I'm watching you Wozowski.

Ruff and tuff D&B doesn’t hold a great deal of interest to me these days. Neuro has become very formulaic, new jump up isn’t a patch on the old jump up and skullstep is just, well skullstep (nuf said). However I do still manage to find the odd harder edged track which does appeal and in here are some of the best ones I could find for the final quarter of the year.

Nu:Tone and Logistics have combined their powers to create the fierce Nu:Logic sub-brand. Sundown is a proper amen boomer of the highest order and New Technique totally lives up to it’s name. Limewax is one of those guys you either love or hate, but for a skullstep-esq (is that a word?!?) producer he has some serious talent. B Key used to be one of my favourite producers, and his Guitar Track proves that he can still produce a smooth but tuff track when he puts his mind to it.

If you like your hard beats you’ll love this, but if you don’t I’d still recommend giving it a go as there is more to hard D&B then formula, skulls and air raid sirens and I think this mix proves that point.

Screwface – 1hr of tuff D&B from the end of 2010

Nu:Logic – Sundown
Limewax – One of Them
B Key – Guitar Track
Nu:Logic – New Technique
Subwave – Darkness Dub
Artificial Intelligence – Moment of Truth
Break & Silent Witness – Kontroller
Black Sun Empire – Deadhouse (feat. Jade)
Beta 2 – Release
Trei – Mindless
Audio – Genesis Device
Subwave – Road Rage
Theory – Jungle Soul
Gemini – Down
DJ Trace – Fantazia

It’s been a ripe old year for the chilled out side of D&B. Minimal has had it’s wicked way with the scene, but outside of that there has also been a return to the deep and mellow sounds. Artists like Command Strange, ATP and Calibre are pumping out quality beats on a laid back tip whilst the new LP’s from Mutated Forms and Artificial Intelligence show that deeper tracks can still pack a serious punch.

Also a big nod to Mr José Gonzålez who’s cover of Kylie’s – Hand on Your Heart has been one of my guilty pleasures of 2010.

Let Nature Feed Itself – 1hr of Deep & Mellow D&B Beats

Stray – Saturday
Subwave – Gift
Command Strange – It’s All Over
Tyler Straub – Trusted Judgement
ATP – Soul Fly (feat. Jett)
June Miller – Poison the Well
Calibre – Even If
BCee & S.P.Y – Nothing to Declare
Theory – Weirdos
Bop – Song About My Dog (Subwave Remix)
Sam KDC – Detached
Mutated Forms – Last Time (feat. Jenna G)
Artificial Intelligence – Stand Alone
José Gonzålez – Hand on Your Heart

This mix is all about the new tunes. 2010 has been very fruitful in terms of all genres producing some stand out tracks. Minimal of course has taken off, but the new jungle sound is catching up and the hospital style roller, liquid vocal tracks and heavy smashers will never go out of style.

I got all sorts of styles going on in this one, and it switches up all over the place. Stand outs for me would have to be Die & Interface’s new track ‘Bright Lights’ (which is a floor moving monster), X Nation’s remix of Spirit’s ‘All I Need’ (which brings back the stripped back jungle sound and Heist’s ‘Continental Drift’ (which brings minimal and atmospheric D&B together in an amazing blend).

The Switch – 1.5hrs of new tunes for 2010

Furi Anga – The Day My Unicorn Died
Kharm – Hiding Place
Heist – Continental Drift
Klute – Ashram
Spirit – All I Need (X-Nation Remix)
Naibu – Fireflies (Seba Remix)
Utah Jazz – Relaxation Interlude
Spectrasoul – Glimpse (feat. d.Bridge)
Circa – Kabal
Seba – Distance
Total Science feat. Conrad – Soul Patrol (Marky & S.P.Y. Remix)
Future Engineers – Ellipse
Alix Perez – Behind Time
Klute – Fool’s Love
Inside Man – Deeper Love
Underworld – Scribble feat. High Contrast
DJ Trace – Fantazia
Phil Tangent – Lunar
Utah Jazz – Angels Interlude
Lenzman & Treez – Stellar
Kodo – Transmission
Sabre – One Hundred Teeth (Enei Remix)
Serum & Bladerunner – Who Jah Bless
A-Sides – Rebel Rouser (feat. MC Fats)
Klute – Black Pony
Die & Interface feat. William Cartright – Bright Lights (Rockers Mix)

I had the great honour recently of being asked to do a mix for DOA of jungle tunes contributed by members from the Grid section of the site. The Grid is where the producers hang out and I wasn’t sure what to expect really. But I gottah say the quality of the tunes and the nailing of the 94-95 jungle sound was spot on. There were a few exceptions that I wouldn’t personally call jungle, but they were still great tracks and went into this mix.

So if you are a jungle fan and want a mix of never before heard tracks all written in 2010 then this one should fit the bill nicely. A big thanks to Ben Kei and Drumbeat Agenda for getting me involved and all the producers for being so generous with their production output.

DOA Jungle Competition Mix – 1hr+ of brand new tunes in a 94-95 jungle stylee

Sonny Jim – Loop
Poshek – Unknown
ATheory – Inside Your Love
dib – Watch We For
Amen Fyre – Badboy Sound
Skywalka – Bad Boy Ting
DJ A Twat – Jah
DJ Rubdown – Hold It Down
Lite On – Untitled
Mocks – One Big Ghetto
Lethargik – Down Time
Over Drive UK – Test Primitive
Ben Kei – jungle Fiddler
Drum Mekanik – Jungle Vision
Adsih – Shotdown
Frantik – Deadline Pressure (Dancehall ‘Ear Dis)
Candy Hands – Journey Outwards
Artists Unknown – Bad Hearing Organisation
Sonny Jim – Junglist
Barry of Button – New Fashion For 94
Drumbeat Agenda – The World Is Yours
DJ id – Cocaine 12

This is a new series of mixes I’m going to do from year to year that looks back at where D&B was at 10 years ago. This mix is part 1 of 2 that looks at the year 2000. I’ve concentrated on the more melodic stuff for this mix and the part 2 will look at the big smashers.

The new millennium seemed to fit D&B perfectly as it was always a forward looking music. D&B parties seemed to explode again after dying off a little in 98-99 and a new generation of producers and labels started to forge their own new sounds. Music technology was getting better and cheaper allowing more and more people who had always loved the music to finally start writing their own tunes. It seemed like everyone was trying to make D&B.

J. Majik had one of the biggest hits of the year with Love Is Not A Game and a little known label called Hospital was starting to show some serious promise. LTJ Bukem released his first solo album Journey Inwards to critical acclaim and Klute, Marcus Intalex & ST Files and Omni Trio continued to show how it was done when it came to melodic D&B.

Decadance 2000: Part 1 – 1hr of Melodic D&B from the year 2000

J. Majik – Love Is Not A Game (Original Radio Edit)
Fellowship – Coming On Strong
Klute – Three of Us
Real Time – Mine
Omni Trio – Secret Life
LTJ Bukem – Deserted Vaults (Instrumental)
Grand Unified Featuring Kadeem – Music Makes Me Feel This Way
London Elektricity – Superstructure (John B Remix)
London Elektricity – Wishing Well (Danny Byrd Remix)
London Elektricity – Round The Corner (Origin Unknown Remix)
Citizen & DJ Kalm – Venus
Marcus Intalex & ST Files – Moonwalk
Klute – Chicks
Bad Company – Colonies
Future Cut – Busted
Total Science – Let It Go
Big Bud – Millennium (Carlito Remix)