Freetation sets have become the stuff of mix legend and this recording of Nono Gigsta from the 2024 event slots seamlessly into the pantheon of the very best. It marked the opening of Room 2 on Saturday evening, which is a space that has been pivotal to Gigsta. “There is something I've felt in my body, there, that I have not felt in other places,” she wrote on Substack, noting it has “without a shadow of a doubt, entirely shaped the dancer and musician that I am today.” More simply on Instagram, she asked: “has there ever been a happier place on planet earth than inside the sensual and sacred hugs of room 2 subs?”. This recording makes a convincing case, hitting with layered blends, atmospheric shifts and some good old screwface bassweight. With audience noise included, the pure elation is tangible, with the “oiiiii!” screams as the throbs come in around the 1 hour 21 minute mark a particularly enjoyable moment. But this isn’t a mix about moments as such, it’s a flowing masterpiece made to soak yourself in and have your brain chemistry rewired.

Pearson Sound landed back in The Lot Radio studio foe the first time since 2019 on a sweltering July day and ramped the heat up significantly. Featuring gripping drumwork, collapsing bass, earworm melodies, urgent vocals and more, it’s everything you would hope for from the Hessle Audio co-founder. With recent single ‘Hornet’ featured alongside unreleased material, could the hint of something big coming soon from Pearson Sound also be present?

Bristol-based DJ Caragh steps up for local legends Livity Sound’s mix series with a dynamic mix of percussive techno and sounds to make a sub rattle. One moment the beats are intricate and light of feet, the next you’re being submerged in a wave of warm bass and pulled in more experimental directions. Highlights include a Mulholland remix of UKG and grime crew Pay AS You Go Cartel, a salute to Livity boss Peverelist and his top-notch ‘Pulse’ series, and a wild Ma Sha remix of Teqmun to close.

You’ll always find Juliana Huxtable going in. This mix, recored live at New York’s Wire Festival this summer, is full throttle energy, blending techno urgency, experimental atmospheres, pop and rap vocals, and more, in a ways that’s tailored to lose your whole mind and body control to.

Toyko’s turbo duo Minna-No-Kimochi みんなのきもち launch a new NTS series, the ‘RUSH Mix’, with an on-brand hour of trance euphoria and rave euphoria, and blends so layered the official tracklist didn’t catch them (see Four Tet’s ‘Daydream Repeat’ around the 25 minute mark). Energy.

The master of chaos DJ Marcelle delivers a trademark head-spinning mix. Wild sounds and divergent blends pull you in every direction, from throwback punk to experimental electronica to raucous singeli to blistering, bass-loaded rap to DJ Marcelle’s own excellently titled ‘Big Room Techno Looking For A Room’. It’s fearless and not for the faint-hearted.

After appearing on the cover of Mixmag in July, dance music’s favourite enigmas Two Shell delivered a larger than life, maximalist Cover Mix comprising bassy cuts, club anthems, and unreleased tracks. True to their unpredictable style, you can expect a typical range of pop deconstructions, secret collabs, and silly edits over the span of 90 minutes.

Munich-born DJ and producer mobilegirl takes the baton for the latest NR Sound Mix with an hour-long set packing in club heaters from all over the globe, from Dj Babatr’s recent raptor house hit ‘The Journey’ to Ma Sha’s rolling low-end heater ‘Psyspi’.

On the release day of his latest EP ‘Things To Come’, Jasper Tygner celebrated the launch with his debut performance in The Lab LDN. This euphoric house set blends unreleased tracks with some fan favourites, featuring plenty of his own productions and remixes, as well as a handful of tracks from the likes of Laurence Guy, Wallace, Leon Vynehall, and more.

Jazz fusion, soulful house and a sprinkle of bruk is the name of the game from Last Nubian on this one, with a comprehensive selection of jazz-based dance music on the July edition of his Balamii residency. The last half an hour saw him step up the tempo with tracks from L’aroye and Musclecars, as well as a Bruk Rogers exclusive, as the producer and DJ showed why he’s one of South London’s best.

Binga, Bianca and Bakey bring the bangers in Bristol. The three Bs mixed together a fruity cocktail spanning Latin drums to bassline edits of Cajmere’s ‘Brighter Days’. Recorded in front of a raving crowd at this year’s Love Saves The Day festival, this mix brings that energy that you need before a big night out, including the trio throwing in a few surprises for each other. And finally a shout out to the unnamed MC who hypes the crowd throughout this festival mix.

A rare recorded set from Danilo Plessow (Motor City Drum Ensemble) is always a treat, and his appearance in Mixmag’s Lab LDN showcased his impressive production and turntable mixing skills. It’s a masterclass in music, traversing disco, deep house, Japanese synth pop and more. With an eclecticism that kept us guessing until the end, his set ended in rapturous applause as he closed up with some soul classics.

If you haven’t already heard, it’s brat summer and Charli is pulling out all the stops for us to get involved. Now bringing her club-inspired album to Ibiza’s legendary Amnesia, Charli pulled the party girl out of each person in the crowd. Reaching a mammoth 1.5 million views in just two weeks, you must be living under a rock if you haven’t listened to this yet. No doubt the rest of the world feels green with envy that they weren’t present. Kicking off with her anthem - which feels very fitting for the White Island - ‘365’, it’s instantly received by screams. And it's not just Charli featuring on this hour-and-a-half DJ set, the Queen Brat is joined by Alex Chapman, Zoe Gitter, The Dare and her partner George Daniel. Some highlights include Charli playing Vengaboys’ ‘We Like to Party’ alongside her track ‘Club Classics’, as well as some tributes to her pre-Brat era with ‘Unlock It’ and The Dare playing Justice’s ‘Stress’. Charli may have only DJed for possibly 20 minutes but at this point, it's her life and we’re just happy to be here to witness it.

Surrounded by the scores of die-hard fans, DJ Heartstring took to the decks locked and loaded with their USBs. Filling up London’s hotspot The Cause’s outdoor space, the Berlin-based duo Leo and Jonas manage to get each and every member of the crowd to let loose. Playing a whole host of their own music, from unreleased gems to their latest fan favourite remix of Sugababes’ ‘Push The Button’, this is an electrifying set with an ecstatic atmosphere.

Underground Hero by name, Underground Hero by nature — Jeremy Sylvester’s Rinse show has long been a source for some of the finest UKG/bassline cuts on the airwaves. But for his show on July 26, the Garage Paradise boss takes us on a trip down memory lane — powering through cuts from Victor Vs Suarez, Housebreakers and Club Asylum, as well as a heavy helping of Sylvester classics old and new. A special mention to an unruly mash-up of ‘Ripgroove’, ‘Spin Spin Sugar’ and ‘Let Me be Your Fantasy’ in the closing moments. No one quite does it like Jeremy Sylvester.

In the market for a delicious mixture of up-tempo percussive squelch and bass so cavernous you’ll have to call the BCRC (British Cave Rescue Council) to get you out? Well Manchester’s Abena is on the job. Putting texture to the front, this 40-minute mix moves through tracks from Batu, DJ PLEAD, Rhyw, Mor Elian and more — pairing up bass techno whoppers with skittering rhythmic gems. Hwfg!

Nothing quite gets us salivating like festival live recordings — and, FOMO be damned, softi’s excerpt from her set at Welsh wonder Freerotation is a perfect example. Beginning with a slow burn courtesy of the spine-tingling ‘Halycon’ from Audio Units and Claudio PRC’s ‘Resina’, softi’s set builds in energy through layered percussive elements — hitting a trickling crescendo with Polygonia’s ‘Shadow Cave’, before burying into a groove-laden closing 30 minutes. It's mind-bending, while still grounding… ugh, is there still time to squeeze in one last festival this summer? We’re asking for us.