Category Archives: Soulful

Ear & Drum: Session 274 – Stroll Out

Crossing over to the Soulful side of the street for this one with Heron Flow, Seba, and Calibre all stepping up. We have a couple of tracks from Soul Connection’s latest LP – Possibilities which is well worth a listen. And we’ve also got the very under-rated Riya & Collette Warren on their own Carnelian imprint with a Bladerunner remix of their track Vices and a Vanguard Project re-rub of Little Things.

Also keep an ear out from one of my favourite artists, Adred on Inperspective Records with his killer track Just Now featuring the one and only Robert Manos. And last but not least the return of Badmarsh & Shri through Calibre’s remix of their track Signs which dropped on Signature recently.

Stroll Out – 1hr of Soulful D&B

Winslow – Sweet Tooth
Dub Head – In My Mind
PeRex – For Love
Creatures – Desire
Seba – Public Beauty (Zero T’s Ugly Mix)
T.Base – Take You (Silentium Remix)
Heron Flow – Snow
Soul Connection & AKA – No Pressure
Soul Connection – Break of Dawn
Artificial Intelligence – No Fun
Quartz – Way Back
Riya & Collette Warren feat. Whiney – Vices (Bladerunner Remix)
Calibre – Soul 80
Sully & Salo – Nights (Vocal Mix)
Riya & Collette Warren feat. Technimatic – Little Things (The Vanguard Project Remix)
Anja – One Time (Euphorics Remix)
Adred feat. Robert Manos – Just Now
Break feat. Lorna King – Wait for You
Badmarsh & Shri – Signs (Calibre Remix)
The North Quarter All Stars – Never
The Sauce – Time Must Come

Ear & Drum: Session 272 – Hertz to Breath

Soulful D&B can be a bit of a Marmite sound, you either love it or hate it. I personally love the groove, the soul and the smoothness. And when it comes to smooth it is hard to beat people like DRS, Lenzman, GLXY, Naibu and every other producer in this mix.

If you like this sound and haven’t discovered DRS’ Everything Must Go! album, get on it! Ditto for GLYX’s incredible Love, Chaos EP and the new Nauibu joint Sans Soleil. So much great soulful stuff around at the moment.

Hertz to Breath – 1hr of Soulful D&B

DRS & Mither – Angels On My Shoulder
GLYX – Detached
GLXY & Catching Cairo – – Fine Lines
DRS & Mither – No Surprises
T.Base – Universe
DRS, The Skeptics & MC RVS – Stand Calm
GLXY & [KSR] – What it Seems
Mohican Sun – Blurred Peak
Lenzman & Reeves – Play Around
Random Movement – Modelo Fumunda
Brainwork & mnml – Grey
DRS & SI8r 0 On Us Lately
Naibu – Sunless (feat. Robert Manos)
Naibu – Sans Solell (Reprise
DRS & Vangellez – Hurts To Breathe
Naibu – Spring
Soul Connection – Truly
The Sauce – What’s Going Down
Heron Flow – Snow

Ear & Drum: Session 268 – Shmoove

It’s been a mighty year for smooth and soulful D&B so I thought I’d put together some of the tunes that have been slinking their way into my ear drums. You can’t talk smooth D&B without talking Calibre and here we have his colab single with ST Files and Carmelle Cox – Grow, plus More fool Me and No Stopping both from his second LP of the year Rudy.

Heron Flow is another artist who has had an immense 2023, this time with his 31 Recordings release Bones that features Be Forgotten, Blame Game and the titular track Bones. You know it is a strong release when you can find three tracks you have to play. Technimatic isn’t probably who you first think of in terms of smooth liquid, but his LP For All of Us really does have something for everyone and Risk Everything featuring Mr Smooth, DRS and Departure are good examples of what this guy can do when he steps away from his signature sound.

Other highlights include Ink & Sin with their sublime cuts Out of Sight and You Are, GLXY as always with Fear, Ego and Mystic State’s incredible track Right Here. Despite being a decent year for music, I will be glad to see the back of 2023 and hope you have a 2024 that see’s everything flow your way. Thanks for listening.

Shmoove – 1hr of Smooth D&B

Zar & DRS – Like To Know feat. Dan Harris
Calibre & Cimone – More Fool Me
Carmelle Cox, ST Files & Calibre – Grow
Heron Flow – Be Forgotten
Sati &. Artificial Intelligence feat. Gigi Daai – Stronger
WUFO – Call Back
Heron Flow – Blame Game
Heron Flow – Bones
Rockwell &. Lameduza – Estranged
Ink & Sin – Out of Sight
London Elektricity feat. Liane Carroll – Fast Soul Music (Dogger & Mindstate Remix)
Technimatic – Departure
Mystic State – Right Here
Ink & Sin – You Are
Technimatic & DRS – Risk Everything
Calibre – No Stopping
Random Movement – Modelo Fumunda
GLXY – Fear, Ego
Degs feat. Nu:Tone & Duskee – Can We Talk (Imo-Lu Remic)
Brainwork & mnml – Grey

Ear & Drum: Session 263 – Souldiers

The D&B Soul train keeps on rolling for 2023. This time around we have The North Quarter All Stars bringing the heat with their ridiculously good Balboa Square EP. Some sweet tunes from Shelflife 8 by Calibre, who has gone and dropped a second LP for the year, Rudy. And a special shout to Cnof who’s City Rhythm LP on Fokuz was a smooth and pleasant surprise.

Souldiers – 1hr of Soulful D&B

The North Quarter All Stars – I Got You
The North Quarter All Stars – The Way You’ve Been
The North Quarter All Stars – Everything Nice
Matec – Hold Me Close
Calibre – No Sense
Chimpo & Sato – Let Me Rise
Halogenix – Satisfy My Soul (ft. Liam Bailey
Cnof – You The One
Cnof &. Macca
Calibre – Chantilly
Duoscience – Small Field
Furney – World Troubles
London Elektricity feat. Liane Carroll – Fast Soul Music (Dogger & Mindstate Remix)
The North Quarter All Stars – Schizm
Du Marky – Colours Of My Mind
Seba & Bior Berglund – Skogsräet
DRS & Tyler Daley feat. LSB – Too Late
Workforce – Forever (LSB Remix
Alix Perez – Walrua
GLXY – Fear, Ego
Degs feat. Nu:Tone & Duskee – Can We Talk (lmo-Lu Remix)

Ear & Drum: Session 259 – Splash

Summer must be on it’s way in the northern hemisphere because even the Soulful D&B has a certain bounce to it and a little less melancholy from DRS. If you want a good time Atlantic Connection has a B-Sides compilation that is packed to the gills with 50 amazing, lesser known tracks from the US liquid master called unsurprisingly B-Sides. Here you will find Equator from his Red Spaces LP, which also features 4D Spaces.

Another EP worth keeping an ear out for is Mystifics – Good Girl EP from which I rolled Flames and Save My Soul in this mix, along with Peace of Mind from his DNBB Records release. Calibre, Nookie, LSB, Dawn Wall and Break also all bring the vibes in the soulful but upbeat collection of summertime vibes.

Splash – 1hr of Soul Summer tunes

Halogenix – Ivory
Minor Forms & Rider Shafique – Time Ticking (Total Science Remix)
Atlantic Connection – Equator
Atlantic Connection – 4D Spaces
Kingsize – Star Machine (Nookie Remix)
Mystific – Flames
Calibre – Chantilly
Ed:it – Lock Blues
Dawn Wall – Movies
London Elektricity – Fast Soul Music (Dogger & Mindstate Remix)
LSB – Golden
DRS & Tyler Daley feat. Calibre – I Remember
Envy – Beautiful Dreamer
Mystific – Peace of Mind
Bop & Subway – Last Night
Mystific – Save My Soul
Halogenix & Alix Perez – Amé
DRS & Tyler Daley feat. LSB – Too Late
Nookie – Only You (Madcap Remix)
Break & Charlie Brix – Lost

Cosmic mix 1

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!

Cheers, fortunecookie20

Link: https://wozowski.com/cookie/Cosmic1.wav

Tracklist:

  1. Jamie Myerson – Shape Without Form
  2. Fortune & Chance – Vortextures
  3. Akuratyde – All We Need
  4. Easy – Push
  5. Fortune & Chance – The Connection
  6. Sunchase – Night Driving
  7. ASC & Synkro – Borderline
  8. Drumantle – Apex
  9. Seijn – Tread On My Dreams
  10. dBridge – Cornered
  11. Silence Groove – The Muses
  12. Jem One – Sunday Rain
  13. governmentfun – Magic Happens
  14. Woken Balance – Voyages
  15. Commix – City Section
  16. LSB – Snap Funk
  17. Mister Shifter – The Reach
  18. Calibre – Moonlight
  19. Trident – Above the Clouds
  20. Woken Balance – Mind’s Eye
  21. Jamie Myerson – Gesture Without Motion

Alwayz WilL Mix @ Melodic Bar Liverpool 26/3/23

Played out this set at the lovely Melodic Bar in Liverpool UK as part of their open deck night. Its a cool spot, highly recommended for any music headz in the area. Has its own radio station broadcasting from a shipping container above the bar –
https://www.melodicdistraction.com/
Maximum boost to the friendly crew there!

Burial – Unite
Djrum – Ode
Photek – Can’t Come Down
Djrum – St Martins
Fikir Amlak – Walk With Jah
Nomine & Youngsta – Foundation
Darkstar – Need You
Dominic Eulberg – Der Tanz de Gluehwuermchen (Rone Rmx)
Synkro – Transient
SpectraSoul – Melodies
Instra:mental – Naked Zoo
Sabre, Stray & Halogenix feat. Frank Carter – Oblique
Alix Perez – Losing You
Kelela – On the Run
Calibre – If you Wait Remix
Satl – So Much Better
Commix – Scarlet
Calibre – Mirage
Bicep – The Game
Burial – Rodent
Echo in the Dark (Hanna & Tommy) – Serotine
William Bell – Forgot to be Your Lover


Ear & Drum: Session 251 – Motions

Heading into the soulful side with this mix of smooth sounds. When it comes to soul Dogger & Mindstate, Calibre, Lenzman and LSB instantly spring to mind, but the vocalist they always lean on is the seminal DRS. Having been around since the hey-day of Bukem and his MC compatriot Conrad, DRS has reinvented himself constantly down the years and his 2020s incarnation as Mr Soul just might be his best yet.

A good chunk of this mix is from DRS’s Del-Rok-Ski LP, which came out towards the end of last year. Collaborating with a who’s who of soulful D&B producers, this LP had way more hits than misses and was one of the strongest releases for me in 2022. Another LP well worth a listen is FX909’s Liquid Heart which also features hear along with a few tracks from Need for Mirrors super strong Nerd EP.

Motions – 1hr of Soulful D&B

Akemi Fox – Lie to You
DRS & Monroe – Kiss & Tell
Dogger & Mildaste & DRS – TMWFTE
Need for Mirrors – Happy Mondays
Auris – The Difference
Colossus – Possession
DRS & Calibre – Embers Reign
DRS & Dogger & Mindstate – Wake You Up
DRS & Duskee & Disrupta – Waiting to Go
Dub Phizix – Snowprints
Gabanna – Always the Same
DRS & Document One – Can’t Explain
FX909 – Without a Name
Missing – Ever Wanted
FX909 – Two Little Birds
Need for Mirrors – Mourning Tune
Echomatics – Sense of Control
Bop & Subway – Last Night
Degs feat. Nu:Tone & Duskee – Can We Talk (Imo-Lu Remix)
Sl8r – Magnolia
Echo Brown & KSR – Motions
DSR & LSB – Sweet Love

Ear & Drum: Sessions 245, 246 & 247 – New Year’s Special Selection

For a genre that is declared dead every couple of years, D&B is healthier than ever with a whole new generation discovering the 90s and the OGs still pushing limits of what music can do. To celebrate this, and the fact that 2023 is just around the corner, I’ve put together three mixes that sum up everything that I thought was great in D&B in 2022.

Mix one is dedicated to the Soulful side of things. DRS, LSB, Dogger & Mindstate, GLXY, Heron Flow, Calibre and many more made music this year that reached beyond the generic Liquid category and brought a soul and pathos to their music that is absolutely mesmerizing.

Soul Side ’22 – 1hr+ of Soulful D&B from 2022

DRS & Monroe – Kiss & Tell
LSB – Endless
Dogger & Mindstate feat. DRS – TMWFTE
Random Movement – How Many Ways
DuoScience – Edge
Issue Cross & Wilkinson – Used to This
Impartial – Flowstate
HEFT – Timeline
HEFT – Promise
LSB – Bell Tune
Muffler – Water Piano Ambient
GLXY – Dreamers
The Sauce – BST Vibes
A-Sides & MC Fats – Never Yesterday
Seba – Public Beauty
Intake – Closing
Dawn Wall – Judgement
Dawn Wall – Fears
DRS & Dogger feat. Mindstate – Wake You Up
Wilkinson & iiola – Close Your Eyes
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Dynamite MC feat. Bop x Subwave – Into
LSB – Renaissance Song
GLXY – New Day
DRS & Document One – Can’t Explain
Particle – Drivin’ Me Crazy
Alix Perez & Verbz – Stay the Same
Redeyes & Fox – Wait Ting
Bungle – Forms
Workforce – Forever
Lensman & Echo Brown – Nokia Days
Fox feat. Swing Ting – Day One (Lenzman Remix)
Alix Perez – Wairua
DRS & LSB – Sweet Love
High Contrast – Return of Forever (Came & Krooked & Mefjus Remix)
Dogger & Mindstate feat. Liam Bailey – Broken Home (Calibre Remix)

Mix two is all about the deep, the dark and the heavy. Blocks & Escher, T>I, Buunshin, Dub Phizix, Conrad Subs, NC-17, Acid_Lab and many more tore the absolute roof off this year with BIG tunes and even bigger basslines. Labels like Metalheadz and Critical Music continued to blazer a trail, but even better was all the smaller imprints that popped up and smacked it this year.

Dark Side ’22 – 1hr+ of Deep, Dark & Heavy D&B from 2022

Soul Intent – Infrared Shadow
Seba & Digital – Love Story
Seba & Oilskin – The Future
Latyn – Dust & Ages (Silence Groove Remix)
Mako – The Both of Us
Buunshin & Idle Days – I’m Okay
Voyager – Aurora (Remix)
Fishy & Freeboard – Cause I Miss You
NC-17 & Dunk – New Jack Hustler
Dub Phizix – Demon Seed
Calibre – Verstat
Slay feat. Chimpo & SL8R – Dis One
Heron Flow – Raging Sea
Foreign Concept – China Plate
Technimatic & Komatic – Make Me Feel
Heron Flow – Serpentine
Echo 1 – Shifting Sounds
Acid_Lab – Imagine the Future (Art Cubic Remix)
Beeson & Dynamite MC – ‘Til 4am
Advisory – End Credits
Grey Code – Illiad
Dub Phizix – Item
aBLe – Still There
Script – Set up the Set (DLR’s Clash VIP)
Conrad Subs – Temple
T>I – Outboard
Dub Phizix – Come On
NC-17 – State of Grace
Audioholic – Bottlerockets
Blocks & Escher – This One
FX909 – Now (Half Step Mix)
Emz & Sam Bingo – Don’t Stress
NC-17 – Ghost Song

Last, but no where near least is the 160bpm genre that took over in 2022. Slowing things down and bringing back that original rave sound was THE best musical surprise for me in ’22. Artists like J Majik, Chimpo and ASC have always been there, but it was Fracture who really brought the 160bpm sound alive with his incredible 0860 Mix Tape release. Capturing the 90s pirate radio vibe, this release proved you can look back and still keep a modern production ethic. And I only hope that this is the beginning of more music like this!

Vibez Side ’22 – 1hr+ of 160bpm Vibes from 2022

Grey Code – Primrose
Coco Bryce – Dial M for Mayor
Fracture – Telepathy
The Vanguard Project & Jemima Read – Stitches (Coco Bryce Remix)
J Majik – Hold You (Lemon D Remix)
Fracture feat. Eastman – 0860
Kid Chameleon – Open Soul
Chimpo – Rig Doctor
Cryogenics – Haunted
IMANU & The Caracal Project feat. Josh Pan – La Fournaise
Adred – Before Your Eyes
Fracture – From the Very Top
Conman, Evasion & Mod:co – Lifestyle
Kid Chameleon – Syrup
Moakz – Distant Waves
Antony G – Lockdown
ASC – Black Rain
Mineral – Old School 2022
Fracture – First Aid Kit
D’Cruze – Sublime State

No matter if you are staying home, hitting the parties or somewhere in between there should be a sound here for everyone. Thanks for all the support in 2022 and big ups to Blick and Will for joining the Ear & Drum and bringing even more great music to the people. Happy New Year everyone and may 2023 be bigger and better for y’all.

Ear & Drum: Session 242 – Travels

With summer coming in for the southern hemisphere the soulful side of D&B is again on the rise. Artists like Heron Flow, Dawn Wall and Lensman are shelling it to bits, while GLXY‘s new EP ‘By Design’ on Shogun Audio and Dogger & Mindstate‘s killer 12″ on 1985 show the true depth of the soulful sound.

Shout out to Soul Intent for the free tasteful relick of Bjork’s – Future Forever and Eschaton for passing on his new LP Aboslution from which I’ve slipped in Autumn Mist here. Much appreciated.

Travels – 1hr+ of Soulful D&B

Aleyum – Blue Hour (HumanNature Remix)
Subrix – Thoughts
Dogger & Mindstate & DRS – TMWFTE
Heron Flow – Do 2 U
Seathasky – Circles
Easy – After Dark
Blacklab – You Know
GLXY – Dreamers
Natural Forces – Divine
The Sauce – BST Vibes
Dawn Wall – Fears
Cause for Concern – Angels in the Sky
GLXY – New Day
LSB – Renaissance Song
Lensman & Redeyes – Wet Like Water
Eschaton – Autumn Mist
Bjork – Future Forever (Soul Intent Relick)
Kintsuku – Absent
Fishy – Solar Transit
London Elekticity – Something Rare
Deis feat Nu:Tune & Duskee – Can We Talk (Imo-Lu Remix)
Dogger & Mindstate & Liam Bailey – Broken Home (Calibre Remix)
Total Science – Gravy Girls (Calibre Remix)
Stay feat. Lensman & A Little Sound – Taste of Gold