When BBC 1 asks you to compile a two hour mix for their long-running, world-renowned Essential Mix radio show, you say yes. The Pete Tong-hosted program is one of the professional pinnacles for electronic musicians, an accolade to point to and say “yeah, I’m where I want to be in this industry.” So it was no surprise to me to hear Canadian dub/electro duo Zeds Dead was given the keys to the Radio 1 studio over the weekend; DC and Hooks have been on the warpath of late, and an Essential Mix feels like a logical next step.
At first glance, the two hour mix is standard Essential Mix fare: plenty of Zeds Dead originals, some unreleased material, and a few “here are our influences” drops. But as I listened once, and then again, I was further encapsulated in the true thrust of the mix. It hits the ear as equal parts an adventure through their career and an emulation of their live experience – a frenetic thrill ride of tracks mashed so tightly together the listener barely has time to recover from a drop before the next one slaps them across the face.
DC and Hooks had this to say about the mix:
“We looked at this Essential Mix as a way to do something that we’ve always wanted to do, which was to bring the listener into an entire world of Zeds Dead…We comprised the mix almost entirely out of our own material, some of which has never been heard before…We wanted to highlight our diversity in musical taste as well as productions by including tracks from all different tempo ranges and genres.”
As advertised, the mix is diverse: there are plenty original Zeds Dead dubbed-out bangers like “1975” and “Rude Boy” interspersed with interludes of hip-hop, electro, and even a brief foray into drum ‘n’ bass. The mix’s X-factor, though, is the slew of unreleased tunes slipped in between familiar tracks. Monkey, with it’s slow, high-pitched wobble, and the throwback dub-down-low “Womb” – which led beautifully into Skream’s classic “Dutch Flowers” – were two personal favorites.
Sure, there were a few moments when I wished the tracks were allowed a little more room to breathe – “Coffee Break”, with its smoothly oscillating basslines and distorted Aretha Franklin vocal cut, only has about 45 seconds of solo time – and I’ll admit I shook my head the few times I heard an air horn, but every mix can’t be Mat Zo-flawless. But I’m more than willing to settle for “well above average,” (or more colloquially “totally ratchet and super dope”). You can grab the mix as a free download via Zeds Dead’s Facebook page.
Zeds Dead BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix Tracklist
Zeds Dead – Slow (Unreleased)
Rolling Stones – Gimme Shelter (Zeds Dead Remix)
Memorecks – Trouble
Zeds Dead and Memorecks – Love Me (Unreleased)
Sublime – Doin Time (Zeds Dead Remix VIP)
Zeds Dead – Monkey (Unreleased)
Moody Blues – White Satin (Zeds Dead Remix)
Massive Attack – Paradise Circus (Zeds Dead Remix)
TEED – Household Goods (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead – Dimention (Unreleased)
Portishead – Only You
Zeds Dead – Back Home (Unreleased)
Breakage – Hard (Ft. Newham Generals)
Al Green – Simply Beautiful (George Lenton Remix)
Zeds Dead – Womb (Unreleased)
Skream – Dutch Flowers
Zeds Dead – Rave
Zeds Dead – Rumble in the Jungle
Zinc – Nexx
Radiohead – Everything In Its Right Place (Gigamesh and Discotech Remix)
Sam Obernik & Tradelove – Bette Davis Eyes (Club Mix)
Zeds Dead – Ruckus The Jam
Zeds Dead & Omar Linx – Cowboy (Torro Torro Remix)
Zeds Dead – 1975
Justice – Phantom Pt. 2 (Soulwax Remix)
Zeds Dead – Demons
Incredible Bongo Band – Apache
Brother to Brother – In The Bottle
The Prodigy – Breathe (Zeds Dead Remix)
Proxy – Dance in Dark
The Bug – Skeng (Ft. Flowdan)
Mariana And the Diamonds – Lies (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead – Trouble
Zeds Dead – Rude Boy
Jason Falkner – Only You (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead – Purple Galaxy (Unreleased)
Chase and Status – Saxon
Zeds Dead – Twilight Zone
Zeds Dead – Oh No
Zeds Dead – Hit Me
Zeds Dead – Adrenaline VIP
Zeds Dead – Playa
Rusko – Hold On (Ft. Amber Coffman)
Colin Munroe – Fight of My Life (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead & Omar LinX – Crank
Blue Foundation – Eyes On Fire (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead & Omar LinX – You and I
Zeds Dead – By Your Side (Unreleased)
Bon Iver – Woods (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead – Coffee Break
DJ Vadim and The Electric – Toot Toot (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead – Ratchet
Zeds Dead & Omar LinX – Out For Blood
Sebastien Tellier – Divine (Danger Remix) (Zeds Dead ReRemix)
DJ Shadow – Midnight in A Perfect World
RJD2 – Work
Zeds Dead – Nostalgia (Unreleased)
The Roots and Monsters Of Folk – Dear God (Zeds Dead Remix)
Calyx – Give Myself To You
Pendulum – Masochist
Nina Simone – Don’t Let Me Be Missunderstood (Zeds Dead Remix)
Zeds Dead & Omar LinX – Cowboy
Zeds Dead – Undah Yuh Skirt (Ft. Mavado)
Zeds Dead and Memorecks – Jericho (Unreleased)
Zeds Dead & Omar LinX – No Prayers
Tragedy Khadafi – Calm Down (Ft. Nas & N.O.R.E.)
Gorillaz – Tomorrow Comes Today
Zeds Dead – Untitled
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