Welcome to the first instalment of a shiny new feature – ‘Mixes of the Month’. As it says on the tin, this will be the monthly curation of some of our favourite recent mixes.
Listening to mixes is the best way to get a sense of a DJ’s creative personality – the selections, and the way they choose to blend tracks, says a lot about their artistic vision. It’s also a great way of discovering new music! We’ve pulled together 6 mixes from the last month(ish) – check them out below.
BAKEY - BOILER ROOM, 22 OCTOBER.
With a snowballing reputation as ‘the one to watch’ amongst industry heads, it was only a matter of time before BAKEY received the call up from Boiler Room. A Boiler Room set can do wonders for any young DJ's career, and BAKEY seized upon the opportunity flawlessly. He kicked things off by exploring the darker side of UKG, his signature sound, before moving through some clean breakbeat and hitting full throttle with a burst of jungle to close. Highlights included sneaking in Nikki Nair & DJ ADHD’s (at the time) unreleased tune ‘Whaa’, and a smattering of unreleased BAKEY productions. With the crowd firmly on board throughout, it looked like a riot.
NOIRE WITH WALUME BOYZ - RINSE FM FRANCE, 12 OCTOBER.
If you haven't had time to investigate our European neighbour’s version of Rinse FM, we suggest you do so - even if it’s just to check out this show from Noire. For those that don’t know, the London-based producer-DJ is accountable for some of the best recent percussion-heavy productions out there. Combining rhythms from across the world with UK funky skips, Noire invited Walume Boyz to tear through a set of South Africa’s finest club music.
KASSIAN - FAUX POLY X ORIGINS LIVE AT THE PICKLE FACTORY, 22 OCTOBER.
Balamii residents Kassian birthed their new label Faux Poly at the beginning of this year, and swiftly welcomed Jay Carder (possibly the best personality in the scene) on board. To celebrate the release of her debut EP, Entropy, they threw a party at the Pickle Factory, even roping in Scuffed Recording's head-honcho Ian DPM. The Kassian pair sat around that 130-sweet-spot for most of their set as they worked through groovy techno, spacey bleeps and various acidic offerings. You can listen back to it on Balamii for a good ol’ knees-up. It’s been a promising first few months for Faux Poly, so look out for more great stuff next year.
DJ SWISHA DJ SET - KEEP HUSH LIVE BERLIN BANOFFEE PIES TAKEOVER, 17 October.
DJ Swisha is no stranger to the dingy, inconspicuously lit spaces inhabited by Keep Hush. The New York-based producer-DJ graced our shores for Sherelle’s curated line up three years ago, and he was back on the channel this month for Banoffee Pies’ Berlin takeover. Rattling our brains with mincing blends of acid house, rave and jungle, the selector once again brought his a-game to the platform. It was Keep Hush’s first event in Berlin, and with a little help from Swisha, the night looked like one for the history books.
HAMISH AND TOBY - BUTTERSIDE UP LIVE AT WIRE, 4 NOVEMBER.
You won’t be able to find a recording of this one, so we're just here to spread the word: it rocked. Hamish and Toby met in Leeds, beginning a friendship that would be the foundation of closely collaborative careers. They have played Wire plenty times over the years, but this was their first time behind the controls all night long. The four-hour set was a joyful showcase of their tastes for all things dancey. The range of music played out paid testament to their years of careful crate digging. Each of the guys are working their way up with careers in the music industry, so tickets will only get scarcer – cop on site!
MIA LILY - HÖR BERLIN, 22 OCTOBER (clearly something in the air on that day).
Mia Lily made her high octane Höer Berlin debut in October, playing a host of classics, both new and old, in everyone’s favourite tiled bathroom. As a member of the Sisu crew, who provide a platform to educate and inspire aspiring women and non-binary DJs, she is well accustomed to pumping the kind of rave tunes that made up the bulk of her set. Her selections were meaty, and the blends as fluid as they come. Mid-90s jungle classics, from the likes of DJ Vibes and Wishdokta, felt like the only way to finish.