Crack Mix

Part of the future never dies. And as owner of the long-running Cultivated Electronics label, Phil Bolland's been making sure that the electro sound pioneered in the early-80's by Ryuichi Sakamoto and Afrika Bambaataa (among others) remains the forward-thinking dancefloor ammunition it always has been.

Since starting the label in 2007 (though he's been releasing music on other imprints since 2003), Bolland's dedication to the genre has been unwavering. Electro has fallen in and out of fashion over the years, but it seems to be enjoying another purple patch of late. Recent music from stalwarts such as DJ Stingray and The Exaltics and newcomers like Shanti Celeste prove it's a style that continues to find favour with dancefloors over 30 years since its inception.

This exclusive mix from Sync 24 hammers the point home - featuring contemporary material from the likes of Marco Bernardi, J.T.C. and Truss as well as a number of unreleased and forthcoming tracks, it's a heady, focused ride from start to finish that proves electro continues to remain the potent force it always has. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2QEO3Tr

Sync 24 plays as part of the Electrix Records showcase at Bloc, 13th-15th March. Tickets and more info here - http://blocweekend.com/

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Legend isn't a word we like to use lightly round here. But if your name is Rolando, you were part of seminal Detroit techno outfit Underground Resistance and you happened to break into the UK Singles Chart with one of the best techno tracks of all time (Jaguar), then we'll call you a legend, no problem. We're delighted to have the man himself contribute our second-last mix of 2014 (we got another big one coming on NYE). Moving through blissful ambience, through emotive, Detroit soundscapes and bucking, jacking drum workouts, this is a mix put together by a true master of his craft. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2UXqCDF

There isn’t really anyone that sounds like Samuel Kerridge. A singular artist with a true and brutalist vision of club catharsis, his is a blend of bleakest atmosphere and exploded blast-beat weight that toils through acres of distortion till it reaches the floor. So far his music has found fitting homes in Karl O’Connor’s Downwards, James Ruskin’s Blueprint and the shadowy world of Horizontal Ground. Kerridge’s next move, inevitably, is to do things his own way. His 2nd album, Always Offended Never Ashamed will inaugurate his new label, Contort Records in early 2015. Named after the now-infamous parties he runs in Berlin with his wife Hayley, it promises electronic music from the very edge.

This exclusive mix for Crack sees Kerridge pull together droning swamps of noise, ten-tonne percussion and drowning seas of bass into just under an hour of relentless turbulence. Everything you’d expect from one of electronic musics most unclassifiable producers. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2Shc7bK

The fact the urban sounds of London Town continue to resonate with fresh audiences and fresh generations over and over again have meant the stalwarts of the scene have continued to find prominence. Two-step, garage and the more uptempo strains of the house spectrum continue to dominate the London airwaves and Matt ‘Jam’ Lamont has been there since the start. Having initially found noteriety in the garage explosion of the mid to late 90’s, Matt’s production work and DJing have seen him stay remarkably true to the UK sound that forged his career. This mix is a ride through these strains of music and keeps the rolling feel of a radio mix and featuring a number of instantly identifiable moments. Lamont’s sound is set to be brought to life at the Where Were You? event in London this Saturday alongside luminaries of the London urban music scene. More info here: https://crackm.ag/2Ra9aMQ

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