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.
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
First mix of 2021 is is the final in my 2-Step / Tech Step series looking back at 90s D&B Steppers. This one focuses on Jazz Step from the mid to late 90s featuring some amazing tunes from the likes of T.Power, B.L.I.M. and of course Photek.
Jazz Step was an avant-garde take on the 2-step sound, featuring a lot of live instrument samples such as sax, percussion and double-bass. Starting with Alex Reece’s – Pulp Fiction and closing out with Roni Size’s – Brown Paper bag, the style didn’t really survive the turn of the millennium. But that didn’t stop Jazz Step from having some of the most forward thinking and innovative tunes of the 90s.
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.
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)
With Jungle being a hot property in D&B again, it’s easy to forget that Atmospheric D&B has been flying the Amen flag this whole time. With producers like Seba’s Secret Operations label and Eshaton’s Omni Music keeping the sound alive, Atmospheric D&B is better than ever. So much so we’re starting to see older producers like J Majik and ASC who moved away from the sound returning to their roots.
Backed up by established producers such as Bop, Duoscience and Greekboy the sound of rinsing Amens, lush pads and melodies and deep sub-bass is one that never seems to get tired.
Blade – Unreleased Anile – Earth & Mars Seba – Nostalgia Jrumhand – Intuition ASC – Clear Skies Rainforest – Villalongin Bop – Memories Seba – This is Our House Circa96 – Cave Dweller J Majik – Serenity ASC – Moment of Truth Eschaton & Future Engineers – Ascension AwakenFM – Atlantis Antony G – Getting Lost in Prague Focus 2 – Nova Era (Alex DB Nu Old Skool Age Version) Duoscience – Good to Be With (Recap) Greekboy & Okee – Lands of the Unknown
Chilled out Drum & Bass has hit another level in 2020 with artists like BCee, LSB, Redeyes and Etherwood blazing the trail. And vocal talents such as KSR, Charlotte Haining and Leo Wood backing them up in fine fashion. Even though these beats are laid back, they still manage to put a spring in your step and work the floor.
Redeyes feat. KSR – A Thousand Times Askel & Elere – Shy Hyroglifics – Best Of Muffler – Snowflake VIP Muffler – Black Motiv – Overthinking Mistrust feat. Leo Wood – Trickster Scape – Spirit World (Soul Intents Spirit of Speed Remix) Conrad Subs – Go It Alone Reburf – Falling Apart Mistrust – Only Ever You The Upbeats & Shapeshifter – Uncharted (Workforce Remix) T:Base – When I Fear (CSRV & TS Remix) Charlotte Haining – Daydreamer (LSB Remix) Emba, BCee & Philippa Hanna – Galaxy BCee & Charlotte Haining – The Hills BCee, Charlotte Haining & Etherwood – Little Bit Higher Villem & Leo Wood – We Had a Song Motiv – Reasons Villem & Leo Wood – We Had a Song (Tease)
Harking back to the days of proper Atmospheric D&B this mix is a combination of stone cold, but lesser known, classics and modern day takes on the sound from the likes of Acid_Lab and Scape.
Featuring a lot of the early D&B best Atmospheric production talent such as DJ Pulse, Tango, DJ Harmony and Source Direct, I’ve tried to dig out remixes and different cuts of their classic tunes.
A BIG shout out to Andy Odysee and his imprint Odysee Recordings for keeping this sound alive in 2020 and for all the excellent mixes Andy himself has put together of this kind of stuff. It’s great that it is still being put out there for future generations to discover. Respect.
Tango – Revelations (Essence of Aura Remix) Nasty Habits – Chillin Out (Deleted Mix) Jazz Juice – Detroit (DJ Lee ’97 Remix) DJ Pulse – New York Sub Sequence – Drummin’ Space DJ Harmony – Let Me In (Adam F Remix) Harmony – What A House Harmony & Xtreme – Watch This (Remix) Dub Technicians – Icognito (Rollers Mix) Scape – Spirit World (Soul Intents Spirit of Speed Remix) Acid_Lab – Guess Who’s Back Source Direct – Different Groove The Dominion – Blue (Chapter 2 Remix) Universal Love – Together (Ryder’s Dream 132 Mix) Acetate – Ray of Sun Forme – New Element Austin – High Speed (Deep Down Mix) The Dominion – Fusion (Rhyder’s Dream 103 Remix) Photek – The Rain (Photek Remix)
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.
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.
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)
This is part two of my deep dive into obscure and rarer track from 1996. Last time we looked at Intelligent D&B and this is on a similar tip. While a lot of these tunes could be considered Intelligent, I think of them as even more chilled out.
Artists such as T-Power, B.L.I.M. and Kid Loops had their own take on the Intelligent sound that was less jazz focused and chopped up drum edits and more soulful cruising and laid back. Perfect for a couch session or recovery after the party is over.
Gangster Sound feat Mrs B – Paradise (Dangerous Mix)
Lunar Funk – Spacewalk
United Future Organisation – Loud Minority (Alex Reece Remix)
Kid Loops vs Cool Breeze – Shift Then Return
Universal Love – Deeply (Ryder’s Dream 128 Mix)
T-Power – The Inti Raymi (Remix)
B.L.I.M. – Jeamland
Herb E – Light (Darwin Mix)
Jodeci – Feenin’ (LTJ Bukem Remix)
Kid Loops vs Cool Breeze – The Valley
Kid Loops – Digital Breakdown
Kid Loops vs Cool Breeze – Five Seven Five Seven
Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 2
Mr Psyche – The Drop
There’s been a quiet revolution going on in the world of atmospheric D&B. A lot of producers have been putting the modern day D&B sounds aside and returning to the the golden atmospheric era of the mid 90s.
J. Majik released his aptly named Full Circle album chock full of retro sounds from the 90s. Producers such as Total Science, Dave Wallace, Seba and Blu Mar Ten have also gone back to their roots releasing lush, deep atmospheric beats reminiscent of the days of Bukem and Logical Progression.
This collection of atmospheric tracks is an encapsulation of all that is great within the sub-genre and well worth a listen if you enjoy swirling melodies and majestic vocals over repecharge beats and tight amen edits.
G-Force – Proximity (Furney 2019 Clean Up)
Okee – Earth Sky
Duoscience – Eternity
Total Science – Winds of Change
Dave Wallace – Lose Control
J. Majik – The Lost Tribe
Seba – Ryu-ki
R1C0 – Mission
Kid Drama & Om Unit – Untitled 1
Blu Mar Ten – Sandstorm
Dave Wallace – Echos of Speed
Okee – The Invisible Limits
Kyhu – Time Lapse