Going to keep it on the chill side again this week.
I’ve always been a big fan of Looking Good/Good Looking/etc. (LTJ Bukem’s labels) and while they’re not nearly as prolific these days a lot of the releases have stood the test of time quite well in my opinion.
I remember when I first discovered intelligent/atmospheric drum & bass – probably one of the first genres of drum & bass that I got into, and heavily. Hell I used to listen to the stuff when going to sleep, heh.
I listen to a track like this and it still gives me the same feeling that it did 15 years. And every time that pad sweeps across the frequency range it still sends chills down my spine!
So this will be the last throwback before I officially start my new job. I’ve been with my current employer, Lixar, for almost 8 years now. When I started it was maybe a dozen or so people in a smallish office in Westboro (Ottawa). It’s now quadruple that with a satellite office in Halifax and key clients in the US and UK.
As I said in my letter of notice I’ve learned a lot over the past nearly 8 years. I’ve also made a lot of friends. It’s funny how leaving a job after this long feels a lot like moving away. The only difference being that you’re still in the same city! Hopefully I’m able to keep in touch with everyone.
This week’s throwback is a tune that brings back a lot of memories of my first summer at Lixar. I vividly remember listening to it on a sunny summer day – blue sky, the sunlight streaming in. I remember feeling comfortable; at ease. This track still gives me that feeling and also fills me with positive vibes for the future.
This is also the tune that really hooked me on Sonic & Silver (AKA Accidental Heroes) and I’ve loved just about everything they’ve done in this style since.
Sonic & Silver “Space Cadet” c. 2003:
FYI if you’re curious the company I’m going to is Livelenz. I’ve been appointed the new Director of Software Development. I think it’s a great opportunity and I’m looking forward to the challenge.
As I’ve mentioned a couple times over the past month or so my wife and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary this weekend. I thought it would be only fitting to post something that might bring back some memories of our first year together.
Dom & Roland “Can’t Punish Me” c. 2000:
While she listens to this I just want to tell her that I love her. I know I don’t say it often enough.
I just realized I have yet to post any ASC, so I’ll do one better: ASC & Subwave “Bio-rhythm” c. 2006
This is pretty much the epitome of “techmospheric” drum & bass, at least in my opinion.
ASC has been a huge influence on me and this is one track that’s stuck with me through the years. For any producers out there, he’s recently released a sample pack available on LoopMasters. And if you want to hear (lots) more ASC check out this mix by one of my favourite DJs at the moment, Mav. (Check check… yes yes! )
Busy, busy so a quick one today – working on The WAX’s album, a couple new solo EPs and a few other miscellaneous collabs and projects. Definitely at capacity in terms of how much I’m able to take on without getting divorced! (ANGIE IF YOU’RE READING THIS THAT’S A JOKE!)
I had completely forgotten about this track until just recently so of course it prompted me to go back and listen to a bunch of old Ill.Skillz (D.kay & Rawfull) tracks. They’re all pretty solid but for me this one captures their sound best and most tastefully.
The second half feels sort of half-baked but I think it’s just the synth tone that’s not doing it for me, Overall, a great track though. If you like this sound also check out Bowser and Be There 4 U by these guys for some more classic throwback action (or Never See The Sun for something instrumental)
Ill.Skillz remix of Sunchase & Yana Kay’s “Remember Me” c. 2004:
So I’m playing an all vinyl set tomorrow night. Not only that, but an all 90s drum & bass vinyl set! Going through the old records brings back a lot of memories. Now, this is not going to be a post about how vinyl is better than CD/MP3/the digital age/Jesus/etc. Hell, I don’t necessarily think it is. I looove the digital age.
I will say this though: what I like about vinyl or physical mediums in general is that each one has a story to tell. You just don’t think about an MP3 like “Hey I remember the day I logged onto Beatport and downloaded that track”. There is generally a time and a place associated with a piece of vinyl.
Many of my vinyls have stickers from the stores where I purchased them… Bowggy Records, One Unity, etc. Classic record shops in Ottawa that I used to go to weekly to source new tracks. These days you can just go online and buy an MP3 without having to talk to a single person. Without meeting anyone new.
That’s not to say the option wasn’t there to order online when I was buying vinyl. It was, and often I would because the shops just wouldn’t get certain tracks or labels. But it was nice to have the option to go somewhere and buy music among other DJs.
I guess one could argue that you could just go to a Starbucks with your laptop and buy music online in the presence of others, but it’s not the same. The record shop was the place to talk about the newest tracks, production, shows, setup gigs, etc.
So if there’s one thing I miss about vinyl, it’s that. That, and it’s fun to play. Other than that, I hate it! 😉 It’s heavy, it’s expensive and it degrades.
So yeah, this week’s throwback is an ode to vinyl. As I already posted the very first vinyl I bought, I will post what I think might be the second or pretty close to it.
This week’s throwback is an absolute drum & bass classic, without a doubt. I heard this for the first (or maybe second) time on LTJ Bukem’s Promised Land Vol. 1 mix, along with several other Adam F tracks, and instantly became hooked.
I remember hearing somewhere that the initial release of this track didn’t do so well, and it was re-released with a few tweaks (faster tempo, extra vocal sample). Can’t find anything on the net to corroborate this though so if you know for sure please leave a comment 🙂
This is one of those tracks that you need to give a good listen to at least once a year. Preferably more. I’m posting a shorter version simply because there’s a video to go along with it. The full version is actually 8:30.
Quick throwback this week – I’m in Ottawa on a work trip/mini-vacation with the wife.
I told myself I wasn’t going to post this track but I’d really be doing the throwback series a disservice if I didn’t. So here’s the track which made Bad Company (UK) a house-hold name in the drum & bass scene, circa 1998:
This week’s throwback isn’t about a single track, but a collection of tracks. Approximately 728 hours worth of tracks to be exact. To be even more exact and way less ambiguous it’s about an Ottawa-based radio show called Futurhythm.
Futurhythm has been on the airwaves every week since 1997. Until last night, that is. For last night the needle was lifted from the record for the last time. Okay I’m being a bit melodramatic but seriously it is like the end of an era in the Ottawa drum & bass scene.
The show was only in its infancy as I was getting seriously into drum & bass but I credit both the show, and host Karl Haze, in solidifying my interest in the genre. I remember a specific mix-tape ripped from the show with tracks from John B’s Visions LP (1997), Renegade Hardware’s Quantum Mechanics LP (1998) and other tracks from the era. Of course I immediately rushed out and bought them all 😉
In time I found my own sound, but Futurhythm definitely played a role in shaping that sound. My hat goes off to Haze for his 14 years of dedication. Dude is like a Godfather of the Ottawa drum & bass scene.
I remember him playing Krust’s “Warhead” at a warehouse rave. Playing alongside him at a jungle party in the weird little venue on Besserer Street. And of course listening to the show on Wednesday nights while driving downtown to go to Urban Pressure @ Atomic!
Okay, back to drum & bass, and another one I totally forgot about until just now.
I was so all about this track in 2001. I’m sure I dropped it in every single set for a while. Love: the pads, the percussion, the weird delayed/reverbed vocal clip and of course the growls in the second drop. Hate: YouTube encoding.
Usual Suspects remix of C4C’s “Research”. Released on Renegade Hardware:
Do yourself a favour: if you enjoy this track, grab a high-quality copy… and a sub 😀
