2020, Chill Out, Down Low Session

The Down Low: Session 045

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We’re turning down the BPMs and kicking back with another Down Low Session. This blend is a mixture of old favourites I’ve already given an airing to in previous Down Lows and new tunes I’ve recently picked up.

Highlights on the favourite’s side are Tipper’s amazing chilled-out tune Virga, the Kirsty MacColl classic Walking Down Madison and Andrew Cash’s ecstatic The Sound of Eternity. And on the newer side we have Frank Chianese super smooth One Drop in the Ocean and Kid Loops & Cool Breeze – Code of the Goddam Streets. This actually an older track but it is new to me.

The Down Low: Session 45 – 1hr of chilled out breaks and beats

Slacker – A Million Dreams
Talaboman – Safe Changes
Tipper – Virga
Slam – Irritant
Delectatio – Moving Around
Frank Chianese – One Drop in the Ocean
Aquarius – Clue to a Mystery
Afterlife – A Little Bit of Love
Kevin Di Serna & Graziano Raffa – System Era
Kirsty MacColl – Walking Down Madison
Kid Loops & Cool Breeze – Code of the Goddam Streets
Andre Donaldz – Soft Landing
Andrew Cash – The Sound of Eternity
Rowpieces – Just 4 Love feat. Kryptomedic
Eissi – Lonely
Denote – Impressive
Lyth – Nirvana

1996, Chill Out, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 172 – Flight Nine Six Two

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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.

Flight Nine Six Two – 1hr of Chilled out D&B from 1996

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

2020, Atmospheric, Ear & Drum Session, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session: 171 – Atmospheric Glow

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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.

Atmospheric Glow – 1hr of Atmospheric D&B

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

1996, 2020, Ear & Drum Session, Intelligent, Melodic, Old Skool

Ear & Drum Session: 170 – Flight Nine Six One

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Welcome to a new series of mixes based around lesser known tracks from the 1996 golden era of D&B.

Those that know me, know I love ’96 era of music. It was the time when I was first getting into D&B, and I have spent decades collecting D&B and other music from around this era. These tracks are mainly sourced from obscure CD compilations, with the odd recent re-release and original vinyl thrown in for good measure.

The aim of this series is to dig up tracks you’ve never heard before. So I’d love it of people could comment on what tracks are new to them. Mainly I’ve gone for rare and obscure remixes combined with a bunch of B-sides and CD only releases.

Being a series this is only part one of the journey, and if people are feeling it I might look into some other years from back in the day. Again let me know in the comments.

Flight Nine Six One – 1.5hrs of Rare & Obscure D&B from 1996

Drum and Bass – Intelligence (Inst Mix)
Hidden Agenda – Vindication
4 Hero – Universal Love
Cloud Nine – Teach Me To Fly
DJ Pulse – Planet Funk
Just Intelligence – Trip Out (Intelligent Mix)
The Dominion – London Nights (Ryder’s Dream No. 102 Mix)
Jonny L – Sam
Ryders Project 1 – Heidi’s Dream (Ryder’s Dream No. 100 Mix)
Alex Reece – Feel the Sunshine (Pulse Mix)
Dave Wallace – Expressions Part 1
Galliano – Slack Hands (Aquasky Remix)
Frame – Spirit of the Sun (Aquasky Remix)
Gangster Sound – What’s Going On (Jazz Mix)
Aquasky – Sea Monkey
Best Boy Electric – Dawning
David Holmes – Gone (PFM Mix)
Aphrodite – Q-Flutes
Tamsin – Innocence
Cloud Nine – The Ultimate Seduction
Abstract Truth – Get Another Plan (Rob Playford Remix)

2020, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Uncategorized

Ear & Drum Session: 169 – Undefined

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Another tasty liquid roller featuring some artists I’ve been meaning to call out for awhile now.

First up Workforce AKA Jack Stevens is one half of Spectrasoul and has been absolutely killing it lately. His track ‘Your Moves’ of the EP of the same name is in my top 5 tracks of last year. Secondly, FX909 who has been making quality liquid D&B for almost 20 years has also been on fire of late. And last but least, Monrroe the Cheltenham based producer who’s track ‘You Got Me’ has been stuck in my head ever since it came out.

And an extra shout out to Calibre for finally releasing his remix of London Grammar’s – If You Wait. And wait we did, for two bloody years and it was still totally worth it.

Undefined – 1hr of Liquid Rollers

Workforce – Your Moves
Monrroe – Everywhere I Go
Dawn Wall – Take Control
Koherent & Charli Brix – Voices
Monrroe & Alexa Harvey – You Got Me
Enei – Get Closer (feat. Charlie Brix)
Dawn Wall – I Should Have Been There
FX909 – Undefined
FX909 – Ultra Thin
Peshay & VSY – Infinity
Etherwood – See The Sky (feat. Thomas Oliver)
London Grammar – If You Wait (Long Enough You’ll Get The Calibre Remix)
Natural Forces – Alone
Dawn Wall – Legends
T:Base – Is It True
Document One & Cimone – Newborn
Workforce – Fragments
Henry Fonda – Musical Soldiers
Dawn Wall – Birdmask
Workforce – Your Moves (Tease)

2020, Amen, Ear & Drum Session, Jungle

Ear & Drum Session: 168 – Irie Fyah

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There is no denying Jungle has made a huge comeback in the last few years, but I have deliberately steered away from New Jungle as a style I play for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I’ve played a tonne of 92-96 Jungle sets in my time and, secondly, I love the rough and ready nature of original Jungle and that seemed to be missing a little in the newer, cleaner tracks I was hearing.

That being said, there has been some serious fyah laid down recently and quite a few unreleased tracks appearing from back in the day. So I thought I’d dip my toe back in the Jungle waters by combining some of the newer tracks with some straight up classics and rarer tracks.

On the unreleased tip we have PFM’s superb Runaway. I can’t believe this didn’t get a full release back in 94/95, although I’m positive it would have been cut to dub plate and played. And of the new releases (that sound genuinely original) we have Unglued & MC Conrad – Born in ’94 (Pirate Radio Mix) and Breakage – Wicked. All the rest are classic Jungle tracks I’ve always loved and never get tired of mixing.

Irie Fyah – 1.5hrs of Jungle Mania

Desert Storm – Hit After Hit
Back2Basics Recordings – Fighting Vipers (Drum & Bass Mix)
Wots My Code – Dubplate
DJ Crystl – The Dark Crystl VIP
Remarc & Lewi – Shinobi X (Jungle Mix)
Blame & Justice – Night Vision
Bay B Kane – Addictive
PFM – Runaway
Fourth Dimension – Sun Vibes
Adam F – Apocalypse
The Root Project – Can’t Control
Unglued & MC Conrad – Born in ’94 (Pirate Radio Mix)
Noise Factory – The Future
Brainkillers – Screwface
DJ Rap – Spiritual Aura (DJ Rap’s Get Raw Remix)
Breakage – Wicked
Gin & Tonic – Right Bullet, Right Time
Kenny Ken – Athlete Kings (Jungle Mix)
Remarc – Soundmurderer
Foul Play – Being With You
Expressive Records – Nights (Drum & Bass Mix)

2020, Ear & Drum Session, Liquid D&B, Melodic

Ear & Drum Session 167: Full Phat

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First mix of the new decade and it was made on the first day of the new year. Full of phat rollers and liquid niceties from the back end of 2019, I really should call this mix the DRS sessions. The MC from Manchester is all over this with collaborations with LSB, Artificial Intelligence and Anile. If you haven’t checked out his The Blue Hour LP with LSB it is well worth a listen.

We also have new tracks from Klute’s new Whatever It Takes LP, the return of D&B royalty Peshay plus both sides of Seba & Paradox’ latest 12″ on their brand new label.

Full Phat – 1.5hrs of Phat Rollers and Liquid Drops

Peshay & VSY – Infinity
LSB & DRS – Like It Used To
Marvel Cinema, T:Base & Matt View – Need To Know
LSB & DRS – Keep The Time
Ed:it – Can’t Stop Thinking
Duoscience – 1981
Klute – Flesh Eaters
Seba & Paradox – Jupiterize
Came & Krooked – Come Together (Bop Remix)
LSB & DRS – Frozen
Kimyan Law – Magic (feat. Clara Luzia)
Klute – Highly Addictive
Dave Wallace – Light Phase
Cosmology – Raindrops
Kyhu – Time-Lapse
Random Movement – Lost on Purpose
Makoto – Transparent (feat. Whiney)
Seba & Paradox – Over Now
Bladerunner – All My Love
Artificial Intelligence feat. DRS – Isolate
Smote – Just Come Back
Madcap – Believe
Workforce – Your Moves
Smote – Summertime VIP
Seathasky – 1999
Anile & DRS – Constant Reminder
LSB & DRS – Could Be

2019, Deep D&B, Ear & Drum Session

Ear & Drum Session 166: Altitude

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One last mix for the decade before we dive head-first into the 20s.

It really doesn’t seem that long ago that Photek’s ‘Into the 90s’ was released, so to be here 30 years later is pretty crazy. Thank you to everyone who has listened in at the Ear & Drum during the past 10 years and here’s hoping the next 10 years (or even just the next) treats you better than the last.

If I could wish for anything in the new year it is for people to do more listening. Not just to music, but in general. I think the last decade has been dedicated to the self absorbed masses shouting out there opinions without giving anyone else’s opinion a second thought. You can’t form a proper opinion without listening to the other side of the argument, so sit down, shut up and just listen.

Here is to less shouting and more listening in 2020.

Altitude – 1hr of Cruising D&B

Bop – Waterfall
Kimyan Law – Luba
Document One – Holy Moly
Bladerunner – Breathe
Alix Perez – Trinity
Sunchase – Karabi
Seba – Curved Boundaries
Seba – In Your Arms Again
DRS & Need For Mirrors – Bobby
Came & Krooked – Black & White (Kimyan Law Remix)
Kimyan Law – White Moth Anthem
Bop – Memories
Hiddenwave – Visualise
Smote – Just Come In
Hiddenwave – Nior
Workforce – Your Moves
Rainforest – Horde
Hiddenwave – Hold Me
Two Fingers – You Ain’t Down

2019, Chill Out, Down Low Session, Uncategorized

The Down Low: Session 044

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Sending this one out to the roasters, this is a deep, atmospheric and ballsy mix of beats sitting around the 130bpm mark. Even though it has some growl to it, it is still all chill.

In typical Down Low style the genres are eclectic with dubstep, trip-hop, bass, house and electronica all thrown in. Even the eras are mixed up with a lot of contemporary tunes and a few from as far back as 1996.

I got a chance to listen back on this during a recent flight and it is perfect traveling music. So if you have a journey coming up over the holidays you could do worse than loading this one up and letting it take you there.

Down Low Session: 044 – 1hr of Down Tempo

Dave DK – We Mix at Six
Clap! Clap! – Ode to the Pleiades (Photay Remix)
Brian Cid – Dissolved In You
Nuage – Electricity
Roy Davis Jr. – Chicago Heights
D’Cruise – Sega Rally (Trip Hop Mix)
Aved & Artemenko Valentyn – Natail
Synkro – Images
Goldie, James Davidson & Subjective – Re-Entry
Goldie, James Davidson & Subjective – Inkolelo
Terranova – Tell Me Why (feat. Stereo MCs)
Deadmau5 & Scene of Action – Hurricane (Offaaiah Remix)
Distorted Beauty – Pearls of the Night
Subandrio – Mein Sohn
EANP – Stamp
Booka Shade – Understanding
Hernan Cattaneo & Soundexile – Wind Down (Outro Mix)

2019, Ear & Drum Session, Tech Step

Ear & Drum Session 165: One Giant Leap

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In 1995 when Alex Reece released Pulp Fiction and the D&B world lost it’s collective shit about the step beat in and pulsing bass in the track I just thought it sounded plodding and boring compared to the repecharge beats of the Amen break. When it spawned a million copycat tracks and then it’s own genre I thought the music had taken a huge step (excuse the pun) backwards.

Fast forward to 2005 and D&B had seriously run out of ideas and was looking for a sound to excite me again. Pouring over the back catalogue I started listening to all those old Tech Step tracks and the penny finally dropped a full 10 years later. Ever since I’ve made sure I pick up any old Steppers I come across knowing one day I’d come back to mix them and that time is now!

This is a who’s who of Tech Step classics. No point in calling out high lights as every track in here is there because they shaped a genre that turned out to be one of D&B’s best and most unique sounds. With new listeners currently drooling over Jungle as THE sound of D&B, it is only a matter of time before it takes another giant leap into the sounds of Step.

Remember you read it here first.

One Giant Leap – 1.5hrs of Classic Tech Step

Gang Related & Mask – Dictation (Michael Caine Mix)
Ed Rush, Optical & Fierce – Cutslo (Locuste Remix)
Ray Keith – D4 Toxic Waste (Elementz of Noize Remix)
Capone – Tudor Rose
Dillinja – Go Dillinja
Photek – Baltimore
Jonny L – Wish U Had Something (Remix)
John B – Secrets
Nasty Habits – Shadow Boxing
Genotype – The Germ
Atom 1 – Imminent
Adam F – Metropolis
Dillinja – The Angels Fell
Boymerang – Still
Tonic – Delta
DJ SS – Lost iN New York
Dieselboy – The Descent
Dom & Roland – Dance All Night
Jonny L – Piper
Fortran – The End Part II (feat. Fierce)
Ed Rush & Nico – August (Unreleased VIP Mix)
Ed Rush – The Raven