BBC News’ Ros Atkins shares new DJ mix on ​Steve Lamacq's Summer Soundclash show

BBC Radio 6’s Steve Lamacq invited fellow BBC affiliate Ros Atkins to join him on the first edition of Summer Soundclash last night where the pair went toe-to-toe on a brand new mix.

The BBC News reporter - who recently revealed his former life as a drum ’n’ bass DJ - took over the 60-minute mix dropping tracks from artists including DJ Zinc, High Contrast, and DJ Shadow.

In the first instalment of Lamacq’s Summer Soundclash, the pair selected ‘some of their favourite tracks’ in a battle of the beats.

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“It was a bit daunting going head to head with Steve - he's a legend who I've listened to for years,” Atkins told Mixmag after the show. “He and his team very kindly brought me out of DJing retirement in January - and I was chuffed to be asked back again for this Soundclash.”

Earlier this year, Atkins detailed his life as a former drum ’n’ bass DJ tweeting photos of him performing at events and parties with insights to his years raving. "Back in the 90s, along with lots of teenagers in Cornwall, I started going to raves & listening to hardcore and drum & bass,” he explained.

Now working as BBC News’ Analysis Editor, Atkins regularly presents Outside Source and his own show on BBC World News and the BBC News Channel, leaving his former DJ career behind.

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The presenter was invited onto BBC Radio 6’s Desert Island Disco All-Dayer in January where he blended tracks from Calibre, Koffee, and Andy C, landing him attention from a number of big names in music.

“For many of the tracks I picked, I went back to the bangers that I used to play when I wanted to be sure the next track would go down well. Hopefully they hit the spot this time around on 6 Music,” Atkins said on his latest mix.

"It also has to go down as a career highlight hearing DJ Ham ‘Most Uplifting’ going out on BBC network radio. If you'd told 20-year-old me back in Cornwall in the ‘90s collecting hardcore and d’n’b cassettes that that would happen, I'd never have believed you!”

Listen to Ros Atkins and Steve Lamacq go back to back on the first instalment of BBC Radio 6’s Summer Soundclash here.

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Editorial Assisant, follow her on Twitter