XLR8R Podcast 351: Fracture

After nearly a decade in dance music purgatory, drum & bass and jungle have gradually worked their way back into the spotlight. Throughout this process, few labels have proven more reliable than dBridge's Exit Records, and the imprint's latest offering, the Loving Touch EP, comes from Fracture (a.k.a. Charlie Fieber), a veteran UK producer who also heads up a quality imprint of his own, Astrophonica, with partner and frequent collaborator Neptune. On the record's title track, Fracture flips Ralphi Rosario's and Xavier Gold's house classic "You Used to Hold Me" into a hyperkinetic piece of drum & bass, while the remainder of the EP finds him working bits of footwork, grime, hip-hop, and dubstep into a jungle template. On a basic level, this sort of hybridization and creativity is at least partially responsible for the revitalization of drum & bass, and hearing these tunes left us curious about how the approach would work in an elongated format. As such, we invited Fracture to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

Right off the bat, the mix is brimming with energy. Drum & bass is a naturally hyperactive sound to begin with, but when infused with low-end-heavy blasts and frequent rhythmic change-ups, the music takes on a whole new vibrance. Over the course of nearly an hour, Fracture employs many of his own tracks—although many of these numbers are collaborative—but he also enlists the talents of like-minded jungle experimenters like Om Unit, DJ Spinn, and Addison Groove. It's not a session for the faint of heart.

Track list:

01 Taso "Lose You"
02 MP ­"U Dont Know Me" (MP)
03 Addison Groove "Masamune" (50Weapons)
04 Fracture "Bump 2 Dis"
05 Om Unit "Nuff Music (feat. Moresounds)" (Cosmic Bridge)
06 DJ Spinn "Dubby"
07 Fracture "Dead and Bury (feat. Moresounds)" (Astrophonica)
08 Fracture "Jam #1 (feat. DJ Spinn & Taso)"
09 DJ Monita "Luv Ta Luv Ya (Fracture's Astrophonica Remix)" (Skeleton)
10 Kid Lib "Soundmove" (Green Bay Wax)
11 Fracture "Loving Touch" ­(Exit)
12 Fracture "Back It Up (feat. Sam Binga & Rider Shafique)" (Astrophonica)
13 Fracture ­"Grippin' Grain (feat. Sam Binga)" ­(Exit)
14 Fracture "From Early (feat. Chimpo) (Fracture's Reduction Mix)" (Metalheadz)
15 Moresounds "Pure Niceness" (Astrophonica)
16 Overlook "Empires"
17 Great Dane "Invite Only" (Alpha Pup)
18 Fracture "She Want It Ruff (feat. Sam Binga & Rider Shafique)" (Astrophonica)
19 Fracture "Whatever (feat. Neptune)" (Astrophonica)
20 Moresounds "Rahstok"

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XLR8R Podcast 318: Special Request

It's not often that an already successful artist comes up with a new alias and sees their career trajectory suddenly jump to another level, but that's exactly what seems to have happened to Paul Woolford. For more than a decade, the UK producer has been releasing a steady stream of well-received music, both under his own name and a variety of monikers, including Bobby Peru, Hip Therapist, and Skip Donahue. Still, at the start of 2012, he was still generally known as Paul Woolford, respectable and reliable techno producer. It wasn't until he began making hardcore- and jungle-referencing music as Special Request that things started to change. Initially issuing a series of white-label 12"s, the project was eventually snapped up by the young Houndstooth, which has just released the first Special Request LP, Soul Music. Coming at a time when nostalgia for the pirate-radio era and a renewed interest in jungle and drum & bass appears to be surging, Special Request has quite simply exploded, placing Woolford on a bigger stage than ever before. Given that, it seemed like the perfect time for the veteran producer to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. To be clear, this is most definitely a Special Request—and not a Paul Woolford—podcast; right off the bat, it delves into the breakneck rhythms of jungle and keeps the throttle floored for more than an hour. Bringing together both vintage cuts and newer productions, Woolford makes a compelling case for the genre's vibrancy before wrapping things up with a noisy bit of sonic exploration from Alva Noto. He's clearly tapped into something potent with Special Request, and it's fascinating to document his ascent.

Track list:

01 Blocks & Escher "Sagan" (Narratives)
02 Paradox "Hold The Beat" (Paradox)
03 Krust "The Last Day" (Full Cycle)
04 Paradox "Drum Machine" (Paradox)
05 Loxy & Resound, Blocks & Escher "Monsters" (Narratives)
06 Ruffhouse "The Domino Effect" (Ingredients)
07 Paradox "No Consensus" (Paradox)
08 Detail "Green Rain" (Utopia)
09 Paradox "Ambiguity" (Paradox)
10 Alpha Omega "VCF" (Reinforced)
11 Paradox "I Led You" (Paradox)
12 Bizzy B "Strength" (Planet Mu)
13 Ray Keith "Phizical (Moody Mix)" (V)
14 Photek "Trans 7" (Science)
15 Clarity "Fractured" (Exit)
16 J. Majik "Your Sound VIP" (Metalheadz)
17 Alva Noto "unknown" (Raster Noton)

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XLR8R Podcast 307: dBridge

Drum & bass doesn't get a ton of attention on XLR8R these days, but certain artists' work is simply too good to ignore. dBridge (a.k.a. Darren White) is one of those artists. The UK producer has been turning out quality tunes since the mid '90s, and was also a member of seminal drum & bass supergroup Bad Company, but these days, he keeps busy as a solo producer. He continues to make drum & bass under the dBridge moniker, but also experiments with the 130-bpm range as Velvit. Somehow, he also finds the time to head up essential drum & bass outpost Exit Records, which remains a must-listen imprint. Next week, dBridge will be issuing the Move Way EP via R&S, a two-track effort that finds him still operating in top form. Given that, we figured that now would be a good time to hear a bit more of the UK veteran's musical vision, so we invited him to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series.

As expected, the mix has its fair share of drum & bass — it's also worth noting that the vast majority of the tunes have been pulled from the Exit catalog — but the 50-minute session finds dBridge going well beyond the genre he's most often affiliated with. Like many artists working with faster tempos, he's discovered the potent possibilities that arise when footwork and D&B are brought together, and the podcast also includes several forays into half-time, hip-hop-esque rhythms. It's a hectic listen, albeit an orderly one, as dBridge's mixes are precise, to say the least. More importantly, they're compelling, which is why we'll have this mix on repeat throughout the week.

Track list:

01 Beastie Respond "One More Second" (Exit) vs. Instra:mental "Watching You (acapella)"
02 Om Unit & Sam Binga "Triffidz" (Exit)
03 Fracture "Sick Wid It" (Exit)
04 Chimpo & Deesee "Dumb"
05 Chimpo "Haymaker"
06 Stray feat. Fracture "Bounce That" (Exit)
07 Stray "Professor Popper" (Exit)
08 Chimpo & Deesee "Bun It"
09 Kromestar "Purple Cloud" (Nebula)
10 Elek "Want You to Know" (Exit)
11 Stray "Matchsticks" (Exit)
12 Om Unit & Sam Binga "Electribe Riddim" (Exit)
13 Rockwell "*)* [808]" (Exit)
14 Stray "Dropping Bombs" (Exit)
15 Consequence & Fis "Cultural Trauma" (Exit)
16 dBridge & Skeptical "Move Way" (R&S)
17 Marcus Intalex "Gripped" (Exit)
18 Stray "LA Zoom" (Exit)
19 Kid Drama & Om Unit "Grind" (Exit)
20 Kid Drama "One 6 Eight" (Exit)
21 Nitri "Against Our Will (J:Kenzo Remix)" (Horizons)
22 J:Kenzo "One Drop" (Exit)
23 Philth "Nightmare Box (J:Kenzo Remix)"
24 Loxy & Resound "Residual Movement" (Exit)
25 Marcus Intalex "Qwer Key" (Exit)


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XLR8R Podcast 280: Ulrich Schnauss

Although XLR8R covers many different corners of the electronic spectrum, it's fair to say that we've haven't been paying a whole lot of attention to drum & bass as of late. That being said, we still have a soft spot for the genre's heyday, and it appears we're not alone. Ulrich Schnauss may be best known for the serene, shoegaze-flavored electronic soundscapes he's been turning out for more than a decade, but when we asked the German veteran to participate in our podcast series, he elected to eschew his signature style and instead delve into his past. The result? A 78-minute offering he's calling Drift to the Centre: Deep Atmospheric DnB from the Golden Age, a mix which also happens to represent the largest spotlight XLR8R has shone on drum & bass in quite some time. In fairness, before Schnauss began releasing music under his own name in the early '00s and cooking up melody-rich pieces of pastoral electronic pop, he was crafting ambient drum & bass as Ethereal 77 and View to the Future, making this podcast a sort of return to his roots. It's a bit of an unexpected left turn, but given that his new album, A Long Way to Fall, is arguably Schnauss' most varied effort to date, it seems that the producer has perhaps reached a point where he's looking to surprise people.

As its ornate title suggests, the podcast is full of mid-'90s classics; it's a celebration of the pre-techstep era, a time when drum & bass world—or at least a sizable portion of it—celebrated deep, soulful grooves and rolling jazz rhythms. It may not sound like Schnauss' modern-day output, but its chilled vibes and relaxing effect are certainly similar.

Track list:

01 Photek "T-Raenon" (Op-ART)
02 David Holmes "Gone (PFM Remix)" (Go! Discs)
03 Mental Power "Unknown Intelligence" (Formation)
04 Saint Etienne "The Sea (PFM Mix)" (Heavenly)
05 Lee & Gwange "2 Deep" (Legend)
06 Motive One "Life" (Certificate 18)
07 Neil Trix & Danny Mills "Pearls" (Bang-In Tunes)
08 MI5 "Experience" (Lucky Spin)
09 Odyssey "Expressions" (720 Degrees)
10 Source Direct "Secret Liaison" (Good Looking)
11 Seba "Planetary Funk Alert" (Looking Good)
12 Ethereal 77 "Somnambulism" (Dubplate)
13 DJ Crystl "Sweet Dreamz" (Dee Jay)


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Podcast 264: DJ Stingray's New Forms Mix

Summer may be rapidly coming to a close, but the global onslaught of high-quality electronic-music festivals continues without respite. This week, attentions are turning toward Vancouver, which is playing host to the annual New Forms Festival, four-day art and music event with a lineup featuring XLR8R favorites such as Actress, Kode9, Canblaster, Kuedo, Teebs, Pilooski, Kevin McPhee, and others too numerous to list. We asked the New Forms organizers if one of the festival artists would like to put together an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series, and we have to admit that we were pretty excited when we were told that Detroit veteran DJ Stingray was up to the task. A master of hard, stripped-down electro and techno, the masked artist—an affiliate of Urban Tribe and Underground Resistance—stays true to form here, blazing through more than 20 tracks of gritty electro breakbeats and drum-machine-driven sounds. With his rapid-fire rhythms and lightning-quick mixes, Stingray has built a podcast that offers an unrelenting, even uncompromising listen, not to mention a tracklist that will undoubtedly work Discogs regulars into a tizzy. It's dark, minimal, fast, and nearly devoid of melody, but it manages to be completely compelling all the same.

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Podcast 218: Robert Hood

At this point, does an artist like Robert Hood require an introduction? The man is a Detroit techno legend, although these days he calls Alabama home. A founding member of Underground Resistance and one of the first pioneers of the minimal sound, Hood is still going strong more than 20 years into his career. On this exclusive, hour-long mix for the XLR8R podcast series, Hood delivers that which he does best: hard, driving techno. Pulling heavily from his own discography while slipping in some new cuts and a few choice classics, the veteran artist rarely takes his foot off the accelerator. The beats throb, the melodies are edgy, and the low end is thick. Essentially, it's classic Rob Hood, and that's a very good thing.

01 Robert Hood "Darkroom" (M-Plant)
02 Oliver Ho "Silver (Damon Wild Remix)" (Sequential)
03 Robert Hood "Superman" (M-Plant)
04 Scorp "New Energy" (Scorp)
05 DJ Pierre & Green Velvet "Acid Trax (Original 2011 mix)" (Afro Acid)
06 Robert Hood "Stereotype" (M-Plant)
07 Robert Hood "The Family" (M-Plant)
08 Ben Sims "Dollar Bil Y'all (Version)" (Hardgroove)
09 Juju & Jordash "Deep Blue Meenies (Robert Hood Remix)" (Dekmental)
10 James Ruskin "Work (Steve Rachmad Remix)" (Blueprint)
11 Robert Hood "unreleased"
12 Floorplan "Basic Principle" (M-Plant)
13 Italo Boyz "Zinga" (Get Physical)
14 Floorplan "Wall To Wall" (M-Plant)
15 UK Gold "Agent Wood" (Primate)
16 Robert Hood "Range" (M-Plant)
17 Robert Hood "Minimal, Minimal" (M-Plant)
18 Mark Broom & James Ruskin "No Time Too Soon" (Blueprint)
19 Plastikman "Spastik (Dubfire Remix)" (Plus 8)
20 Ortin Cam "Sneaker Pimp" (Roots)
21 Ben Sims "Dollar Bill Y'all (Vocal Mix)" (Hardgroove)
22 Floorplan "We Magnify His Name" (M-Plant)
23 Secret Cinema "Cartoon Clip" (SC)
24 Robert Hood "Clash" (M-Plant)
25 Armando "100% Of Dissin You" (Warehouse)
26 Kenny Larkin "War of the Worlds" (Elypsia)

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XLR8R Podcast 215: Sully

UK producer Sully (a.k.a. Jack Stevens) is a bit of a mysterious figure. When his tracks first began surfacing three or four years ago, Sully was praised for his infusion of melancholy 2-step-garage sensibilities into thicker, bass-heavy rhythms. While this now seems commonplace in today's post-everything UK bass spectrum, Sully was undeniably ahead of his time, yet was never properly celebrated for his boundary-pushing ways. Perhaps that's about to change, as just yesterday he released Carrier, his impressive debut full-length, via Blackdown's Keysound Recordings imprint. The LP finds Sully expanding his sound even further, dipping his toes into juke and footwork, a trend that's also evident on this exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. Beginning in moody garage and house territory, he skillfully moves weaves in heavier bass sounds before jumping headlong into footwork and even some drum & bass before it's all finished. It's a highly enjoyable ride, partially thanks to his purposefully choppy (and remarkably effective) mixing style, which gives some of the transitions an almost hip-hop feel. It seems that Sully is once again doing things his own way, and that's when he's at his best.

Track list:

01 Sully "Encona" (Keysound)
02 Elgato "Blue" (Hessle)
03 Klaar "MRNMRSC"
04 Logos "Kowloon" (Keysound)
05 Sully "Let You Know"
06 Rebound X "Rhythm n Gash"
07 Klaar "Torch or Note (Instrumental)"
08 Dr... um "It's Gettin to My Head" (Off Me Nut)
09 Sully "4AM"
10 Sully "Scram" (Keysound)
11 Sully "Pharmakon"
12 DJ Roc "Let's Get It Started" (Planet Mu)
13 Sully "I Know" (Keysound)
14 DJ Rashad "I Drink, I Smoke" (Ghettophiles)
15 DjRum "Mountains Parts 2 & 3" (2nd Drop)

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XLR8R Podcast - Mala and Plastikman

XLR8R celebrates their 200th podcast with two massive mixes from two electronic music titans. First up is Richie Hawtin who doesn't really require a whole lot of introduction. Simply put, he's a techno giant. Born in the UK, reared in Canada, and currently residing in Berlin, the man has been pushing techno forward since the early '90s, most notably as an artist, but also as the head of the Plus 8 and Minus labels.


The second half of the two-part 200th podcast comes courtesy of another musical heavyweight, dubstep kingpin Mala (a.k.a. Mark Lawrence). Whether operating solo or as one half of legendary outfit Digital Mystikz, the man helped put dubstep on the musical map in the mid-'00s, not only as a producer and DJ, but also as the co-founder of the genre-defining DMZ label and club night with Coki and Loefah. Along the way, he also found the time to start up his own Deep Medi imprint. He's a true master craftsman, someone who manipulates and massages low-end sonics with the precision of a surgeon, making his contribution to the XLR8R podcast series to true pleasure to behold.

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XLR8R Podcast: SCB

Via XLR8R: The UK-born, Berlin-based artist best known as Scuba has played an instrumental role in guiding dubstep towards brighter, more techno-influenced pastures. That passion for lighter sounds and 4/4 drum patterns has been further realized via his SCB moniker, a side-project that most recently turned out the stellar "Loss" b/w "FutureUnknown" 12" on Aus Music, a record we're so excited about that we invited Rose to put together another exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. (He previously helmed a podcast for us back in November 2008 as Scuba. So yes, we're technically breaking our own rules and giving Rose second go-round on the XLR8R podcast wheel, but at least the pseudonym has changed, right?) Impeccably crafted with nothing but three turntables and a mixer, the mix seamlessly glides between dubby techno, clattering house, pulsing acid, and various points in between. It's a deep journey, one that could only properly be led by a veteran artist of Rose's caliber.

Track list:

01 Recondite "Yield" (Plangent)
02 Sven Wiesemann "Emphasized" (Mojuba)
03 Terence Fixmer "Comedy of Menace" (Electric Deluxe)
04 Braille "Leavin Without You" (Rush Hour)
05 Obsolete Music Technology "Relapse" (Machining Dreams)
06 Unknown "Untitled"
07 John Spring "Drummachines" (Airdrop)
08 Shifted "Untitled" (AVN)
09 Sigha "HF029B1" (Hotflush)
10 Deadbeat "Vampire" (Echochord)
11 SCB "Down Moment" (Ostgut Ton)
12 SCB "Loss" (Aus)
13 Instra:mental "Pyramid" (3024)
14 2 AM FM "Desolate Cities" (Mos Deep)
15 Ness "Ancient Crackle" (Sonata)
16 Patrice Scott "2000 Black" (Sistrum)
17 Mike Denhert "Unknown" (Fachwerk)
18 Jon Convex "Order into Chaos" (3024)
19 Rod "Malmok One" (Klockworks)
20 Sigha "Politics of Dying" (Our Circula Sound)
21 SCB "Overlay" (SCB)
22 Portable "Inside Your Mind" (Karat)


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XLR8R Podcast 183: Oriol

London producer Oriol sports quite the musical pedigree — the man studied saxophone for four years at the esteemed Berklee College of Music. But even with all that academic training, he couldn't be stopped from jumping on the computer and trying his hand at beatmaking, an effort that eventually resulted in last year's stellar debut on Planet Mu, Night and Day. In a way, his music successfully updates '70s soul and '80s electro-funk, and that trend continues on his installment of the XLR8R podcast series. We're told that as a non-DJ, Oriol doesn't normally assemble proper mixes, but here he's done an admirable job combining new cuts from the likes of FaltyDL and Jacques Greene along with a few of his own tracks and some vintage selections from jazz legends like Quincy Jones and John Coltrane. It's a different sort of listening experience than many of our podcasts, but the breezy, soulful sounds within are an appropriate companion to Oriol's headphone-friendly productions."

Track list:

01 FaltyDL "Play With My Heart" (Planet Mu)
02 Oriol "Night And Day (Edit)" (Planet Mu)
03 Jacques Greene "The Look" (LuckyMe)
04 Santos "Time Of Our Lives (Atjazz Love Soul Mix)" (Yoruba)
05 Oriol "Untitled"
06 Quincy Jones "Somethin' Special" (UMG)
07 Funkadelic "Oh I" (Warner Bros)
08 Leon Ware "Don't Stay Away" (Elektra)
09 Oriol "Fantasy For N" (Planet Mu)
10 Michael Franks "Island Life" (Warner Bros)
11 Oriol "Solar" (Planet Mu)
12 John Coltrane "Wise One" (Impulse)

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XLR8R Podcast 178 - Oneman

XLR8R's final podcast of 2010 comes courtesy of the UK's Oneman (a.k.a. Steve Bishop), and it's a scorcher. The celebrated Rinse FM jock had a busy 2010 himself, most notably launching his own 502 Recordings label. Per usual, Oneman pulls from nearly every branch of the hardcore continuum, expertly weaving together disparate sounds and balancing new and unreleased cuts with select gems from his vault. He's been called a DJ's DJ, but that's not really fair, as Oneman is a true expert of the craft, someone whose influence extends well beyond the so-called "heads." This mix includes plenty of tunes that helped define the sound of 2010, but chances are that when we listen again a few months down the road, it will have also provided a snapshot of what's to come in 2011.

Track list:

01 Bad Autopsy "Callback" (Ramp)
02 Instra:mental "Talkin' Mono" (NonPlus+)
03 Joy Orbison "GR Etiquette"
04 SBTRKT "2020" (Brainmath)
05 Unknown "Sicko Cell"
06 Boddika "When I Dip" (NonPlus+)
07 El-B & Juiceman "Buck & Bury" (Ghost)
08 Unknown "Mellotroid"
09 FaltyDL "Doo Wop"
10 Pearson Sound "Blanked" (Hessle Audio)
11 Girl Unit "IRL" (Night Slugs)
12 Amerie "One Thing" (French Fries Remix)"
13 Ill Blu "Pull It (Instrumental)" (It's Funky)
14 The Touch "Bodies Waiting (French Fries Remix)"
15 Redlight "MDMA" (Polydor)
16 SX vs. Ramadanman "Woooo Glut"
17 Desto & Jimi Tenor "Doorlock Riddim"
18 Shortstuff & Mickey Pearce "Tripped Up (Ramadanman Re-edit)" (Ramp)
19 Jay Weed "The Naos" (502)
20 Benga "Skank" (Big Apple)
21 Toasty "Skinny" (Destructive)
22 Mala "City Cycle" (Tectonic)

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XLR8R Podcast - Terror Danjah

This week, XLR8R brings in grime grandaddy Terror Danjah, who's been in the game for nearly a decade, but still has plenty to bring to the table. We profiled Terror Danjah in the current issue of XLR8R, and his still-fresh album, Undeniable, released last month on Hyperdub, showcased the prolific producer's unmatched ability to consistently re-write the grime formula in new and interesting ways. As for this mix, Terror Danjah leans heavily on his own productions, but also weaves in efforts from like-minded beatmakers such as D.O.K, Royal T, and TRC. It's also not shy about vocal tracks, as the hyperactive flows of Wiley, Tempz, D Double E, and several others all feature prominently.

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Track list:

01 Terror Danjah feat. Badness "What Would I Do"
02 Terror Danjah feat. Meleka & Tinie Tempah "You Make Me Feel"
03 Guido "Mad Sax" (Punch Drunk)
04 Terror Danjah feat. Sadie Ama & Kano "So Sure"
05 Katy B "On A Mission" (Rinse)
06 Teddy Music "Sambucca"
07 D.O.K feat. Sir Spryo "Missing Step" (Hardrive)
08 Mz Bratt & Redlight "Selecta (Terror Danjah Special)"
09 Redlight "MDMA" (More Than Alot)
10 P Jam Vs. Tempa T "Anger Management Vs. Next Hype"
11 Emalkay "Crusader" (Dub Police)
12 Terror Danjah feat. Bruza "Leave Me Alone" (Hyperdub)
13 Spooky "Spartan (Terror Danjah Remix)" (No Hats No Hoods)
14 Admiral Bailey "Jump Up (Terror Danjah Remix)"
15 Terror Danjah "Power Grid (D Double E Special)"
16 Royal T "Orangeade"
17 Marco Del Horno feat. P Money "Ho Riddim (DJ Swerve Remix)" (Black Butter)
18 Joe "Claptrap" (Hessle Audio)
19 Terror Danjah & D.O.K "Peanut Punch" (Rwina)
20 Wiley "Joombi" (Launchpad)
21 Terror Danjah "S.O.S" (Hyperdub)
22 MJ Cole & Wiley "From The Drop" (Prolific)
23 Swindle "Mood Swings"
24 TRC "Oo Aa Ee VIP"
25 D.O.K "Jam Down"
26 Magnum Force "Little Rider"
27 D Double E "Street Fighter (Terror Danjah Special)"
28 D.O.K feat. Terror Danjah "West Coast"
29 Terror Danjah feat. D Double E "Undeniable" (Hyperdub)
30 Terror Danjah "Bipolar VIP"
31 Terror Danjah "Minimal Dub" (Hyperdub)
32 D.O.K & Magnum Force feat. Crazy Titch "I Can See You"
33 Terror Danjah "Reloadz" (Planet Mu)
34 Terror Danjah feat. Triple Threat, Funsta MC, Shabba D, D Double E, Skibadee, Bruza, Melo D, Hitman Hyper & Ragga Twins "Creepy Crawler"
35 DJ Hazard "Selecta" (Ganja)

XLR8R Podcast | DJ FOOD & DK vs. COLDCUT

XLR8R has been reveling in Ninja Tune's 20th anniversary all month long, and tonight the celebration steps up a notch with the Ninja Tune XX event in New York, to be followed this weekend by the equally enormous San Francisco and Los Angeles parties. To help ramp everyone up ahead of time, we're also sharing the final installment of our special Ninja Tune XX podcast series, and it's a doozy. Label founders Coldcut have teamed up with old-school Ninja Tune acts DJ Food and DK to assemble this massive mix which spans Ninja Tune's extensive discography.
Over the course of 70-plus minutes and more than 40 tracks, the Solid Steel veterans touch on the many eras, sounds, and styles of the venerable label's diverse history.

Track List:

01 The Herbaliser "Wall Crawling Giant Insect Breaks" (Ninja Tune)
02 The Heavy "How You Like Me Now" (Counter)
03 Amon Tobin "Sordid" (Ninja Tune)
04 Happy Campers "No Mind" (Ninja Tune)
05 Cadence Weapon "Getting Dumb" (Big Dada)
06 Ryuichi Sakamoto "Anger (Rare Force 2 Meg Mix) "Ninja Tune
07 Bonobo "Pick Up" (Ninja Tune)
08 Thunderheist "Sweet 16" (Big Dada)
09 Mr. Scruff "Get A Move On" (Ninja Tune)
10 DJ Food "Peace Pt. 1" (Ninja Tune)
11 Daedelus "Make It So (XXXchange Mix) " Ninja Tune
12 Coldcut "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" (Ninja Tune)
13 Kentaro "Free (acapella)" (Ninja Tune)
14 TTC "Travailler" (Big Dada)
15 Spank Rock "Rick Rubin" (Big Dada)
16 Zero dB "Bongos, Bleeps & Basslines" (Ninja Tune)
17 Diplo "Percao" (Big Dada)
18 Coldcut & Hexstatic "Timber (Seiji Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
19 Bonobo "Eyesdown (Warrior One Mix)" (Ninja Tune)
20 Thunderheist "Jerk It" (Big Dada)
21 Jammer "One Over Me Tune"
22 Hexstatic "Distorted Minds (Zero dB Mix)" (Ninja Tune)
23 Coldcut "Atomic Moog (Qemists Remix) " (Ninja Tune)
24 Shuttle "Tunnel" (Ninja Tune)
25 Wiley "Syer Pussy Instrumental"
26 DJ Vadim "The Terrorist" (Ninja Tune)
27 Coldcut "More Beats N Pieces (USA Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
28 Diplo "News Flash" (Big Dada)
29 The Heavy "How You Like Me Now (Coldcut Remix)"
30 Toddla T "Sky Surfing (Benga Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
31 The Bug "Catch a Fire" (Ninja Tune)
32 Coldcut "Man In a Garage (King Jammy Mix)" (Ninja Tune)
33 Ghislain Porier feat. Face T "Blazin' (Modeselektor Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
34 DJ Vadim "The Terrorist (Gaslamp Computer Killer Mix)" (Ninja Tune)
35 DJ Food "Dark Lady (Alix Perez Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
36 DJ Food "20/20 Rhythm (90-110bpm)" (Ninja Tune)
37 Kid Koala "3 Bit Blues" (Ninja Tune)
38 Pop Levi "Blue Honey (Amorphous Androgynous Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
39 Daedelus "Impending Doom (Rustie Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
40 Coldcut "Timber (Super Sargasso Orb Mix)" (Ninja Tune)
41 Andreya Triana "Lost Where I Belong (Flying Lotus Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
42 Jono McCleery "Tomorrow" (Ninja Tune)
43 Diplo "Summer's Gonna Hurt You (Diplo 2010 Mix)" (Ninja Tune)

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XLR8R Podcast: Mount Kimbie

Since quietly dropping a couple of EPs on Hotflush Recordings last year, UK duo Mount Kimbie has shot into the stratosphere, as its recently released debut album, Crooks and Lovers, has taken the whole post-dubstep-future-bass-whatever-it's-called continuum to a whole new audience. Perhaps it's the inclusion of field recordings and other organic sounds, or maybe it's the palpable sense of melancholy in their songs, but the youthful pair has folks practically salivating over their maiden journey to North America, which begins this Friday with a performance at Seattle's Decibel Festival. Over the course of the following week, Dominic Maker and Kai Campos will trek across the continent before heading back across the pond; a full list of tour dates is here. To celebrate their touchdown on American shores, the boys have assembled this exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast series. Much like their own music, the mix finds the guys dabbling in dancefloor sonics, but the duo never abandons its love of woozy low-end hum and experimental wanderlust—not that we'd want them to.

Track list:

01 System "All"
02 xxxy "This Much" (Fortified Audio)
03 Mount Kimbie "Carbonated" (Hotflush)
04 Pangaea "Dead Living" (Hessle Audio)
05 Zomby "Test Me for a Reason" (Hyperdub)
06 Kode 9 "You Don't Wash" (Martyn Remix)
07 Dam-Funk "How It Be Between U and Me" (Stones Throw)
08 El Fog "El Cloud" (Moteer)
09 Klaus "Tusk"
10 Scuba "Hard Boiled (SCB Edit)" (Hotflush)
11 Senking "Tar"
12 Blawan "Fram" (Hessle Audio)
13 Untold "Anaconda (Tribal Guarachero Mix)" (white)
14 Klaus "Neph"
15 Unknown "Unknown"
16 James Blake "Klavierwerke" (R&S)
17 Arkist "Only If You Mean It"

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XLR8R Podcast 159: Sepalcure

The UK gets most of the shine for the whole post-dubstep/future-garage/whatever-the-hell-it's-called-this-week scene, but a few US artists have been making some noise over on this side of the pond. One such act is Sepalcure, the Brooklyn-based duo of Travis Stewart (a.k.a. Machinedrum) and Praveen Sharma. After years spent working together running the Cassette NYC club night and the online mix archive Percussion Lab, last year the producers joined forces in the studio, focusing on the soulful sounds of '90s house, 2-step, and UK bass music. Their debut, the Love Pressure EP, dropped earlier this summer on the esteemed Hotflush label, and now we've corralled the boys into assembling an exclusive mix for the XLR8R podcast. And not to get all patriotic and flag-waving, but Sepalcure has done the US of A real proud here, expanding their sound palette even further while adeptly shifting tempos, moods, and styles over the course of 23 tracks and 51 minutes.

01 Mediq "Have a Pleasant Stay"
02 Titus 12 "Step Up (Mosca Remix)"
03 Andreya Triana "A Town Called Obsolete (Mount Kimbie Remix)" (Ninja Tune)
04 Model 500 "I Wanna Be There" (R&S)
05 Jacques Greene "The Look"
06 vvv "Aisle Seat"
07 Kidkut "ILove04" (Apple Pips)
08 French Fries "Senta" (Young Gunz)
09 Sepalcure "Love Pressure (Lando Kal Remix)"
10 L-Vis 1990 "Forever You (Dub)" (Night Slugs)
11 Sepalcure "Me"
12 Hackman "Always" (Shifting Peaks)
13 Balam Acab "See Birds" (Tri Angle)
14 Noiapre "Lava Templada"
15 Dorian Concept "Her Tears Taste Like Pears" (Ninja Tune)
16 Melanie Fiona "It Kills Me (Breakage Remix)" (SRC/Universal Motown)
17 XI "Gamma Rain"
18 Shed "No Way!" (Ostgut Ton)
19 Roof Light "What Makes You So Special" (Highpoint Lowlife)
20 Fantastic Mr Fox "Over" (Black Acre)
21 Sines "This Love"
22 Africa Hitech "Said Speed" (Warp)
23 Autechre "Tilapia" (Warp)

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XLR8R Podcast: GIRL UNIT

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It may be a little early to start handing out Label of the Year nominations, but as it stands now, it would be hard to omit London's Night Slugs imprint from serious consideration. Label bosses Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990 may get the lion's share of the attention, but the artist roster they've assembled is just as impressive, perhaps none more so than 24-year-old DJ, producer, and recent Bubblin' subject Girl Unit. With only one official release and a smattering of remixes and other tracks to his name, he nonetheless displays a keen ear for US street sounds, whether it be ghettotech and juke or radio-ready hip-hop and R&B. This week, the London-based artist is embarking on his first US tour, during which he'll hopefully be able to take in some of these sounds first-hand while playing a smattering of dates on both coasts. To celebrate, he's put together this mix for the XLR8R podcast series, which literally came in at the last minute because he wanted to make extra sure to fill it with the latest dubplates and unreleased tunes.

01 DJ Pierre "Feeling On Me"
02 Bok Bok "Say Stupid Things" (Monkeytown)
03 Ramadanman "Grab Somebody" (white)
04 Damu "Mermaid" (Local Action)
05 Velour "Booty Slammer" (Night Slugs)
06 Jam City "Shut The Lights Off (Devil Mix)" (Night Slugs)
07 Nguzunguzu "Rec Loose" (Silverback)
08 Kingdom "Bust Broke" (Night Slugs)
09 C.R.S.T. "The Bells (Girl Unit Remix)" (Car Crash Set)
10 Melanie Fiona "It Kills Me (Breakage Remix)" (Universal Motown)
11 Jacques Greene "(Baby I Don't Know) What You Want" (Night Slugs)
12 Johnny Moog "Fantastic Lover (Girl Unit VIP)"
13 Optimum "Max Power" (Planet Mu)
14 Addison Groove "Work It" (Swamp 81)
15 Terror Danjah "Menace" (Planet Mu)
16 Bobby Valentino "Anonymous Instrumental (Prod. Timbaland)" (Def Jam)
17 Ikonika "Millie" (Hyperdub)
18 Girl Unit "Every Time" (Night Slugs)
19 Cedaa "Justine"
20 Mr De' "Whonleeone" (Electrofunk)
21 DJ Nate "Find Your Dreams"

Moby's Old-School Rave Mix | XLR8R

It's easy to throw around words like 'legend' and 'pioneer' when talking about electronic music, and let's face it, half the time people won't say boo about these labels, most likely because they don't know who they hell you're talking about. But when it comes to true-blue dance music heavy-hitters, the kinds of artists that even your mom has heard of, it's hard to top Moby. The man has changed a lot since getting his start making high-energy rave tunes in the early '90s, but even as his music has morphed, changed, and, yes, mellowed, it's always been clear that Moby still has a soft spot for that bygone era. Here at XLR8R, we've been itching for someone to do a classic rave mix, so we figured who better than Moby to put together a pumping session full of hyperactive synth stabs, feel-good piano melodies, whooshing hoover sounds, and endlessly pulsing beats. To our delight, he was up for the challenge, and the mix does not disappoint. Listen to the mix—we've had it on repeat since last week—and if you're in the mood for more Moby DJ action, check out his recently released Wait for Me. Remixes! album on Mute, which features a Moby DJ set along with reworkings of songs from his last full-length.

01 Messiah "Temple of Dreams" (Kickin)
02 Mentasm "I Need Release"
03 Altern8 "Frequency" (Network)
04 N-Joi "Mindflux" (RCA)
05 Ragga Twins "Hooligan 69" (Shut Up and Dance)
06 Awesome 3 "Don't Go" (City Beat)
07 Moby "Next is the E" (Instinct)
08 Hyper Go Go "High" (Hooj Choons)
09 Fierce Ruling Diva "You Gotta Believe" (React)
10 Bizarre Inc. "Playing With Knives" (Vinyl Solution)
11 Messiah "Xeroxed"
12 Dream Frequency "Feel So Real" (City Beat)

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XLR8R | MARTIN KEMP [Podcast 116]

Via XLR8R:
Not exactly new but still a nice mix to groove to and loaded with high-quality tunes—many of which are forthcoming or entirely unreleased—the mix occupies that unique space where garage, 2-step, funky, and house bubble together in a uniquely potent brew.

Download MP3 HERE.

01 Tuff Jam "Experience" (Casa Trax)
02 Ultymate feat Jacquee Bennett "Vybe (Todd Edwards remix)" (i)
03 DJ Lewi "Hold Me Tight" (Moist)
04 Martin Kemp "Aztec" (Blunted Robots)
05 Roska "Feeline (VIP mix)" (Roska Kicks and Snares)
06 Martin Kemp "Fix"
07 Mya "Free (Brackles Bootleg Remix)"
08 Brackles & Shortstuff "Pipey D" (Blunted Robots)
09 Mosca "Square One (Greena remix)" (Night Slugs)
10 Geiom "Sugar Coated Lover (Brackles & Shortstuff remix)" (Berkane Sol)
11 Hem and Terrible Shock "On a Mission (Shortstuff remix)" (Berkane Sol)
12 Ellie Goulding "Under the sheets (Brackles remix)"
13 Zinc feat. Slarta Jon "Flim (Horsepower remix)" (Bingo)
14 Martin Kemp "After The Night" (Blunted Robots)
15 Mickey Pearce & Shortstuff "Tripped Up" (Ramp)
16 Brackles "6am El Gordos" (Brainmath)