Kieran Hebden a.k.a. Four Tet is one super talented dude. I guess I was kinda late discovering him, only really picking up on his stuff after I heard Joy Orbison’s wicked remix of his beautiful tune ‘Love Cry’. He has just released an incredible new album, There is Love in You, which I highly recommend getting hold of. He deftly incorporates elements of hip hop, techno, jazz, house, electronica and live instrumentation to create amazing music.
This mix for Radio 1′s essential mix show on the 23rd of January is a genre bending electronic delight, proving he is just as talented as selector as he is as producer. Perfect for late nights, dark rooms and serious conversations. Can also vouch for it as the perfect accompaniment to a tight deadline.
2009 has been an interesting year for me musically. It has seen my tastes broaden considerably after a few years where my musical diet consisted almost solely of drum & bass and hip hop. This year I have really enjoyed exploring house, dubstep, dancehall, the odd bit of rock, pop, and a bit of who-knows-what-to-call-it. I also love the way that at the same time a whole lot of these artificial genre barriers are disappearing, with producers and DJs surprising people on a regular basis. I have discovered (and rediscovered) some amazing artists that perhaps I would have missed out on had I remained so musically myopic.
Having said all that though, drum & bass is still the music that I feel more connection with than any other. I have loved the way that the sound has continued to evolve, particularly the melodic, musical & minimal stuff that artists like Instra:Mental, Alix Perez, Lynx, Bop, dBridge, Consequence, ASC, Spectrasoul, Commix, Blu Mar Ten, and more have been absolutely killing in 2009. For my December 2009 mix of the month I was trying to find something that really represented this sound.
This mix from Blu Mar Ten released back in September has been slowly bubbling away on my playlist ever since. It is totally incredible. This is definitely in my top 10 mixes of the year, of any genre. One thing I really love about it is that it is predominantly music from artists that I had heard very little from before (you can read more about the new talent featured on the mix over on the BMT site). As well as showcasing some of the aforementioned minimal, melodic sounds they also work in a range of other stuff, and it is all beautifully put together. This is one mix that is well worth checking out.
Trilogy is a new collaborative music project of one of my favourite Frenchmen Redeyes, teaming up with Youthman and Luce. As well as producing some beautiful music they have just banged out this killer mixtape.
Continuing with my current appetite for variety this is a multi-genre masterpiece, with a bit of downbeat, funk, hip hop, dubstep, house and not-quite-sure-what-to-call-it-but-it’s-awesome. Just in time for your sunny summer road trip.
Dorian Concept – Bi Polar Friendship – Mar Variation
Electric Wire Hustle – Chaser
Julien Dyne – Fallin Down
Trilogy – Brother Dont Cry
Gangstarr – Fala
Notorious BIG – Suicidal Thoughts – Lorn Remix
Take – Fall in Love Again
Hudson Mohawke – Rising 5
Dam Funk – Searchin 4 Funks Future
Floating Points – Truly
Simbad – Digital Revolution
Falty DL – To London
Pepe Bradock – Deep Burnt
Simbad vs D’angelo – Keep da Move
Donaeo – Riot Music
Joy Orbison – Wet Look
Instra:Mental – Futurist
Alix Perez ft Truth & Lynx – No Grudge
Dark Knight – Broken Beats
Martyn – Yet
Ramadanman – Revenue
Untold – Palamino
You can get it for yourself right here [right click, save as]
Even if you don’t download the mix you should definitely check this tune – Brother Don’t Cry. If you like stuff from people like Cinematic Orchestra, 4Hero, and Kinobe then I am sure that you will dig.
Version3.0 is the virtual home of me, Duncan Blair. You will find me writing about an eclectic mix of branding, marketing, music, things that look good, and anything else that I find interesting. For more about me, head on over to find out all about version3.0.
