Category Archives: Melodic

2022, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic, Soulful

Ear & Drum: Session 237 – Long Way Round

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With summer well and truly keeping our northern hemisphere brothers and sisters hot and sweaty, I thought now is the perfect time to drop a mix of soulful summer sounds to help keep things chill.

LSB leads the charge with a swag of soulful tunes from his exceptional self titled LSB album on his Footnotes imprint. Alix Perez’s Wairua EP also features more of the tuneful but tuff signature 1985 sound. And Redeyes sees a solid return to form with his To the Falls EP, featuring some tasty collabs with Tokyo Prose and Fox.

Long Way Round – 1hr of Soulful Summer D&B

LSB – Endless
Mystic State – Dreamscapes
Motiv – Jupiter
MNML & Brainwork – Miracle
Mystic – Pieces of My Life
LSB – Find A Way
LSB – Bell Tune
Dogs – Unwritten
Freeboard & Toes – Water of Life
Fish & Peron – Ascending Reality
DRS feat. Need for Mirrors – Running Back
High Contrast – Exposé (AI Remix)
Bee – The Garden
Redeyes & Fox – Wait Ting
Alix Perez & Verbz – Stayed the Same
Mirrorman – Waiting For You
Audioholic – Bottlerockets
Alix Perez – Wairua
PFM – Broken Tears
Redeyes & Tokyo Prose – Yukon

2022, All Artist Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum: Session 228 – Doctor Who?: 2nd Regeneration

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Heading into the golden era of the mid-90s for the 2nd installment of my Wax Doctor series. Since declaring this a three part series I’ve discovered a few more Wax Doctor tracks squirreled away in my vinyl collection under different names. So I’ll be adding a 4th mix to the series just for good measure.

A lot of these tracks are Wax Doctor collaborating with Alex Reece under the Jazz Juice and Unit 1 pseudonyms (later to become Fallen Angels), or as Bounty Killaz with Ashley Browne AKA DJ Pulse. There are definitely different moods to the sound depending on who the good Doctor teamed up with, Unit 1 being a lot tougher than the jazz inspired Jazz Juice for example. But in the end all of these tracks are pure quality and more than worthy of getting another spin.

Doctor Who?: 2nd Regeneration – 1hr of Wax Doctor (and friends) from 1995-97

Wax Doctor – All I Need
Jazz Juice – Detroit
Jazz Juice – Jazz Juice
Unit 1 – Untitled
Unit 1 – Love Me
DJ Pulse – Stay Calm (Bounty Killaz Remix)
Jazz Juice – Move Your Body
Wax Doctor – Step
Bounty Killaz – Silent Voices
Bounty Killaz – Do it Now!
Bounty Killaz – Killa Instinct (Alex Reece Remix)
Model 500 – I Wanna Be There (Wax Doctor Remix)
Wax Doctor – Cool Breeze

2022, All Artist Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic

Ear & Drum: Session 226 – Doctor Who?: 1st Regeneration

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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.

Doctor Who?: 1st Regeneration – 1.5hrs of early Wax Doctor

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

2022, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum: Session 225 – Memorandum

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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’.

Memorandum – 1hr of Liquid D&B

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

2022, Bass Music, Down Low Session, Melodic

The Down Low: Session 052

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Back to the lower BPMs for a hot minute with a selection of Garage, House and Bass tunes. Don’t ask me for the micro-genres because it is all broken beats to me. Like most of my Down Low mixes, I like to still keep a solid ear on D&B artists doing interesting things at different BPMs.

Some highlights for me are GLXY’s – The LP Track, which is Garage at its catchiest from a guy who normally rolls out D&B. Nelver, another D&B wizard shows off his 130bpm chops with Show You and Wait for Me with BORKA FM. Moby proves he still has it with his track Rufuge and make sure you keep an ear out for the spine tingling sample lifted off Ed Rush, Optical & Fierce’s classic Locust / Cutslo in Kastle’s Garage 2 stepper 4 Real.

Down Low: Session 52 – 1hr+ of 130bpm Broken Beats

Minor Science – Second Language (Intro)
Aspect – Little Bitta Bass
GLXY – The LP Track
Goldie – Inner City Life (Binary State Remix)
Jack Michael – Think Twice
Monika Ross – Cloud Steppin’
Nowheretobefound – Giving Up
Aka Zeb – Deep Discovery
Nelver – Show You
Nelver feat. BORKA FM – Wait for Me
Trudios & BLK JCK – Hold Tight (Massive)
Symbiosis – Protocol
DJ Tone – Breath Again
Pepe – Lemon Fanta
David Kochs – Heart Transplant
Moby – Refuge
Scuba – Never Forget
Natasha Atlas – One Brief Moment (Klute Remix)
Bioritm – Balkal
MindOfaDragon – Hype M8
Kastle – 4 Real
DJG – Say Something

2021, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic, Soulful

Ear & Drum Session: 216 – Outer Soul

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Reaching back to August for this soulful mix of D&B. This style is really kicking off and the quality of the beats and vocals is only getting better and better.

Artists like Inja with their Smile & Wave LP are forging a style of D&B that not only sounds amazing, but tackles deeper issues than just getting busted up on the weekend and coming down. Tracks like Inja’s Pressure are still sing-a-long good times, but the subject matter of solo parenting are deep and really get you thinking.

Shouts out the one like Seba feat Jenna G too for their stunning tune Sweet Magnolia, which is definitely in my top 5 tracks for 2021, as is Lally & Aaliyah Esprit – Hustlin’. This is just beautiful music than makes my soul soar. Even those these tunes aren’t the absolute latest drops, there is plenty in here to get you singing, smiling and thinking all at the same time.

Outer Soul – 1hr of Soulful D&B

Satl – Never Far
Styke – Apollo
BCee – A Little Too Much
Science of Man – Never Without
Seba feat Jenna G – Sweet Magnolia
Sustance feat. Ruby Letitia – Rumours
Satl feat. DRS – Beautiful Struggle
Lally & Aaliyah Esprit – Hustlin’
Inja – Stranger
Unglued feat. Singing Fats – Sardinian Sunrise
Macca, Liz Contreras & Critical Event – Snow
Acid_Lab – Rainy Fridays
DJ SS & Azpect – Feeling Blessed (Soul Savage & Rosa G Mix)
Solsan & Bazil MC – Follow
Conspiracy – Metamorphosis
Satl – Give Up
Fox feat. DRS & Calibre – Paper Weights
Inja feat Cleveland Watkiss – Pressure
Satl & Tokyo Prose – Hazards

2021, All Artist Mix, Atmospheric, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 214 – PFM x 4Hero

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Recently PFM and 4Hero have remastered versions of some of their classic tunes that defined an era. PFM in the form of a bunch of singles and 4Hero with the re-release of their seminal LPs 2 Pages and Jacob’s Optical Stairway.

So what happens when you take two of D&B’s greatest acts and blend them together? Great things, that’s what!

PFM x 4Hero – 1.5hrs of 90s atmospheric masterpieces

PFM – For All of Us
4Hero – Universal Love (Single Version)
4Hero – Universal Love (Internal Affairs Mix)
Jacob’s Optical Stairway – Majestic 12
Jacob’s Optical Stairway – Fragments of a Lost Language
PFM – Is the Only and the One (Unreleased Original Full Length Version)
Jacob’s Optical Stairway – The Naphosisous Wars
4Hero – One Final Hour
Jacob’s Optical Stairway – Solar Feelings
JMJ & Ritchie – Free La Funk (PFM Remix)
4Hero – Evacuation Plan
PFM – Bonus Track
PFM – Wash Over Me (Original Instrumental Version)
Jacob’s Optical Stairway – Jacob’s Optical Illusion
David Holmes – Gone (PFM Remix)
Force of Nature – Cool Spot (PFM Remix)
PFM – Dreams (Club Mix)

2021, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 213 – Cloud Nine

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Liquid D&B continues its amazing run of quality and quantity in 2021 with scene stalwarts like BCee, Lenzman and Pola & Bryson rolling out euphoric tunes like it easy. Spoiler, it isn’t.

We’ve also got some OG producers in the mix such as the recently retired London Elektricity with his 10 year rework of the classic piano monster The Plan that Cannot Fail. Plus John B and Digital with their ode to Mr B’s anthem Up All Night called Time Goes By. It is different, but the DNA can definitely be heard with the rave stabs and those airy pads.

Big shout to Dan Guidance and Henry too for lending me the name for the mix with their tune Cloud Nine. Sit back, shut your eyes and let the music take you away.

Cloud Nine – 1.5hrs of Euphoric D&B

Imo-Lu – Circle
John B & Digital – Time Goes By
BCee & Charlotte Haining – Remind Me (S.P.Y Remix)
BCee & Charlotte Haining – History (Technimatic Remix)
Ritual & Alpha Rhythm – Mote of Dust
Volition – Save You
Seba & JR Vallo – Second Path
Furney – Boulevard
Chimpo feat. Salo – Keep U Round
London Elekricity – The Plan That Cannot Fail (10Y Rework)
Anthony Kasper – Departure (Technimatic Remix)
Eschaton – Sadhanna (Pagent Remix)
Dan Guidance & Henry – Cloud 9
Duoscience – Praise
Random Movement – I Stayed Around (Lenzman Reinterpretation)
Technimatic & Riya – When the Dawn Breaks
Macca & Liz Contreras – Always Yours (S.P.Y Remix)
Pola & Bryson & Solch – Neverend
Pola & Bryson – feat. Lauren Archer) – Under
Elixr – Wanted You To Know
Crash Comet – Feeling
Monika & Akuratyde feat. Oktae – We Breath
BCee – Captured in Time (DPR Remix)

2021, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 208 – Bright Nights

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Hitting up the soulful side of Liquid D&B again in this hour long excursion through some of the best melodic beats available right now.

GLXY has been creeping into my crate regularly of late. This duo has been rolling out beautiful tune after tune, and if you haven’t checked out their Research & Development LP I strongly suggest you get on it. Ritual is another who’s work on the Reach Out EP took me totally by surprise. With more hits than misses, this EP has no business being as amazingly strong as it is. And a big shout to Calibre (again) for his ridiculously lush remix of Lady Blackbird’s soul classic Collage. This one is in the running for tune of the year for me.

Bright Nights – 1hr of Soulful D&B

GLXY & [KSR] – Breathless
Submorphics feat. Big Brooklyn Red – Daydreaming
Vilem – One Track Mind
The Upbeats & Shapeshifter – Aotea
FX909 – Fly Away
Redeyes feat. [KSR] – A Thousand Times
GLXY – New Soul
Ritual – Reach Out
Ritual – Close Your Eyes
Lenzman & Danny Sanchez – Gimmie a Sec
GLXY feat. Rhi – Sweet Low
Ritual – Currents
Submorphics feat. Satl & Veda Black) – Let it Shine
Ink & BTK – Triumph
Erykah Badu – On & On (Silent Dust Remix)
Pola & Bryson feat. Lauren Archer – Under
Flo.Von & Tim Klein – No Better
Sultan & Shepard feat. The Cut – White Lies (Keeno Remix)
Lady Blackbird – Collage (Calibre Remix)
BCee – Capture in Time (DPR Remix)

2021, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 207 – Soul Full

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D&B has often been described as fast soul music and in this mix I’ll be leaning into that vibe. Kicking off with a cheeky bootleg of Soul’s of Mischief classic 93 Till Infinity and a remaster of Ink & J dub’s massive Feel Da Heat, the mix then settles into a soulful mix of new more laid back Liquid sounds.

You might notice I draw heavily from LSB & DRS’ new LP of remixed work from The Blue Hour – well worth checking out if you like their sound. And big shouts to Calibre for reworking Lady Blackbird ‘s brilliant and super soulful Collage. If you don’t know the 70s original I strongly suggest you seek it out.

Soul Full – 1.5hrs of Soulful D&B

Souls of Mischief – 93 Till Infinity Bootleg
Ink & J Dub – Feel Da Heat
BCee & Charlotte Haining – Remind Me (S.P.Y Remix)
Seba – So Beautiful
Silence Groove – Defined
LSB & DRS – Frozen (Calibre Remix)
GLXY & Rhi – Sweet Lows
Punctual & Nabhai – The Step (Pola & Bryson Remix)
LSB & DRS – Unbrellas (GLXY Remix)
Unknown Artist – Sweetest Taboo
Submorphics feat. Satl & Veda Black) – Let it Shine
Duo Science – Praise
Technimatic – Everlasting
Technimatic feat. Charlotte Haining – Still Miss You
Monrroe feat. Ruth Royall – Drowning
LSB & DRS – Rise & Fall (Tokyo Prose Remix)
Hugh Hardie feat. Zoe Kypri – Dream in Green
LSB & DRS – Stop the World (Lenzman Remix)
Koherent – Endless Haze
Nu:Tone – Sweeter
Linguistics feat. GLXY & Charlie Perry
Jay Dubz – Oasis of Life
Lady Blackbird – Collage (Calibre Remix)