Skanking with The Droid - Live @ Firehouse Skank 09/10/02

As you can probably tell from the title, I decided to go with some more reggae for our last mix of the year, and it’s another oldie – a recording of a set I played at Dublin’s Firehouse Skank sound in 2002. For those that don’t know, Firehouse was at one time: Dublin’s longest running club and Irelands first Soundsystem, running out of the basement of the Parnell Mooney opposite the Rotunda Hospital in the northside of the city centre on Wednesday nights, the skank was unique, an oasis of bass, dread and smoke, where you could find a mix of black and white faces even before the ‘Celtic Tiger' and African immigration became a reality here. I use the past tense because unfortunately Firehouse ceased regular business in Dublin in early 2004, and is now venueless here, though they do run semi-regular nights in Belfast. Oh BTW, I didnt know I could put something cool after my name on the flyer, otherwise I would have come up with something suitably pun-tastic...

Anyway – I was privileged enough to get an opportunity to play The Skank in its original setting in Oct of 2002, and at the risk of sounding obsequious, it was one of the best gigs I ever played - beautiful sound-system, great crowd, and good vibes all night. Far from worsening my already shaky nerves, the professional and attentive presence of sound operators Enda and Paul meant that all had to do was concentrate on my selection… and in a DJng career marred by dodgy club monitors, the Firehouse gig stands out in my memory as being the only time where the sound behind the decks was so loud and clear that I had to lean away from the speaker to stop my ears from aching! Perfect!

I’ve discussed many of these artists before, so Im going to try and keep my spiel to a minimum this time round and let the music speak for itself. The set is broken up into three sections, as I alternated with Paul and Enda during the night. Roughly speaking, selection 1 covers the start of the night, selection 2, sometime in the middle, and selection 3, (generously) the last half an hour or so before closing. Technically speaking, there are a few things you need to know about this one: The recording included a mic pick up from the floor – so there’s a lot of crowd noise and reflected sound, and the bass is very heavy in a few places. As it was recorded onto minidisk, there’s also the odd glitch or weird bit of compression and I had to resuscitate a few long dead CDRs to get this MP3 – so again, I ended up with a few artefacts here and there – all of which I’ve left in… overall it still sounds pretty good IMO.

192kbps MP3 as usual – no cover on this one as its too long for a CD – plus, given my to-do list at the moment, you’d be waiting a long time for one… The MP3 is tagged and bagged as usual, and you’ll find the tracklisting in the ZIP.

Skanking with The Droid - Live @ Firehouse Skank 091002 (96.5mb.zip)

(00:00) 1. Junjo Lawes - Far East Version - Volcano (Far East Riddim)
(02:31) 2. The Hombres - Africa - Pressure Sounds (Unknown Riddim)
(05:44) 3. Lee Perry - The Lion - VP (Unknown Riddim)
(09:06) 4. The Upsetter - Foundation Dub - Pressure Sounds (Unknown Riddim)
(12:28) 5. Jahmali - Long Long Time - Digital B (Fade Away Riddim)
(14:40) 6. Morgan Heritage - Blackmans Paradise - Digital B (Fade Away Riddim)
(17:49) 7. Bobby Digital - Fade Away Version - Digital B (Fade Away Riddim)
(20:55) 8. Bounty Killer/Redrose/Anthony B/Jack Radics - Dancing - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)
(23:57) 9. Natural Black - Beat and Shoot - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)
(26:12) 10. Raggedy Joe - Stop That Train Riddim - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)
(28:44) 11. President Brown - Unity Train - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)

--------------------------- End of Selection 1 -----------------------------

(32:02) 12. Glen Washington - One Bright Morning - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(34:24) 13. Bushman - Higher - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(35:58) 14. Freddie McGregor - Hand in the Fire - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(39:08) 15. Stingray All Stars - Lava Version - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(41:58) 16. Anthony B - Third Eye Blind - Easy Star (Thai Stick Riddim)
(44:03) 17. Luciano - Hopes on High - Easy Star (Thai Stick Riddim)
(45:28) 18. Easy Star - Thai Stick Version - Easy Star (Thai Stick Riddim)
(48:49) 19. Mikey General/General Pecos - Love is What we Need - Cylton (Praises Riddim)
(51:14) 20. Luciano - Black Woman - Cylton (Praises Riddim)
(52:47) 21. Cylton - Praises version - Cylton (Praises Riddim)
(55:44) 22. Ninjaman - Madda Bawl - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(58:14) 23. Bushman - Nubian Woman - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(60:25) 24. Anthony B - Bigga Happiness - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(61:33) 25. Junior Kelly - Dem and Those - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(63:44) 26. Luciano - Old King Jephter - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(64:39) 27. Love Promotion - Debate Version - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(67:51) 27. Slim Smith & The Uniques - My Conversation - Lee's/Trojan (My Conversation Riddim)

----------------------------- End of Selection 2 -----------------------------

(71:10) 29. Terror Fabulous - Gangsters Anthem - Madhouse (Gangsters Anthem Riddim)
(73:12) 30. Louie Culture - Bogus Badge - Madhouse (Gangsters Anthem Riddim)
(74:56) 31. Dave Kelly - Gangsters Anthem Version - Madhouse (Gangsters Anthem Riddim)
(77:10) 32. General TK - How Dem Fi Stop You - One Time (Cuss Cuss Riddim)
(79:24) 33. Michael Rose - Money - One Time (Cuss Cuss Riddim)
(80:39) 34. Jah Screw - Cuss Cuss Version - One Time (Cuss Cuss Riddim)
(83:12) 35. Sizzla - Brainwash - Crown Star (Brainwash Riddim)

Selection 1:

(00:00) 1. Junjo Lawes - Far East Version - Volcano (Far East Riddim)
(02:31) 2. The Hombres - Africa - Pressure Sounds (Unknown Riddim)
(05:44) 3. Lee Perry - The Lion - VP (Unknown Riddim)
(09:06) 4. The Upsetter - Foundation Dub - Pressure Sounds (Unknown Riddim)

Starting off nice and easy with a sweet volcano dub of 'Far East' - which always brings to mind Sugar Minotts Studio classic 'Jah Jah Children'. The first of many effects and FX segues us into a trio of 1977 Lee Perry productions, which features 'The Lion', a tune from Perry's legendary 'Return of the Super Ape' LP sandwiched between a bit of compilation pressure in the form of a vocal and version of the Hombres 'Africa' - all on an unknown riddim.

(12:28) 5. Jahmali - Long Long Time - Digital B (Fade Away Riddim)
(14:40) 6. Morgan Heritage - Blackmans Paradise - Digital B (Fade Away Riddim)
(17:49) 7. Bobby Digital - Fade Away Version - Digital B (Fade Away Riddim)
(20:55) 8. Bounty Killer/Redrose/Anthony B/Jack Radics - Dancing - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)
(23:57) 9. Natural Black - Beat and Shoot - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)
(26:12) 10.Raggedy Joe - Stop That Train Riddim - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)
(28:44) 11. President Brown - Unity Train - Greensleeves (Stop That Train Riddim)

Into the 90's conciousness with roots stalwart Bobby Digitals re-version of Junior Byles' 'Fade Away', a riddim which was also the basis of the digital dancehall classic the 'Peanie Peanie'. Morgan Heritage and Jahmali provide the vocals as a touch of juggling starts to make things a bit more interesting. 'Stop that Train' is, of course, based on the early 70's Derrick Harriot classic of the same name. 4 pieces on this tuff re-version, from the lyrically dense 'Dancing' to a twangy dub, and ending with a tune from President Brown, whose tune 'Microchip' also featured on Droid Inna Dancehall 2.

Selection 2:

(32:02) 12. Glen Washington - One Bright Morning - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(34:24) 13. Bushman - Higher - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(35:58) 14. Freddie McGregor - Hand in the Fire - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(39:08) 15. Stingray All Stars - Lava Version - Stingray (Lava Riddim)
(41:58) 16. Anthony B - Third Eye Blind - Easy Star (Thai Stick Riddim)
(44:03) 17. Luciano - Hopes on High - Easy Star (Thai Stick Riddim)
(45:28) 18. Easy Star - Thai Stick Version - Easy Star (Thai Stick Riddim)
(48:49) 19. Mikey General/General Pecos - Love is what we Need - Cylton (Praises Riddim)
(51:14) 20. Luciano - Black Woman - Cylton (Praises Riddim)
(52:47) 21. Cylton - Praises version - Cylton (Praises Riddim)

One of the things about mixing Dancehall and Reggae in comparison to Jungle or Techno, is that the focus of the mix is all concentrated on that moment where one tune flips to another. With 'traditional' dance music, the emphasis is on layering one tune over another, like overlapping steel plates on a ships hull, when you juggle riddims its all about that moment when the two tunes meet, you’re going for a seamless weld rather than an overlap. This is what I try and go for when I’m picking a spot for the mix, and I achieved it with varying degrees of success in this selection, which consists of fairly regular vocal-vocal-version pattern of riddims.

The 'Lava' from 2000 is a bass heavy roots deviation from a label that usually specialises in hyper-cheesy lovers tunes. There’s a bit of beat juggling going on under the Freddie McGregor cut, but I kept it (too) low out of an unreasonable fear of doubling up on the bass, and causing some damage to both ears and bassbins... 'Thai Stick' is a fairly whimsical little original riddim from 1999, with Anthony B and Luciano providing typically inspirational vocals over an eastern twinged melody, but it's Cylton's 'Praises' riddim from the same year that’s the star here, with it's bubbly bassline and infectious horn lick. The underrated Mikey General and General Pecos outdo Luciano in the earnestness stakes, but all three singers provide fine performances here before the dub rolls in...

(55:44) 22. Ninjaman - Madda Bawl - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(58:14) 23. Bushman - Nubian Woman - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(60:25) 24. Anthony B - Bigga Happiness - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(61:33) 25. Junior Kelly - Dem and Those - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(63:44) 26. Luciano - Old King Jephter - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(64:39) 27. Love Promotion - Debate Version - Love Promotion (My Conversation/Debate Riddim)
(67:51) 27. Slim Smith & The Uniques - My Conversation - Lee's/Trojan (My Conversation Riddim)

'My Conversation' is one of those classics from the dawn of reggae thats been revived time and time again - the piano lick and bassline have also been sampled a couple of times by jungilists - but I cant place the tunes. This is a nice 2000 selection from Love Promotion, the Don Gorgon rubbing shoulders with concious hitmakers Junior Kelly, Anthony B and Luciano.The dub of this is particularly nice - with big extended echoed breakdowns - filled out by the sound of an enthusiastics punter clapping into the mic. A scratchy copy of the sublime original 1969 vocal wraps ups this selection.

Selection 3:

(71:10) 29. Terror Fabulous - Gangsters Anthem - Madhouse (Gangsters Anthem Riddim)
(73:12) 30. Louie Culture - Bogus Badge - Madhouse (Gangsters Anthem Riddim)
(74:56) 31. Dave Kelly - Gangsters Anthem Version - Madhouse (Gangsters Anthem Riddim)

Another one that should be familiar to all the jungilsts - Terror Fabulous' 'Gangsters Anthem' was famously sampled by Dillinja on his '95 rinse-out 'Gangster' on Philly Blunt. The anthemic 'Bogus Badge' is possibly better than Terror's effort though, with Louie Culture pulling out all the vocal stops before being cut out by some FX and a gorgeous dub from Dave Kelly. Essential stuff.

(77:10) 32. General TK - How Dem Fi Stop You - One Time (Cuss Cuss Riddim)
(79:24) 33. Michael Rose - Money - One Time (Cuss Cuss Riddim)
(80:39) 34. Jah Screw - Cuss Cuss Version - One Time (Cuss Cuss Riddim)
(83:12) 35. Sizzla - Brainwash - Crown Star (Brainwash Riddim)

The 'Cuss Cuss' is one of the most versioned riddims ever, with Sizzla's 'Solid as a Rock' being the most recent tune to strike gold with its stepping bassline and pseudo 4/4 beat. Three 95 cuts of it here from One Time, with ex-Black Uhuru-ite Mykal Rose dominating with his hit 'Money'. Sizzla's 'Brainwash' comes out of the Cuss Cuss dub in a slightly botched fashion - I would usually mix the Braiwash dub out of it before I go into a vocal, but the lights were on, I was getting the nod from various members of staff at this stage, so I just went straight into the Sizzla, which then turned out to be the last tune - pity - as I had a great Capleton piece lined up...

Well that’s us done for this year. We're reasonably happy with our first 4 months or so of blogging, and the mixes seem to be going down fairly well. There are serious plans afoot for next year along with some BIIIIIIIG mixes, so, bandwidth problems aside, things are looking good for weareie in 2006.

Merry Christmas and Ting! - See you next year...

Sovereign Rhythms Vol. 2 - A 1993 - 1995 Hardcore and Jungle Selection

Ok, back with the second half of this mix. We’ve had lots of great feedback about the first part, so hopefully this one should be at least as well received… although the concept of preferring one of these mixes mix over the other feels a little odd to me, cos I’ve always kinda thought of them as just one… thing. If there’s any difference in content here, I’d say that this part leans a little more towards the Junglistic than the first… with the overall sound getting a bit ‘blacker’ here, revealing more of the emergent reggae and hiphop influences in Jungle, and less of the nutty hardcore styles; also that this part is a little less likely to convert newcomers to old skool – it is perhaps a bit more specialist, reflecting the splintering into even-further sub-genres that was already taking place back in ’94.

Nonetheless, as ever, my intent was to play across those styles without regard for the fact that many of these producers would have considered what they were doing as very removed from one another (for example, Naughty Naughty and Hyper-on-E still flirted with the manic ‘Happy’ vibes that became Happy Hardcore – a sound that used to represent the absolute nadir of the music for ‘serious’ producers like Photek)… if anything I tried to play off these differences – indeed I sought them out, as I have ever done when mixing drum n bass music.

Download Sovereign Rhythms Vol.2 - A 1993-1995 Hardcore and Jungle Selection (102mb) (Right click and 'save as')

(00:00) 1.Hyper-on-E - Monarch Of The Glen (Moving Shadow)
(05:49) 2.Naughty Naughty - Free (Rugged Vinyl)
(09:20) 3.Unknown - LSR 028 (Lucky Spin)
(13:48) 4.Foul Play - Beats Track (Moving Shadow)
(16:06) 5.The Sentinel - Heavy Vibes (Basement)
(19:25) 6.Code Blue - Angels In Dub (Dee Jay)
(22:19) 7.Goldie - Jah The Seventh Seal (ffrr)
(26:00) 8.Intense - Time Space Continuem (Rugged Vinyl)
(30:37) 9.DJ Hype - Mash Up Da Place [Origin Unknown Remix] (Ganja)
(34:18) 10.Dillinja - Heavenly Bass (Logic Productions)
(37:47) 11.Studio Pressure - The Lightning (Photek)
(42:47) 12.DJ Crystl - Warpdrive (Dee Jay)
(47:01) 13.The Renegade - Terrorist (Moving Shadow)
(52:02) 14.DJ Nut Nut feat. Frankie Paul & Top Cat - Special Dedication (Hardstep)
(56:04) 15.Higher Sense - Bizarre [Desired State Remix] (Moving Shadow)
(59:43) 16.Omni Trio - Be There (Moving Shadow)
(63:29) 17.Tek 9 - A London Sumting (Reinforced)
(67:28) 18.Q Bass feat. Skeng Gee - Gun Connection (Suburban Base)
(70:12) 19.Inna Rhythm - Carrie (Tone Def)
(74:36) 20.Studio Pressure - Fusion (Photek)

(00:00) 1.Hyper-on-E - Monarch Of The Glen (Moving Shadow)

So, picking up from where the last one left off - Hyper-On-E justify their name once again, taking an abrupt left-turn after their gorgeous dolphin-rave intro to ‘Monarch Of The Glen’ (apparently named after a long running British TV soap/drama set in Scotland if I’m not mistaken? - no, I have no idea either!), and coming with a stunning butcher’s-block chopping of crazy-ass samplage. This one provides yet another example of just how Hyper-on-E absolutely excelled at this kind of smooth/schizo style, before they decided to get all ‘sophisticated’ with E-Z Rollers…

(05:49) 2.Naughty Naughty - Free (Rugged Vinyl)

Next up, Naughty Naughty pursue the darkly sweet sound of late ’93 on ‘Free’… little creatures emerge from the darkness… it’s OK they’re nice! hang on, they’re not! no they are, no wait, they’re not! etc. This blend of the nice with the nasty – the blurring of intensities from ecstasy to unease – and even fear – is crucial to the thread that linked Hardcore to Jungle, but which Drum n Bass long ago severed in its quest for ‘musical’ credibility… The ever-straighter ‘musical’ paths that even the best of Drum n Bass has trodden since bears out the fact that, as a distinct genre, it initially emerged as a comparatively E-free zone by comparison with Hardcore (and even by comparison with Jungle): E’s were too unstable and too likely to induce non-‘musical’ ideas… which – ultimately – are harder to sell.

(09:20) 3.Unknown - LSR 028 (Lucky Spin)
(13:48) 4.Foul Play - Beats Track (Moving Shadow)
(16:06) 5.The Sentinel - Heavy Vibes (Basement)

This seemed the perfect place to darken proceedings up a little, and so comes this dreamy number (a track I haven’t been able to identify – anyone? LSR 028?), a supremely laid-back little roller on Lucky Spin… As a lesson in making ‘chilled-out’ compelling, this one is about as good as it gets; it plays with clichés but carves a path all its own by refusing to do the obvious and instead sucks us into its strange world. Rollin on… to more rhythmic magic from The Masters: Foul Play… and if Photek didn’t learn 90% of his tricks from a close study of their work in 93/94, then I’ll eat my own shorts – and his as well if necessary. And hey! A heavy, heavy amen workout from Photek himself (aka The Sentinel) follows: it’s all here in his trademark style in ‘Heavy Vibes’, big, bold, decisive moves – no waste, but at this point (still fired up on breakbeat’s fury, and still fuelled by the vision of ‘drum n bass’ as a 3-D soundtrack to urban living rather than as a throwaway form of mass-produced entertainment) – the technique remains subservient to the vibe. Later… as the process came to take precedence over the content, the technique became the ‘vibe’ i.e. that which we are to appreciate most i.e. that which makes the track ‘work’, or ‘not work’. And so it goes…

(19:25) 6.Code Blue - Angels In Dub (Dee Jay)
(22:19) 7.Goldie - Jah The Seventh Seal (ffrr)

Rolling darkly and dubbily into ‘Angels In Dub’ from Code Blue (aka Slipmaster J, aka one half of Future Sound Of Hardcore w/ studio maestro Pete Parsons), this one plays the old-time emo-chords shamelessly (reminds me of that ol’ tear-jerker Skanna in that way), but pulls it off via deep drops into minimal echoing drum rollouts… And on, teasing in Goldie’s ‘Jah The Seventh Seal’, engineered by Dillinja for the ‘Timeless’ LP… Dillinja does some very similar drum-panning bizness to this on his own ‘Heavenly Bass’ (more of which later) – and on his ruffneck ‘Sky’ on Philly Blunt too, for that matter – but as always, Goldie knew how to get technique from the people with the skills, and then to employ it on a wider canvas. Simon Reynolds described this track as Goldie’s ‘cyber-dub riposte’ to the ragga junglists… I’m not sure how much substance there is to that (and listening to Remarc’s ‘Thunderclap’ or to numerous other examples… Mensa’s ‘Bad Boy’ on Tearin Vinyl also springs to mind), I’m not sure if I could agree at all… nonetheless, it’s an interesting way to counterpoint what Goldie was at within (roughly) the same space at that time… and by mid 95 I was certainly already gagging to hear mixtapes featuring something other than endless Amens mixed into Amens…

(26:00) 8.Intense - Time Space Continuem (Rugged Vinyl)
(30:37) 9.DJ Hype - Mash Up Da Place [Origin Unknown Remix] (Ganja)

More dark interstellar voyaging next from Intense with ‘Space Time Continuem’, living up to their name once more with ruff cuts on the drums and a widescreen sensibility on the samples. And BOH! One of my favourite Jungle tracks - Andy C and Ant Miles remixing Hype’s badboy ‘Mash Up Da Place’ on Ganja… actually I can remember thinking that the vocal sample here was “Martial Display” whilst still hearing it only on mixtapes; while it wasn’t that, I think ‘martial display’ certainly does captures something about the ballsy ruffneck intensity of this one… like the NZ rugby team doing their pre-march wardance… except there’s no rugby… and these guys eat you when they finish their moves… Where Hype’s original is rolling and ruff, this remix is pure psychedelic Jungle Surround-Sound, a mesh of interlocking grooves and martial riffs working over a vibe of pure dark energy. Savage.

(34:18) 10.Dillinja - Heavenly Bass (Logic Productions)

And now the flex from Dillinja. Holy shit. Just listening again! …. mutating the Amen rather than torturing it (which is what most amen-flexers before – and since – have been guilty of i.e. Amen-abuse)… and here he teases it into new shapes, rather than deconstructing it from the ground up like, say, Remarc. I always think of a dancer suddenly moving in slo-mo when I hear those time-stretched beats, as he fucks – not just with our sense of rhythm but with our sense of time itself. The weird thing is of course that nearly all club systems are in mono, so if you play this out you lose some of the most crucial edits in the drum-panning. But doesn’t it appeal that someone like Dillinja used neither to know – nor perhaps even to care from time to time – about some of the restrictions imposed by the environment in which his music was to be heard? That there was a time when he was expressing something in his music other than a slavish and fearful subservience to ‘technique’…?

(37:47) 11.Studio Pressure - The Lightning (Photek)
(42:47) 12.DJ Crystl - Warpdrive (Dee Jay)

And now comes the linear Photek... with ‘The Lightning’. This was the first ‘drum n bass’ record to make me think differently about mixing – very little really ‘happens’ in it, so to be really effective it has to be layered up with other tunes and dropped just right (I hadn’t come from techno, you see…). As always though with early Photek, its mood is perfectly pitched, and fine-tuned with artful subtlety… The heaviness continues with the original mix of ‘Warpdrive’ from that lost legend, the King Of The Beats: DJ Crystl (with, as always, a little help from Pete Parsons on the controls). I always imagine Crystl – the hiphop B-boy – brocking out like a rave-demon on (as he claimed) a mere quarter of a pill to this stuff shortly after his conversion to breakbeat rave. So many seriously intense tunes in such a short time, and yet Crystl had disappeared from the scene by ’96… What might have happened had he ended up in a studio with Nico during the heady days of No-U-Turn / techstep’s ascent in ‘95? One can only dream…!

(47:01) 13.The Renegade - Terrorist (Moving Shadow)
(52:02) 14.DJ Nut Nut feat. Frankie Paul & Top Cat - Special Dedication (Hardstep)

Ray Keith’s anthemic ‘Terrorist’ gets a seriously deep and moody reworking from Grooverider next. Still cutting up his beats and piling them atop one another with little concern for technique at this stage (no surprise that in the long term he pushed ‘Hardstep’: the style with the easier-to-mix-and-make beats!), the effect here is nonetheless fat as fuck… Grooverider always had a good ear for picking just the right samples to create a unique vibe… no-one else ever sounded quite like him... And on to another one of my favourites (you’ll be getting a lot of that in here!): ‘Special Dedication’ from DJ Nut Nut… with vocals from reggae veterans Frankie Paul and Top Cat. A slick-as-fuck blend of street-rudeness with wilful ‘musicality’ (check the breakdown, where everything just… times out….), this is for anyone who thinks that they don’t like ‘ragga jungle’.

(56:04) 15.Higher Sense - Bizarre [Desired State Remix] (Moving Shadow)
(59:43) 16.Omni Trio - Be There (Moving Shadow)

Next: the remix of ‘Bizarre’ from Higher Sense on Ram… so busy, teetering on the claustrophobic – you can feel the darkness all round, but there’s still a light at the heart of the music at this point: hence the overall charged, upbeat vibe on here. Which is exactly where Omni Trio fits in – at precisely the point where the darkness can still be dissipated by the optimism of ecstasy. This track is off the ‘Renegade Snares’ 12”… can’t say as I’ve ever heard anyone else play it… ever! Apart from being a motherfucker to mix, many of Rob Haigh’s startling tracks were too ‘pop-weird’ for the emergent Jungle scene in ’94 despite the success of ‘Renegade Snares’… and thus many kinda got overlooked, in my book. This one, ‘I’ll Be There’, is a strange electro-skinny rush of hyped-up mood switching – ebullient one moment, and then uncertain the next – and it’s that tension that keeps it vital.

(63:29) 17.Tek 9 - A London Sumting (Reinforced)

On to the Dollis Hill cru now, as they don their Tek 9 hoodies to show the ’94 Junglists just how to ruffen things up but in fine style – on their extraordinary rework of Code 071’s ‘A London Sumting’. With its spliced-n-diced vocals ‘n’ drums teasing out the tension behind the coolness, this track exhibits a kind of staggering poise: so minimal, so finely executed… and yet so raw – an absolute masterpiece that, like the best graffiti art, somehow manages to seem like it was just thrown up on the fly. Awesome.

(67:28) 18.Q Bass feat. Skeng Gee - Gun Connection (Suburban Base)
(70:12) 19.Inna Rhythm - Carrie (Tone Def)

Q Bass aka Suburban Base supremo Dan Donnelly comes next with a track that sounds like it was made in the 19th century (that loop sounds positively steam-powered!)… with nary a hint of synthesis, he pushes the clattering woodblock drums and the ghetto-style vocal to the fore, and the track sounds all the tougher for it… “take out me riiizlaaa, me take oot Em-bass-y!” And then dropping straight into a beautiful deep roller from Darren Jay’s Tone Def label: Inna Rhythm with ‘Carrie’. Again it’s all in the samples (taken from the movie)… but they’re applied with a delicacy of touch here that put this track in a league of its own; one can only imagine how a remix done in today’s style would approach using such source material…! Aieeeeeeeee

(74:36) 20.Studio Pressure - Fusion (Photek)

And paving the way for ‘95… we round off with Photek once more, and just the merest touch of his sweetly vibrant ‘Fusion’ (the name still does my head in) before fade-out! That’s it, Part 3 has yet to be recorded, so seeya in 2009 hahaha! Big up to Droid once again for getting this mix up and out – and please take the time just to say hi on here if you’ve downloaded and enjoyed this mix or indeed any of the mixes: poor old Droid needs just a little encouragement from Humankind occasionally despite his apparent heart of steel!

Pon Pause...

Now matter how I try, I cant seem to get into a good posting rhythm here.. the Christmas season with its many distractions provides the latest excuse - so apologies for the recent silence. Our only defence is that it takes a lot of time and energy to get these mix-packages together - so please bear with us...

The good news is that Sovereign Rhythms 2 is undergoing final flight checks, and should be here today at some point. We got a great response from the Jungilists on the last one – so if you like it – don’t be shy, and leave a comment… I reckon we should get one more mix in before Christmas as well – Im debating whether or not to go for some more reggae, or a bit of hardcore…

Anyway – as usual, things have been happening in our absence. John Eden has returned from his African adventures with some fascinating tales of life in Uganda, Gutterbreakz has filled in a few blanks in my ‘ardcore data bank with his excellent post (and link to a mix) on Belgian Nu-beat, Blackdown has embarked on an extensive Grime + Dubstep 2005 round up, and the esteemed Woebot has come out of retirement.

The old mixes are a bit thin on the ground at the moment - though Matt B's ‘Lifes Road’ reggae mix, Paul Hotflush’s N4 dubstep mix, Logan Sama, Jammer, Skepta, Ears and Riko live at ‘Whutt’, and Aaron Spectre's 'Life we promote' breakcore extravagnaza have been filling in the gaps nicely. Interesting project brewing over at Subvert central as well… more on that as it develops.

Before I forget, Ive got a few new links for the sidebar: Jungle Farmer, Sonic Truth, Wretched Matt, Riddim Method, DRTY SHDWS, Anchormix, Psychbloke, Logan Sama, Pattern Loader, Boomnoise, Halvorsen, Headphone Sex... Lack of time prohibits me from giving these blogs the introduction they deserve, but there are all, of course excellent, and come with our highest recommendations…