Mixpak FM

Mixpak FM 065 comes from UK producer, Finn. Emerging only a few months ago and making his way on to our radar via Slackk's mixes, Finn's sound comes in the great tradition and renewed vibrance of grime-meets-RnB-samples (see Spooky, Inkke, Milktray for more). With skipping rhythms that play with space & movement, Finn's cut-up beats look to 90s icons like Ginuwine & Missy to complete that head-turning UK sound. With a contribution to the first Boxed compilation out and a forthcoming 12" on Local Action, it's already a certified formula.

His Mixpak FM is a journey through some of the most exciting sounds of this corner of the underground. Never afraid to dip into pop reworks as easily as the obscurer sounds of London, Finn puts his own work next to Mixpak favorites Murlo, Kingdom and DJ Q.

Mixpak FM 064 is brought to you by London DJs and promoters, Hipsters Don't Dance. Made up of Hootie Who & Kazabon, the duo have been pushing the dancehall-soca-rap-afrobeats sound for years, with their longstanding clubnight and mixes. They were also responsible for these edits of our Douster release last year. With an encyclopaedic knowledge of all the aforementioned genres, it felt right to ask them to dig in deep to one of the most exciting sounds to blow up in London lately: Afrobeats.

Hootie Who describes how they were inspired for their Mixpak FM mix:

"Ever since Kazabon and I started the HDD club night we wanted to explore our respective heritages and its musical output. Kazabon's heritage is Ireland by way of Trinidad which helps explain her voracious appetite for Soca. I am from Nigeria but born and raised in the west. It's funny because until recently Naija music reflected Trinidad's Soca season in the sense that artists tried to release music around a specific time of year (Christmas). The day after Christmas is Calabar Carnival, the carnival is still in its infancy but it's already Africa's largest street party. That carnival experience heavily influenced this mix. From the floats pumping out the biggest Afropop songs of the moment, to the Channel O/ MTV Africa after parties where South African house reigns supreme to the packed clubs where people try out the latest dance craze. It's all here in this mix that captures the sound of the past few years. This mix can't do that experience the justice it deserves especially the feeling of connecting with your homeland but we did our best. Trust me you haven't lived until you have seen someone on roller skates azonto in the middle of the blazing hot summer."

Mixpak FM 063 is brought to you by none other then Australian producer, Strict Face. Strict Face isn't the only the new face in the bustling instrumental grime scene but he is making a name for himself with tracks winding up on Slackk mixes, Rinse and several other shows. Whether the young producer is uploading songs nonchalantly to his Youtube channel or creating his acclaimed Birthday Riddims), he never stops making hits pushing boundaries of club and grime. Strict Face already has big things in store for 2014, with two EPs slated for release on Tuff Wax and Gobstopper.

Strict Face's Mixpak FM offering comes correct, with some incredible tracks spanning several different styles of grime and futuristic club music. It features new cuts from himself as well as exclusive tracks from young and upcoming producers like Inkke, Jawside and Neana.

Mixpak FM 062 is brought to you by Californian DJ & Producer, Mike G. A prolific producer, mixtape maker & remixer, his tracks take influence from the spectrum of US club music, from Footwork to Jersey Club and Hip Hop, always with a strong leaning for bass. The RWD FM radio host has collab-ed with Rashad, Falcons and Mak & Pasteman, releasing tracks on B.YRSELF Division, Paradisiaca and his latest - Club Watch EP on Soukouch Ethnik.

His Mixpak FM is a party ride through some of our favourite producers - from Murlo to Massacooramaan & MikeQ, a ton of Mike G edits and VIPs, and a healthy handful of bed squeak.

Mixpak FM 061 is brought to you by Glasgow producer, Inkke. With only one official release under his belt - 'L.O.K' for Ninja Tune's Grime 2.0 compilation - Inkke has already made a name for himself as part of the current instrumental grime 'renaissance' in the UK. Whether he's channeling the ghost of Eski, creating a head-turning war dub, or refixing Nelly, Inkke is constantly pushing the genre's hyperactive syncopation to new and experimental places. With both an EP for Local Action and a beat tape (as in cassette) for Astral Black due early next year, he'll be a grime producer to watch for in 2014.

His Mixpak FM is an interesting ride through what seems to be influences from the UK and international underground - from archive Roll Deep to new grime contemporaries Logos and Strict Face, afrobeats to RnB refixes, and of course many of his own unreleased productions.

Mixpak FM 060 comes from UK producer Lenkemz. His sound is unadulterated club music that has made its way onto Slit Jockey, Senseless, Jeffree's and Fool's Gold. His inspirations seem to run as deep as clubbed-out soca, bassline, reggaeton, dark electronica and straight up dance music.

His Mixpak FM runs through heaters from UK to USA - Baltimore club to grime, Diplo to Dubbel Dutch, and his own productions thrown in.

Mixpak FM 059 comes from Glasgow-via-Slovenia DJ & producer, Nightwave. An RBMA graduate, Judo champion and now label head for her newly-launched imprint Heka Trax, Nightwave is not a girl to be messed with. Drawing from classic Chicago house, techno, juke, rap and strains of the UK bass spectrum, she's landed releases on Unknown to the Unknown, Local Action and a collab with Rustie for Warp. We know we can vibe with anyone who makes crazy Trina edits and has 808 in their soundcloud handle.

Her Mixpak FM comes with a strong dose of RnB, Hip Hop, Juke and, of course, some of her own (and new) productions.

Mixpak FM 058 comes from Portland based producer, EL CUCU¥. Last year he impressed us deeply with his trunk-rattling submission for the first Mixpak Pressure compilation - 'Thug Theogony'. He's as mysterious as his boogieman name suggests, but his eyes (and ears) are firmly on the club - with tracks spanning from hyperactive juke to blissed out 112bpm and dark trap.

His Mixpak FM passes through some dreamlike dancehall, latin club, his own remixes & edits as well as some Mixpak family faves.

Mixpak FM 057 comes from False Witness . Part of the #KUNQ movement alongside folks like Mixpak family Rizzla & Blk.Adonis, False Witness' productions and mixes draw inspiration and influence from Latin America, the Caribbean and around the world, 'with an aggressive queer twist'. Impressed by his concept mixtape for Dis Magazine, and his collab EP Isla Toxico, we knew he'd deliver a hot Mixpak FM. A high energy mix of rave sounds and ha's, his own bootlegs and some wild remixes - this one goes hard.

Mixpak FM 056 is brought to you by versatile London producer, Cadenza. While he often sits in the UK tradition of creating club music with a strong Jamaican influence, he's also known for his hip hop beats, straight-up electronic instrumentals and even the occasional bassline track. In the last year alone his tracks have landed on US labels Mad Decent, Fool's Gold, and on our second Mixpak Pressure compilation released earlier this year, as well as the UK's Dummy imprint. Alongside his underground releases, he has also produced two cuts on Ryan Leslie's upcoming album, Black Mozart.

His Mixpak FM is a dark ride through some of his own exclusive & unreleased material, Kanye & Jay Z collaborators Wondagurl & Evian Christ, as well as tracks from Mixpak family Melé, Popcaan & Ward 21.