"The only test is to survive..."

- Patrick

Got some interesting combinations this month I think! For a long while I've wanted to do a mix that started and ended with two particular songs that share the same name, and finally I found a good time to do it. There's a good mix of dramatic and laid-back production, a few legends, and some real corner-of-the-shelves finds. With that said, let's see what we have this month...

"You too near me not to hear me."

- Big Boi

What a month! Podcast out in the nick of time, and with it being Halloween I decided you deserved a treat more than a trick - hope you enjoy it :) Things have been hectic this month with the opening of the Manchester Marauders exhibition, which went as well as I could possibly have hoped! Here and here you can find a few photos of the exhibition, and if you'd like to buy one of the prints from the collection, then click here to get the print catalogue. It's been a lot of work, but good work lasts forever...

"Calling for the freedom of the backs that you steppin' on..."

- Boots

It's been an outrageously busy month, and I've really struggled to get this episode out but got there in the end! What's the problem, you ask? Well, of course there's always the months when the tune selection doesn't come easily, but this month I've had the added complication of being the sole hand planning the "Manchester Marauders" exhibition which opens on October 17th - come to the opening and make a very overworked DJ/photographer happy :)

Anyway - let's talk about this month's tunes...

"I've been...to places never seen..."

- Sheyenne Rivers

With involvement in two upcoming photo exhibitions, plus work and the podcast, this month has been off the scale for being busy! Nevertheless, managed to put together what I think is a quality mix, and the fact I've been going around listening to it heavily before release hopefully means it'll be an enjoyable one for you all!

A couple of links;

September 13th - I'll be one of the hosts for the second Example photo exhibition, and I have some good pieces to show. This opening runs until late with a heavy DJ roster, so would make a great night out!

October 17th - my first solo photo exhibition - "Manchester Marauders" opens. It's all about the Manchester Hip-Hop scene from my personal viewpoint, with the centrepiece being a Manchester recreation of A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" album. The opening will be heavy, do come down!

Anyway - let's get to the music...

"I dance and dance and dance and dance and dance and dance and dance...then I sat on the toilet"

- Ced Gee

Fifty episodes. Power Cipher. A lot of nights trawling the shelves and slaving over a hot mixer. With A Tribe Called Quest and Nas being recurring themes on this episode, this selection has some classic A-sides, ...er remixes, some little-known gems, and top local talent. This is what it's all about. Let the world know!

One more thing - friend of the show Watch Deez has just started a blog. Quality posts on the regular, get on it!

"Peace to Mandela..."

- Erick Sermon

The fourth birthday episode! Out of the nursery now and getting into real school. I've got some mixes on here I've been wanting to do for ages and with a landmark episode coming around (and once more having a mixer with 3-band EQ), it was the time to bring them out and combine them with some more recent ideas. For the most part this episode has the kind of laid-back feel that's just right for the summer...as though we're having a major one here!

"Scattered records, had Aretha Franklin in the Pun case..."

- Rise

Four complete years of episodes! A lot of nights fretting over the right tunes to play, hunching over the turntables, digging up interesting links, and buried in recording software. Hope you're enjoying the journey!

I just had a good portion of the show notes I'd slaved over wiped out - Libsyn, why is the browser session length so short? I'll give the notes another browse soon and fill in any links I've missed in my lightning re-write...

"...try to re-educate ones who are lost."

- Guru

Crazy month. Had to make sure to get a Boston track into the selection, and that's not even counting the Gang Starr track, with Guru - a native Boston MC - kicking classic lyrics. Just over an hour long, but it took me more than twice that to write all the show notes and find the links...

Thanks to everyone who came down to the Example photo exhibition this month! If you'd like to buy yourself one of my prints, follow this link and get at me :)

"Old school, new school need to learn though."

- Biggie

I recorded this on a brand new PC setup, been a bit fiddly but got it done! March is here again, so of course there's some Biggie Smalls in the selection. Besides that, got a couple of great Camp Lo tracks (saw them live this month), a new tune out of Manchester, and plenty more - enjoy this while you eat your Easter eggs :) 

In other news; check out some of my nicest Hip-Hop photography at [Ex]hibition #1, opening on April 11th at 2022NQ Manchester, and follow it up with a night at More Bounce with Maseo (De La Soul) and Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) on the wheels!

"You thought I fell off? You smokin' somethin'..."

- Tim Dog

Big dedication episode. February is the month where we mark the passing of J Dilla, Big L, and Big Pun, but this year we also lost Donald Byrd, Cecil Womack, and Tim Dog. Allow me to pay tribute in this month's selection the best way I know how...putting them into a quality mix.