In Session: Mixpak

“Who the fuck is Mixpak?”

That was the question uttered by those not yet in the know at the Red Bull Culture Clash in London on Friday June 18. The New York label and crew lined up to battle Wiley’s Eskimo Dance squad, the UKG Allstars and Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang. They faced improbable odds.

“Who the fuck is Mixpak!”

By midnight this had become a victorious battle cry. Star performances from Popcaan and Big Narstie, a Drake dub and masterful selections from label boss Dre Skull and key crew member Jubilee saw Mixpak take the crown. The underdogs, with their intimate knowledge of dubplate culture and how things should be done during a clash, had the arena singing their name.

The label – which specialises in the red-hot club music of North America, Jamaica and England – has gone from strength to strength since we last featured it, in 2011. That year saw the release of ‘Kingston Story’, the Vybz Kartel album produced by Dre Skull. It became a seminal dancehall record and thrust Mixpak ino the limelight, the label’s love of spectacular pop moments and raw street music on full display.

Its next major hit came in 2014 when another legendary album dropped: Popcaan’s ‘Where We Came From’. Although more subtle than ‘Kingston Story’, it saw Kartel's protege come into his own and further cemented Dre Skull’s reputation as a producer.

All the while Mixpak never stopped nurturing cutting-edge dance music. Work from Jubilee, Dubbel Dutch and Murlo will leave your head spinning. And it feels fitting that Mixpak became champs at this year’s Culture Clash, for the label has had a stunning 2016.

Wildlife! has dropped a record-cum-art installation called ‘Patterns’ that distorts club music well into the red; Palmistry’s debut album is an exercise in beautiful, dim-lit pop and a fine example of how the label develops artists (it was preceded by a series of singles starting in 2013); GAIKA’s ‘Security’ mixtape comes loaded with ground-breaking, powerful rap. Not a bad run.

It’s the weekend of Notting Hill Carnival here in the UK and Mixpak’s exclusive In Session is charged with the kind of energy that runs rampant through Europe’s biggest street party. In the words of the crew: “It's a hi NRG Caribbean-influenced mix (all above 120bpm), so a lot of Jamaican tracks but also some Trini, Dominican and UK vibes inside.” Welcome to the champion sound.

Mixpak's website, including its on-point Mixpak FM mix series, is right here

Seb Wheeler is Mixmag's Digital Editor. Follow him on Twitter

Tracklist

Charly Black - Bike Back

Spice - Sight & Wine

El Alfa - El Mananero

Dre Skull - Loudspeaker Riddim VIP

Dynasty - Body Boker

Vybz Kartel - In My Life

Alkaline - Young People Time

Spice - Indicator

Busy Signal - Yuh Body

Fox - Downtown Uptown

Olatunji - Big Business

Kerwin Du Bois - Too Real

See Gee - Wine

MM - Quick Bubbling Tool ft. Cobra (Mixpak Dub)

Donaeo - My Circle (Mixpak Dub)

Bay C & Famous Eno - Gal A Bubble (Efendi Riddim)

Murlo - Freaky T

Popcaan - Love Yuh Bad (Go Mike Gip Remix)

Popcaan - Everything Nice (DJ J Heat Remix)