Midland closes out February with a mystifying Essential MixMidland Photo By Benjamin Eagle Photography

Midland closes out February with a mystifying Essential Mix

After more than 20 years of broadcasting, earning the right to step behind the BBC Radio 1’s coveted decks to proffer the week’s Essential Mix has come to be regarded as both an honor and a rite of passage. The Essential Mix invites artists to showcase a snapshot of their artistic evolutions on a level that is deeply personal when executed properly. The most recent recipient of BBC Radio 1’s highest honor is Harry Agius, a London-based DJ and producer who first surfaced in 2010 as Midland.

In the past, Midland has stated his goal is to “create a homogeneous sound that people from different musical persuasions can appreciate.” Agius transcends this goal in his latest mix by conveying the raucous fun of the dance floor through a refined style of mixing. Throughout, Midland is a sonic storyteller, weaving together nightlife’s history with his own.

A highlight of the mix comes just before its halfway point, when Midland samples vocals from the iconic club kid documentary “Paris is Burning” over Patrick Crawley’s “Thief of Love” – a track from Honey Soundsystem Records. The label was founded by the San Francisco DJ crew of the same name, who notably incorporate a musical history lesson into every one of their sets.

Rivaling the perspicacity of even 2015’s keenest Essential Mixes, Midland’s take on the series will likely be perceived as one of this year’s finest installments, regardless of what contenders may purvey in the coming ten months.

Listen back here:

You can now listen back to my Essential Mix. The idea behind the mix was to it to approach it as three sections, each…

Posted by Midland on Monday, February 22, 2016

The tracklist can be found here.

Photo: Benjamin Eagle Photography

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