I don’t know about you but am I REALLY looking forward to the summer.
I can’t think of a better way to prepare for a big summer blowout than lazing around by the pool, beer in hand, listening to a great mix. With that in mind I asked some of my favourite producers right now to hand over some fresh Ibiza-flavoured bombs. That means I have new and exclusive tracks from Metodi Hristov, Grum & Jaceo, Mihalis Safras & Raffa FL, Daniel Trim & Andre Vicenzzo, Spencer K, Oxia, Jimpster, Kiko Navarro, Rob Etherson, Dilby and Solaris Heights and they all feature in the mix alongside a couple of brand new remixes from me.
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First up (working with long-time collaborator Gallya) is Metodi Hristov. Our favourite Bulgarian producer has had an incredible 2015. Riding high off the success of “Step Outside” – his huge Ibiza hit on GU from last summer – he’s delivered some heavy-hitters for A-list labels like Deeperfect, Gruuv, OFF Recordings and Joris Voorn’s Green label. “Unlisted” is more of what we love from Metodi: tough beats, chunky synths and a big-ass rolling bottom end.
Next on the track list is a killer mix from Jaceo. As well as running Glasgow Underground, I’ve also released all of Grum’s music on Heartbeats. “Feel It Everywhere” is an unreleased track from Grum’s second album and this superb stomper of a mix from Denver’s Jaceo is a pure dancefloor delight.
I first came across Spencer K when I picked up his and Matt Sassari’s “Soma” on Acumen’s Time Has Changed label – the track has a lovely elastic feel, so much so that the bass feels like it is almost sliding in and out between the kick drums. He first appeared on GU alongside Metodi Hristov in last years “Basic Tricks” and here he strikes out on his own with the heavy filtered magic of “Vodka Ways”.
Mihalis Safras and Raffa FL’s barn-storming “Losty” follows Spencer’s cut and what a weapon it is. Mihalis’ Material label has supplied me with plenty of DJ tools in the past so its great for me to represent some of his own music here on GU. I’ll be honest, this track isn’t going to win an Ivor Novello award but I can’t imagine dropping it in a decent house club at 2am and the place not going BATSHIT.
As well as all the dance floor business I’ve included a few tracks to celebrate the times on the island where a deeper moment is key. First of those is the sublime reworking of Daniel Trim’s “Novi” by Oxia. Straight after – and mainly for its ability to sound fantastic at sundown or sunrise is the classic Jimpster mix of local DJ Kiko Navarro’s “Siempre”.
I thought Ovr Kill’s “Serve It Cold” was one of the stand-out tracks of the Glasgow Underground Miami 2015 album and – as such – I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the parts and add my own take for this album. Here I’ve added some electric keys and housed up the beats hopefully providing a more summery DJ-friendly mix.
Next up is the first of two tracks from Dilby. The New Zealand-born, Berlin-based has picked up an impressive array of headline supporters (Maceo Plex, Hot Since 82, Danny Tenaglia) and when he approached GU, his tracks were immediately picked up on by Mikey Duncan and Sam Harding, two of the GU A&R team. I was in the middle of mixing the compilation and something came up with one of the tracks I had planned to use and these two razor-sharp techy grooves were perfect to take their place.
In between the two Dilby tracks is Rob Etherson’s “The Z List”. This cut is a proper acid weapon. How do I know this? Two reasons: first, Illyus dropped it at his & Barrientos’ recent set for Toolroom @ Fire, London and – in his words – the place WENT OFF, secondly it’s got the Pete Tong seal of approval (have a listen at 52 mins to his Mixmag LA session with Jesse Rose – https://youtu.be/wqthdP2c2eQ).
One of my favourite things about records that are big in Ibiza is that the quirky and the unusual often gets celebrated there way more than it does elsewhere. And if anyone on this compilation is going to deliver the slightly oddball groove that fits with that, its Barcelona-born Daniel Trim and Tarragona resident Andre Vicenzzo. “Walking In The Rain” sounds like Stephen Hawking rapping over a funk cut-up (no, really, let me sell it to you some more!) which – I know – does’t sound like much but this charming, almost Super Discount-esque groove is one of my favourite cuts here.
Rounding off the compilation is the last of the deep tracks. We originally released “Nightfall” by Solaris Heights as the B-side to their recent single “Together” in April. I love all the music in the original, so I didn’t change much in my remix, just added a heavier beat and made an arrangement that would work for me if I found myself in front of the right, loved-up, spaced-out crowd at 6am.
Kevin McKay, London, 15th April 2015.