Music
The best DJ mixes of 2020
A month-by-month selection of the finest studio mixes, radio sets, and extended audio voyages around.
These days, the internet is awash with a glut of mixes from DJs both established and aspiring. Of this situation, at least two things are true: not all of these mixes will be as worthy of your ears (and your time) as others; and it would take you a considerable amount of energy and dedication to get through all that's on offer and separate the cream from the crop.
So we're doing the hard part for you.
Each month, we'll be scouring the vast expanses of the web to handpick the most stirring and stimulating mixes on offer. Covering off all corners of the UK's clubbing landscape, there'll be (we hope) something here for everyone.
And we'll be adding to the list every month too, so don't forget to check back in...
JUNE
Sherelle -- Dekmantel Podcast 285
In perhaps the most unrelenting mix of the year to date, irrepressible percussive wunderkid Sherelle channels rage and frustration into 80 tightly-whipped minutes of caterwauling breaks and basslines. Strap in.
Shy One -- BIS Radio Show #1047
South London's Shy One steps up with a gentle meander through her influences and output for the Beats In Space show on WNYU radio. Taking in tracks from KOKOKO!, Rema, Roland Clark, and a whole batch from Shy herself this is one to sit back and absorb.
UNIIQU3 -- POWER TO THE PEOPLE: A CLUB THERAPY MIX
Originally streamed via Instagram Live The queen of Jersey club shared a message to accompany this upfront mix of techno, Bmore, and breaks, saying: "It's 2020 and our vision couldn't be clearer. The world is wild right [now] and music is therapy so I made this mix for you to express yourself. Let go of the sadness, confusion and rage while dancing [to] empowering club music!"
DARWIN -- ITPS051
From acid-washed techno through to pounding half-time drum'n'bass, Darwin's contribution to the always-reliable ILIAN TAPE series is firmly focused towards the dancefloor -- and an ideal salve as we await their return.
Kush Jones -- RA.732
Frenzied footworking abounds as Kush Jones blasts through tracks from RP Boo, DJ Earl, DJ Manny, Surly, DJ Rashad and a host of other innovators in this explosive mix for Resident Advisor.
MAY
Beta Librae -- Incienso #5
Beta Librae offers up a masterclass in the art of the slow build: from cavernous dub echoes all the way through to a climax of frenetic bleep techno and dance music thrown into hyperspeed.
Zenker Brothers -- FOLD X ILIAN TAPE
A full three-hour session from the ILIAN TAPE label founders at the imprint's last 24-hour takeover of FOLD in east London. This is the Zenker Brothers in their element, as they traverse effortlessly from wonky IDM to old-school grime via bouncy garage and pummelling techno.
Sammy Virji -- Choice Mix
Pure sun-drenched steppers from the eternally-grinning Sammy Virji. A showcase of his own versatility, this one consists of 100% Virji productions and brings dancefloor energy from all corners of the room.
Kemistry & Storm -- DJ-Kicks
A mixtape that should need little introduction, from two of the most formidable forces in drum & bass. Reissued as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for the influential DJ-Kicks mix series, Kemistry & Storm's contribution retains its cult status to this day -- and deservedly so.
Purchase the mix for unlimited streaming here.
Carlton Doom -- LT Podcast 218
For his contribution to Lobster Theremin's mix series, Carlton Doom digs deep into Bandcamp's rich catalogue. Consisting of tracks purchased during May's edition of 'Bandcamp Friday' (when the site waives its fees, passing on the earnings directly to the independent artists who use the service to sell their music), you'll find dark garage obscurities rubbing up alongside cheeky bootlegs and tear-up-the-rulebook grime.
Etch -- Swamp81 Guest Mix
Psychedelic breaks, acid basslines, garage steppers, a dash of UK drill, and a leftfield Sophie Ellis-Bextor bootleg all feature in Brighton-based Etch's expansive guest mix for the Swamp81 show on Rinse FM.
Joy Orbison -- wooly window sessions part wun
The reclusive Joy O digs into his dusty teenage crates and comes up with a popped and crackling mix of garage gems that span 2-step and four-to-the-floor, before edging into tropical and funky house flavours.
Juba -- Fresh Kicks 140
Boko! Boko! party founder and Berlin-via-London DJ Juba traverses gqom, amapiano, kuduro, Afrobeats and more in her contribution to DJ Mag's Fresh Kicks series -- including tracks from Naira Marley, Guiltybeatz, DJ Lag, and Scratcha DVA among others.
APRIL
Soraya -- Dummy Mix 582
Co-founder of one of the UK underground's most beloved music sites, Truants, Soraya plucks a selection of bouncy techno, warped acid, and jacked house from her record bag for this pacy mix for Dummy.
rRoxymore -- Dekmantel Podcast 277
French, Berlin-based rRoxymore provides this month's dose of drums, with her mix for techno mecca Dekmantel. Swooping from meditative hand drumming, to swung garage, and driving techno, this is music precision-engineered to get you moving.
GLXY & Visionobi -- Choice Mix
Fresh from the release of debut album Research & Development on Shogun Audio, GLXY serve up an hour of soulful rollers -- with MC Visionobi toasting throughout. Featuring silky cuts from Marcus Intalex, Submorphics, and a whole host of GLXY productions this is escapist drum'n'bass at its finest. Follow Visionobi's lead and "get lost in the music."
Anz -- DISCWOMAN 91
Manchester party powerhouse Anz glides from hardcore to hip-hop, stopping off at pretty much every hands-in-the-air destination along the way: blending UK funky with four-on-the-floor garage, pulsing techno, footwork, and Afrobeats. High energy from start to close, this is pure pick-me-up material.
MARCH
TSVI & Wallwork -- Nervous Horizon Label Of The Month mix, for Resident Advisor
Nervous Horizon has, over the past year or so, steadily emerged as a bag-on-site label within the UK underground. In this showcase mix for Resident Advisor, the label's co-captains introduce the uninitiated to their infectious take on the sounds driving the dancefloor.
Swing Ting -- Mixmag: In Session
Before it was a label, Swing Ting was a clubnight. And before it was a clubnight, it was the name adopted by Manchester-based DJs Samrai & Platt. The pair's sets -- traversing dancehall, soca, garage, reggae, and UK funky -- have always been a vital part of the operation, and this studio mix for Mixmag is as good a showcase of their imprint's influences and attendees as any.
JD Twitch -- Tranquility Mix 1
The first in an ongoing series of blissed-out mixes from the Optimo Music bossman, this hour-long selection explores calming works and field recordings from the likes of Hiroshi Yoshimura, Takashi Kokubo, and Inoyama Land.
Low Jack -- RA.718
If you like your dancehall with an added dose of industrial noise, then Low Jack's latest excursion into the rougher edges of the sound is as good a place as any to get your fix. As well as deconstructed dembows, you'll find grisly takes on grime, techno, trap, and drill.
FEBRUARY
Shannen SP -- Recognise Mix, for DJ Mag
This full-frontal 64-minute audio assault from Hyperdub affiliate Shannen SP stretches from fringe to fringe of the modern dance music palate. Taking in broken kuduro, FDM, footwork, gqom, and more, it serves as an overlapping illustration of diasporic global club music.
DJ Plead -- Dekmantel Podcast 271
"Drumroll, please!" For Dekmantel, DJ Plead delivers up a percussive one-ten punch of fully syncopated head-nod material. Neptunes beats rub shoulders with upfront releases from Nervous Horizon, and there's reams of unreleased material from DJ Plead himself and regular sparring partner Cop Envy.
K-Lone -- HVYWGHT 2ND Birthday Promo Mix
The Wisdom Teeth co-head honcho heads back to his roots with a 140bpm workout that courses trap, dub-techno, dubstep, and new age grime. Packed from start to close with big grooves and bigger basslines.
Lurka -- ESO 019
Like pretty much anything Lurka puts out in the world, this is worth your time: an hour of rolling dub-techno, funky, breaks, and crunchy, industrial dancehall sounds from the Timedance and Hotline Recordings regular.
Beatrice Dillon -- Crack Mix 337
The ideal accompaniment to her stunning debut album for PAN, Beatrice Dillon's Crack mix incorporates all the playful, rhythmic excursions that have made her one of UK club music's most exciting prospects.
JANUARY
Kamilla Rose -- Normal Not Novelty 2020 Special, for Red Bull Radio
Kamilla Rose kicked off the year by pinning her colours to the mast with a mix of all the sounds she's predicting we'll be hearing a lot more of over the course of the year. A savvy gambler, Kamilla spreads her bets -- taking in a wide array of sounds from the likes of Loraine James, HAAi, Anz, and Lady Donli.
Elijah & Skilliam -- 01012020
The first of 10 studio mixes that the Butterz co-founders plan to release over the course of 2020, this one serves as a follow-up to the duo's 01012010 mix that landed a decade ago. Once again, Elijah & Skilliam go back-to-back in delivering up their vision of where grime is at right now -- and where it might be headed.
Against All Logic - A.A.L MIX
Nicolas Jaar's precision-crafted Essential Mix from 2012 remains something of a landmark. This latest offering under Jaar's Against All Logic alias continues the legacy. Featuring all new material from the native New Yorker, and skirting between tinny trance, blanket ambience, abrasive industrial breakdowns, and silky trap, this is one to hold your attention.
DJ Marky - Choice Mix, for Red Bull Radio
The Brazilian d'n'b veteran steps up for a session covering, in his own words, "the whole spectrum of drum'n'bass." And he does a sterling job of it, too: taking in liquid, techstep, jungle, and dose of jump-up for good measure.
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