A look back at some of my favorite DJ mixes...
BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix has been a mainstay of electronic dance music for nearly 30 years at this point. Hosted by Pete Tong, it provides a weekly listen to some of the best DJs on the planet.
Now, I'll be the first to admit that I am not all that current on my Essential Mix listening. I went from being a weekly listener, to a causal listener and finally to the sort of fan who remembers to check out the listing a few times a year and check out the mix of the year. But I also regularly return to some of my favorite mixes of yesteryear, so I thought I'd share them with you here
PLEASE NOTE that this is not an attempt at a top 10 list or anything. These are just some of the mixes I remember fondly and I might be leaving off some killer ones that published during the same time period. Liekwise, I'm 100 percent sure I just haven't heard some really solid ones from the past several years.
So anyway, here are some CURRENT streams of the mixes in question, followed by some brief thoughts from me. Naturally, not all of these will stay up, so enjoy them while you can...
MYLO: If memory serves, this was one of the first Essential Mixes I fell in love with -- included on an old, first generation iPod I purchased off my friend Dave over at Timid Futures. Mylo's work here is hard for me to compare to a lot of mixes, because it was somewhat foundational for me in many respects. Everything else I heard kind of came in the wake of Mylo.
COLDCUT: Ok, so the soundcloud file for this one does not embed, but I have to include this 2006 Coldcut mix here as well. This another foundational mix for me, introducing me to a wilder style of mixing -- incorporating everything from KRS-One to a 1932 recording of Teddy Bears' Picnic. The mix also introduced me to the wonderful world of Solid Steel Radio, which I'll have to feature in another post.
UNKLE: Another foundational mix for me, this mix from Unkle Sounds displays just how eclectic and weird a mix can be while also maintaining a sense of oneness. "Blast this shit, just turn the whole shit up" remains one of my favorite samples of all time in a mix -- and that mashup of Shout by Tears for Fear and DMX's Who We Be is inspired. Unkle founder James Lavelle will come up again on this list.
DIGITALISM: This mix from German duo Digitalism is pure adrenaline. Unrelenting dance.
SCRATCH PERVERTS: An absolutely epic hip-hop mix here with a track list a mile long. It's absolutely killer -- and I seem to remember DJ Irk saying this was one of his all-time favorites as well.
THE PSYCHONAUTS: Man, this was another foundational one for me. Part of it is the excellent use of vaguely sci-fi sampling at the very beginning -- and from there it just evolves into an excellent mix, featuring tons of great tracks. The whole thing is great, but the opening stretch is flawless.
JACQUES LU CONT: This is just one of the monikers of Stuart Price, so you might know him better as part of Zoot Woman or Paper Faces. He's also a major producer, having worked with the likes of Madonna. This mix features everyone from Depeche Mode and Daft Punk to The Pixies, Justice and Digitalism. Another flawless sound tapestry.
ANDREW WEATHERALL: Oh man, this one goes back to 1993 and it features the late, great Andrew Weatherall. One half of the Two Lone Swordsmen, Weatherall was a legend. He was quite prolific and, if you find a mix he did for any various radio show or music podcast, I guarantee you it's worth your time. Here's a great starting place for you, but there's at least 900 more hours of his work to consume.
THE TWELVES: Just a relentless mix featuring a whole host of artists that I adore. You've got Fever Ray, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk, LCD Sound System, Class Candy, Mr. Oizo -- and that's just the first few minutes really.
LINDSTROM AND PRINS THOMAS: This is a bit more laid back than the last mix -- certainly in its early stages -- but it's a really incredible mix that I have listened to an absurd amount. It brings you up, settles you back down. It just has a tremendous arc to it.
TIGA: Fantastic use of LCD Soundsystem's Tribulations on this one -- just one detail in a great mix. I notice that Tiga came back in 2018 for another Essential Mix as well, so now I know what I'm listening to next.
BOOKA SHADE: I'll be honest. I don't really remember this one all that much, but I kept a copy of it so 2006 me must have known what they were doing. Diving back into it now, it's certainly solid and filled with driving beats from the German house duo.
MARK RONSON: Mark kicks this one off with his version of Britney Spears' Toxic featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Tiggers -- and that alone is enough of a reason to praise this mix. Incredible track, but the rest of the mix is killer as well.
I hope you found something in there you dig. Again, check out the Essential Mix on Radio 1 for a whole wealth of dance music evolution.
Image credit: Marcela Laskoski via Unsplash
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