That's ON Air...
Not IN the air as the cover picture suggests although this is how I was feeling as the liquid drum & bass mix was broadcast on Radio Dark Tunnel yesterday evening thanks to Miss Efemby having me on after her Techno Diaries set! I was blowing the dust off my Pioneer DDJ SB2 DJ Controller when I put my name down for a 1 hour mix and, unsurprisingly, I decided to go for liquid dnb!
Having not done a mix for over a year since I retired from the Platform Project in February 2019, I quickly remembered why I loved doing mixes. The thrill of track hunting, cue points, mashing tracks together to create new ones and blending lesser known artists with some of the big guns in the scene... how I've missed that!
Then the Electronic Music Alliance (EMA) happened and this inspiring community ignited that DJing passion again with the EMA DJ Mix Series launching at the beginning of the year. So, without any further ado, here is the mix for you to enjoy and below is the track listing with a description and links to the track along with a playlist of all tracks featured so you can go and support the artists!
1 - Ambient Echoes - Dinksteriznangel
One of the EMAliens from our community that occasionally dips in to DnB is Dinksteriznangel! She starts the set off with a beautiful chilled track she sent in called Ambient Echoes from her album "No Regrets", which was self-released in 2019.
2 - Way Home (Original Mix) - Air.K & Cephei
Starting around the 3 minute mark is a track from Air.L & Cephei that Spotify randomly dished out to me as I was driving up to the North York Moors National Park for a week away in the hills. As soon as I heard that chord sequence, modified vocals and almost a gothic style feel, I was in love and this quickly became one of my most played tracks last Summer.
This is out on the "Glow/2" compilation from Integral Records, released in 2018 and I did a cheeky edit on the track to make it mix in better with the next track. I believe the samples are from Lana del Rey's track Ride if you thought they sounded familiar!
3 - Identity Crisis feat Dexcell (Original Mix) - Dexcell, The Vanguard Project
Mixing in from around the 7 minute mark is another track I heard around the same time as Way Home and that's this chilled slice of DnB gold from Dexcell & The Vanguard Project. I was cruising the beautiful countryside as this one came on randomly on Spotify so just had to include it.
Again, a cheeky little edit from me to help mix in with the next track of the set. Identity Crisis is part of the Identity Crisis EP that was released by Fokuz Recordings in 2018.
4 - Leche de Ocelote - Skaarl
11 minutes in sees me flexing the "mash-up" muscles a bit as I mix Identity Crisis in with Leche de Ocelote from another EMAlien called Skaarl. For one of his first attempts at DnB, it's pretty damn good I have to say and with that speaker testing sub bass that blasts out, it's truly the drums and bass stripped down to the bare bones! This was self released by Skaarl in 2019.
5 - Wish You Were Here feat. Selah Corbin (S.P.Y Remix) - High Contrast
Damn, this one hit me in the feels when I first heard it on a random Hospital Records mix on mixcloud a few years back as it sent shivers down my spine when the breakdown happens. The amazing vocals from Selah Corbin, the dastardly bassline on the remix from S.P.Y and one of my inspirations who I first listened to when getting in to Drum & Bass in the early 2000s - High Contrast - who ended up liking the tweet last night during the show!
The track was released on Fast Jungle Music compilation from Hospital Records back in 2015
This is the icing on the cake!
6 - Dawning feat. Emily Jones (Original Mix) - Monrroe, Emily Jones
At the 17 minute mark, I thought I'd make an audacious attempt at mashing up the anthem of Wish You Were Here with another Liquicity anthem chilled liquid dnb track from Monrroe, featuring vocals from the beautiful voice of Emily Jones. Had to be very quick on the frequency band dials on the controller whilst mixing this one to try and make sure sounds weren't clashing and I was so happy the way this turned out during recording. Hope you enjoy it as well!
Dawning was released on Liquicity Records in 2015 as a single and respect to Monrroe for liking the tweet during the show as well! Another magic moment of the night!
7 - Serenade feat. Glxy (Original Mix) - Malaky, Satl
Around 21 minutes is a track I remember hearing for the first time on a sublime "Liquid Licks" episode from the master DJ Unit Grooves as I was driving home after kicking some serious butt on the badminton court back in 2016. I really was on cloud 9 and after hearing this hypnotic track and it made me want to go out partying, especially as this track has a nostalgic feel about it, which took me back to some of the raves I went to during the undergraduate days.
Top tune from 3 big names in the Liquid DnB scene with Satl, Malaky and Glxy - who I'd highly recommend watching live if you can, pure vibes! Serenade is part of an EP called A Minute After Always, which was released on Integral Records in 2017.
8 - Your Time Is Now - Nicky Havey
Allow me to introduce myself around the 25 minute mark with an exclusive track for the airing of the show called Your Time Is Now. I'll be talking more about this on the Spotlight on the Artist (
This is part of my Travel Diaries EP that is going to be released in full on the 10th April and is my audio travel diary of when I went cruising around Australia and New Zealand in 2019. No link for Spotify yet so you're just going to have to enjoy listening in to the mix.
Artwork designed by
9 - Dust Bowl (Original Mix) - Silence Groove
And then we flip the switch around 29 minutes to another artist I've been following for a while called Silence Groove when I used to frequent Soundcloud. His deep rumbling basslines are characteristic in all his tracks with a floaty atmosphere, Dust Bowl is no different and mashes in pretty nicely with mine and the next one as well. Proper trance state here.
Dust Bowl was released on the Forever Believe EP back in 2015 on the Offworld Recordings label.
10 - Abstract - Bufinjer
Another EMAlien makes their way in to the mix around the 32 minute mark, sliding in with Dust Bowl, and this time it is fellow EMA co-founder Bufinjer, stepping outside his usual BPM to bring us an abstract dnb track called...Abstract with some cool percussion instruments and ever changing soundscapes! This was released through the Electronic Alliance Records label in 2019.
11 - Always Yours (S.P.Y Remix) - Loz Contreras, Macca (DNB)
35 minutes in and we're flying through the tracks with S.P.Y making another appearance with a remix of Loz Contreras & Macca's "Always Yours". The bassline melody is classic and along with some space monkey sounding vocals that pull you in, it mixes in and mashes up rather nicely with the tunes that surround it.
This was released as part of the Better World EP on Fokuz Recordings in 2017.
12 - Since I Woke Up (Original Mix) - Jrumhand
38 minutes, it's time for a switch up in the bassline as we hear the chilled and smooth roller from Jrumhand. As soon as I heard this, I knew I had to bring it in although it's reign is short lived in the mix, there's plenty of chilled vibes to enjoy in the original.
Since I Woke Up was released as part of the Journeys EP released on Soul Deep Exclusives in 2015.
13 - Lost In Time (Original Mix) - Revolutionist
Long intros and liquid mixing transitions is something I loved about combining this one with Since I Woke Up. Revolutionist comes up with a beauty here as the rollers continue, we really do feel lost in time with this one!
Lost In Time was released as part of the Lost In Time EP released on Atmomatix Records in 2017.
14 - By Your Side (Logistics Remix) - S.P.Y
You might be forgiven for thinking that S.P.Y had a word with me to include three of his tracks in this mix but he does make some great tunes to be fair! However, when Logistics, another of my influences from when I first started listening to DnB, comes along and remixes it, another anthem is guaranteed with epic vocals and amen breaks to take us back in time - proper hands up track here!
By Your Side was released as part of the By Your Side EP released on Spearhead Records in 2012.
15 - Nova (Original Mix) - Motional
49 minutes in and we're at the penultimate track of the mix but don't you worry as Motional brings us beats with a pulsating bassline and frantic amen breaks to boot. Plus, it really mashes up so well with the final track that you'd be forgiven for thinking there was a bonus track coming in!
Nova was released as part of a compilation called C Recordings: Best of 2015, released in 2014... just kidding, released in 2016 on C Recordings 😜
16 - Every Little Thing (Original Mix) - Dave Catalyst
The mash-up begins at 51 minutes with Nova and the smoothness of Every Little Thing takes us through to the end of the mix. Dave Catalyst blends jazz sounds seamlessly with liquid Drum & Bass with this one and it's a perfect way to round off the show.
Every Little Thing is part of the Summer Haze EP which was released on the Soul Deep Digital label in 2015.
Playlist
So if you wanted to add these tracks individually to your Spotify playlists, go right ahead and do that through the embed players above or if you wanted to save the whole lot in one big playlist then don't worry, I have you covered already as I've done it for you! Here's the EMA DJ Mix Vol 7 playlist on Spotify:
All that leaves me to say is, thank you to everyone who tuned in to show live and showed support. Of course, we're all grateful for the amazing efforts of Miss Efemby for the video graphics and having us all on at the end of her Techno Diaries show every Wednesday (18:00-21:00 CET) and to Radio Dark Tunnel for being an awesome station and hosting us all!
Until the next time, take it easy!
Nicky
Thanks to
for developing the WordPress plugin, which helps bring blogs to the STEEM blockchain and reward bloggers. If you'd like to add the plugin to your WordPress site, click the image below:
Original article: https://nickyhavey.co.uk/2020/03/ema-dj-mix-1-hour-of-liquid-drum-bass-its-good-to-be-back-on-air/