It’s the longest night of the year, and a perfect time to put on some chilled out background beats while on a long winter night’s drive or cozying up at home with a good book or loved one. This mix has elements of progressive house, melodic techno, and ambient trance. Like always, a futuristic spacey tech flavour as well to represent the stars, space, and wonder of the universe as we stare off into the night sky while on our adventure.
For this mix I tried to create an interplay between cold and warmth; Starting out with cool cutting piano keys and a dark vibe with long progressive transitions to represent the frigid winter air and long dark night ahead. Then bringing in some warmer synths and groovier beats to match whatever it is keeping us warm on this night. Maybe driving with the heater on, trees passing in the darkness, endless stars above. A loved one in the passenger seat, or at home in the kitchen, dancing while cooking a warm winter meal.
I tried to keep the mix calm and ambient, while still building some tension throughout. It’s mainly a background mix, sitting somewhere in the deep abyss of your mind, coming in and out of focus. Not distracting too much, but also driving and taking you to a higher level.
If you listen to this mix, I hope you feel some cold, some warmth, and compliments to whatever you’re doing on the longest coldest night of the year.
Tracklist:
01. Hayling feat. Hafdis Huld (John Digweed & Nick Muir Reprise) – FC Kahuna
“Don’t think about all those things you fear, Just be glad to be here.” A perfect lyric to start out the mix. Don’t be afraid of the long cold night, feel the warmth and happiness of being in the present.
John Digweed and Nick Muir pay homage to one of my all time favourite chillout tracks, and they do it justice with this spacey ambient instrumental. This really sets the tone for the mix and gives the listener a good idea of what to expect.
02. Volga – M.O.S. & Bona Fide
Following up Hayling was not easy, but M.O.S. & Bona Fide hit it with Volga. The perfect deep progressive beat to set this adventure in motion, an introduction to the piano, and a friendly guitar melody to keep it upbeat.
03. Flying Buddha – Modd
Cool airy synths behind minimal yet profound keys and a blanket of warm strings, all over a nice laid-back beat. Tracks like this are the reason I love doing chill mixes, getting to play songs that might not otherwise get played to a dance floor or in a high energy mix. Beautiful in its subtlety, feels like walking in the woods on a cold night with a warm coat.
04. In Your Eyes – &Me
&Me has owned 2018 and 2019. He is one my top favourite producers to make it big in the last couple years, and his ambient mixtures of techy beats, entrancing rhythms and jazz-like piano melodies really resonate with crowds across the globe. He’s been a staple in my sets for a couple years now, and “In Your Eyes” is a perfect fit in this mix with those cold stabbing piano keys over deep hypnotic grooves. It keeps the mix moving into the long cold darkness, with a nice lift in tension to give the feeling of getting closer to something.
05. Afterglow – Perceptual
After keeping it cool and dark for a while, Afterglow brings a subtle lift of rhythm into the mix with a hypnotic combination of groovy basslines and xylophone chimes that sound like they’re echoing throughout the universe. Subtly growing throughout the track is a very digital “spaceship” sounding melody that comes into focus during the breakdown and hopefully brings the listener’s attention to the stars above and thoughts of the cosmos.
06. Dream Any Dream – Boxer
Keeping with the hypnotic groove on this one, trying to lull listeners into a trance. This track is all rhythm and groove, with very little emphasis on melody. The occasional bird call is heard in the back interspersed with cold keys hitting between the beats, giving the feeling of a cold and windy night. In the breakdown everything comes into focus and hits with a nostalgic sample explaining the value of dreaming, slowly building again like a cold wind.
“Let’s suppose that you were able every night to dream any dream you wanted. You would naturally, as you began on this adventure of dreams, you would fulfill all of your wishes. You would have every kind of pleasure. Let’s have a dream which isn’t under our control. Something is going to happen to me that I don’t know what it is. Finally, you will dream where you are now”
07. Tilted – Hot Since 82
Here comes a lift. By this point hoping to have established a groove in the mix, having lulled listeners into a zone and found a comfortable spot in their subconscious mind, Tilted by Hot Since 82 comes in with those warm and colourful notes like christmas lights on trees and across the sky, carried by a bassline groove that makes you want to get up and dance. All of the sudden the adventure has a twist in the plot, and things are moving a bit faster. I hope this track brings energy and joy.
08. Tagus – Jackspot, Himan
A classic. One of my all time favourite tracks that never gets played enough. It’s chill but energetic, cool yet warm, sad yet happy. That piano is so simple but hits all the right places and is amplified by the strings that carry you throughout this track, all over that simple driving bassline. It may be simple, but the energy in this track makes me feel like I’m standing in a blizzard, and hopefully keeps the tension building as we head into the last few tracks.
09. Lock 33 – 1979
Wow, this is a new release that has been on repeat for me lately. A warm digital synth melody rising and falling, coming in and out, back and forth. The melody is modest but made for a hero. This is the part of the story where the hero makes their entrance, and things are now going into the peak vibe.
10. Hyperlude (Dosem Extended Edit) – Yotto
Love Yotto, love Dosem, and love this track! Yotto has that borderline style between progressive house and trance, and Dosem has this way of adding so much tension with subtlety. Bringing in those high soaring synths amid hypnotic grooves really takes the energy up at this point, and if there is a hero, this is where they save the day.
11. Ryo – Joris Voorn
Ending the mix with Joris Voorn because he knows how to hit that sweet spot. Ryo is a nice drop down from the peak energy and a warm colourful vibe to finish out the adventure. I hope it gives the mix a sense of resolution and leaves listeners sitting and staring off into space, dreaming whatever they’re dreaming, ending off and bringing their dreams to where they are now.
Thanks for listening ❤
Tracklist:
01. Hayling feat. Hafdis Huld (John Digweed & ick Muir Reprise) – FC Kahuna
02. Volga – M.O.S. & Bona Fide
03. Flying Buddha – Modd
04. In Your Eyes – &Me
05. Afterglow – Perceptual
06. Dream Any Dream – Boxer
07. Tilted – Hot Since 82
08. Tagus – Jackspot, Himan
09. Lock 33 – 1979
10. Hyperlude (Dosem Extended Edit) – Yotto
11. Ryo – Joris Voorn
DJ ML 