jephjacques

January MUSIC ARTICLE: Why I love DJ mixes

Added 2015-01-31 20:10:17 +0000 UTC

75% of the music I listen to these day is in the form of DJ mixes. Fabric, FabricLive, DJ Kicks, Conducted, Panorama Bar, Boiler Room- all excellent labels putting out stellar mixes. Why do I love them so much? The great thing about a good mix is that it's an hour-plus of nonstop music, segueing seamlessly from one track to another. Whether it's the steady stomp of 4 on the floor techno or the funky syncopations of UK garage, it's a steady stream of music, traveling unbroken from my speakers (usually at high volume) to my brain. It's AMAZING work music. Mixes are also an excellent way to discover new artists, or obscure tracks and remixes by artists you already know and love. I got into a whole host of acts through tracks found on other DJs' mixes- from Starkey and Calyx to Perc and Sandwell District. Mixes are also a great bellweather for the state of current electronic music. Techno has been skewing to the dark and shadowy Berghain sound for a couple years now, and it's been fascinating to watch this trend unfold in people's mixes. It's starting to show signs of relaxing a bit, if new releases from people like Nina Kraviz are any indication. If you're interested but don't know where to start, I'd recommend grabbing DJ EZ and Surgeon's respective FabricLive and Fabric Mixes. You can also check out Boiler Room's YouTube channel for some free, fantastic mixes by a host of artists- Perc's set is probably my favorite mix of the last few months, it's absolutely punishing. So there you go! My love letter to the DJ mix. <3 <3 <3