Category Archives: Old Skool

All Label Mix, Ear & Drum Session, Jump Up, Old Skool

Tru To Form – Ear & Drum Session 7

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One of the labels I have invested the most time & money into down the years is True Playaz. DJs Hype, Pascal & Zinc between them amassed a huge amount of THE best Jump Up tunes between 1995 to 2002. Whether united as the Ganja Kru, or producing under their separate identities, the Tru Playaz label always represented firing beats, funky riffs, hip-hop samples and always mashed together with a phat Jump Up bass line.

Their massive output over this time is amazing considering how high they kept the quality of the music. Albums like Still Smoking, Real Vibes and Playaz4Real offered great value because they always contained way more hits than misses on them, and the string of great EPs on True Playaz is too long to list here.

I think Jump Up today has lost it a bit. Making the as track loud and noisy as possible seems more important that making it funky, and the fun and the good vibe seems to be lacking. But during the golden age of Jump Up, this label really did live up to it’s name and was a True Playa.

 

2hrs of Jump Up classics from the True masters

DJ Zinc – The Source
DJ Hype – True Playa’z Anthem
DJ Zinc – Super Sharp Shooter (Short & Sharp Version)
DJ Zinc – Fugees or Not
Ganja Kru – Magic
Ganja Kru – Plague That Never Ends
Ganja Kru – Forbidden Fruit
DJ Nut Nut – The Finest
Ganja Kru – Science
DJ Hype – Closer To God
DJ Hype – Only One Life (Ganja Kru Remix)
DJ Hype – Musically Dope (Ganja Kru Remix)
Freestyles – Come Back
Pascal – P-Funk 2000
Freestyle – God Intendend
Ganja Kru – You Belong To Me
Pascal – Rollplay
DJ Red – Everything Has Changed (Remix)
Pascal – Keep It Real
Fellowship – Dark Flower Remedy
DJ Zinc – Casino Royal
DJ Hype – Help Me
DJ Hype – Dead A’s
DJ Zinc – Reach Out (Remix)
DJ Zinc – Ska
DJ Zinc – Pitcher
The Outfit – Cleancut
DJ Zinc – Freenote

Hard D&B, Old Skool, Requested Archive, Tech Step

Step Off – Jungletrain Session 203

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So back in the day all my mates were going mad for Jonny L, Photek and Grooverider – the really stripped back Step sound. I was moping about lamenting the death of the Amen break and funk sounds and wondering whether D&B was turning into just pure machine music.

The labels who kept me faithful during this period were S.O.U.R., No U-turn and Emotiv. They had the Tech-Step sound but brought with it such a heavy funk, loads of hip-hop samples and some smashing Amen steppers that still get me excited today.

I recently put up another Tech-Step set and some of the dogs pointed out that that wasn’t their idea of Tech-Step, so I am hoping this one might cover the other side of the sound that they had in mind.

If you like this sound I suggest you step up or step off.

 

Step Off – 1hr of True Tech-Step Tuffness

Code of Practice – Can We Change The Future (Sounds Of Life Remix)
Ed Rush – Check Me Out
Doc Scott – Machines
Technical Itch – The Dreamer
Rollers Instinct – Haze
T-Power & MK Ultra – The Mutant Remix (Rollers Instinct Remix)
Goldie – Manslaughter (Rider Proto 96 Mix)
Hydro – Tha’ Bomb Shit
Shapeshifter – Communicate With the World
Skyscraper – The Difference
Shapeshifter – Talkin’ Mad Shit
Micro-Burst – Punkmutha
Skyscraper – Liberty One
TC Islam & Alien 3 – Let the Bass Boom

Old Skool, Rave, Requested Archive

Paper Suit – Jungletrain Session 157

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Theorie pointed out that he listens to this set on the regular, so I’ve decided it is worth putting into the request category so others might do the same. It’s a good set if you have a rave sensibility.

Going back to the warehouse days with this mix…

…lots of current producers showing their roots, plus some classic producers who have fallen by the wayside.

I like this mix for many reasons. Firstly it takes me back to the days when I was fully gurning and burning it up on dance floors. Secondly I wasn’t mixing any of this stuff at the time so it’s great to rinse choons so familiar to me that I haven’t played before. And last, but not least it is all digital quality so the tracks sound as good as they can. No ropey worn out 3 a side vinyl here, just pure sound quality.

So this is for those that remember, or for those that want to get to know.

 

Paper Suit – 1hr of 93/94 Rave & Junglism

Acen – Trip To The Moon (Part 3 – Kaleidoscopiklimax Mix)
Skanna – Heaven
Flat 47 – Hideaway
Omni Trio – Mainline (Techno Mix)
Skanna – Nightstalker
Omni Trio – Renegade Snares?Foul Play Remix?
Tango & Ratty – Tales from the Darkside
Invisible Men – The Beginning
Q-Bass – Funky Hardcore (DJ Hype Remix)
DJ S.O.L.O. – Darkage
Rhythm for Reasons – Music In Search of Light
Roni Size – Music Box (Original)
DJ Krust – Burning
DJ Crystal – Warp Drive
Fusion – Love For The World Pt. II
Higher Sense – Higher Sense

Ear & Drum Session, Jungle, Old Skool

Jungle Survival: Lesson 1 – Ear & Drum Session 2

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I wasn’t mixing ragga jungle in 94, but we used to get sent these crazy mix tapes with the roughest sounding tracks. All angry and full of gunshot samples. The tracks mainly consisted of an Amen, a phat sub-bass and a yardie/rasta lyric. And to me and my mates it was the most exciting and hardcore sound in the world.

Finally I got to jam together all those tracks that I used to listen to back in the day and lay down a ragga jungle mix of my own. I’ve tried avoiding the really obvious tracks on this and sough out the more obscure artists. Although I haven’t neglected some of the massive classics from 1994 like Hitman (Dream Team Remix) and Sound Control.

Whether your are a hardcore ragga fan or you’re just jungle curioius this mix will sort you right out.

 

Jungle Survival: Lesson 1 – 1hr of 1994 Ragga Jungle

Flex & Fats – Somebody
Code 071 – A London Sumtin’ (Tek 9 Remix)
Sonz Of A Loop Da Loop Era – What The… (Remix)
Higher Sense – Higher Sense
Mc Olive’n Slam Collective – Heaven & Hell
DJ Nut Nut – Special Dedication (V.I.P. Mix)
Asend & Ultravibe – What Kind of World
Az One – Calling All The People (Remix)
Randal & Andy C – Sound Control
F.O.I. & David Thomas – Lend Me
Family of Intelligence – Unity feat. Simpleton (Remarc Remix)
Marvelous Caine – Hitman (Dream Team Remix)
Potential Bad Boy With MC Det – What’s Your Name
Smokey Joe – 4 Meg Soundboy
Remarc – Da Clash
SHY FX & Gunsmoke – Original Gansta
Gunsmoke & the Hempaholics – Court Case

All Artist Mix, Chill Out, Ear & Drum Session, Jazz & Bass, Melodic, Old Skool

Progressive Future Music – Ear & Drum Session 1

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To say PFM is a legend in the field of atmospheric drum & bass is a chronic understatement. Although not huge in volumes of output, just about every track PFM has produced is golden and is so lushly crafted that they always take you on a journey. If I had to point to a single producer who sums up the Good Looking sound it would be them/him.

This mix goes to all those who have had a ‘moment’ on a dance floor some where at some time when a PFM track has smoothed it’s way into a mix and transported you to a better place.

Click the thread title to listen, or right-click & save-as to download.

 

Progressive Future Music – 1hr of PFM

PFM – Cruising Detroit (98 Remix)
PFM – Danny’s Song
PFM – One and Only
Mandalay – Flowers Bloom (PFM Secret Lover Mix)
PFM – The Western (Words 2 B Heard Vocal Mix)
PFM – The Mystics
PFM – Language of Love
PFM – Dreams PFM – In Love
PFM – Wash Over Me
Saint Etienne – The Sea (PFM Remix)
PFM – For All of Us