Heading into the soulful side with this mix of smooth sounds. When it comes to soul Dogger & Mindstate, Calibre, Lenzman and LSB instantly spring to mind, but the vocalist they always lean on is the seminal DRS. Having been around since the hey-day of Bukem and his MC compatriot Conrad, DRS has reinvented himself constantly down the years and his 2020s incarnation as Mr Soul just might be his best yet.
A good chunk of this mix is from DRS’s Del-Rok-Ski LP, which came out towards the end of last year. Collaborating with a who’s who of soulful D&B producers, this LP had way more hits than misses and was one of the strongest releases for me in 2022. Another LP well worth a listen is FX909’s Liquid Heart which also features hear along with a few tracks from Need for Mirrors super strong Nerd EP.
Akemi Fox – Lie to You
DRS & Monroe – Kiss & Tell
Dogger & Mildaste & DRS – TMWFTE
Need for Mirrors – Happy Mondays
Auris – The Difference
Colossus – Possession
DRS & Calibre – Embers Reign
DRS & Dogger & Mindstate – Wake You Up
DRS & Duskee & Disrupta – Waiting to Go
Dub Phizix – Snowprints
Gabanna – Always the Same
DRS & Document One – Can’t Explain
FX909 – Without a Name
Missing – Ever Wanted
FX909 – Two Little Birds
Need for Mirrors – Mourning Tune
Echomatics – Sense of Control
Bop & Subway – Last Night
Degs feat. Nu:Tone & Duskee – Can We Talk (Imo-Lu Remix)
Sl8r – Magnolia
Echo Brown & KSR – Motions
DSR & LSB – Sweet Love