10+ years on and 200 Ear & Drum Sessions later here we are.

It took me a long time to figure out what I was going to do for the 200th installment of the Ear & Drum Sessions. Finally I hit upon taking it back to the beginning of the Ear & Drum and look at the much maligned 2000-2010 era of D&B. Talk to most headz and they’ll tell you this decade was the low point in D&B history, but like all sweeping statements this isn’t necessarily true.

As someone who has loved D&B since the beginning and never taken a break in over 25 years, I have always found tunes that have that special something to make me smile. This stands true even for D&B from the turn of the century. Artists like DKay, Klute, Marcus Intalex and Calibre made their names during this era churning out hit after hit and keeping it mighty real.

What you’re about to hear are the first two parts of a four part series looking back at the tunes I was playing during the noughties. Parts one and two look at 2000-05, with Part 1 one being the more melodic side of D&B at the time and Part 2 being the heavy hitters of the time.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me down the years and let me inflict my music taste on you. I hope you like this anniversary celebration and stick around for the next 200 mixes. Enjoy!

Too Hungered Pt.1 – 1.5hrs of melodic D&B from 2000-05

PFM – Cruising Detroit
Blame – Overhead Projections
Nasty Habits – Liquid Fingers
The Roots – You Got Me (Blu Mar Ten Remix)
D.Kay – Balearic Dream
Nu:Tone – Millie’s Theme
M.I.S.T., DJ Marky & XRS – Sunshine (Touch Me)
Calibre – It’s…
M.I.S.T. 7 High Contrast – 3am
DJ Marky & XRS – Closer
Everything But the Girl – Mirrorball (DJ Jazzy Jeff Sole Full Remix)
Jonny L – 2 of Us (Photek Remix)
Marcus Intalex & ST Flies – How You Make Me Feel
M.I.S.T. – Lover
Tomahawk – Until Dawn
4 Hero – 9 by 9 (M.I.S.T. Full Vocal Mix)
Klute – Part of Me
Logistics – Together

Too Hungered Pt.2 – 1hr+ of hard hitting D&B from 2000-05

Capone – Tudor Rose
Ed Rush & Optical – Rock Tha House
Jonny L – Trouble
Elementz of Noize – Guided by Lights
Photek – Baltimore
Influx UK – My Name is Universe
Sunchase – Next Rhythm
Seba & Paradox – Last Goodbye
DJ Kalm – Violet
Klute – Phone Call (Matrix Remix)
Amit – Roots
Teebee – The Force
Seba – Piemo for B
Influx UK – The Siren
Kiko – Passport

It might be cold up north, but here in the southern hemisphere we’re in the middle of Summer and so I’ve thrown together a mix of tunes perfect for warm nights and even hotter days.

From Tokyo Prose, Alix Perez and BCee through to Calibre, Redeyes and Duoscience this is a good representation of who’s hot in the Liquid D&B scene right now. Special shout to Netsky for his take on the classic Everybody Love the Sunshine.

Summery – 1.5hrs of Liquid D&B

Machinedrum feat. Jesse Boykins III – Wait 4 U
Hiraeth – Greatest Day
DRS & Kid Drama – So High
Rowpieces & Monaco GZA feat. La Yee – Don’t You Never Go Away (Has Tempo Recall)
Shodan – Just You & Me
Goldie feat. Jose James – Truth (Zero T Remix)
Tokyo Prose – Jacknife
Alix Perez & Workforce – Distant Figures
Atlantic Connection – Refix (Instrumental)
Tokyo Prose – Gossamer
Acid_Lab – Distant Lights
BCee & Charlotte Haining feat. DRS – Love for the Fallen
Redicall – Transform
Monumental Banks – Loop Thinking
Mystific – The Sun (Mystical Sound Remix)
Duoscience – Bethesda
Alix Perez – Wondering at Loss
Calibre – Falls to You VIP
Redeyes – Delicate (Club Mix)
Redeyes – Slow Pace (Club Mix)
Atlantic Connection – Threshold
Physics – Crucify
Oat – What We Could Be
Duoscience – Emmaus
Alix Perez feat. Liam Bailey – Lost & Proud
Netsky, Daddy Waku & Chantal Kashala – Everybody Love the Sunshine

We’re living in interesting times, and sometimes you need a little something to take your mind off things and just be.

That was the aim with this mix of soulful tunes full of catchy vocals and sweet melodies. It still rolls like a train, but it’s a smooth ride all the way to the station and easy to just stare out the window and enjoy the world passing by.

Crazy Times – 1hr of Smooth D&B

DRS, Dynamite MC & Etherwood
Villem & Leo Wood – We Had a Song
Redeyes – Changes.Illusions (Club Mix)
BCee & Charlotte Haining – The Hills
Duoscience – Lose the Touch
Low:r feat. Sixar – Social Mania
Duoscience – Attempts
PFM – Living Without You
BCee & Charlotte Haining feat. DRS – Love for the Fallen
DRS, Dynamite MC & DJ Marky – A Song for You
Artificial Intelligence feat. Satl – No Choice
Askel & Elere – Shy
Duoscience – Ironic
Patience – Ocean View
Redeyes feat [ K S R ] – A Thousand Times
Artificial Intelligence – Good Times
Phaction & Leo Wood – I Have You (Ill Truth Remix)
Duoscience – Sparta
Motiv – The Woman The Got Away
DRS, Dynamite MC & LSB – Adoration
Motiv – The Woman The Got Away (Tease)

Back on the Liquid roller tip, this really is a genre that has come into its own. The groove and funk crafted into tunes by the likes of Furney, Workforce, Lenzman and their contemporaries is nothing short of amazing. And it is hard not smile and move when you here these tunes.

Special shout out to the classic combo of A Sides feat. MC Fats who tune Arctic could quite possibly be my pick for tune of the year.

Smells Loud – 1hr of Liquid Rollers

Sunchase – Why We Are Here (I Wannabe Remix)
Larigold – Half a Wonder
Furney – Haze
Senpai – Atlantis 2046
Seba – Lviv
Calibre – Years
Nu:Tone – The Moment feat. Lea Lea
Bop & Unquote – Drifting Away
Seba – Chebourashka
Mako – Holding You
Radical – Without a Word (I Wannabe Remix)
Workforce – In the Throws
Villem, McLeod & MC Fats – Perfect Solution (Black Barrel Remix)
Altitude – Wounded
A Sides feat. MC Fats – Arctic
Calibre – Sense Soirée
GLXY – Falling
Miss Redflower – Conundrum
Senpai – Hypersleep
Lenzman & IAMDDB – In My Mind (Break Remix)
mSdoS – Dissappointments

Liquid D&B is on an absolute roll at the moment with beautiful tunes being dropped week aft6er week by some of the scenes most talented producers. This mix focuses around one of liquid’s brightest, Furney and his new Night Life LP on Soul Deep Exclusives. I first came across Furney back in 2008 when he was collaborating with Utah Jazz and he has gone on to produce an envious catalogue of music at a rate most producers can’t match.

Also in the mix is the sampler for GLXY’s much anticipated Research & Development LP, She Sings for Me with MC of the moment DRS. Plus new drops from Ear & Drum favourites Etherwood, Mitekiss and Nu:Tone.

Soul Solution – 1hr of Fresh Liquid

GLXY – She Sings for Me feat. DRS
Furney – Dreams & Wishes
Furney – West Central Street
The Upbeats & Shapeshifter – Aotea
Toez – The World’s End
Submorphics – Daydreaming feat. Big Brooklyn Red
London Grammar – If You Wait (Long Enough You’ll Get the Calibre Remix)
Furney – Alone
Nu:Tone – The Moment feat. Lea Lea
Levite – Free Bird
DRS & Dynamite MC – Fix It All feat. London Elektricity
Mitekiss – Something Real feat. Ruth Corey
Rowpieces – New Crib (Rough Version)
Soul Connection – Smooth & Groove
Toez – Ecstasy Music
BCee & Leo Wood – Sincerely Yours (Whiney Remix)
Jay Dubs – Lily Lousia
Etherwood – American Fruity
GLXY – She Sings for Me feat. DRS (Tease)