Upstream Colour
Hyroglifics – God Given
Russell Small – It Is What It Is (Bad Ass Disco) (Carl Cox DnB Remix)
Breakage – Valhalla
T95 & DRS – On Site
T>I & D*Minds – Pulling Teef
Serum & Kasra – Fade Out
Waeys – Ephemeral
Acuna – Back to the Brainstorm
Philip K Dick – Drips
Bop & Subway – Higher Dimension
Om Unit – Joyspark
Mystic State – Expectations
Shinbu – Sacrifice
Conrad Subs – Beyond This

2018, Bass Music, Cross Genre, Down Low Session, Minimal

The Down Low: Session 041

Leave a comment

Back with another session of greatness from the lower BPMs of house, techno and breaks. This one is an eclectic mix of deeper tracks until the end when things pick up into a more floor orientated affair.

Keep an ear out for the Ghost Remix of Chimpo’s DidDieDoDat?, Wave Racers rejig of Flume’s Never Be Like You and the huge b-line of Deekline’s Flute Ting.

The Down Low: Session 041 – 1hr of Techno, House & Breaks

Direct – Too Far Away
Daisuke Hinata – Huellas
Sokora – ACT4
Pessimist – Peter Hitchens
Detroit Pulse Machine – Polygraph
Dune – Boomerang (Quivver’s Boom Q Dub)
Sam KDC – Canon Law
Chimpo – DidDieDoDat? (Ghost Remix)
Gesaffestein – Duel
Acid Metrick – Uppercut
Spec X – Change
Electrosoul System – I Luv It
Several Definitions – Don’t Stop to Fall (Short Mix)
Pessimist – Inner Circle]
Flume – Never Be Like You (Wave Racer Remix)
Flume – Like Water (Jacques Greene Remix)
Deekline – Flute Ting (feat. Rtkal)

2018, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Fresh Layer – Ear & Drum Session 143

Leave a comment

Pushing the D&B boat out into deeper waters this time around. It’s already been a great year for the deeper sound with releases like Seba’s – Node 46 EP and Clothcutter’s – Landfall EP hitting all the right notes. Extra shouts to Leaf for his super infectious tune Groove which I can’t stop putting into sets ATM and Alix Perez for the monstrously large Dark Star, deservedly one of the most played tracks of last year.

That’s enough banter from me, go and get to listening to some great new music.

Fresh Layer – 1hr of Deep D&B

Ancestral Voices – Izula
Artilect – Ashen
Leaf – Groove
Tokyo Prose – Restricted Orbit
Clothcutter – You’ll Know Me
Kiril – Minimal Instinkt
Vromm – B Movie
Seba – Unreal Adventures
Whiney – Sleek
Shyun & Charli Brix – Circles
Detboi – Blood Drops
Bladerunner – Back to the Jungle (Hyroglifics Remix)
Enei & Kasra – 1000
Alix Perez – Dark Star
Peyo – 13th Floor
Seba – Node 46
The Untouchables – Clairvoyance
Digital – Time Out
Ali Perez – Nighthawks
Skeptical & dBridge – I’ve Seen

2017, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Minimal

London Sound – Ear & Drum Session 126

Leave a comment

Grime is totally distinctively – part ragga jungle, part dubstep, part hip-hop and entirely London in sound. In terms of D&B the first Grime inspired track I remember back in 2011 was Dub Phizix & Skeptical’s – Marka. It was heavy, but stripped back and raw and I loved it instantly.

Since then Dub Phizix has been joined by Chimpo, Sam Binga and others in turning the BPM up on the Grime sound to create a unique niche D&B genre. I haven’t heard a whole heap of tracks like these, but when I do the hairs always stand up on the back of my neck at the thought of them in a mix because they just creep on up and slam every time.

Here’s to London for keeping it underground, real and always cutting edge.

London Sound – 1hr of Grime inspired D&B

Sam Binga – Badman Skin (Feat. Redders)
Fracture x Chimpo – From Early
Dub Phizix – Contact (Feat. Skeptical)
Sam Binga & Chimpo – Sassy Riddim
Dub Phizix – Do One (Feat. DRS)
Dub Phizix – Bounce
Dub Phizix – Jus’ a Nuvver Divvy (Feat. Strategy)
Dub Phizix – Bugs
Sam Binga & Chimpo – For Those That Like It Sweet
Sam Binga & Chimpo – Selection Dark
Chimpo – Bedsprings Riddim
Rockwell Feat. Sam Binga & Hyroglifics – Itsok2behapp-e
Chimpo – Haymaker
Chimpo – Bun It (Feat. Fixate)
Dub Phizix – Gaana
Sam Binga (Feat. Redders) – AYO (Ivy Lab Remix)
Dub Phizix & Skeptical – Marka (Feat. Strategy)
Chimpo – War Tanker
Sam Binga – Run The Dance (Feat. Slick Don)
Sam Binga – Greatest Distance (Feat. Romaine)

2015, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Cuts Deep – Ear & Drum Session 109

2 Comments

Stripped back drums and arcing sub-bass is the order of the day in this deep rolling set. Om Unit, Alix Perez and Fanu all bring their signature sounds and Calibre and Marcus Intalex help bring a more melodic take on what is one of modern D&B’s most popular sounds.

Cuts Deep – 1hr of Deep D&B

Om Unit – The Hand
Fracture x Chimpo – From Early
Ital Tek – Vector
Fanu – Dreamers’ Union
Alix Perez & Stray – Rip N Dip
Alix Perez – Understand
Hidden Turn – Dream of Tron
Fanu – Sleepwalking
Mark System – Optix
Loxy – Purity
Marcus Intalex – These Days
Skeptical – Square Breathing
House of Black Lanterns – Take Control
Thing – One Million
Om Unit – Grey Skies Over Chicargo
Ivy Lab & Hydro – Make It Clear (feat. Frank Carter III & Lucy Annika)
Calibre – Deep Orca
Skeptical – Offline
Digital & Spirit – Mosquito

2014, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Minimal

Unbreakable – Ear & Drum Session 93

1 Comment

Been quite awhile since I’ve brought the tough stuff and this mix has some absolute rippers. Gridlock’s Westbank has a Messiah type feel to it, dBridge & Skeptical’s Move Way was one of last years perfect minimal moments and Jubei’s Rufige11 is an ode to the classic Metalheadz sounds of yore.

Combine all this with BIG comebacks from the likes of Total Science, Sub Focus and the mighty Klute and you have a mix that has plenty of flex and is ripe for working over the sub-woofers. There’s only one break that breaks the unbreakable, and that break is right here.

Unbreakable – 1hr Deep Hard D&B Beats

Calyx, Teebee & Polar – Pensile Dreamer Part.1
Gridlock – Westbank
Lung – Starving Artisite
Sub Focus – Original
Nitri feat. Grimm & Level 2 – Secrets
dBridge & Skeptical – Move Way
Mutated Forms – Blop
Total Science feat. Riya – Suspicious (Alix Perez Remix)
DJ Fresh vs. Diplo feat. Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake
Jubei – Rufige11
Klute – Turnaround
Klute – Give It All
Sub Focus feat. Alpines – Tidal Wave
Michinedrum – Rise N Fall
Naibu – Just Like You (Fracture Remix)
dBridge – Death of a Drum Machine
Friske – Venture
Machinedrum – Gunshotta
Om Unit – Grey Skies Over Chicago
Frederic Robinson feat. Stray – Bloom
Blocks & Escher – Slow Wave
Sango – Frutiful (Maliyah’s Theme)
Sub Focus feat. Kele – Turn It Around

2014, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Minimal

Fathoms – Ear & Drum Session 91

1 Comment

First mix in aaages and first mix of 2014, so I guess I’d better make a good one right? 😉

Leaning on the deeper and more stripped back styles, this mix sums up a lot of what was great about D&B in 2013 – deep, cinematic and textured tunes with tons of atmosphere to pick you up and transport you somewhere else.

SpectraSoul, dBridge, Stray, Om Unit and MachineUnit all managed to keep coming up with new and interesting ways of twisting the D&B sound and we were lucky enough to have a small Felix K project, Flowers of Destruction, come out towards the end of 2013 to take his particular sound deeper that it has ever gone before.

Thanks to everyone who listened during 2013 and here’s hoping this year is even better than the last. Happy New Year.

Fathoms – 1.5hrs of Deep Drum & Bass

Overlook – Digital
House of Black Lanterns – Truth & Loss (Fracture’s Astrophonica Remix)
SpectraSoul – SOUR (Rockwell Remix)
Defo – Culture
Fracture feat. Dawn Day Night – Sick Wid It
Amoss – Bumbaclart
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #4
Derrick & Tonika – Trentino
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #2
dBridge – Not Known
Breach – Jack (Calibre Remix)
Stray – LA Zoom
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #3
Felix K – Flowers of Destruction #6
Foreign Concept – Solid State Dreams
System – Sound Man
Machinedrum – Eysdontlie
dBridge & Skeptical – Move Way
dBridge – Death of a Machine Drum
Om Unit – Grey Skies Over Chicago
Skyweep – Never Surrender
Friske – Venture
Lung – Too Cold to Start a Fire
Gridlock – Westbank
Machinedrum – Gunshotta
Frederic Robinson feat. Stray – Bloom
DJ Fresh vs. Diplo feat. Dominique Young Unique – Earthquake (Edit)

2013, Ear & Drum Session, Hard D&B, Minimal

Begin Again – Ear & Drum Session 90

1 Comment

So I slammed this mix together real quick. One of those rapid fire, don’t think too hard about it mash ups that just worked. Except for the last track which I don’t think quite fits and I don’t really like that much. How did it even end up in my crate?

Anyway, other than that I’m really happy with the result. Fast and heavy with loads of energy – if your looking for a work out mix is a good one to load up on the MP3 player.

Begin Again – 1hr+ of Heavy Minimal D&B

Seathasky & Nelver – Contact
Dose – What Lies Within
House of Black Laterns – Truth & Loss (Fractures Astrophonica Remix)
Lenzman – Empty Promise
Defo – Culture
dBridge & Skeptikal – Move Way
Calibre – Start Again feat. Chimpo
Actraiser – Tomahawk
Paramount – Hustler
Caravar & Clock – Miskatonik
The Insiders – Meltdown feat. Ayah
Mineral – Living The Dream (ESC & Subsense Remix)
Paperclip – Double Domination
Soulware – Images (ISM Remix)
Actraiser – Take You There
Arp XP – My Place
Emufucka – Urza’s Rage
Soul Intent – Some With Me
Paperclip – Structure 15
Out of Fuel – Sneaky
Organikismness – Dark Times (ISM Remix)
Marcus Intalex
T-Power & John Rolodex – That Jungle Vibe feat. Khadija