FMB MIXTAPE 245 | WILL SILVER

FMB MIXTAPE 245 | WILL SILVER

FMB MIXTAPE 245 | WILL SILVER (iTUNES)

FMB MIXTAPE 245 | WILL SILVER (320 DOWNLOAD) 

On this weeks episode of the Feel My Bicep mixtape series, we welcome Will Silver, a force in the UK dance scene. Through production and his Rinse FM show, he’s earned support from the likes of BBC Radio 1, HAAi, Four Tet and more. One to watch in electronic, lets catch up and find out what he’s been up to…

I had the opportunity to immerse myself living in the vibrant culture of Bogotá earlier this year, where I dedicated my time to wrapping up my upcoming EPs. Connecting with talented Colombian artists through Vandelay Radio, a radio station I co-run with my close friend Dare Balogun. After this, myself and my partner took some time to travel, and my trip ended in Mexico City where I had the honour of closing out the main hall of the legendary [sic] club. Now, back home in London, I’m feeling recharged and ready to tackle new challenges and goals.

The mix was recorded at home, where I set up my turntables and CDJs on my living room table, surrounded by plants, with good lighting and a cup of tea. I wanted the setup to look visually appealing because I decided to film the mix. Capturing both the audio and visuals felt important to me for the mix.

I wanted to maintain a steady groove and energy throughout the show, as that approach reflects my style. I’d like to think that I select tracks that keep the dancefloor alive, but I was keen to introduce some variety to avoid a one-dimensional vibe. To create those subtle shifts, I incorporated tracks from artists like Terry Lee Brown Junior and Envoy, allowing the mix to breathe a bit. Of course though, I had to throw in my new bits too and it was fun to see how they fitted. 

Up Next…

I have lots of club releases coming out. My focus remains on creating music that resonates with the dancefloor. I’ve been making tunes and DJing since I was a kid, and I’ve come to realise that, for me, it’s no longer just about expressing my personal experiences through music. For me it’s about crafting something for others, something fun. What do people truly crave in these spaces? The chance to dance, to have fun, to feel safe, to forget about any troubles they’ve got going on and to be swept away on a joyful journey of transcendence.

As a DJ and club music producer, my goal is to create a space where connection is at the heart of the experience. I want people to feel deeply connected to the music, to each other, and to the moment itself. There’s nothing in the world that compares to that sense of unity on the dancefloor. And that’s why we do it. Some of my happiest moments in life have happened in those spaces, and I’m committed to bringing that experience to others in this vibrant culture. If anyone wants to watch me play, my next confirmed show is on 11th October at Venue MOT!

Tracklist:

  1. Terry Lee Brown Junior – Ocean Of Joy [2000]
  2. Will Silver – Unreleased [TBC]
  3. Kasra V – Voice Note To Self [2023]
  4. Nico Awtsventin – Starchild [2002]
  5. Pure Science – Rydym [1999]
  6. Nathan Coles – Twitching [2002]
  7. Terry Lee Brown Junior – Level Vibes [2000]
  8. Kinky Plants – I’ve Been Waiting [1998]
  9. Mashupheadz – Pillock [1999]
  10. Sansibar – 2K [2024]
  11. Envoy – Sex Drive [1998]
  12. Will Silver – Unreleased [TBC]
  13. Will Silver – Unreleased [TBC]
  14. Jamie Anderson – Can’t Stop [2001]
  15. Will Silver – Back 2 Back 2 Back [2024]
  16. D-Factor – Save As Wipe [1999]
  17. 4 Hero – Hold It Down (Bugz In The Attic’s Co-Operative Mix) [2005]
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FMB MIXTAPE 244 | PHOLO

FMB MIXTAPE 244 | PHOLO 

FMB MIXTAPE 244 | PHOLO (iTUNES)

FMB MIXTAPE 244 | PHOLO (320 DOWNLOAD)

On this weeks episode of the Feel My Bicep mixtape, we welcome Pholo, known for his euphoria-drenched instrumental sets, fuelled by emotion with influences from classical to pop. Pholo has performed across the globe and has been working with BABii on SCREAMER and her upcoming album DD 2000. Pholo is now concentrating on his own music and art with his team Spider Circle that will be coming this winter. Let catch up with him & find out what he’s been up to…

After moving back to my home town in Derbyshire I have been trying to lock in with my own records and ideas as much as possible. I am much closer to family here so a lot of my work recently has been filled with I guess nostalgia and feelings I’ve had when I was younger growing up around here. I think I have love/hate relationship with this place but you can’t change your roots so I’m making the most of it with what I love to do. I also love playing darts now which I seem to be alright at. I have also been making lots of records with BABii & Iglooghost over the past year and early this year which is something I don’t think I would ever have been able to say at all. It’s been really inspiring working with these two on DD2000 coming out in October. Other than making music under Pholo, I’m now also involved in another project under an alias called DJ Dolly with some more kind of Techno & House sound. The name comes from my last name being Dalton and my Dads nickname has always been Dolly or Ken so I thought I’d make most of the more cooler nick name being Dolly.

I did this mix just in my flat in my home town, Heanor. The closest place like Pirate studios to me is in Nottingham which isn’t far at all but I have no neighbours at the moment. Well, I think I don’t, so I have taken advantage and recorded this mix loud on my own. The people on the market outside my house loved it also so shout out to Memo and Jamie Bestwick.

When I get asked to do a guest mix, most of the time I translate it into being asked to create an album or some what of a movie for them. I like taking songs of my own and changing them into a more club sounding record or even a classical version of itself. From start to end I like to have the listener maybe excited or even confused, but over all in a state that they could only get from this one mix I have put together. I also like remixing music that they may have forgotten about and question where they heard the vocal from or something.

Up Next…

I’m hopefully going to finish an album.. hopefully. I have a couple EPs finished I want to drop this year including my record Ecko but my dream is to have an album that I could release once I am happy with a solid selection of music and videos that represent my idea of Pholo & Spider Circle.  Winter this year I am planning a tour in the US with locations and dates coming soon. I also want to join a basketball team and maybe move back to London to be around some friends that inspire me.

Tracklist:

1. Pholo – Ecko (1922)

2. Pholo – This&That

3. Pholo – ID

4. Scooter – Nessaja (Pholo Remix)

5. Bladee & Yung Lean – Victorious (Pholo Remix)

6. Pholo – Winner

7. BABii & Pholo – Ember (Pholo VIP)

8. Pholo – Rise

9. Pholo – Go

10. Pholo – Beyonce

11. Ecco2k – Peroxide (Pholo Remix)

12. Pholo – Bite (Pholo VIP)

13. Pholo – Ecko

14. Pholo – Road

15. Babii – Scarface

16. Pholo – 22

17. Playboi Carti – KETAMINE (Pholo Remix)

18. Pholo – Class Clown Feat Sombra

19. Pholo & HNRK – Geodit

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FMB MIXTAPE 243 | MIA KODEN

FMB MIXTAPE 243 | MIA KODEN

FMB MIXTAPE 243 | MIA KODEN (iTUNES)

FMB MIXTAPE 243 | MIA KODEN (320 DOWNLOAD)

On this week’s episode of the Feel My Bicep mixtape series we welcome Mia Koden, the south London-based Sudanese & British music producer and DJ. Having grown up in Ghana and Nigeria hearing reggae, drum & bass and dubstep, to her London days of championing underground electronic music, her new alias brings infectious energy, bass-and-percs-heavy sensibilities with some exciting deviations. Her early 2024 EP ’34U’ has cemented her as a forward thinking producer across low-end electronic territories. Let’s catch up with her & find out what she’s been up to…

Festival season is in full swing right now, so in-between that and making tunes am trying to sleep; see the fam; clear my embarrassing inboxes + to-do list; and do little things every day to stay happy and healthy.

This year I was lucky enough to play on the truly iconic IICON stage at Glastonbury Festival (cute side note BICEP’s live set was a couple hours after me) so decided to bring a slice of it here – “One Hour Of IICON” – for those asking for a recording <3

Because I was opening the stage for the night – including soundtracking the sun setting – I didn’t want to go in too hard. So this mix is cherry picking tunes from a slow building bass n drums odyssey, as always prioritising new music from underground producers (but also showed respect to the originators with a couple classics).

Headed to Pirate Studios for their CDJ-3000s as I set a stupid number of loops + cue points on some of the tracks in here to play around with their arrangements (sorry producer friends!) so I could cram in as much as possible. It’s pretty quick mixing; cutting down 2.5 hours was a MISSION!! So fingers crossed this edition still captures some of the magic of that day. 

Up Next…

I’ll soon be releasing a track of mine “Up – Run That” (played it in this mix) as a single raising funds for some Sudanese/South Sudanese causes, followed by freeing up 34U.2, the 2nd EP off this year’s production’s mix Made By Mia Koden Vol.2. Beyond that, I’ve finally started collaborating with some artists which I’m v v v excited about. Thanks for having me :) see you August 2nd xx

Tracklist:

  1. Ella Fitzgerald ft. The Paul Smith Quartet – Summertime (Live)

2. Max Graef – We Are The World (Test Drive)

3. Ronan – Geodesis

4. Four Tet – Love Cry (Joy Orbison Remix)

5. ????? – ?????

6. Slimy x Delta x Obskure

7. Djrum – Plead With Me

8. Mia Koden – Real2Me

9. Smith & Mighty – B Line Fi Blo

10. Danvers – Lojic

11. Mia Koden – F.T.S

12. Conzi – Kway

13. K0JAK – Goodbye Summer

14. Truant – Jack

15. mrshl – 90s Spesh

16. Burna x Elbarto – Backwidda Remix

17. DEFT – Throat

18. Mia Koden – Up (Run That)

19. Mr. Ho – 000 Baby (Om Unit remix)

20. K-LONE – Love Me a Little

21. Smith & Mighty – Jungle Man Corner

22. Delian Sound – Finders Keepers

23. Peven Everett – Gabrielle (Om Unit Edit)

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FMB MIXTAPE 242 | ANISH KUMAR

FMB MIXTAPE 242 | ANISH KUMAR 

FMB MIXTAPE 242 | ANISH KUMAR (iTUNES)

FMB MIXTAPE 242 | ANISH KUMAR (320 DOWNLOAD)

On this weeks episode of the Feel My Bicep Mixtape, we welcome Anish Kumar, the British Indian producer whose duality underlies his artistry, having just graduated in Veterinary Medicine from The University Of Cambridge. His influences range from northern soul, disco, house to Bollywood making melodic, anthemic productions that are influenced by the culture around him and sounds from around the world. Let’s catch up on what Anish has been up to lately…

I finally graduated university (6 years) and played Glastonbury for the first time on the same weekend. I’m shattered but I’m ecstatic that I can move into the next phase of my life now, I was getting really frustrated at having to postpone studio sessions and other cool music opportunities because of my finals. That’s all done now.

I’ve got a few days off at home (Newcastle) before I fly out to the US for a string of shows. Having just moved out of university everything’s a mess and it’s weird having all of my belongings in one room. Obviously the decks were the first to get set up haha.

I actually wanted to do something that reflects this transitional phase in my life, which involves letting go of a lot of things and even relationships. When my laptop got wiped last year I lost a lot of my project files, leaving me to scavenge mp3s of demos I had been working on from old emails and USBs. It’s always funny looking back at old music and resonating with the idea there, but being horrified by the execution. Anyway, I found a few ‘lost demos’ from 2020 – 2021 that I still really like and wanted to cement them into reality in this mix, even though I can’t work on them or release them officially. It’s cool seeing how my influences and inspirations have evolved since then. I initially tried to do a full mix made up of only my old demos but it was too jarring. In a way, this is my way of letting go of that music as I move into something new.

Up next…

Shows, shows, shows – making up for lost time basically. US tour, Lost Village, plenty of UK stuff. Hopefully a headline show this year in London.

Tracklist:

  1. Librarian – Man, It’s After You

  2. Anish Kumar – lost_demo_10.08.20.mp3

  3. K-Lone – Cinco

  4. altrice – ‘ever do you want

  5. Anish Kumar – Deewana Deewana

  6. Elias Allesandro – Tobasco

  7. Felipe Gordon – Travel Through Your Mind

  8. Hagop Tchaparian – Round (Four Tet Remix)

  9. Wallace – Room 1

  10. Baalti – Wedding Season

  11. Anish Kumar – lost_demo_31.12.20.mp3

  12. Anish Kumar – lost_demo_31.01.21.mp3

  13. Jeremy Soule – Secunda

  14. Anish Kumar – lost_demo_15.03.21.mp3

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FMB MIXTAPE 241 | NAAFI

FMB MIXTAPE 241 | NAAFI 

FMB MIXTAPE 241 | NAAFI (iTUNES)

FMB MIXTAPE 241 | NAAFI (320 DOWNLOAD)

On this episode of the Feel My Bicep mixtape series we welcome Naafi, whose combination of hybrid live/improv/DJ sets sits perfectly at the forefront of experimental electronic music. They are a lover of trance, acid house, rave and garage or “sparkly music” which would be played on family car journeys such as Britney spears! Let’s catch up on what they’ve been up to recently and this mix…

I’ve just finished a year long residency collaborating with/composing for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra for their Soundbox programme where I was experimenting with bringing together electronic and classical sounds and ways of making. We just had our final shows for the Un:Titled series where I performed live vocals and synth with a 9-piece ensemble. 

The mix was recorded at home with my laptop on Ableton using a midimix controller that I set up with FX, filters etc. 

The mix is a set I played at a night called Loose Joints in Glasgow alongside Dilly Joints and OR:LA, I had a lot of fun playing that night and I wanted the mix to be something that was improvised and created in the moment responding to everyone in the room. Unfortunately I didn’t record it live so this is a shortened recreation of that set. 

Up Next…

I have a couple of shows/festivals coming up; one in London for Eat Your Own Ears on 17th July at The Shacklewell Arms, also playing at Kelburn Garden Party in July and working with visual artist Jordan McRae on an audio visual performance for Sonica Festival in September – other than that I’m taking some time to make and explore new sounds.

Tracklist:

  1. Drip – Moktar

2. Taito – Polysick

3. Other Side of the Shell – Oceanic

4. Y Generáció – Unknown Artist

5. Her Moon – Tibi Dabo

6. Heart of Glass – Mucho Sueño

7. Bockie – LeftLeft

8. SFTGQM – NKC

9. Waves – Hagan

10. Teo Techno (Radio Slave Disco Dub) KiNK

11. Paradise Engineering – Barker

12. Blue to Red (Photay Remix) – Chip Wickham

13. What Am I Gonna Do – DOTT

14. Sincere (feat. Nova Caspar & Jay Dee) – MJ Cole

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