This year marks the 10th anniversary for the Ear & Drum so it was a very nice surprise to receive an email recently from feedspot.com informing me that the blog made it to #29 in their Top 40 D&B Blogs.
Most of you know I run this blog solo and simply do it for the love of the music, but it is always nice to get a little recognition. 🙂 They even gave me a wee virtual medal. 😛
Thanks to everyone for their support down the years and here’s to the next 10 years.
A little shade to contrast the light of the last Liquid mix I posted, these tunes roll a little harder and heavier. They still have all the melodic and vocal qualities that set liquid D&B apart, but with a bit more bite.
Shouts to 1991, a long time talent who really came into his own in 2017 after shaking off the label woes he was having under a previous name. His heavier take on the Liquid sound is always fresh as his tunes Steezy and Kabuki prove. Also big ups to Keeno for his glorious LP All the Shimmering Things that came out late last year on MedSchool. Keeno has always been a solid producer but his 3rd album really delivers on diversity and groove.
Keep On Truckin’ – 1hr of Chunky Liquid D&B
1991 – Steezy
Phil Tangent – Pleasure Trip VIP
Technimatic – The Evening Loop (Was a Be Remix)
Ed:it feat. Lady Soul – Wander Away
Keeno – Lost in the Clouds
Dawn Wall – Shy
What So Not & Burns – Trust (MYRNE Remix)
1991 – Kabuki
Evasion feat. Lori – Learning to Fly
Logistics – Communicate
Nclear & Eugenics Eight – It’s a New Life
Naibu – Astray (Seba Remix)
Apache – First Light
Keeno – Nightingale Valley
S.P.Y – Dreaming
Dave Owen – A Love So True
Sinjin Hawke – Dawn of Infinity
Geode – Warped Extends
Pola & Bryson – Call of the Night (Silence Groove Remix)
Pola & Bryson feat. Data 3 – Hyperborean
Keeno feat. Kailaa – Daydreaming
Unknown Artist – Capulet VIP
2017 was a great year for Liquid & D&B in general. Liquid D&B seemed to split out into different sub-genres with there being a distinct harder, ravier (is that even a word?) and a far more relaxed sound. This mix focuses on the more chilled out end of the spectrum.
Keep an ear out for Chimpo’s sing-a-long ode to a by-gone era 1996, the mighty Seba who pops up in various different collaborations including with German ambient legend Ulrich Schnauss on the hilariously titled Snöflingor plas an extra big shout to Mitekiss who features heavily on here and who really came into his own in 2017.
Welcome to 2018 and here’s hoping it is your year.
Internal Eye – 1hr of Laid Back Liquid D&B
Mitekiss – Who’s There (feat. Jerome Thomas & Mr Porter)
L-Side feat. MC Fava – Moonshine
Etherwood feat. Anile – Bear’s Breeches
Jazz Juice – Detroit (DJ Lee ’97 Remix)
Alaska & Seba – Be With You
Paul SG – That Moment
Chimpo – 1996
FD – Ambra (Calibre Remix)
Actraiser – Soul Priestess (Instrumental)
Alix Perez – Missing Pieces (feat. Javeon)
Alaska & Seba – Sandpoint
Okee – Planet Blue
Alexvnder & Critical Event – Let It Show
Technimatic – Hold On A While (Alix Perez Remix)
Seba & Ulrich Schnauss – Snöflingor
Mitekiss – Empire (feat. Mr Porter)
Aquasion – Respect The Game
Mitekiss – Some People
Recently I’ve been scouring 90s CD compilations for rare tracks and tunes I haven’t heard before and been coming up with some pure gold. Not every track in this mix is rare or unheard, but all of them are Intelligent jungle & D&B gold. I have so many memories of good times had to these tunes that I just had to share.
These are the true pioneers of today’s D&B sound. And these are the tunes that made the world stop and pay attention to the weird fast soul music being created by a small scene in the UK. These tunes make me think of the first time I played Logical Progression or the first time I heard LTJ Bukem live in 95′. They shimmer and they sparkle with a real essence of inspiration and freshness lacking in lots of today’s D&B and music in general.
I had a real blast discovering this music all over again to put together this mix and I hope you have a blast listening to it. Happy holidays.
The Big Chill – 2hrs of Intelligent Jungle & D&B
Ellis Dee – Atmosphere
Secret Motion – Lose Her (Cloud Nine Remix)
Bill Riley – In at the Deep End
Complex State – Revival
Fifth Element – Call on Me
Rogue Unit – Memphis Bliss
Ellis Dee feat. MC Fats – Ninety Seven Style
Nookie – Storm Before the Calm
The JB – Back 2 Life (The Dedication)
The Collective – Pressure
EZ Rollers – Subtropic
Rogue Unit – Horn Section
Macka Brown feat. R. Craig – Slow Down (VIP Exclusive)
Futurebound – The Right Way
Dr. S. Gachet – Calling
Dr. S. Gachet – It’s All Gone Sideways
Big Bud – Temptation
Point Blank + FX – Jazz Style
Nookie – Funk Be the Flavour (Dirty Di Mix)
Nookie – The World is a Ghetto (Nookie Remix)
Underwolves – The Crossing
Dr. S. Gachet – Remember the Roller (Remix)
Bug Kann & Plastic Jam – Made in 2 Minutes (Origin Unknown Remix)
DJ Dubplate – Futuristic Style
Shogun – Just For You
Victor Romeo – The Italian Job (Cloud Nine Remix)
Mystic Moods – The Sense of Summer
Rogue Unit – Black Gold
Forces of Nature – Cool Spot (PFM Remix)
Here’s a housey little number to keep you going in the lead up to Christmas.
Big ups to Phil Karen for capturing the late night vibes of public transport in Last Train to Melbourne. The Stanton Warriors & Tony Quattro get the UFO Project remix treatment to one of my favourite tunes of the year Get Low, Bonobo’s – Kerala does what Bonobo do best and Calibre’s – Grow proves that some of the best house is made by D&B producers.
Get up, get down and enjoy.
The Down Low: Session 039 – 1hr of Deep House
Can Unsal – President
Daniele Casa – House of Space
Pessimist – Grit
FOTN – Sky Marching
Yousef – Come Home (Sarah Matterhorn Intro Remix)
Phil Karen – Last Train to Melbourne
Room 99 – Fever
Performative Mode – First Mode
Stanton Warriors & Tony Quattro – Get Low (UFO Project Remix)
Simian Mobile Disco – Hustler
Todd Terje – Jungelknugen (Four Tet Remix)
Bonobo – Kerala
Matt Minimal – Backlights (Tony DeClerque Remix)
Tube & Berger – When They Come
Calibre – Grow
Kolsch – Grey
Cardillo DJ – Monster
Remastering of old tunes has become a thing and so I’ve been steadily building up a collection of favourites to put into a mix. To hear new life breathed into these classic tunes really is a sublime pleasure for me. A lot of these are either original Metalheadz releases or from T-Power’s magnificent Self Evident Truth of an Intuitive Mind album with Photek’s broken beat classic T’Raenon thrown in for good measure.
Hear these brilliant tunes as you’ve never heard them before and enjoy. 🙂
New Tricks – 1.5hrs of Remastered D&B Classics
T.Power – Indigo
T.Power & MK Ultra – Mutant Jazz
Sci-Clone – O.D.
Source Direct – Web of Sin
Ed Rush – Skylab
Digital – Down Under
Ed Rush – Destiny
T.Power – Amber
Sci-Clone – Melt
T.Power – Triangle
Goldie – Inner City Life (Roni Size & Krust Remix)
Doc Scott – Far Away
Doc Scott – Blue Skies
Doc Scott – Drumz ’95 (Nasty Habits Remix)
Source Direct – Stonekiller
Source Direct – Black Rose
Dillinja – The Angels Fell
Ed Rush – The Raven
Codename John – The Warning
Photek – T’Raenon
We’re going deep and hard in this eclectic mix of slammers from 2017. It’s been a good year for D&B with old school jungle sounds being mixed in with the minimalist ethic of 2015-6 with some pretty devastating results. Tracks like Leaf’s – Groove, Kid Drama’s – Brutal D and Derrick & Tonika’s – Fata Morgana sound so fresh and new but still with a nod to days gone by. It is great to see new producers being able to put their own spin on the true and tried sound.
As always I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did mixing it.
Ephemory – 1hr of deep hard D&B
Tim Reaper – Straight Forward
Andy Skopes – Heroin Wash (feat. Coerce)
Hyroglifics – Swish
Leaf – Groove
Rude Operator – Witchdoctor (feat. Ornette Hawkins)
1991 – Kabuki
Dub Phizix – Hack
Ulterior Motive – Anode (feat. Icicle)
Mitekiss – Forma
Kid Drama – Brutal D
Halogenix – Blej
1991 – Dim Sum
Rude Operator – Gunman
Vromm – Level Up (feat. Rider Shafique)
Bungle – Cocooned
Need for Mirrors – Ethos (Spirit Remix)
Derrick & Tonika – Fata Morgana
Flaco – Inferno (feat. Submorphics)
Rude Operator – Arrowhead
Welcome to your weekend. That means it’s about time for some vocal driven Liquid D&B to kick back to.
Lots of classic production talent in here with scene stalwarts such as Redeyes, Break, Total Science, Seba, Nu:tone & Logistics (under their Nu:Logic alias) plus some cracking tunes from some of the newer kids on the block. A special shout to Macca & Los Contreras for their track Against the Wall remixed by FD which I’ve had on steady rotation for about six months now. I promise this is the last time I’ll put into a mix (for now).
It’s a Saturday, the sun is shining (where I am) and the time is right for some smooth tunes and a relax. Enjoy.
Night Line – 1hr of Liquid D&B
Redeyes – Intro
Redeyes – Keep On (Instrumental)
Mark System – Dissolve
LSB – The Hurting (Lenzman Remix)
Macca & Los Contreras – Against the Wall (FD Remix)
Fred V & Grafix – Hurricanes (Wild Love)
Seba – Addicted (Technimatic Remix)
Break – Coming 4 U
Nymfo – Melting Pot (feat. Robert Manos)
Nu:Logic – Dreamweaver
Koherent – Night Cycles
Halogenix – Cliche
Seba & Jnr Vallo – Rotate
Air.K & Cephei – Desire (Break Remix)
Halogenix – Velvet
Muffler – Dark Flower
Nu:Logic – Somewhere Between the Light
Night Train – Friske
Nu:Logic – Sepia (feat. LSB)
Total Science & Grimm – So Addicted (Feat. Grimm)
I don’t exactly know what category these tunes fall into other than amazing. They sound a little like house, but there are broken beats in there, and all I do know is that this is my favourite Down Low Session in quite some time.
Tunes to keep an ear out for are Sepalcure’s amazing Warning, which I’m putting up as the best way to start a set I’ve heard all year. Then there’s Stanton Warriors & Tony Quattro – Get Low (Infrakt Remix) which is pure breakbeat funk and has a vocal hook that gets stuck in your head for day. You have been warned. Last, but by no means least, is Calibre’s – Grow which is my favourite house track of the year by miles and also the name of Calibre’s new LP. If you haven’t heard it, get on it.
If you are anything like me, you’ll have this on rotation for quite some time so enjoy. 🙂
Down Low 038 – 1hr of House & Bass
Sepalcure – The Warning
DJ Marky – Bella Drie (Nytron Power Remix)
Danv – Get Up Man
ASC – Soma
Stanton Warriors & Tony Quattro – Get Low (Infrakt Remix)
Tazer x Tink – Wet Dollars
Bonobo – Kerala
Todd Terje – Jungelknugen (Four Tet Remix)
Dirty South – I Swear (feat. ANIMA!)
Gustavo Koch – Animol
Tube & Berger – When They Come
Calibre – Grow
Kolsch – Grey
Aerosol – Isla Blanca (LTN Remix)
Ehterwood – Souvenirs (Friend Within Remix)
You know Liquid D&B has made it’s mark when Goldie starts releasing gorgeous melodic vocal driven tunes like I Adore You. There are so many beautiful tracks in this mix it hurts, helped in no small part by the release of new LPs by Mr Goldie and Irish liquid legend Calibre. There is also a very healthy supporting cast in the form Hybrid Minds, Artificial Intelligence and my new favourite Dawn Wall.
Not much else to say but enjoy this mix of lush liquid tunes. 🙂
Hybrid Minds – Intro
Hybrid Minds – Touch (feat. Tiffani Juno)
Abi Ocia – Running (Mitekiss Bootle Remix)
Mystical Sound – Do You Love Me
Dawn Wall – Mantis
Calibre – Complain
Goldie – The River Mirrored (feat. Terri Walker)
Hybrid Minds – Brighter Day (feat. Charlotte Haining)
Macca & Loz Contreras – Against The Wall (FD Remix)
Calibre – No One Gets You
Goldie & Ulterior Motive – I Adore You (feat. Natalie Williams)
Artificial Intelligence – Reprisal
Brainwork & MNML – Trust
Dawn Wall – Twin Falls
Macca & Loz Contreras – Anything for You
Furney – Throw Your Weight Around
Goldie – Triangle
DJ Ransome – The Gift
Ownglow – Breathe (feat. Elle Vee & Disco’s Over)
Oddsoul – Midnight
Response – Tell Me