[Above image credit: Ian Ramsey – IGRPhoto] Typically, choosing the mix of the week is a long and arduous task. As it states in the title it is made up of mixes old and new, found by trawling through mixesdb and listening to around 10 mixes a week looking for… Read More »Mixes to Dig: RA.544 Craig Richards
Pev and Kowton’s raw code is a great example of the highly consistent dance music coming out of Bristol, especially their label that they co-founded with Asusu. However, this release was on Hessle Audio and “Raw Code” typifies the city’s sound. Bright synths open the piece followed by heavy syncopate… Read More »Tune of the Week: Peverelist & Kowton – Raw Code
Kicking off our project launch, we sat down with Tom Allman and James Nortey-Glover (Jambo), Mantissa’s resident DJ’s, for a sneak peak inside the world of Mantissa.
Dwayne Jensen’s my people is a serious dance floor killer – true to the party sound yet feels like a basement banger. Lovely soulful vocal samples interject with chord stabs and uplifting horns. But it’s the descending bassline that drives the tune with its swing and fullness. A gift to the… Read More »Tune of the Week: Dwayne Jensen – My People
Charlie Bones, in a similar vane to Gilles Peterson is a true fan of music. Playing just about anything, and hosting some of the biggest names on the scene, his sense of humour is perfect for the morning hours during a long work day. Highlight guests on his show have… Read More »Mixes to Dig: Do!! You!!! Breakfast w/Charlie Bones (Prince Tribute)
Release: Bruce – I’m Alright Mate (Timedance) 2016 has been a productive year for Bristol-based label Timedance. Perhaps their strongest release courtesy of Bruce with his exemplary I’m Alright Mate EP. The title track from the EP is an incredibly satisfying journey through broken techno and is my Track of… Read More »A Review: Max's 2016
Release: Skee Mask – Shred 08 (Illian Tape) Arguably the best album of 2016, Skee Mask’s “Shred” exemplified the anonymous producer’s ability to fuse heavy clubbier beats with more ambient styles. From this album, “Shred 08” has to be the pick of the bunch. Intrepid breaks form the backbone of… Read More »A Review: Frank's 2016
Release: Tessela – Up Up is a track that I heard kind of sporadically throughout the summer in 2016, with the likes of Ben UFO and Jackmaster both dropping it throughout June and July. There’s something about many Tessela tunes that gets my heart pumping, his beats have this inherent… Read More »A Review: Ben's 2016
Release: Etapp Kyle – Ahora [Ost Gut Ton] Looking back over a whole year, it’s difficult to select a favourite release. I’m normally most excited by recent finds, and few tracks have enough staying power to stick with me. Etapp Kyle’s Ahora is an exception to this. I first heard… Read More »A Review: Gavin's 2016
Release: Laksa – Contrasts (Timedance) Laksa’s release Contrasts, on the Timedance label has made it to my pick as one of the best tunes to come out this year. The wall banging kicks and scratchy percussion set it off nicely, and the tune really starts getting into itself just after… Read More »A Review: Tom Allman's 2016