Tue, 9 December 2014
Mixpak FM 077 comes from Japanese producer and DJ, Prettybwoy. Since the inception of Mixpak, we've always had some connection with the Japanese scene (our whole blog was translated into Japanese at one point) and have covered some points in Japanese grime, and of course not forgetting our release with Hard Nips. While the sound of grime has notoriously not been particularly well exported or translatable, Japan looks to be the biggest (but still very small) scene outside of the UK, with a number of MCs and DJs inspired by the genre. Having followed UK club music for a long time, Prettybwoy has been steady representing the sound of UKG, 2-step, bassline and grime in Tokyo for the last 10 years, running the nights 'Golly Gosh' and 444-1 Tokyo. Things have come full circle for Prettybwoy lately, with his productions being featured on EZ's Kiss FM show and on the Big Dada "Grime 2.0" compilation. His Mixpak FM runs through sounds from like-minded Japanese artists - DoubleClapperz, Carpainter, Duff, 1Ta, Ena, 100Mado - as well as tracks from UK contemporaries. |
Tue, 11 November 2014
Mixpak FM 076 comes from British DJ, producer and Rinse FM host Brackles. Having been on the station for an impressive five years, Brackles has become a Rinse staple both on the airwaves and on the label, with his debut album (Rinse presents Brackles) released back in 2012. It's no surprise his show has worked its way to a prime slot and lasted the test of time - his selection is eclectic but considered, drawing from the strands of British club music: UK funky, house, grime and garage all featuring prominently as well as the occasional rap, RnB or afropop sounds. His production & selection work to the same ethos - with influences from 2-step and house, the welcome feature of a sweet female vocal and of course, not forgetting that emotive Serani remix. His latest EP is the inaugural release for Manchester's Swing Ting, featuring MC Fox, who we were lucky to share the stage with at RBMA Carnival this year. His Mixpak FM stays true to the current UK house sound, with some familiar names from the world of bassline & UK funky. |
Mon, 20 October 2014
Mixpak FM 075 comes from Irish producer & DJ, Shriekin'. A familiar name to fans of instrumental grime mainstays Boxed, Dusk & Blackdown or Slackk, Shriekin' has few official releases but a constant stream of impressive VIPs. His debut EP, Gold & Featherwork, dropped just last week, fittingly joining the likes of Finn, Slackk and Inkke on the Local Action roster. Playing with the motifs of sino-grime and intricate melodies, Gold & Featherwork is a record that is, like much of his music, mature and considered; often cinematic and always atmospheric. His Mixpak FM is packed full of dubs from like-minded UK producers, moving through grime, bassline, percussive club tracks and of course some of his own exclusives. |
Thu, 11 September 2014
Mixpak FM 074 comes from the Netherlands born, New Zealand raised, and Melbourne resident Air Max '97, whose debut EP Progress & Memory came out on Liminal Sounds earlier this year. His EP title certainly rings true in his sound - self-describing his music as "oblique club trax", Air Max '97 joins an impressive group of young, boundary-pushing producers who were reared on and inspired by post-09 London sounds & visuals. With his recent work including a remix of Kuduro producer Nidia Minaj's 'Tarraxo LHE Da', he has follow-up EPs in the works for both Liminal Sounds and London's Trax Couture as well as his bi-monthly Melbourne club night, Club Esc. His Mixpak FM takes us on a percussive and often dark ride through Chicago drill, Ballroom, Techno, and of course his own productions. |
Wed, 20 August 2014
Mixpak FM 073 comes from Dallas producer & DJ, Ynfynyt Scroll. Along with the collective, Track Meet, that runs as a label & club night, YS has been throwing parties around Texas and the US, exposing the deep south club scene to new sounds. Like many of Mixpak FM's previous contributors, Ynfynyt scroll draws heavily from the worldwide club scene, melding the sounds of Baltimore club, dembow, cumbia, grime and kuduro. He has previously released EPs with #Feelings, a label run by fellow Texan Ben Aqua, as well as contributions to the Track Meet compilation and his latest solo effort, a 7 track offering for Summer 2014.
His Mixpak FM is a global dance sampler that leaves you pining for a sweaty Bushwick basement to let go in: expect tracks from his latest EP, as well as gifts from Portugal, Mexico, the Netherlands and a Katy Perry baile funk edit. |
Wed, 6 August 2014
Mixpak FM 072 comes from UK producer & DJ, Gage. It's been less than a year since he let his first track, and a war dub at that, into the world. With only one official follow up, the rough and driving grime-inspired 12" 'Telo / Shiftin' on Bristol's Crazy Legs label, his output so far has been small but standout, restrained but revered in his scene. A London native but now living in Bristol, it's no surprise that his sound is at home in the recent club heritage of both cities: dark, heavily percussive and stripped back. For those eager to hear his newest, his Mixpak FM is full of his own, brand new material, the first offerings since 'Telo', as well as an unheard collab track with Feadz, a new track from Bloom and an exlcusive from Crazy Legs' latest signing, ISLAND. |
Wed, 23 July 2014
Mixpak FM 071 comes from Chilean producer and DJ, Paul Marmota. Associated with the Mexican label and clubnight, NAAFI, who are responsible for bringing US club acts like Nguzunguzu and Total Freedom south of the border, Paul Marmota's sound keeps its Latin roots firm while drawing influence from global club music. As well as doing production for Chilean rap group Zonora Point, his 'Nueva' EP struck a resonance for Mixpak, bringing in tinges of dembow, dancehall, grime, rap and not to mention that US underground vibe. His Mixpak FM is a ride through sounds from Mexico to London, flying through new instrumental grime producers from the UK (and previous Mixpak FM-ers), as well as US underground artists Massacooramaan and Ynfynt Scroll and of course his Central / South American contemporaries. |
Mon, 7 July 2014
Mixpak FM 070 comes from Norwegian DJ and producer, Slick Shoota. A serious internet digger and lover of club music, he's known for his dancefloor driven productions that often swing in at 160bpm and nod strongly to the Chicago underground. A resident DJ at Oslo's 'Ball Em Up' night, Slick Shoota knows what works in the club regardless of genre, and his EPs, DJ tools and remixes always reflect that. His latest EP, Keep Bussin, is full of driving beats, heavy syncopation and remixes from Addison Groove & Om Unit. His Mixpak FM is a super energetic rave ride through Juke, Kuduro, bits of Jungle, flecks of grime and even a track from fellow Scandinavian, Yung Lean. |
Tue, 27 May 2014
Mixpak FM 069 comes from Philly producer, DJ & performer, Sugur Shane. Affiliated with NY's Qweenbeat, Shane moves easily from the ballroom to the studio, always keeping the club in focus. After releasing his successful 'My Night with Peter & Junior' mixtape, (inspired by notorious NY club DJs Peter Rauhofer and Junior Vasquez), his latest productions come in the form of a collab with Mixpak fam Krueger. His Mixpak FM is of course an upfront club tape, where dancefloor-driven remixes of rap sit side by side with the NY underground sound. Cunty! |
Thu, 1 May 2014
Mixpak FM 068 comes from Jersey DJ & producer, DJ Tricks. Along with Mike Gip, DJ Rell & DJ Kiff, Tricks makes up part of the 220 crew, who are constantly flipping and reworking rap, pop and RnB tracks Jersey style. With signature chopped samples, tough kicks and a healthy amount of bed squeak, Tricks' tracks are made with the club in mind, while always tripping up expectations and playing with convention. His Mixpak FM feels like a night in a Brick city club, running first through some of the biggest rap songs of the moment, before ramping up into his own remixes, as well as 220 offerings. |
Thu, 17 April 2014
Mixpak FM 067 comes from UK producer and DJ, Neana. Introducing himself with his Rebound X & Dizzee re-edits around a year ago, Neana has little in the way of official releases yet, but has already established a solid & accomplished sound. Playing with the association between the UK-US club spectrum, Neana manages to harness the rawness of London while channeling the energy and boldness of the East Coast US, from Baltimore Club to Ballroom. With his own label, Gang Fatale, and a growing affiliation with Night Slugs, Neana's heavily percussive sound looks set to go official this year. His Mixpak FM is a ride through that club energy, keeping things upfront while referential and always connecting the dots between underground raves. |
Tue, 1 April 2014
Mixpak FM 066 is brought to you by London producer & DJ, Mr. Mitch. Despite having produced tracks for the likes of Skepta, Trim and Riko Dan, it's the instrumental in-and-of-itself where Mr. Mitch finds his true home, as we saw on his offering for the first Mixpak Pressure compilation. Known for tracks that reach to the outer limits of grime experimentation and weirdness, Mr. Mitch's output ranges from the playful Peace edits of The Beach Boys or Pharrell (while everyone else was bringing the war dubs), to the more ambient sounds, like 'The Man Waits'. As well as being a resident at the ever-growing instrumental grime night Boxed, Mitch also heads Gobstopper Records, releasing tracks from Strict Face, Bloom and Moony. His Mixpak FM runs through tracks from young UK producers Inkke, Murlo and JD Reid, as well as revered electronic producers Actress and Clark, not to mention his own edits. |
Tue, 18 March 2014
Mixpak FM 065 comes from UK producer, Finn. Emerging only a few months ago and making his way on to our radar via Slackk's mixes, Finn's sound comes in the great tradition and renewed vibrance of grime-meets-RnB-samples (see Spooky, Inkke, Milktray for more). With skipping rhythms that play with space & movement, Finn's cut-up beats look to 90s icons like Ginuwine & Missy to complete that head-turning UK sound. With a contribution to the first Boxed compilation out and a forthcoming 12" on Local Action, it's already a certified formula. His Mixpak FM is a journey through some of the most exciting sounds of this corner of the underground. Never afraid to dip into pop reworks as easily as the obscurer sounds of London, Finn puts his own work next to Mixpak favorites Murlo, Kingdom and DJ Q. |
Mon, 24 February 2014
Mixpak FM 064 is brought to you by London DJs and promoters, Hipsters Don't Dance. Made up of Hootie Who & Kazabon, the duo have been pushing the dancehall-soca-rap-afrobeats sound for years, with their longstanding clubnight and mixes. They were also responsible for these edits of our Douster release last year. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the aforementioned genres, it felt right to ask them to dig in deep to one of the most exciting sounds to blow up in London lately: Afrobeats. Hootie Who describes how they were inspired for their Mixpak FM mix: "Ever since Kazabon and I started the HDD club night we wanted to explore our respective heritages and its musical output. Kazabon's heritage is Ireland by way of Trinidad which helps explain her voracious appetite for Soca. I am from Nigeria but born and raised in the west. It's funny because until recently Naija music reflected Trinidad's Soca season in the sense that artists tried to release music around a specific time of year (Christmas). The day after Christmas is Calabar Carnival, the carnival is still in its infancy but it's already Africa's largest street party. That carnival experience heavily influenced this mix. From the floats pumping out the biggest Afropop songs of the moment, to the Channel O/ MTV Africa after parties where South African house reigns supreme to the packed clubs where people try out the latest dance craze. It's all here in this mix that captures the sound of the past few years. This mix can't do that experience the justice it deserves especially the feeling of connecting with your homeland but we did our best. Trust me you haven't lived until you have seen someone on roller skates azonto in the middle of the blazing hot summer." |
Fri, 31 January 2014
Mixpak FM 063 is brought to you by none other then Australian producer, Strict Face. Strict Face isn't the only the new face in the bustling instrumental grime scene but he is making a name for himself with tracks winding up on Slackk mixes, Rinse and several other shows. Whether the young producer is uploading songs nonchalantly to his Youtube channel or creating his acclaimed Birthday Riddims), he never stops making hits pushing boundaries of club and grime. Strict Face already has big things in store for 2014, with two EPs slated for release on Tuff Wax and Gobstopper. Strict Face's Mixpak FM offering comes correct, with some incredible tracks spanning several different styles of grime and futuristic club music. It features new cuts from himself as well as exclusive tracks from young and upcoming producers like Inkke, Jawside and Neana. |
Wed, 8 January 2014
Mixpak FM 062 is brought to you by Californian DJ & Producer, Mike G. A prolific producer, mixtape maker & remixer, his tracks take influence from the spectrum of US club music, from Footwork to Jersey Club and Hip Hop, always with a strong leaning for bass. The RWD FM radio host has collab-ed with Rashad, Falcons and Mak & Pasteman, releasing tracks on B.YRSELF Division, Paradisiaca and his latest - Club Watch EP on Soukouch Ethnik. His Mixpak FM is a party ride through some of our favourite producers - from Murlo to Massacooramaan & MikeQ, a ton of Mike G edits and VIPs, and a healthy handful of bed squeak. |