By We take a look back at the best mixes of both March and April of 2022, this time featuring ELISE and 4AM NYC on Juanita’s, a live ambient set from Ben Bondy, Tammo Hesselink’s turn on the Dekmantel podcast, and Ben UFO b2b Four Tet on Hessle Audio.
ELISE – Juanita’s Mix 064
Another month, another Juanita’s mix. I can comfortably say this is the best running mix series going right now, no question about it. Tapping into the incredible sounds and artists of New York, Juanita’s has found a voice that truly stands out from a broader landscape that feels more and more homogeneous by the day. ELISE’s turn on the mix is an eclectic grab bag, a chaotically comforting mix of crate digging and USB ripping that borrows from just about everywhere. Eschewing the general structure of a traditional DJ set, the mix feels more like a GTA radio station, splicing in soundbites from classic video games and fuzzy static transitions that make for a super fun home listening experience.
Ben Bondy – Live at False Peak
Ambient really isn’t my thing. Aside from DJ Healer, MUSIC FOR AIRPORTS, and that long-titled Huerco S album, the genre hardly ever finds its way into my rotation. So imagine my shock to find that a half hour of cloudy, breakbeat free transcendance is easily my favorite mix of the month. This Ben Bondy set truly blew me away—I was floored. Recorded live at False Peak in Brooklyn, Bondy’s set is a remarkably tight whole composed of sounds and vignettes that roam for miles. Pop songs are reworked and reconfigured to the point they feel frustratingly unfamiliar, like getting a hook stuck in your head but unable to place its origin. I could throw a bunch of adjectives and adverbs but it’s a fool’s errand putting pen to paper to describe this set. It’s thirty minutes. Just throw it on; it really is that good.
Tammo Hesselink – Dekmantel Podcast 376
“But Ryan?” You ask. “Where are those good old fashioned values on which we used to rely? Where are the 90-minute techno-heavy mixes from a European selector on a legacy European institution’s mix series?” Well, reader, it’s here, with Tammo Hesselink’s set, the 376th on Dekmantel’s legendary podcast. This thing rolls right along, amassed from tunes the Dutch DJ has been spinning live the past year and some unreleased stuff that’ll surely get some run at festivals this summer. It’s a clinic in mixing, as this set just chugs along with no dips in quality or energy, giving each tune ample opportunity to shine on its own while seamlessly shifting on to the next. Every track feels like it was produced to be sandwiched between the others. A fantastic introduction to Tammo Hesselink, who I’ll be keeping an eye out for going forward.
4AM NYC – Juanita’s Mix 067
I simply will not stop writing about Juanita’s mixes. It is the best mix series running, full stop. 4AM NYC is another new discovery for me and I’m loving what I hear. Spinning through their “top shelf favorites,” 4AM NYC puts together a delightfully snappy 70 minute mix that bounces around all the highs and lows of a night out. The non-linear structure is a delight and makes for a great re-listening experience. Can’t wait to hear more.
Ben UFO & Four Tet – Hessle Audio – 11 April 2022
If you’ve read any of these roundups, you know a Hessle Audio with Ben UFO and Four Tet is making the list. It’s a classic Hessle show, more radio show than DJ mix as Ben and Kieran cycle through tracks from usual favorites like Anthony Naples, Floating Points, and Caribou while hopping on the mic every once in a while to shout out the deluge of messages being sent in as they mix. There’s a treasure trove of unreleased stuff as always, headlined by Chloe Robinson, Two Shell, and the heavily anticipated 3LW edit courtesy of Four Tet himself. This track has been making the rounds since he dropped it at Lost Village last summer and is already one of the high watermarks in his storied career. Hebden says the sample is just about cleared so look out for an official release sometime this summer. Excellent as always from two of the best selectors in the world.
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