Category Archives: Melodic

2013, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Beautiful Music – Ear & Drum Session 85

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There is so much lush D&B about at the moment that I had to throw together a set of melodic and liquid tunes. Fokuz Recordings and Influenza Media have been smashing out high quality liquid for many a year, but seem to recently have stepped up to a new level of melody magic as has S.P.Y, DJ Clart and Intelligent Manners. Not to be out done Bungle, with his sublime track Aura, has come up with one of the tunes of the year for me so far.

Lots of people deride liquid for being too generic over the last few years, but I think this selection shows that as a genre it still has a lot kick left in the bass bins.

Beautiful Music – 1hr+ of D&B Lushness

Bungle – Aura
Frederic Robinson – Mood Swings
Pluton & Skyer – Cosmic Rain
Naibu – Fireflies (Light Mix)
Nu:Logic – Morning Light
S.P.Y – You
Seba Feat. Kirsty Hawkshaw – Nothing Can Relpace
Bachelors of Science Feat. Ben Soundscape & Kemo – Ainokea
Data – Vice
Intelligent Manners – Move Me
DJ Clart & Reza – The Chances (Vocal Version)
Intelligent Manners – Tonight feat. Command Strange
Phil Tangent – Restitution
Kelle – Eternia
S.P.Y – Future Tense feat. Jo-S
Rowpieces – Cosmic Junk
Shuwa – Inversion
Intelligent Manners & Command Strange – Do It All Night feat. Pouyah
Tokyo Prose – Raised by Wolves
Furney – Charlotte’s Song

All Label Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic

Shadow Wax 7: 1996 Chilled Intelligence Part 2 – Ear & Drum Session 84

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The next installment of the Shadow Wax series sees 1996 era EZ Rollers, Flytronix, JMJ & Ritchie, PFM, Omni Trio, Blame, Aquasky & Carlito all in a single mix. Quality tunes made by quality producers from D&B’s best quality era.

Shadow Wax 7: 1996 Chilled Intelligence – 1hr of Moving Shadow

EZ Rollers – Droppin’ Science Pt2 (EZ Remix)
Flytronix & JMJ – In Too Deep
Universal – Altitude
PFM – Language of Love
JMJ – Gravitational Pull
Omni Trio – The Elemental
JMJ & Ritchie – True Colours
Omni Trio – Trippin’ on Broken Beats (Carlito Mix)
Omni Trio – Soul of Darkness (Promenade 96 Rollout)
PFM – The Eleventh Hour
Omni Trio – Serpent Navigators
Blame – Neptune
Aquasky – Tranquility (Big Bud Remix)
Carlito – Cascade
Omni Trio – Who Are You? (Aquasky Remix)

2013, Bass Music, Down Low Session, Melodic

Introducing Low Profile and the Down Low Sessions – Down Low Session: 001

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As some of you may know I’ve recently moved from Perth to Hobart and had to drop my long running radio show on RTRfm. Having done the show for over 15 years I yearned for something to fill the gap in my life giving up radio in Perth had left me with. So, thanks to the wonderful and talented Guy Andrews at Phuture Frequency Radio I have started up a new monthly radio show/podcast.

It’s a bass music session devoted to the deeper and dubbier side of all things bass, and will feature a lot of different genres including techno, dubstep, house, UK garage to name just a few. I’ll be posting up the older archives here, but if you want to keep up with the very latest then you’ll have to listen via Phuture Frequency Radio or subscribe to the podcast.

The Down Low – Session 001

Utah Jazz – Atmospheric Interlude
Mac Cooper – Harmonisch Serie
Photek – No Agenda
Photek & Pinch – M25fm
Kosheen – Addict
Giriu Dvasios – Trauka
Trevino – Lag
Photek – Signals
FaltyDL – Open Space
Bonobo – Eyedown (ft Andrea Triana & DELS)
Panda – Leaving Amsterdam
Photek – 101 (Boddikas Drum Machine Remix)
DJG – Say Something
Justin Martin – Molokini (French Fries Remix)
Photek – 101
Klute – Torrential Pain
Photek – Quadrant
Photek – Closer

2012, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Half Beat, Melodic, Minimal

Sub Sampling – Ear & Drum Session 77

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Hitting the deeper and darker spectrum of D&B again this time around. There is some really great deep darkness about at the moment if you know where to look. Shogun Audio and Med School are obvious trail blazers, but some of the smaller labels such as Ingredients, Critical Music & Vibration Records are also punching way above their weight with the help of production talent such as Krakota, Enei, Kasra and Alcrani.

The great thing about this sound at the moment is it’s ability to keep a moody streak whilst still being diverse in terms of influence. Some tracks come at things from a minimal perspective, others melodic and others still with the stripped back half-step MC driven sound but all sound like they were made for each other and make for good fun when it comes to making up a track selection.

Sub Sampling – 1+hrs of Deep and Dark D&B Vibes

SpectraSoul – Coals
Alcrani – Inversion of Control
Krakota – Tunnle Vision
Utah Jazz – Crossing Frontiers
June Miller – Isis (Silent Dust Remix)
Joe Syntax – Bassline Sinker
ASC – Glass Walls
Scott Allen & Deeper Connection – The Need In Me
Silence Groove – Carried By Clouds
Flame – Tragic Kingdom
Craggz & Parallel – Hurt You
Able Danger – Asteria
Kasra & Enei – So Real
Joe Syntax – Pull It
Utah Jazz – Slice of Nature
SpectraSoul – Light in the Dark
Enei & MC DRS – Obsession (Foreign Concept Remix)
SpectraSoul – Shackles
Bass’Flo – Poseidon (Physical Illusion Remix)
Rudimental – Feel the Love (Fred V & Grafix Remix)
Technicolour – We Were Always One

2012, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

A Long Summer Sumthing – Ear & Drum Session 75

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It’s been a long time since I did a long mix and seeing as we in the Southern hemisphere are starting to heat up after a particularly cold winter, and those in the North are seeing the last of their warmer days I though it was about time to drop a mix of Summer tunes from this season. Now when I say Summer tunes I don’t mean Festival & Bass style stuff (not my style), I mean proper Summer rollers with a good vocal or two to sing a long to.

I have to mention some of the big albums of the (Northern) Summer. The very under-rated L.A.O.S released their debut which everyone must have been hanging on because they titled it Finally. Full of big sounding lush liquid tunes this is a belter and well worth the asking price. Next up is Atlantic Connection – Love Connection. I always love their albums as you can be guaranteed a diverse range of music brilliantly produced and with a Cali vibe to it. And last but not least Utah Jazz with his Groove Therapy LP which I have already banged on about on this blog. His Conrad Funk tune of this is my favourite track in this mix and has that amazing old Good Looking vibe with updated production quality meaning it hits even harder.

So set up your sun lounge, get the stereo in the garden and kick back with some rays and enjoy a rinse of a long Summer sumthing.

A Long Summer Sumthing – 1.5hrs of Summer Tunes from 2012

Random Movement – The Note From Next Door
LSB – All Of My Love (Technicolour & Komatic Remix)
BCee feat. Messy MC – Captured In Time VIP
Maduk feat. Veela – Ghost Assassin
Dynamic – Midnight Heat Thing
Atlantic Connection – Warm Regards
Phors – Shining Star
Dynamic – Modal Suite
Hybrid Minds – Leaving
Alix Perex – Contradictions
DRS featuring Lenzman & Jehst A – Holding On
LSB & Sian Sanderson – Overthinking
SpectraSoul feat. Tamara Blessa – Away With Me (Calibre Remix)
DJ Clart – The Grind
Culture Shock – Protection
Utah Jazz – Conrad Funk
Intelligent Manners – Acting, Thinking, Feeling
nClear – Only Way
Contract Killers – The Life Moments (Soundwall VIP)
Undersound & Missy May – Headfirst & Foolhardy
L.A.O.S – Hush Now
L.A.O.S – Break My Heart (LP Version)
Rudimental – Feel The Love (Fred V & Grafix Remix)
Silence Groove – Eat Me Softly
Dynamic – Blueberry Nights
The Burbs – Desire
Rowpieces – On My Mind
LSB – Some Disco

All Label Mix, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic, Old Skool

Shadow Wax 6: 1996 Chilled Intelligence Part 1 – Ear & Drum Session 72

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The sixth installment in the retrospective Shadow Wax series looks at the chilled out vibes from 1996. No one could touch Moving Shadow during this era of sublime melodies and blissful beats. Artists like PFM, Flytronix, Wax Doctor, Dave Wallace, EZ Rollers and Unit 1 read like a who’s who of top Intelligent D&B producers.

For me these are some of the finest musical moments in Drum & Bass that still sound just as fresh today as when they were made. ’96 truly was a golden era for this sound, so if you like you beats chilled and smooth I suggest you kick back and enjoy the ride.

Shadow Wax 1996: Chilled Intelligence Part 1 – 1hr+ of Chilled out Moving Shadow

PFM – Cruising Detroit
Teqniq – Razzmatazz
Fytronix – The Rhode Tune
Mastermind – The Essence
Hoax – Meltdown
Essence of Aura – So This Is Love ’96
Neil Trix – Revolution
JMJ & Flytronix – Delusions
Wax Doctor – Cool Breeze
Unit 1 – Atlantic Drama
Dave Wallace – Flight
Dave Wallace – Waves
EZ Rollers – The Morning After
Hoax – Pipe Dreams
EZ Rollers – Vintage Moments
Vext – Visions

2012, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

The Soulution – Ear & Drum Session 70

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So recently on a certain D&B forum a colleague of mine suggested that the problem with D&B was that it couldn’t be fun without being cheesy or chavvy. Obviously hearing is in the ear of the beholder and every body’s idea of ‘fun’ is different, but it did get me thinking about the more fun and accessible D&B I had been overlooking lately. For me the D&B with the widest audience accessibility (ie. stuff that not just the headz would listen to) is the vocal and soul fueled variety. It has the vocals to hook in the ladies and give that sense of fun, it has the soul to get the hips swaying and it still has the beats & b-lines to keep the floor moving. Best of all it doesn’t have to degenerate into the cheesy festival style D&B that is seen as commercially popular.

So in response to my good chum Ocelot Ed’s question I put together this mix to provide a solution to Ed’s problem with D&B. As I said, everyone’s idea of ‘fun’ is different, but for me these types of tunes offer up a good balance of fun without the fromage, and there is still enough D&B grunt to keep the headz happy too.

Props have to go to Komatic as he seems to be all over this sound that’s not quite liquid and not quite deep, but has loads of soul and a real pump to the bass and beats. Other notable exceptions are Young Ax who always brings it with a real live sound to his soulful productions and the usual suspects of Duo Science, Spectrasoul and Technicolour who seem to constantly pump out quality tracks on a monthly basis.

The Soulution – 1hr of Soul Fueled D&B

Komatic – The Open Choice
Mage & M25 – Savanna
Young Ax – High Rollers
Komatic – Earth Turns
Paperclip – Whom I Belong
Anile & Hybrid Minds – Old TImes
Madcap – Our Love
Duo Science Feat. Skyeyes – Let Me Know
Deeper Connection – Quiet Storm
Soulproof – Inna Dem Clothes
Villem & McLeod – Hush
Spectrasoul – In Profile
Technicolour – Winter Rose
High Contrast – The Stand
Technicolour & Komatic – We Were Always One
Soul Culture – Stronger

2012, Chill Out, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

In A Round About Way – Ear & Drum Session 68

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In a round about way this is a liquid mix. I say this because liquid seems to be morphing lately and is a hard genre to pin down these days. Originally melodic party music, liquid now encompasses a much wider range of directions then it used to. There’s the still the up for it dance tracks, but lately also a deeper and more mellow aspect that has drawn me back into a music I thought might have be in danger of becoming to formulaic for it’s own good. I’ve also noticed some tracks taking on a more live jazz based flavour, reminiscent of Reprazent’s classic Brown Paper Bag.

So in the spirit of diversity I’ve tried to cover a little bit of everything in this mix. It actually started out as a quick sound check on my new set up, which now includes an Allen & Heath mixer, until I got carried away and went into a full blown set. So let me know if you can tell a difference in sound quality. 😉

In A Round About Way – 1hr of Chilled & Melodic Vibes from 2012

Phat Playaz & LM1 – Colour Of Time
Centik & Grimm – Don’t Wanna Do This
Phat Playaz & PFM – Time of Our Life
Sapphire – Snowdrop
Roygreen & Protone – Danube
Phat Playaz & MJT – Want You
Oscallist – The Silver Lining
Queensway – Darlin
Override – Take Your Time
Sato – Barn (Break Remix)
Break – They’re Wrong
Command Strange – Everything
Static & Scott Allen – Eastern Horizon
Smooth – Shifting Sands feat. Shaz Sparks (Part 2)
Crimson, Nizzo & Promenade – Stay
Roygreen & Protone – Tartagura
Plug – A Quick Plug For A New Slot
Command Strange & Dynamic – The Beautiful Things
Brother – Riverbank

All Label Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Jazz & Bass, Melodic, Old Skool

Shadow Wax Vol.5: 1996 Hard Intelligence – Ear & Drum Session 66

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Coming on strong with mu favourite era of Moving Shadow, 1996. The amount of tunes Moving Shadow released in 1996 was astounding, and even more incredible was the diversity and quality the label kept up during this time. This mix looks at the harder end of the Intelligent sound which was a precursor to the Jazz & Bass sound Shadow would specialise in a little later down the track.

EZ Rollers & Aquasky were the two main stays of this sound and Walk This Land turned out to be THE defining tune going on to be remixed a million times and featuring in the sound track for the movie Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. At the same time some of Shadows more chilled artists were having a go at the hard sound with Omni Trio’s – Rhythm Methods and Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 1 getting a remix from Tango as prime examples.

Basically you can’t wrong with any of the Moving Shadow tunes from 1996, sp strap yourself in for some intricate drum work, wicked breaks and some sweet melody.

Shadow Wax Vol.5: Hard Intelligence – 1hr of 1996 Moving Shadow

EZ Rollers – Bad Up
Kudos – Horizontal Movements
EZ Rollers – Sunset Phobia
EZ Rollers – Walk the Land
Aquasky – Kauna
JMJ & Ritchie – Illicit Groove
JMJ & Ritchie – Universal Horn Remix
Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 1 (Tango Remix)
Omni Trio – Rhythm Methods
Technical Itch – Can’t You See (Funky Technicians Remix)
Foul Play – Karma Part 1
Omni Trio – Astral Phase
Aquasky – Nylon Roadster
EZ – Rollers – Rolled Into 1 (Photek Remix)

2011, Cross Genre, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic, Minimal

11: The Best of 2011 – Ear & Drum Sessions 63 & 64

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These are my picks for the best tracks of 2011. I split the mixes into two because there was definitely two sorts of flavours going on. Part 1 looks at the deeper side and Part 2 is more melodic and liquid based.

I hope 2012 is good to you and that we see more tracks as good as, or better, than these see a release in 2012. Happy New Year to you and yours.

11: Part 1 – The Best Deep D&B of 2011

N4m3 – Make Your Soul Open For The Road On Imagination
Nusense & NC-17 – Dirty
Dub Phyzics & Skeptikal – Marka (feat. Strategy)
Ill Skills & S.P.Y – This is Why
Calibre – Smooth Baby
Lynx feat. Sense MC – 9 Muses
London Elektricity – U Gottah B Crazy (Enei Remix)
Dub FX – Flow (Ill Skillz Remix)
Lenzman – Masquerade (Die, Interface & William Cartwright Remix)
Legion – Both Sides (feat. Adam White)
Icicle feat. SP MC – Dreadnaught
J Majik & Wickaman – Ritual
J Majik & Wickaman – Old HEadz
Rockwell – 4U

11: Part 1 – The Best Melodic & Liquid D&B of 2011

Marcus Intalex – Meltdown 2012 (feat. Calibre)
June Miller – Isis
Brookes Brothers – Tare You Down
Friction – Someone (Feat. Mclean) (The Prototypes Remix)
BCee & S.P.Y – Is Anybody Out There? (Friction & K-Tee Remix)
London Elektricity – The Plan That Cannot Fail
Panic Girl – Hide and Seek (Duo Infernale Remix)
Seba & Paradox – The Light (feat. Kirsty Hawshaw)
Anile – Change of Direction
Adele – Rolling in the Deep (Nu:Tone Remix)
DJ Marky & S.P.Y – Mystic Sunset
Marco Del Horno feat. Emi Green
Nu:Tone – The First Time (feat. Natalie Williams)
Calibre – Touch Me
BCee – So Right (feat. Darrison)
Bungle feat. Ayah Marar – The Siren