Dope dope dope dope fucking beats from Lewis James, an Irish producer based in Amsterdam. His  KRAKATOA EP came out last week on Original Cultures, and here’s a mix celebrating it. Largely his productions, as well as tracks by Submerse, Ital Tek, Clicks and Whistles, EAN and Mr. Carmack to tie it all together – damn fine company. While the EP tracks are great, I think the ordering does them a disservice – the first two (Million Dollar Lady and Mr. Cannibal BBQ) don’t grab me nearly as much as the last three. But in the mix, they all really shine – you can really feel the energy and focus Lew put in to these tracks seeping out.

Like contemporaries Eprom, Desto, and Doshy, Lewis James has been producing crunked-out mutant 808 tracks since way before the whole trap thing blew up.  But such base(d) comparisons sell short what Lewis James does in the studio. This is some neon hyphy bitcrushed gangster shit. His 2012 Heavy Romance EP (which featured the best album art of the year) was full of fantastic ideas and great moments; the slap bass on Everything, the sample chopping over gritty bass on Only Me. But the new EP shows a lot of growth. It all just sounds more urgent, more self-assured – cleaner, tighter and far more deadly for the dancefloor.

LEWIS JAMES Xclusive Mix by Mixology on Mixcloud

TRACKLIST:
The whole – Lewis James
Algorithms and Ghosts – Submerse
Cant Believe – Clicks and Whistles
Fire (No Payroll) – Mr. Carmack
All or Nothing – Lewis James
Wrinkle Free – Lewis James
Vesuvius – Lewis James
Burnt – EAN
Powerchild – Lewis James
Powerchild (EAN Remix) – Lewis James
Hyper Real – Ital tek
All Your Demons – Lewis James

Rob Booth – Electronic Explorations Compilation
out July 1st on Electronic Explorations – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Eprom – Metahuman LP 
out July 2nd on Rwina Records – LISTEN/BUY

EAN – Darknet EP
out July 2nd on Cosmic Bridge – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Paleman – All Good EP
Out July 16 on Fulcrum Records LISTEN ☟/BUY

DJ Oneman – Fabric Live 64
Out July 16 on Fabric Worldwide LISTEN/BUY

Danny Scrilla – Flash Powder EP
Out July 16 on Cosmic Bridge – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Ikonika – I make Lists EP
Out July 16 on Hum and Buzz – LISTEN/BUY

Doshy – Electrophilic EP
Out July 19 on Lowriders Recordings – LISTEN/BUY

Deft – Masquerade EP
Out July 23 on Rwina Records – LISTEN ☟/ BUY

Om Unit – Aeolian EP
Out July 30 on Civil Music – LISTEN ☟/BUY

Disclosure – The Face Remixes EP
Out July 30 on Greco-Roman LISTEN ☟/BUY