I'm watching you Wozowski.

Part 2 of the on-going Shadow Wax series looking at all things Moving Shadow. This mix lifts the BPM a little one the first installment as we head into the 160bpm+ zone.

Amazing producers as you would expect with JMJ & Ritchie (aka EZ Rollers), Blame, Mixrace, D’Cruze, Omni Trio and a whole host more making an appearance. I’ve tried to slip in some lesser known tracks and rare remixes to keep it interesting, but it’s a Moving Shadow mix so you know it is all good.

Hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I did mixing it.

Shadow Wax Vol.2: Moving Shadow 91-93 – More hardcore from the Moving Shadow vaults

JMJ & Ritchie – Hall Of Mirrors (Omni Trio Mirror Image Mix)
Blame – A21
Mixrace – Mixrace Outta Hand
D’Cruze – Want You Now (DJ SS & E.Q. Remix)
JMJ & Ritchie – Case Re-Opened (Deep Blue Brought To Trial Mix)
Joint – The Joint
Omni Trio – Thru The Vibe (2 On 1 Mix)
Higher Sense – Cold Fresh Air
Hyper On Experience – Lord of Null Lines
Blame – This Piano Track (2 Bad Mice Remix)
Foul Play – Finest Illusion (Legal Mix)
Foul Play – Open Your Mind
Omni Trio – Renegade Snares (Foul Play Remix)
Hyper-On Experience – Lords Of The Null-Lines (Foul Play Remix)
Hyper-On Experience – Thunder Grip
Hyper-On Experience – Disturbance (Tango Remix)
Deep Blue – The Helicopter Tune
Omni Trio – Feel Good (Original In Demand Mix)
Boogie Times Tribe Feat. Q Bass – Real Hardcore

Moving Shadow are without a doubt the label I have bought the most releases from. When the label folded in 2008 I felt like a part of Drum & Bass had died. Rob Playford’s label has had more outstanding releases from more heavy hitting producers than any other, and their influence on broken beats since 1990 can not be ignored. Their logo has the words ‘world domination’ written around it, and I think as a label they achieved this.

In the early days when I was cutting my teeth on rave tunes Moving Shadow had some of the deepest, roughest and most danceable tunes on the scene. Rob Playford as 2 Bad Mice (along with Sean O’Keeffe & Simon Colebrooke) was killing it with Bomb Scare, an anthem so large it still influences producers and gets sampled today. Blame’s – Music Takes You and Omni Trio’s – Mystic Stepper pretty much kicked off the lighter and more musical Intelligent genre of Jungle and D&B. And Kaotic Chemistry’s – Illegal Subs showed just how catchy and devastating Breakbeat Hardcore really could be.

This mix is the beginning of a series that will take you through 15+ years of Moving Shadow History. It is going to be long and god knows how many parts there will be to it, because as a label Moving Shadow have literally thousands of releases. But one thing I do know is that the mixes are going to be quality and the music exceptional.

Shadow Wax Vol.1 – 1hr of Moving Shadow from 91-93

Cosmos & Dibs – Oh So Nice
2 Bad Mice – 2 Bad Mice
Cosmos & Dibs – Star Eyes
2 Bad Mice – Ware Mouse
2 Bad Mice – Bomb Scare
2 Bad Mice – 2 Bad Mice (Remix)
Tone Def – Big Love (Love Mix)
Sci – Uprising
Blame – Music Takes You (Original Version)
Blame – Ecstasy Takes You
Blame – Music Takes Two
Blame – Piano Takes You
Hyper On Experience – H.E. Anthem
Kaotic Chemistry – Space Cakes
Omni Trio – Mystic Stepper (Feel Better)
Kaotic Chemistry – Illegal Subs (Krome & Time Remix)
Blame – 2 Bad Mice Take You

Suburban Base & Moving Shadow were first two major labels in the Breakbeat/Hardcore scene. By ‘major’ I mean spitting out top quality 12″ release after release and managing to pump out CD compilations as well. The Suburban Base influence was all over pirate radio in the early days and looking at their roster of artists it is pretty easy to see why.

Between Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era, Krome & Time, D’Cruze, Blame, DJ Hype, Foul Play, EZ Rollers, 2 Bad Mice and Marvelous Cain they had just about every big name in the Breakbeat/Hardcore scene. Rave anthems were the name of game back then and Subbase had them covered. I don’t remember ever seeing a DJ’s crate worth his salt back in 92-93 who didn’t have a stack of Suburban Base records in his selection.

This mix was played live on my birthday at a party I held. I did consider going back in to the studio to do a more controlled version of the mix, but I got worried I would lose the energy and spontaneity captured in this one. So I have left well alone and just let it roll. I’m dedicating this mix to Stevie Boy who reminded me just what a great label Suburban Base were and to all those who remember.

Subbase Statione One – 1hr of Suburban Base Records

Run Tings – Fire Burning
Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era – Far Out
Future Assassins – Future Sound
Krome & Time – This Sound is for the Underground
Smart E’s – Sesame’s Treat (Krome & Time Remix)
D’Cruze – Life (Hands to Heaven)
Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era – Breaks the Unbreakable
Blame – A21
Krome & Time – The Slammer (Nookie Remix)
Sonz of a Loop Da Loop Era – Calm Downizm
Krome & Time – The Slammer
DJ Hype – I Don’t Understand
EZ Rollers – Rolled Into One
Flex & Fats – Somebody
DJ Hype – Weird Energy
Foul Play – Open Your Mind
2 Bad Mice – Underworld
DJ Hype – The Chopper (Johnny Jungle Remix)
Marvellous Cain – CB4

A mix of new stuff from the tail end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011.

A special big mention to the Siberian Jungle LP where a lot of this stuff has come from. It’s a Russian comp with artists I’ve never heard before but daaaaamn can they put a tune together. It’s mainly epic trance and bass type stuff but Vospi’s – Reverence is THE best jazz & bass track I’ve heard in ages. If you get a chance track it down.

Other stand outs for me are Seba’s rolling Keep Me Waiting and dBridge’s beautiful remix of Magnetic Man’s Perfect Stranger.

Modern Primitive – 1hr of new tunes for 2011

Eveson – Life In The Balance
Metrik – Ocean Drive
Stipple – Stalker
Magnetic Man – Perfect Stranger (dBridge Remix)
3D Stas – Surface of a Doomed Planet
Scuba – In_2
Dave Schichman – That Face
Kiat – Feeder
Mutated Forms – Chasing Dreams
Alternative Vibes – the Dawn
Ultima C – Seven Days
A-Sides – One DJ
Vospi – Reverence
Dynamic Stab – The Future of Iron Empire
Seba – Keep Me Waiting

Getting in one last mix for 2010 and it is a belter. This year has been good for D&B in general, but for me the quality of the free music circulated in 2010 is as good if not better than the official releases. Free tunes in general allow a producer to get away from producing tracks that need to fit into a record labels ‘sound’ and allows them the freedom to really let fly.

For me this year Subwave’s ‘Gift EP’ and S13’s amazing ‘Yourself EP’ were standouts. Deep, melodic and totally different from anything else out there (they are also available for download here at the Ear & Drum). But to be honest all the tracks in this mix are great and really show that D&B is still evolving in all sorts of exciting ways.

If you want to save yourself time searching for the tracks in this mix I haven’t hosted here at The Ear & Drum during the year, then try looking at THIS LINK which leads to a DOA thread about the best free MP3s from 2010.

Happy New Year to everyone who has supported me throughout the year and here’s hoping 2011 is even better.

Unrelease Yourself – 1hr of free and unreleased tunes from 2010

Metrik – Ocean Drive
The Law – Atlantic Blues
Infinity – The XX (Bachelors Of Science Remix)
Booka Shade – Regenerate (Thinnen Remix)
S13 – Yourself
Soul Intent – The Dark Robotics Orchestra
S13 – Immortal
Sabre – One Hundred Teeth (Parallel Remix)
Subwave – Gift
Random Movement – Cutting Thru Hackney
Blu Mar Ten – She Moves Through [ASC Remix]
Alic Perez – Self Control
Alex Reece – Basic Principles (Commix Remix)
Able Danger – UGNX
Sabre – One Hundred Teeth (Enei Remix)
S13 – Earth Ulro