"Blentcasts" from the "People's Mix Click Collective"
By SUSANNA BOLLE | August 20, 2007
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The self-described “People’s Mix Click Collective” is a group MP3 blog that serves as a kind of clearinghouse for DJ mixes from around the globe. The site covers virtually every dance-oriented electronic music genre under the sun, from dubstep and hip-hop to house and techno. Of course, with such a hefty herd of MP3s, separating the sheep from the goats can be a Herculean endeavor. But the site’s mysterious impresario, Mr. Blentwell, does some of the work for you. He’s corralled some of his favorites into a section called “Mr. Blentwell’s Picks.” In addition, he’s solicited a series of exclusive “Blentcasts.” Here are four of his most inspired selections . . .
Blentcast No. 4, “DJ C (Mashit)”
Don’t let Mr. Blentwell’s description at the beginning of this mix put you off. This ultra-long set by DJ C cannot be pigeonholed as “breakcore” (though the venerable C can certainly dish out the breaks with the best of them). In his far-ranging mix, the former Boston-based Beat Researcher serves up an eclectic selection of hip-hop, dancehall, jungle, and more. There’s even a bit of Donovan and Wilco and a dab of Sesame Street thrown in for good measure.
Blentcast No. 7, “Filastine”
Eclecticism is again the name of the game in this scorching mix by Filastine, whose excellent debut, Burn It, was released last year on DJ Rupture’s Soot imprint. Forever on the move, it seems, Filastine incorporates an array of North African and South American rhythms, tunes, and field recordings into this gritty set, which also draws from hip-hop, dubstep, jungle, and political outrage.
Matt Shadetek, “More Fire, More Bass”
Break out the subwoofer for this bottom-heavy mix from New York’s Matt Shadetek, who’s one of the top grime/dubstep producers this side of the sea. Created for broadcast on BBC Radio 1, “More Fire, More Bass” features a bunch of as-yet-unreleased material by Shadetek and friends, who include ace New York producers Drop the Lime and Timeblind.
Oris Jay, “Live at Sonar 07”
This set from by one of the godfathers of UK dubstep is a deep, dark, beautiful thing. Yes, it’s live, so the sound is a tad murky, and who really wants to hear the sound of the Sonar crowd, but, still, it’s magisterial, dense stuff by the legendary producer Oris Jay (a/k/a Darqwan).
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