7 must-hear mixes from June 2019

It’s almost impossible to keep on top of everything that SoundCloud, Mixcloud and online radio has to offer. In our monthly column, FACT guides you through the must-hear mixes of the last 30 days, whether you want a club session to warm you up for the weekend, ambient soothers or a set of vinyl-only obscurities.

This month’s selection includes Jubilee’s Miami take on Pride, DJ Marcelle’s three-turntable magic, an old-fashioned mixtape from Boards of Canada and Brian Eno in political storytelling mode.

But here’s one from the archives that shouldn’t be missed: a fast and flamboyant Essential Mix by the seminal French dance duo Cassius, whose super-producer Philippe Zdar tragically died in June. Fast and flamboyant, it’s hard to believe this sound is 20 years old – you can understand why Zdar is given so much credit for establishing Paris as a dance music capital.

And as it’s Pride month, here are two options for your pre-parade: Jorge’s unapologetically large Pride mix for Dublab (warning: contains Madonna remixes) and a two-hour guide to the best of that modern gay icon, Lana Del Rey.

Jubilee for Honey Soundsystem
Booty-moving Pride bangers from Miami’s finest

Jubilee unleashes the booty-movers for Honey Soundsystem in her Pote De Mel mix, a Pride mix with a twist from the Miami bass queen. Drawing for perverted electro, Baltimore breaks and other vintage thrusters, she tops up with plenty of contemporary treats including her own remixes (Tommy Genesis, Lizzo) and LSDXOXO’s twisted take on a SOPHIE track.

Gonno for Dimensions
Spelunking in the rave cave with a Japanese master

Tokyo selector Gonno grabs us by the hand and leads us blindfolded into his psychedelic rave cave – 90 minutes of kaleidoscopic, acid-flecked chuggers just perfect for fans of Black Merlin or DJ Harvey.

DJ Marcelle for RA
Freeform, triple-deck intuition from a true original

In a strong month for mixes on RA (including Sote’s Iranian avant-electronics and trippy techno from Aurora Halal), this delirious set from Amsterdam’s DJ Marcelle still stood out a mile. Using three turntables, a reel-to-reel machine and CD and tape players, she doesn’t so much mix records as smash, crush and melt them together, creating unique contexts for every one of the 47 tracks and sound sources, ranging from Public Image Limited to Kowton & Parris.

K-Lone for Crack
Dubby, oddball techno from the Wisdom Teeth boss

With tracks from Batu, Metrist, Leif and K-Lone himself (alongside his Wisdom Teeth label co-founder Facta), this mix is a brilliant snapshot of the best UK club music of the moment – which is particularly intriguing since it’s so hard to describe exactly what’s going on here. There’s a certain dubby introspection to many of these picks, which tend to find their zone inside intricate rhythms, locating silence and space between heavy globs of bass. A quality after-hours sessions.

The Sound of Astrophonica for DJ Mag
160BPM explorations from UK soundboy Fracture

Charlie Fieber AKA Fracture shows why his Astrophonica label is one of the UK’s most reliable sources for drum ‘n’ bass experimentation on this mix, balancing catchy rave hooks with elements of hyperactive footwork and halftime wobble. Featuring no fewer than 11 tracks of his own (including the excellent ‘Chal Dub’, which we like for obvious reasons), it also includes cuts from DJ Earl, Luke Vibert and Sully, proving just how wide the Astrophonica net has grown.

Boards of Canada for WXAXRXP on NTS Radio
Emotional cassette wobble from the Warp duo’s collection

We never pass up a transmission from the reclusive Boards of Canada. This mix of their favourite “tapes” (or tracks sent through their analog machines) as part of Warp’s weekend of broadcasts on NTS Radio is illuminating stuff for hardcore fans. The hypnagogic easy listening of Flayer’s ‘Wanna Get Back Your Love’ and the hauntological loops of Doxa Sinistra form fascinating trails back to BoC’s own hypnotic and emotive style. (Plus, Kode9 fans should listen closely to Paul Hart’s library music cut ‘Prospect’ for a jolt of the familiar.)

Brian Eno & Extinction Rebellion for WXAXRXP on NTS Radio
An environmental audiobook from the ambient legend

This Is Not A Drill is an hour-long soundscape combining speeches and testimonies from climate activists with lush music from the ambient godhead Brian Eno (with assistance from Daniel Lanois). Another unique project created for Warp’s 30th anniversary celebrations on NTS Radio, it’s an educational hour reflecting Eno’s longstanding interest in “environments” and his desire to listen carefully to the world itself.

Chal Ravens is a freelance journalist. Find her on Twitter.

Olivea Kelly is an independent artist and designer. Find her on Instagram or at opk.studio.