The best DJ mixes of the year 2024 so far - May - Music - Mixmag

INVT b2b Skee Mask at Climate Of Fear

Recorded at Climate Of Fear’s 24-hour party in Berlin back in April, Skee Mask and INVT’s back-to-back set mashes up the trio’s global bass stylings into an eclectic blend of techno, drum ‘n’ bass, Latin club, and more over a rowdy in a nearly three-hour-long mix.

BAMBII in The Lab LDN

Canada-based BAMBII was UK-bound in May and made her debut performance in The Lab LDN, bringing her infectious blends of jungle, club, and pop with some big room excellence, which, in her own words, “transported everyone to the rave real quick”.

Nikki Nair ‘The Mix 013’

In his second 100% production mix for Mixmag, two years on from his last, Nikki Nair goes head-first into obscure bass-forward productions with a collection of unreleased tracks and others featuring the likes of Thys, Hudson Mohawke, and DJ ADHD. “This one begins with dancefloor-oriented tracks I’d made just for DJ sets — a lot of this stuff might never be released,” he says.

Jamie xx ‘Live from The Floor on NTS’

Jamie xx’s 10-night residency at South London’s Venue MOT was the talk of the town this month, though tickets to each ground-breaking event sold out long before the series kicked off on May 16. Thankfully, Jamie dished out a taste of the action with a recording from his second event at the Bermondsey venue for the toe-tapping pleasure of NTS listeners who didn’t make it down. Consisting of raucous breaks, all-out disco favourites and original productions from Jamie himself, we’re sure this mix will mean the vibes from The Floor are not swept under the rug any time soon.

Actress ‘RA.938’

Described by the London-based producer as a “collage of sounds,” Actress brought out a 100% production mix for his contribution to Resident Advisor’s podcast series. Consisting of purely unreleased, original material, the hour-long mix gives us a tiny insight into the illustrious vaults of one of the UK’s true creative visionaries — mixing rough-edged experimental techno cuts, spine-tingling ambient atmosphere and buoyant, futuristic house.

Novelist (covering for Positive Dee) on Balamii

Grime legend Novelist touched down in the Balamii studios for something different. Covering for his mum, better known as Positive Dee, N-O-V took us through a range of Dee’s pre-planned selections, playing everything from Roy Ayers to Groove Armada, with some steady house and garage cuts in between, even having time to lay down a couple bars! With an eclectic yet masterful show, Novelist and Positive Dee showed us the music runs in the blood.

Wes Baggaley ‘The Mix 014’

Through his own admission, Wes Baggaley has A LOT of records. So for his contribution to The Mix series, Wigan’s finest export took inspiration from a recent house move - and apathy towards the “robotic” nature of current club music - to dig through some of his personal favourites. Recorded in one take, this all-wax mix places well-worn originals from the likes of Lil Louis, Moodymann, Steve Poindexter and Larry Heard alongside modern cuts via GRRL, KMFH and Legowelt. The result is a decadent mix of propulsive EBM, cavernous deep house and searing acid, complete with all crackles and pops necessary for all-out immersion. Proving once again, no one does it quite like our Wes!

Donsurf on Rinse FM

One of broken beat’s new wave of producers, Leeds-based Donsurf made the trip down to London to bless listeners with a selection of bruk boogie heaters. With a show time of 2:PM, the Don came with some daytime heat, drawing from disco, soul and Latin influences, as well as some deep and soulful house. This one channels the true broken spirit, touching on a variety of moods and sounds throughout.

Saige Sounds w/ Soul Connection (Lovie & Honey Bun) on Balamii

Two of New York’s most exciting DJs Lovie and Honey Bun joined Saige Sounds on her Balamii residency to showcase some R&B, soul and house music selections. Filled with chats and laughs, the three selectors kept the vibes high throughout the two hours, drawing for sweet tunes from the likes of K15, Mica Paris and Trinidadian Deep.

D'Athiz (100% Production Mix) // Amapiano’s Second Wave

D'Athiz is a Durban-born, Johannesburg-based producer who’s part of a new wave of South African artists ushering in the next wave of amapiano’s evolution (as explored in Mixmag’s ongoing editorial series Amapiano’s Second Wave). Here in a 100% production mix he presents his gqom-influenced take on the genre, that hits with dark, impactful low-ends that evoke sweat-soaked dancefloor mania.

Jarome Pare & The Koka Boys | Boiler Room Pacific Islands: Rarotonga

Here's how they party in the Pacific Islands Boiler Room’s debut stream from the region - held in Rarotonga, the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands - gives an energising insight. Jarome Pare & The Koka Boys’ set is a 20-minute tornado of vibes, with an ensemble of musicians dressed in colourful clothing showing how the Kuki Airani people get down. Drumbeats are a significant part of their culture, and the intensity of the flurries of percussive hits set a frantic tempo that the dancers impressively bend and shake to. Bandleader Jarome Para is a vibrant host and instigator throughout, as the sounds move through keyboard chimes, the intense drumming of local ukulele, rousing lyrics and plenty more drums. 20 minutes will leave you breathless.

Nueen & Iceboy Violet ‘Wire mix’

Manchester’s Iceboy Violet and Barcelona-based Nueen follow-up their recent collaborative album with a gorgeous mix for The Wire. It’s an atmospheric listen, moving through the hazier reaches of contemporary ambient, UK rap, experimental trap and alt-pop, including transcendent reimagining of the likes of AJ Tracey and A$AP Rocky.

TAYHANA ‘SonarMix 045’

TAYHANA goes hard in this instalment of the SonarMix, barelling through the hardest sounds of "the collective Latin American unconscious". There’s pneumatic beats, delirious synth lines, euphoric cresdencos, and styles such as guracha that are both humorous and head-spinning.

Introspekt ‘Dekmantel Podcast 466’

Opening with shimmering sounds and light chords, this mix soon takes a tone with a murky bassline and darkly shuffling percussion locking in. It’s an exhibition in why Introspekt has become so highly sought after internationally over the past couple of years, with impactful blends and intriguing rhythms throughout the spectrum of garage, dancehall, tech and dubstep sounds it explores.

Keysound with Blackdown and Dusk on Rinse FM

Truly the end of an era. Blackdown and Dusk have been holding down their Keysound Rinse FM residency for 17 years, but no one is safe from ‘destroy and rebuild’. Their final monthly show does what they’ve been doing for the best part of two decades: exploring up-front sounds from the UK underground, with a particular focus on the murky territory between dubstep, funky and bassy UK techno, which Blackdown coins as ‘rollage’. There’s also shouts from music friends and collaborators over the years included, giving an emotional edge to the occasion, which hits an ultimate peak as they play out on Burial’s ‘True Love VIP’, a highly sought after dub first played by Blackdown on Rinse back in 2008.

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