The best DJ mixes of the year 2023 so far - March - Music - Mixmag

Monophonik ‘Live synth driven techno set in The Lab Delhi’

It’s always a madness when Monophonik steps up to the modular controls. This set in his hometown of New Delhi is a tour de force of pulsating grooves: it’s tight and flowing but still flips out in angular directions, reflected in the crowds rhythmic jerking as he goes hayweire on the wires.

WTCHCRFT ‘Mixmag Impact’

It’s not easy to play a techno set full of vocals that absolutely rips but NYC’s WTCHCRFT has mastered the art. Charging through rugged acid and palpitating kicks with moments of trance-induced euphoria, it’s the weaving of vocals that run the gamut of droning, stuttering and snarling wildly that make it totally transfixing.

DJ Radz ‘Svara-Episode 1’

This mix from DJ Radz to launch the Svara mix series is a wild ride: crossing BPMs and genres in a flurry of slick blends. Whatever your mood you’ll find yourself at the whim of its twists and turns, feeling reflective and emotional in one moment of progressive house and sent into a screwface frenzy as psytrance takes over the next. Featuring all music by artists from or strongly connected to India, there’s plenty of hidden gems for you to discover.

Kasra V b2b Angel D’lite on NTS

With a shared love of trance euphoria and intricate percussion, Angel D’lite and Kasra V team up for an hour-long spectacular destined for hazy low-light evenings and sun-peeking-through-the-clouds mornings. Combining delicate bleeps and bloops with spine-tingling leftfield electro with a heavy helping of raucous rave — this b2b from two of London’s most exciting club selectors is equal parts sexy as it is affirming. Match made in heaven.

Toumba ‘Dekmantel Podcast 424’

Amman-born producer Toumba continues to demonstrate why he has become one of the most talked about artists in underground dance music — deftly manoeuvring through a blend deconstructed percussion, wicked edits and raucous high-energy club; this 90 minute mix consists of a spatter of the Hessle Audio alum’s own productions and a selection of cuts from the likes of Scratcha DVA, The Maghreban and more.

Physical Therapy ‘Mixmag In Session’

Physical Therapy gives us a real insight into that signature PT club flavour for his In Session mix, the Queens-based DJ/producer kicks things off with some smooth rolling bass and rattling percussion, before quickly turning up the tempo, meandering between hearty UKG cuts, warbling minimal and trippy acid squelches. The tracklist features a varied cast of old and new favourites, with tracks from the likes of Isolée, Uman Therma, My Nu Leng, Jerome Hill and Dan Cough alongside edits created by the Allergy Season boss himself — such as his electrifying Rui Da Silva ‘Touch Me’ rework that rounds out this 60 minute mix.

BOBBY. ‘RINSE FM 14.03.23’

For his first show in his new monthly Rinse FM slot, Pleasure Club head-honcho and fabric resident BOBBY. introduces himself with two separate hour-long mixes par excellence. The first is a what’s good of underground electro and techno wigginess at the moment, and the second is a slice of magic from his set at Houghton Festival – where early on the evening of the Saturday he graced the decks of one of dance music’s best kept secrets.

Ika & Usharenko ‘Ba Dum Tish Mix’

In the latest offering of Dr Banana and Alec Falconer’s Ba Dum Tish mix series, they invite Tbilisi-based diggers and Small Moves label heads Ika & Usherenko, who have quietly been making names as two of underground house music’s best selectors. Their gorgeous 90-minute long mix is testament to why – full of classy, warm grooves that never try to do too much.

Jack D ‘MMSU 23’

While Berlin’s The Ghost have a name for unearthing deep, tech-house gems from yonder, an undeservedly underappreciated part of their output and parties is their ear for quality downtempo and ambient. Via his own SoundCloud channel Josh Tweek, one half of the duo, has been quietly running his MMSU mix series where, alongside his own selections, he asks friends and contemporaries to showcase their less dancefloor focused sides. For the latest edition he's invited diminutive Berlin-based digger Jack D and the result is glorious – a classy, 96-minute ride through meditative dub, off-key hip hop and luscious electronica.

BORN N BREAD ‘International Women's Month Special on Pound and Yam’

The powerhouse collective that is BORN N BREAD tookover the airwaves to celebrate International Women’s Day on Pound and Yam. Kicking off their two hour mix is Abigurl on the decks spinning a female empowerment belter with the classic ‘U.N.I.T.Y.’. Recognising women in music, this mix shines a light on the new such as girl group FLO to the UKG queen Lisa Maffia. Throughout, the BORN N BREAD collective jump onto the decks whilst vibing and even spillin’ some tea.

Leon Vynehall in The Lab LDN

A warrior of the wobbler, Leon Vynehall delivers a quality Lab LDN. From bassline to Ice Spice, this mix has it all. Each build-up brings hair-raising moments of tension and cathartic release.

Otik on Rinse FM

Atmospheric breaks signal the start of yet another unparalled mix from Otik. Drawing in a soundscape of chaotic jungle and footwork he gets you stomping, before there’s moments to just about catch your breath with small windows of ambient techno — before crashing straight back into the hardcore.

Oneman ‘FWD>> x The Hydra’

In March, Crack tapped three dubstep trailblazers to take on a series of mixes in homage to the seminal London club night FWD>> following its 20th anniversary. Making up the final part of the series, Oneman brought together all of the usual suspects on this hour-long mix: Digital Mystikz, Skream, Loefah, Benga, Kode9, to name a few - each classic cut taking the listener back to the small sweaty basement of Plastic People. “It was a special time in my life where I learnt a lot and met a lot of people I then had the chance to work with over the years and still get to call friends,” says Oneman. “FWD>> was the true essence of what a club night should be.”

Eliza Rose ‘The Cover Mix’

You might associate Eliza Rose with the joyful stylings of UKG, but the London producer, DJ, and vocalist goes deeper than usual on her all-new Mixmag Cover Mix. Still in keeping with “classic Eliza Rose style”, this 60-minute mix goes in on the peak-time cuts, ‘90s house tracks, vocal numbers and personal favourites - with the added bit of UKG, of course. “It’s a majority vinyl set with a few unreleased bits from some amazing producers who I really respect,” she explains.

Salamanda ‘Crack Mix 493’

Giving a feel for their forthcoming live tour across Europe this spring, Seoul-based duo Salamanda contribute a Crack Mix, tapping into their usual ambient-turned-bassweighted sound. Gloomy percussion opens the mix, picking up the speed at the halfway point and shifting between “swirling rhythms” and different energies, according to the pair, who said to expect “something a little different” in this mix, “a bit more wild and spicy”.

Zequenx in The Lab Goa

Goa is perhaps best known for its history of transcendent trance sounds, but for this Lab set in the India coastal state Zequenx flips the script and goes deep into heads-down territory to mesmerising effect. With a tight flow throughout, she raises the temperature through between hypnotic and hype-inducing, even bringing bars from the likes of Sean Paul and Cardi B into the floor-focused mix.

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