Each week, FACT trawls through the untamed world of free mixes, radio specials and live blends so you don’t have to.
The radio show on everyone’s lips this week was the radio reunion of Slimzee and Wiley. If grime’s not your thing, there’s also a vast, in-depth history of UK hardcore, pan-global club sounds from Riobamba, a mix of post-punk and industrial classics and more.
Slimzee w/ Wiley
Rinse FM, February 22
Without question the most essential radio session of the week: Slimzee and Wiley back together in the Rinse studio. It’s like 2002 all over again, and if the timeline was to be believed on Monday night, grown ones were getting lumps in their throats at the thought. Both grime legends are on point as well, with everything going to plan (an unorthodox touch) – the mic is sounding nice, Wiley is on fiery form and Slimzee just has all the tunes, obviously.
Woebot
London’s Dreaming: A History of Hardcore
There’s no one better than legendary music blogger Woebot to guide you through the history of hardcore. This whopping five-hour mix covers everything from A Guy Called Gerald, 4Hero and Goldie to the It-sampling ‘Pennywise’ by Neuromancer. Strap yourselves in, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.
Pure Joy
E M P Y R E A L
If there was a weekly award for mix-most-likely-to-soundtrack-your-heavenly-ascension, Pure Joy’s appropriately titled EMPYREAL session would walk it this week. The Truants contributor and co-founder of new London night Wild Combination selects from skywards breakbeats, cerulean vistas and pointillist glitches, then collects 100 bonus points for throwing in Errorsmith & Mark Fell’s ‘Cuica Digitales’, BIG TUNE. There’s a tracklist on SoundCloud – you’ll be wanting that.
DIÄT
Philip FM #9 on BCR
Decked out in hairspray and crushed velvet, Philip FM on Berlin Community Radio treads the gothic side of the tracks, ladling the cold industrial shiverings of Skinny Puppy over bracing synth-wave from Nagamatzu, but best of all this episode features an appearance from Berlin-based punx Diat.
Patrick Russell
The Bunker Podcast 119
Midwest veteran Patrick Russell isn’t the most recognisable name in US techno, but his tripped-out productions have a similarly psychedelic edge to Terrence Dixon’s. If you like deep techno beats that sound like they’re being sucked through a wormhole then Russell’s killer podcast for New York institution The Bunker even gives the master Donato Dozzy a run for his money.
Riobamba
Mixpak FM 093
Mixpak’s latest podcast shines a light on Brooklyn-based DJ and producer Riobamba, whose music draws on her Ecuadorian and Lithuanian heritage. Blending Latin rhythms with global club sounds, her breakneck mix features tracks from NON artist Chino Amobi, False Witness, DJ NJ Drone and more, whipping up a storm across its short-but-sweet 30 minutes.
