Selections: Mitekiss
In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections. This week, Hospital Records' Mitekiss highlights some recent drum & bass gems
In this series, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their Bandcamp collections. While hearing new music played out by your favourite selectors has been put on hold as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s never been easier, or more important, to support the artists and imprints releasing tracks, albums, EPs and comps in the midst of all the madness. In lieu of opportunities to discover new records on the dancefloor, Selections will give you the chance to nab sounds from the crates of tastemakers, and support the people behind them while you’re at it. Win-win, right?
This week, Hospital Records’ Mitekiss highlights some recent drum & bass gems. Mitekiss has touched on various genres and styles throughout his two decades in music, but it’s within drum & bass that he’s made his mark since the mid-2010s, building his name on labels like Shogun Audio and Skankandbass, before joining scene powerhouse Hospital Records.
He’s dropped several releases with the South London outlet since, including his debut album ‘Crate Six Seven’ in 2018. In February he shared his latest EP ‘Night Bus Stories’, on which he wraps his jazzy, rolling liquid sound around vocals from Javeon, Milo Merah, RSWT and Mr Porter so delicately that you could be forgiven for thinking you were listening to a full live band. Each of the first three tracks moves to the caress of gentle keys, brushes of guitar or flute, before Mitekiss switches up formation on the final track, unleashing a wonky steppa packed with flurries of cataclysmic breaks.
Even more recent drops include a bubbly remix of Etherwood’s ‘Time Is Here’ for Hospital’s 25th anniversary comp and ‘Full Fat 01’, the debut compilation album on his own label Goldfat Recordings, which has provided a home for artists such as PIN, pyxis and Winslow. “I’m now head down working on a second album,” reveals Mitekiss, so keep ‘em peeled for that tantalising prospect. Meanwhile, dig into Mitekiss’ Selections below.
“One of my favourite Naibu tunes, it combines all his best trademarks, in my opinion. The atmospheric intro with the big reverb hits, the amazingly clean drums, and what I think is a Prophet synth being teased throughout. Classic Naibu.”
“Really like the garage feel to the main pad/synth in this tune, has a nod to 4x4 about it too. Love the synthy bass stabs throughout, and the lush vocal to top it off makes this tune a stellar bit of music. Not forgetting loads of attention to detail, wait till the outro to see what I mean!”
“Love the elegant simplicity in this one, a really focused use of piano cuts and smooth bass make the track sing before the vocal even turns up. Kinkai’s vocal is wicked, the lazy chorus is such a good style on this track, it suits the whole feel — just absolute chill.”
“This tune is a debut! So good. Really clever use of minimal musical sounds, such as the short muted piano chord giving the track a bit of a staccato feeling, which is backed up with short bass hits. Great vocal choppage too. Lovely rolling number that would sound wicked on a rig.”
“Just for the drum work! Paradox drums always sound so crisp. Really nice progression on this, as the track rolls and the caked-in-reverb pads start to come through it makes you lose yourself in time a bit. I can imagine in a club this would not only smash your face off but also make you go on a bit of a journey.”
“Smokey. That’s the vibe I get from this. Really raw, unfiltered smash-your-windpipe-in-type track. It’s all thanks to those waves of bass hits that come at you. The held fifth throughout makes the tune; we’re drawn to those held notes, it’s part of our human instinct and it’s used to full effect here.”
“Really enjoy the call and response throughout this track, it happens with multiple sounds too which is really clever. Love the way the drums skip over the whole talking bass too, really makes the track stand out. Really well thought out.”
“Big fan of Tokyo Prose, always brings the soul and this one on LSB’s Footnotes is no exception. I love simple, rolling soulful d&b and this is exactly that. Filtered pianos, wicked chops and a decent break give the tune a gracious elegance that is much harder to do than it sounds.”
“Where do you start with this intro, just sublime. The piano does it for me though, such a wicked cut, and used so well. Really enjoy how the sub follows it from time to time, gives that real thick sound in the bottom end. DRS is sublime on this track and his voice cuts through so nicely — lyrically on point as always.”
“Had to get this one in for the bass, love how it ascends and descends at the start of every two bars — really catchy and clever way to use the sub. It’s a moody track, bit of a stepper, and somehow Javano manages to get this ‘80s synth in the mix and make it work! Wicked vibe, quite playful but also dark.”
