Dancing Astronaut’s Top 10 Essential Mixes of 2012
Every Saturday night at 1am in the UK, Pete Tong allows an artist of his choosing to take over the Radio 1 airwaves for two full hours. The Essential Mix is legendary and for many of these DJs and producers, the pressure feels immense. A stellar mix can shoot you to recognition, solidify a career, or facilitate a comeback. Although with the generous input of fans, Pete Tong does eventually crown an Essential Mix of the year himself (last year: Above & Beyond), we also put our heads together to decide on the ten mixes from 2012 that made us listen again, and again, and again.
Hardwell blitzes the Essential Mix with 2 hours of big room bootlegs, exclusives, and more
Hardwell once again stopped by the BBC Radio 1 Studios to get behind the decks of Pete Tong's Radio 1 broadcast. Recently voted the 6th Best DJ in the World by the infamous DJ Mag poll, this Holland-based producer has been putting out electro/big room hybrids since he first got his start in 2007. In the last 2 years, with tracks like "Spaceman" and collaborations with Tiesto and Nicky Romero, Hardwell has seen a meteoric rise to superstardom, one that was fueled by his bootleg-heavy sets and the type of indescribable style that he himself-proclaims as "Hardwell music." On his second essential mix, Hardwell showcases is prowess for dismantling and reassembling familiar tracks with surprisingly unique results. Countless bootlegs and mash-ups, like his combination of REM's "Losing My Religion" with "Three Triangles," make up the foundation of the mix. Featuring cuts from his own Revealed Recordings artists and his upcoming track "Apollo," Hardwell's Essential Mix is big room at it's best. If there was any doubt that his placement at #6 was ill-deserved, this essential mix should squelch any non-believers.
Watch this: Feenixpawl feat. Quilla – Universe (Preview)
Feenixpawl, the Aussies who brought you "In My Mind" last year are at it again with a rip-roaring, turbo-powered single entitled "Universe" featuring the vocals of Canadian Quilla. The track is scheduled for full release on November 23rd, but today we're bringing you a little preview courtesy of the folks over at Neon Records. If you're a Pete Tong fan, you may also recognize the David Tort remix that was played on last week's Essential Selection, also to be included in the release package.
Good Morning Mix – Lee Foss’s BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix (11/10/2012)
Lee Foss, one half of Hot Creations and one quarter of Hot Natured, debuted a stunning Essential Mix this past weekend on Radio 1. A native Chicagoan, Foss introduced the mix as a showcase of his history and upbringing, but also as a tribute to Ben Wilson, a promising high school basketball player whose sudden death sparked a social uprising during the urban crack heyday in 1984. The mix is dynamic and emotive, keeping both an eye on the past and the future much as Hot Creations' originals seem to do. The entire body of work is worth a dedicated listen, but we've also pulled out some of our highlights below.