Essential sampling, four mixes for your weekend

March 16, 2019 9:53 AM

In the sea of DJ mixes and mixtapes, BBC's Essential Mixes are still stellar examples of DJs at the top of their game. Here are a pick of four from this year alone that may well be worth your time: Lee Burridge's uplifting house and dance music (and via Core News); Shlohmo's end of the world mix (Core News); Jayda G's diverse mix to make you dance (Core News); and Josey Rebelle, "always eclectic, always compelling behind the turntables" (not currently available on iPlayer; available via Core News).

Lee is no stranger to the Essential Mix, with prior sets back in 2015, and waay back in 2000 with Craig Richards (MixesDB x 2).

Shlohmo was promoting his forthcoming album, The End, available with preview tracks there on Bandcamp, with nine more releases on Bandcamp to boot.

Jayda G was also promoting her forthcoming album, Significant Changes, also on Bandcamp, where she has five more releases to check out.

Josey Rebelle is a widely lauded DJ, as recounted by Resident Advisor, and she has a ton of music up on Soundcloud.

posted by filthy light thief (14 comments total)

The blurb from the Essential Mix main page is currently: "The world's biggest DJs on the world's biggest decks." I'm not sure why you would dump on them for not being underground enough.

Also, if there is better stuff underground elsewhere, please share!
posted by ropeladder at 11:08 AM on March 16, 2019 [9 favorites]

+1 for Josey Rebelle, who played for us a cpl years ago and blew the roof off. Jayda G is also a total badass.
posted by LMGM at 11:26 AM on March 16, 2019

I've loved the Essential Mix series for an eternity but yes, there is other music to share.

*rolls up sleeves*

Minimal:
Stephan Bodzin @ Piz Gloria for Cercle
ANNA vinyl DJ set @ Les Pavillons des Etangs for Cercle

Straight up banging techno:
Amelie Lens - The Tunnel mix
Charlotte de Witte - The Tunnel

Squelchy New Zealand psy festival tunes:
Grouch - Live at Boom Festival 2016
Tom Cosm - Happy Daze

Euphoric post-rave:
Bicep at Printworks 2018 | Resident Advisor

Abstract and ambient:
Ishome at Krasnaya Polyana @37tunes
Nicolas Jaar & Moderat & David August - Pulse 1.5
Moderat & Tale Of Us - Pulse 1.2
Max Cooper - Resonant States mix

Of those, Bodzin, Bicep, Cooper, Jaar, and Moderat have done Essential Mixes. However, the Essential Mix series is vast, contains multitudes, and will continue infinitely. I'm sure that by the time of the heat death of the universe, all DJs will have had the chance to appear on those hallowed decks.
posted by happyinmotion at 11:41 AM on March 16, 2019 [8 favorites]

I'm sure that by the time of the heat death of the universe, all DJs will have had the chance to appear on those hallowed decks.

You haven't truly arrived as a DJ until Pete Tong mispronounces your name.
posted by Uncle Ira at 11:47 AM on March 16, 2019 [3 favorites]

I saw Josey Rebelle play here in Amsterdam at an acceptably hip venue recently and she blew the doors off. Just because it's popular doesn't mean it's bad!
posted by thedaniel at 12:18 PM on March 16, 2019

Always appreciate Essential Mix roundup posts on Mefi. Although I often enjoy them, I don't actively track them and will go months or sometimes years without digging in, then when I do get the urge it can be a little overwhelming looking through the variety.
posted by mannequito at 12:37 PM on March 16, 2019

Essential Mix, pah. If it's not Merzbow playing Stockhausen in an air raid siren factory while 400 old valve radios are tuned to white noise and a 303 is launched into space it's just populist pap.

Now if you'll excuse me I am off to listen to RCP - Radio Crown Point, South London's most anti-populist pirate station. It's story time with Bernard Cribbins and Burial.
posted by fallingbadgers at 12:37 PM on March 16, 2019 [4 favorites]

Mike Simonetti on Beats in Space a few weeks ago. Haven't been keeping up as much, but this really floored me.
posted by BigBrooklyn at 1:03 PM on March 16, 2019 [1 favorite]

Thanks for the post and all the additional suggestions! Only recently have I gotten a net connection stable enough for streaming audio, so this is extremely relevant to my interests.
posted by inexorably_forward at 1:56 PM on March 16, 2019 [1 favorite]

I am a big fan of Kodiak Kid, who plays mid-tempo, which seems to be a sound that is big in Australia and New Zealand, but not in Europe.

Here's a great afternoon set from last year, during which there's rain, sunshine, lightning and fire! Some great footage that really takes you into the festival (audio only version). Loads of fun! Also bass.

Meanwhile, in France people are re-editing African tunes, beefing them up in a 21st century disco edit style! DJ Turbo Boom Boom drops a bunch of groovy monsters in this radio show, if you can forgive the mixing. A lot of them seem to come from the Mawimbi label, which is a pretty rich source of flavour.
posted by asok at 6:38 PM on March 16, 2019 [3 favorites]

Here's another superb set from last year courtesy of JNETT, playing all sorts of stuff from the past 30 years.
posted by asok at 6:49 PM on March 16, 2019 [1 favorite]

As far as I am concerned, Tom Middleton's 2005 Essential Mix is one of the top mixes ever: Chemical Brothers, Mr Oizo, John Williams, Ennio Moricone, Bebel Gilberto, Amerie, Kerri Chandler, Daft Punk, Joey Negro, and ending with Tomita, Carl Sagan, Vangelis.
posted by gen at 9:06 PM on March 16, 2019 [3 favorites]

It's all good, always new stuff for me to check out in these posts, thanks for all the links everyone!
posted by carter at 7:19 AM on March 17, 2019

+1 for that Bicep set linked up above. Sits nicely between Four Tet and peak Orbital/Underworld. Will check out these other mixes - thanks for the post!
posted by shortfuse at 4:39 PM on March 17, 2019 [1 favorite]