Danny Howells - Essential Mix (February 18th, 2007)

In his first major mix since 2005, Danny Howells proved that his brand of "deep, sexy, futuristic-tech-funk" house is now more relevant than ever, particularly with the reemergence of deep house. I can't say enough good things about the mix. The man definitely lived up to the hype. The first hour is smooth, with the intro tracks being particularly lush. By the 30 minute mark, Danny is dropping track after track of sleazy, deep house, and manages to maintain that vibe remarkably well throughout the remaining hour and a half. Give the man a comp! Here's the tracklist (provided by Danny himself on his board):

1. Phil Lynott "Yellow Pearl" (Top Of The Pops Extract) (BBC)
2. Pulp "This Is Hardcore" (End Of The Line Remix) (Universal)
3. Tom Middleton presents Amba "Shinkansen (The Odyssey)" (White Label)
4. Drug Addiction "Let's Talk" (Extract) (White Label)
5. F12 "No 7" (Ibadan)
6. Quentin Harris "House" (Danny Howells Edit)
7. Lagos Nagoya Player's Association "Kaminari" (Ibadan
8. Plastikman "Psyk" (Minus)
9. Little Big Bee "Scuba" (Tom Middleton Edit) (Flower JP)
10. Nick Chacona "Leo" (Mood Music)
11. Bent "Waiting For You" (Danny Howells Remix) (Godlike & Electric)
12. Chris Morris "Blue Jam" (Extract) (Warp)
13. Figurines "Silver Ponds" (Ben Watt Dub) (White Label)
14. Numaro "Losing Control" (Bar Grooves)
15. James Brown "Boston Garden 68" (Godfatherpella) (Booty DVD - Essential!)
16. Marc Romboy vs. Blake Baxter "The Club" (Systematic)
17. Madonna "Hung Up" (Loopzilla) (Warners)
18. Sebastien Leger "Cosmogold" (Circle)
19. Jon Silva "Love In Me" (Conya)
20. Theo Parrish "Falling Up" (Technasia Rmx) (Third Ear)
21. Octave One "Love And Hate" (DH Edit) (Tresor)
22. Claude Von Stroke "Who's Afraid Of Detroit" (Kevin Saunderson Mix) (Dirtybird)
    
23. Drug Addiction "Let's Talk" (Slight Reprise) (White Label)
24. Agoria "Europa" (Danny Howells Edit) (PIAS)
25. Thom Yorke "Harrowdown Hill" (Danny's Edit) (XL)
26. James Brown **RIP** "Get On The Good Foot" (Polydor)

Always nice to hear Tom Middleton's classic "Shinkansen" (Japanese for bullet train) get played out.

Download: Mercury Server

This Weekend on Radio 1's Essential Mix

His first in nearly 5 years. I can't wait.

Essential Mix: John Askew (February 11th, 2007)

This week's Essential Mix featured trance DJ, John Askew. Here's the tracklist:

1. Trentemoller “Gamma” (White Label)
2. Johan Gielen “Kuredu Express” (Maelstrom)
3. Space Manouvers “Zone 2” (Koala Remix) (Lost Language)
4. Alex Bartlett “Amnesia” (Martin Roth Instrumental Mix) (Drizzly)
5. Yamin “So Tired” (Gate 42 Remix) (Direction)
6. John O’Callaghan “Low Resolution Fox” (John Askew Remix) (Discover)
7. Serge Devant Vs Filo & Peri “Triple Crown” (Baroque)
8. Duderstadt “Smile” (Duende Dub Mix – Re-Edit) (Afterglow Records)
9. John O’Callaghan “Space & Time” (Marc Van Linden Mix) (Discover)
10. Thomas Datt “Distance” (Discover)
11. Stoneface & Terminal Vs Def Tactical “Driven By Venus” (Askew Mash Up)
12. Stoneface & Terminal “Volcano” (Euphonic)
13. Motivation “Para Mi” (Viceroy Remix – Re-Edit) (Cdr)
14. Forerunners “Life Cycle” (Deep Blue)
15. Tantra “Blitz” (Marcos Remix) (Cdr)
16. Wood Van Eyeden “Y68” (Ottaviani Remix - Askew Edit) (Fenology)
17. Amadeus Vs Aly & Fila “A Dream Of Peace” (John Askew Remix) (Discover)
18. Battery Acid “Battery Acid” (John Askew’s Dark Room Mix) (Discover Dark)
19. Activa “Genetic” (Airflow Mix) (Spinnin’)
20. Aly & Fila “Ankh” (Ligaya)
21. Neal Scarborough “Stung By The River” (Sean Tyas Remix) (Discover)
22. Bryan Kearney “More To Life” (Discover Dark)
23. Steve Birch “Full Throttle” (Digital Nature Remix) (Monster)
24. Tom Colontonio “Suspect” (Askew Edit) (Discover)
25. Thomas Bronzwaer “Constellation” (John O’Callaghan Remix) (Vandit)
26. Cerdric Gervais “Spirit In My Life” (Second Sun Remix) (Data)

Epic breakdowns, pitched-up beats, and overt, "sing-a-long" synth melodies are the name of the game here. Askew includes a couple of more modern, electro-tinged tracks, but the majority of the music here is exactly what you'd expect.

Download: http://www.mercuryserver.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37397