DJ-Kicks

Austrian DJ/producers Kruder and Dorfmeister released their DJ Kicks compilation in summer 1996, and it remains a highlight of the long-running DJ mix series. As with any DJ mix compilation, the music is obviously the most important, and K&D picked the absolute cream of mid-’90s dub, trip hop and electronica, a highly complementary series of languid, unhurried and introspective electronic releases. What was particularly ear-catching at the time was that they also mixed in smooth, laid-back drum & bass tracks at twice the tempo of the dub and trip hop tunes, producing a mix that really flowed and moved, a dubbed-out progressive journey through the various flavours of mid-decade downtempo electronic music. One of the best commercially released DJ mixes of the period.