Coldcut Solid Steel

Solid Steel (22nd June) In Hour 1 it's Hot Chip Megamix which is currently hitting festivals all over Europe this summer. Having previously featured Joe Goddard on Solid Steel before, it's the turn of fellow band member Felix Martin to open up the record bag. Head over to https://www.hotchipmegamix.com/ for the upcoming dates and they had this to say: “This is the first in a series of mixes under the Hot Chip Megamix name. This instalment was put together by Felix. Megamix is a way for us to play music we love and to integrate it live on stage with electronic elements like 808 drums and a TB303.This mix includes a selection of tunes that are relevant to the Megamix concept - fun ways of remixing and messing around with our own music, along with some of our favourite cuts by other artists. It includes tracks from Joe & Alexis under their own solo monikers,  Hot Chip music as reimagined by Erol Alkan and Carl Craig, and a very well know Alexis acapella put into a new context alongside music by Matthew Herbert & Trevino.

In Hour 2 it's François X, a key protagonist within Paris’ underground scene for nearly a decade, François X has firmly cemented himself as one of France’s finest exports within the realms of House and Techno. Since making his production debut in 2009, the Parisian has gone on to establish his inimitable blend of genre bridging Techno, most notably via Dj Deep’s renowned Deeply Rooted imprint as well as his own label DEMENT3D. With his versatility fuelled by a rich knowledge and understanding of his musical heritage, his rapid rise has seen the DJ establish himself as a key resident at Concrete Paris, not to mention regular appearances at the likes of Berghain (Berlin), fabric (London) and Robert Johnson (Frankfurt). His debut album 'Irregular Passion' came out at the end of last year and he told us: "The idea behind the mix wasn't very clear at the beginning. Experimental? Danceable? Trippy?… So I decided to let loose and selects tracks I was enjoying at that moment to create a patchwork of vibes. I'm known for playing straight 4/4 techno but around a year or so ago I began to reinvent myself slightly by playing tracks I wouldn't usually include in my in sets. Taking more risks. Surprising both my audience and, first and foremost, myself. Music is the answer!" - François X 

In Hour 1 we welcome  Sassy J who has a colourful and charming sound informed by her simple and honest love of music and emotion. She runs her own Patchwork night, does the art for each party and has a passion for sewing one off pieces of clothing that marry many different textures and styles in compelling ways, much like when she mixes records. She has also done artwork for Eglo and did an excellent cassette for The Trilogy Tapes. Sassy J has been passionately doing her do for 20 years now. In that time she has kept a focus on forward thinking electronic and analog sounds, has been a consistently exciting DJ and has earned a reputation amongst esteemed artists and fans that appreciate her unhurried style. Driven by a feel for the occasion, a passion to present new sounds and desire to leave a mark on her audience, Sassy J has played everywhere from Eglo Dance and Dekmantel to OHM and De School. She had this to say about her mix;
"I love to create sonic journeys through sounds, vibes and words. Setting moods, visiting places in the imagination, expressing my feelings and thoughts. I like to let the music speak for itself on the 90 minute ride. "

In Hour 2 Belfast producer Jordan takes over who has a busy festival season coming up over coming weeks, sharing bills with everyone from Larry Heard & Saoirse to Space Dimension Controller & Kink. As well as that he continues to run his weekly party, The Night Institute alongside his friend and mentor, Timmy Stewart. He had this to say about his mix;
"Italo, electro & oddball house all represented in the hour plus a few samples nicked off Youtube. I've dipped my toe in to as many of my musical influences as possible within the hour, from old Warp Records and Beggars Banquet output right up to what are, in my eyes, some of the most exciting imprints of now - Deewee, Futureboogie and Life & Death."

Solid Steel (6th April) In Hour 1 celebrating the release of the new Dr Octagon album 'Moosebumps: An Exploration Into Modern Day Horripilation', we welcome back Dan The Automator, who first appeared on Solid Steel in 2000 and is one third of the trio behind Dr Octagon alongside Kool Keith and DJ QBert. The first Dr Octagon album dropped over 20 years ago to great acclaim and two tracks from that album 'Blue Flowers' and 'Earth People' feature in the mix. We also hear 'Black Hole Son' from the brand new album which is out today, plus a whole host of tracks produced by Dan The Automator and Prince doing his incredible cover of 'Creep' by Radiohead.
In Hour 2 we hand over to Adam Freeland who has been producing music for over two decades, which included running his Marine Parade label out of Brighton, a 10 year residency at Fabric and nomination for a Grammy. Now he is part of The Acid, which includes RY X from The Howling. He told us; 
"This mix is really just an acknowledgement of my lifelong love of arpeggiators and excitement for this new wave of arpeggiated synth stuff combined with some deeper drones and desert psych influences. I’m living totally off grid way out in the Mohave desert near Joshua tree, where this mix was recorded. My studio is solar powered ( no other option out here), there’s an exhilarating feeling to know that the photons running through the circuit boards of my machines emanated from the surface the Sun just 8 mins and 20 seconds prior. Of late, I’ve been more focused on my band ‘The Acid’  and pursuing my lifelong dream of living off grid and figuring out how to build a house than DJing. Incase you missed it we ( The Acid) put out a debut album called ‘Liminal’ and more recently we scored a documentary film  ‘the bomb’  a documentary about the story of nuclear weapons. We have been touring film festivals, performing the score in a 360 immersive environment live to the film. In December we performed it live at the Nobel peace prize ceremonies in Oslo which was in incredibly inspiring and moving experience for me.  You can check the score/soundtrack here  or Watch the film on Netflix here or come see us play live, next UK gig Camden Roundhouse Jan 2019(tbc)"

In Hour 1 we welcome Robert Hood, founding member of the legendary group Underground Resistance (with ‘Mad’ Mike Banks and Jeff Mills) following the release of his third and final installment in a trilogy of EP releases for Dekmantel Records, that initially began back in February 2016. 'Paradygm Shift Volume 3' embraces the trademark, minimal, funk techno sounds that defined his earlier career and is an extension on the concept as outlayed by Hood during the project’s conceptual stage: ‘‘The idea behind Paradygm Shift is similar to a shift in our focus. We can become so complacent; we are so comfortable with our surroundings, I think this is the time for electronic music to find a new mindset.’’ He’s currently finalising a new EP due for release in April on his own M-Plant label.

In Hour 2 we hand over to Canadian producer CFCF, also known as Mike Silver who has been producing for nearly a decade on labels like Paper Bag, 1080p, International Feel Recordings and Arts and Crafts for his last release alongside Jean-Michel Blais.  He had this to say about his mix;
'I tried to make a mix that reflected some of the ideas in my 12”, where raw emotional prog house intermingles with goofball filter house. I think I’m always searching for a nugget of truth inside discarded music, even prog house and goa and tech house. The few more current tracks sprinkled throughout serve to reorient the listener to present day, whose anxieties at first undercut the plastic euphoria, but are ultimately mixed and normalized back into the catalog of the past.'