Wax Doctor is a producer who has always been close to my heart. He was a breakbeat pioneer who blazed a melodic trail in the early 90s, along with the likes of Omni Trio and Alex Reece, that defined a generation of music. He had two records in the first ten Metalheadz releases, more pseudonyms than you can poke a stick at, and was in high demand as a remix artist in D&B most formative years.
This is the first part of three mixes I’m putting together to celebrate the life and works and of Wax Doctor. Starting out in 1993 with some of his earliest Breakbeat Hardcore tracks and moving into the mid-90s, where he found his musical feet and started making serious waves in the D&B scene.
Kev Bird & The Wax Doctor – T.B.N (Tough But Nice) Kev Bird & The Wax Doctor – Dark Matter ’93 Wax Doctor – Fallen Angels Fallen Angels – Hello Lover (DJ Hype Remix) DJ Pulse – Let You In (Wax Doctor Remix) Wax Doctor – The Step Model 500 – I Wanna Be There (Wax Doctor Remix) Wax Doctor – Cool Breeze Wax Doctor – The Spectrum Unit 1 – Atlantic Drama Alex Reece – Basic Principals (Wax Doctor Rollout) Fallen Angels – Taken Over Bounty Killaz – Do It Now! (DJ Pulse Remix) Sounds of Life – Release the Bells (Wax Doctor Remix) Alex Reece – Acid Lab (Wax Doctor Remix) Wax Doctor – Kid Caprice Lunar Funk – Spacewalk Wax Doctor – Never As Good
This is the first mix of the new year to feature actual 2022 tracks in it. It’s a pumping little Liquid number featuring some of the genre’s best including KSR, DRS & Need for Mirrors, Seba, Mystific and S.P.Y. Extra big push for Furney and his new LP ‘Under Below’ which is an absolute belter and for the return of NZ favourite live D&B sons (and daughters) Shapeshifter and their new album ‘Rituals’.
HLZ – Orbit MNML & Brainwork – Miracle Shapeshifter – Lightspeed Mystific – Pieces of My Life Collette Warren, DJ Marky & Tyler Daley – One Exception (Pola & Bryson Remix) KSR – Life, Money Degs – Unwritten Seba – Public Beauty Furney – Lunar Tunes Furney & Lady Emz – Travel in a Day DRS feat. Need for Mirrors – Running Back Bungle – Forms FLM – One Time (Euphorics Remix) Hiraeth – A Time When HLZ – How I Feel S.P.Y – Dream Fragments Flowrain, Pulsaar & Devon – Blue (Decon Remix) Furney – Bengo Mystific – Space Cadet Subrix – Direction Particle – Fall 2 Fast
To many the Amen break is the defining beat of D&B and Jungle. And even though it is one of the original breaks to define the genre, it still persists today as a whole new generation bring Jungle back from it’s 90s slumber.
Those old enough to remember will recall the days when D&B sped up from 160bpm to its 172-76bpm limit it has today. One thing that got lost in this translation was the ability to let the Amen flex and breath, as those all important spaces between the breaks almost disappeared in the race to faster paced music.
For me, one of the best thing about the recent Jungle revival, has been the return of the 160bpm tunes that don’t rely on pace, but rather feel to provide the energy in the music. This is a collection of some the best new (and some old classic) 160bpm tunes that are driving a return of the Amen with serious flex and feel to to beat.
J Majik – Red Moon Acid_Lab – Combination Dub (Tommy Badman Mix) Dead Man’s Chest – Open Your Eyes Digital – Down Under Acid_Lab – Trip 2 Mars Acid_Lab – Interstellar (Kodama Remix) MJT – Panacea Stunna – Last September Carter – Twenty One Thoughts Rainforest – Villalongin Dilinja – The Angels Fell Bug Kann & The Plastic Jam – Made in 2 Minutes (Origin Unknown Remix) DJ Swift & DJ Zinc feat Steve B – It’s Time Fracture – Chessington David Holmes – Gone (PFM Remix) Future Bound – Sorrow Bjorn – Inside My Soul Dust-e-1 – One on One Source Direct – Black Rose
2021 was the year of the vocal as far as Liquid and Soulful D&B was concerned. MCs like DRS, Fox and Cleveland Watkiss took full control, while the ever popular female vocalists like Emily Harkness, Lauren Archer and Jenna G kept the vibe sweet and soulful.
That being said some older heads like John B & Digital, Pola & Bryson and Calibre proved that you don’t need a vocal to nail that smooth, rolling vibe that only Liquid D&B can provide. All up 2021 was the year that the blues tinged soulful sound proved to be just as solid as some the harder genres out there.
Mitekiss, Milo Merah & RWST – City Angels DRS feat. Mindstate – Never Made It John B & Digital – Time Goes By Invadhertz, Felix Raymon & Jamal Dilmen Alix Perez & Liam Bailey – Moving On (Break Remix) KSR – Life, Money Alix Perez feat. Even Everett & Spectrasoul – Forsaken (Calibre Remix) Command Strange & MC Fava – Never Let Go GLXY – Sweet Lows (feat. Rhi) Seba – Sweet Magnolia (feat Jenna G) London Elektricity – The Plan That Cannot Fail (10YR Rework) Chimpo – Keep U Round (feat. Salo) Seba & Emily Harkness – True LSB & DRS – Umbrellas (GLXY Remix) Mitekiss – Rain (Falling Down) Inja – Smile More Unknown Artist – Sweetest Taboo Satl – Beautiful Struggle (feat. DRS) Duoscience – Praise Lally & Aailyah Esprit – Hustling’ LSB & DRS – Stop the World (Lenzman Remix) DRS & Need for Mirrors – Running Back Macca, Loz Contreras & Critical Event – Snow LSB & DRS – Rise & Fall (Tokyo Prose Remix) Technimatic & Riya – When the Dawn Breaks Pola & Bryson & Solch – Neverend Pola & Bryson – Under (feat. Lauren Archer) Fox – Paper Weights (feat DRS & Calibre) Mineral – Silent Promises Lady Blackbird – Collage (Calibre Remix) Operator Unknown & Leo Wood – Who Inja – Pressure (feat. Cleveland Watkiss)
2021 was another strong year for D&B, but the one thing that stood out was the harder edge of the genre got a little less beard-stroking and lot more funky with rolling tunes aimed squarely at the floor becoming the flavour of the day. A lot of producers looked back to the sounds of the 2000s for a more stripped back, bass driven sound with less complicated beat work. But what the tunes lacked in complexity they gained in groove and that can never be a bad thing.
This is a compilation of all the tunes in 2021 that rinsed and rolled out across the year. Special shouts to the Bristol crews like DLR, The Sauce, Fox and labels such as Sofa Sounds, Dispatch and Metalheadz who all had a BIG year.
Ninja feat. Singing Fats – Soul Silhouette Technimatic – Mirror Image (Phaction Remix) John B – Up All Night (Data 3 Remix) Universal Project – Lost In It The Sauce & Fox – Everything Boss DLR, Script & MC Fokus – Perception (Trail & Debby Remix) Inja – Take Me Home T>I – The Locksmith BCee & Charlotte Haining – Reminds Me (S.P.Y Remix) Monika & Akuratyde – Amber Inja feat. Charlotte Haining – Reach Out DLR – U.D.O Came & Krooked, Mefjus & Sophie Lindinger – No Tomorrow (Tom Finster Remix) Bop – Surfing the Anxiety Waves PFM – For Caron (Are You Ready) QZB & Rider Shafique – The Banker S.P.Y – Is Anybody Out There (S.P.Y VIP) Punctual & Nabiha – The Step (Pola & Bryson Remix) Conrad Subs – Love 4 U Inja – Stranger L-Sides & MC Fats – High Times (Break Remix) Shades of Rhythm – Sound of Eden (Benny Page Remix) Payback – Inter-Connected DLR – Make My Mind Go DLR – Sufferation Tony Anthem feat. Doctor – Tears Of Mine (Gunmen & Specimen A Remix) Jubei – Slipstream Akuratyde – Evergreen Paul T & Edward Oberon feat. Cleveland Watkiss) QZB & Gardna – Music’s Got Soul Mystic State – Whole Half Cosmology – Something Different
Latin for ‘Where do you march?’ Quo Vadis is a journey into some of the standout Liquid tunes that have come out towards the end of 2021. Featuring some of the genre’s best production talent including Redeyes, Monty, KSR, Atlantic Connection, Jubei, Dogger & Mindstate, Alix Perez & Liam Bailey, BCee & Darrison, plus a whole swag more. This mix will definitely take you places.
Redeyes, Monty and KSR – Almond Carlito – About You Atlantic Connection – In You Eyes Jubei, Dogger & Mindstate – Time Travel feat. Chunky Alix Perez & Liam Bailey – Moving On (Break Remix) Hyroglifics – Waiting Inja – Reaching Out feat. Charlotte Haining Alcemist – Us (Pola & Bryson Remix) Midnight Sounds – Bring it Back (Klute Remix) Sarah Rebdauh – Staticky (Klute Remix) Sustance – Rumours Sub:liminal, Minos & Cardia – Future Lines Rafau Etamski – Tears of the Sun BCee & Darrison – So Right (LSB Remix) Foreign BEggers & Laville – Reveal (Alix Perez Remix) Atlantic Connection – A New Dawn QZB & Gardna – Landline EN:VY – Forget the World High Contrast – Return of Forever (Klute Remix)
It’s been a long while between drinks for the Call the Ambience series, but we’re back better and more chilled than ever. Even thought the releases of this kind of music seem to be slowing down a little, the quality is still high when it does drop.
Etherwood, dBridge and Atlantic Connection all contribute some wonderfully blissful music, as do 90s originators Alaska, Voyager and Bill Laswell. I’ve been trying to squeeze Laswell’s – El Hombre Invisible (for William S. Burroughs) into a set for years, and finally managed to pull it off here. This 15 minute journey is something else, and shows how formulaic modern day D&B has become.
Seathasky – For Love & Science Rowpieces – 1st Love (Downtempo Mix) Zero T & Beta 2 – Misdemeanour Mystic State feat. Congi – Too Late (Captivate Remix) Shebuzz – We Bring You the Future Alaska – Azarca (Synkro Remix) Muffler – November (Lo-Fi Hip-Hop Mix) Ky! – I See U (Made in Russia Remix) Voyager – Meraki Bill Laswell – El Hombre Invisible (for William S. Burroughs) The Vanguard Project & Fred V feat. Riya – No Words (Chill Mix) Shebuzz – 34th Street Atlantic Connection – Threshold dBridge – I Know Etherwood – Water in Your Veins Sultan & Shepard feat. The Cut – White Lies Etherwood – I Will Wave to You
A bit of the old and a lot of the new in this mix of tuffer D&B beats. S.P.Y. doing his own remix duties on Is Anybody Out There (S.P.Y VIP) and Sub Focus’s bass heavy Deep Space (Date 3 Remix) are just some of the new highlights. Nico’s rework of Bill Laswell early work Oscilations and Quadrant & Iris remix of Marcus Intalex & Future Cut classic Plastic are representing for the OG vibes.
Inja & Singing Fats – Soul Silhouette DLR, Script & MC Focus – Perception (Trail & Dibby Remix) Inja – Take Me Home DIsrupta & J Select – Tequila Mikal – Resampled DuoScience – Mismatched Cauzer – Form One S.P.Y. – Is Anybody Out There (S.P.Y VIP) Bill Laswell – OScilations (Nico No U-Turn Mix) Marcus Intalex & Future Cut – Plastic (Quadrant & Iris Remix) Gest – Futurism Particle – Nosedive Payback – Inter-Connected DLR – Make My Mind Go Sub Focus – Deep Space (Date 3 Remix) Jubei – Slipstream Shades of Rhythm – Sound of Eden (Benny Page Remix) DJ SS & Azpect – Feeling Blessed (DJ SS Remix) Foreign Concept, Enei & Magugu – Sticks Paul T & Edward Oberon feat. Cleveland Watkiss – Music’s Got Soul QZB & Gardna – Landline
Going a bit deeper and darker in this mix of new-ish tunes. 2021 has been a good year for harder styles, and even though there isn’t as much minimal techy stuff coming out there is still a decent selection of deep beats and darker cuts still being produced.
Probably the deepest and darkest of them in this selection is the Missive triple play close to the beginning. Cavernous bass and stripped back beats characterised Missives top quality Lithos EP which came out around the middle of this year. Other tunes to keep an ear out for are T>I’s The Locksmith and Let it Go which both shred, Foriegn Concepts ragga tinged Kultja and Zero T’s killer VIP reworking of Goldie feat. Jose James – Truth.
Extra big shout to Offish for providing the opener on this mix, his LP Garden of Eyes is full of deep, dark beats and well worth a listen over at his Bandcamp page. https://offish.bandcamp.com/album/garden-of-eyes
More liquid beats this time featuring a good slab of D&B’s friendliest MC Inja’s new LP ‘Smile & Wave’. This album came out of the blue for me, and had so many great tracks on it I’m still rinsing them months after release.
Another big surprise was Metalheadz alumni Scar coming out with some beautifully melodic pieces on his Why EP. Known far more for tough futuristic beats and cavernous b-lines, Scar’s Falling Down and All I See are liquid, but with a rawness that is impossible not to like.
Much love to Seba too for his outstanding Fokuz All Stars Pt.3 release featuring Second Path and the divine Mystic Magnolia, Pola & Bryson for their killer tracks Neverend and Under and Disrupta for his tasty new Changes EP.
Disrupta & DRS – Changes Disrupta – Play it Cool Scar & Ella Sopp – Falling Down Gest – Shame Scar – All I See Seba & JR Vailo – Second Path Command Strange & MC Fava – Never Let Go Inja & Charlotte Haining – Reach Out Seba & Jenna G – Sweet Magnolia Duoscience – Facing… Inja – Smile More Sub:liminal, Minos & Cardia – Future Lines Inja – Stranger Walk:r & Riya – Paragon Technimatic & Riya – When the Dawn Breaks L.A.O.S. – Begin Again (DJ Edit) Pola & Bryson & Solch – Neverend Random Movement – I stayed Around (Lenzman Reinterpretation) Pola & Bryson & Lauren Archer – Under HumaNature – Stories Inja & Cleveland Watkiss) – Pressure
