ASC is definitely one of the most interesting dubstep/electronica producers currently inhabiting our glorious planet, his recent LP Nothing is Certain was a tranquil triumph and everything he creates seems to be more delicate and exquisite than what came before. He’s also a pretty prolific DJ and every now and again drops an intriguing ambient mix on his blog. The suitably titled ‘Deep Space Mix 15′ is essentially a 50 minute atmospheric soundscape that submerges you in aural depths as chasmic as infinite…well…space. Beautifully relaxed yet languidly interesting, this is one to slide on when you really need to take a step back and collect yourself.
For some people chiptunes are the aural equivalent of being chainsawed in half, they just can’t handle the awesome lo-bit vibes. For others — myself included — they’re sick. I was brought up on the sound of my Gameboy and Megadrive beeping out dope little tunes and listening to chip music is as exhilarating as listening to the soundtrack from Street Fighter, Toejam and Earl or James Pond II: Codename Robocod (classic). This mix by Henry Homesweet is a comprehensive collection of some of the sickest modern chip available and it’s pure madness. Get your head out of the yoghurt pot and bang it against your Amiga instead!
Recorded at Thekla in Bristol for the Foo Magazine versus Monkey!Knife!Fight! night a couple of weeks ago, ‘The History of Dubstep’ is Plastician’s masterfully compiled journey charting the genre’s evolution from its humble garage beginnings to the diverse landscape we know today. Featuring tunes by the likes of Wookie, Skream, Flux Pavilion, Artwork, DJ Zinc and Sukh Knight, there’s a huge amount of quality running through this mix and some equally good MCing from P-Money — the guy who destroyed Ghetts — augmenting proceedings. If there’s one thing you download today, don’t let it be another Anal Adventure flick…let it be this.
I don’t know what Socket Science eats for breakfast but whatever it is, it’s the perfect fuel for producing ridiculous mixes. His latest melange of electronic goodness was strung together exclusively for Belgian blog SSSSound, and appears as the 7th incarnation in their SSSSoundtrack series. Entitled ‘The Subway Edition’, it’s a characteristically diverse blend of captivating tunes from the likes of Joy Orbison, Four Tet, Astor Bell colleagues Caribou and Bubble Shield and, amongst others, Socket Science himself. Beginning with the jazzily beguiling ‘Minimal Elvis’, it soon becomes clear that proceedings are going to enchant more than Cinderella with a pumpkin on her head and, well, they most certainly do. Gui Boratto’s remix of Simian Mobile Disco’s ‘Bad Blood’ marks my personal high point but the whole thing is through and through quality. Mmmmm delicious.
Bang it on, punch a nun, have a barbecue. What more is there to say?
Lord knows I’ve been rinsing Socket Science’s insane Moon Landing Mix ever since the sun first rose in the West, so imagine my delight when another member of the Astor Bell roster dropped a new selection for my listening pleasure. Dubbed ‘Empire’, Mattias Edholm’s latest minimal conglomeration comprises just over an hour’s worth of disconcerting aural delicacies. Featuring the likes of Steve Bug, D.Diggler, Mike Wall and Mikael Stavöstrand, a distinct sense of foreboding characterises this peculiarly hypnotic mix and every time I listen to it, I feel like someone’s creeping up behind me. Nevertheless, I’ve fused it thoroughly into my stereo and it’s smiling at me via the graphic equalizer like a stoned dalek. Excellent.
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It’s still as cold as a Nazi’s heart here at the moment, so there’s really nothing else for me to do except sit inside, cover myself in wool and goose fat and pound out…uh…massive tunes. I’m sure HxDB will be excited at the prospect of me in this state hypnotically swaying to his recently unleashed Sicknote Vol. 7 mix, an hour-long blanket of swelling atmosphere and bass, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Packed to the rafters with unparalleled ambient dubstep, Vol. 7’s roster includes Phaelah, Desto, Headhunter, Djunya, Mount Kimbie and a number of others who have the ability to instil a feeling of nebulous calm. Particular highlights, however, come in the form of Hyetal’s ‘Secret’ and Desto’s characteristically beautiful ‘Bounce’.
I’m getting a little bit addicted to these chilled out mixes, I reckon I may soon crumble into dust and spend the rest of my existence swirling around the scene of a Constable painting. It wouldn’t be so bad I guess…
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