DJ Bailey is one of the great DJs to ever grace the drum & bass scene. That’s not an opinion; that’s #facts. When it comes to selecting the cream of the drum & bass crop, Bailey’s been on it. He was affiliated with Goldie’s Metalheadz crew early, and has been everywhere from BBC Radio 1Xtra to Mi-Soul, where he holds down their drum & bass show with the legend Jumping Jack Frost.
To keep it a buck, I have never seriously attempted to DJ. I’ve put together the odd ACID sound manipulation, but I’ve never had the patience (or $$$) to set up a decent rig and start matching beats. Bailey, from selection to execution, is the kind of DJ I imagine I’d be. Releases like Heavyload sold his status for me; a few carefully-selected dubs alongside a curated selection of tunes everyone could cop. His knack for rolling out timeless rhythms makes his official mixes event-worthy. If his radio show is that dope, and he’s just barely touching on styles within dnb before his time is up, imagine how he does it when he goes in with an official mixtape.
To kick off the first #MixMondays, we bring you Bailey’s “Back to ’96” mix, which Metalheadz dropped as a “History Session” promo mix back in 2015, leading into their 4th November event at Phonox in London. Bailey drew from a bag full of timeless producers and tunes, including Adam F’s “Metropolis” and Doc Scott’s “The Unofficial Ghost” to “3rd Rail” from G Force & Seiji on Reinforced and Doc Scott’s iconic Nasty Habits number “Shadow Boxing”.
We’re not sure how the night went, nor do we know what Bailey drew that night (hopefully some bits that’d been simmering on DAT for some time), but we were left with this expansive look at 1996 in all of its glory.
If you’re looking to get in the right mode to attack your Monday, let the cerebral hijacking take over, courtesy of the Intawarrior DJ Bailey. Stream and download below, or via SoundCloud. Tracklist is below; keep in mind, once Adam F’s “Metropolis” starts to blend with DJ Trace’s “Jeamland” rework, it’s too late to back out. Accept your fate and embrace the bass. You’re welcome.
Tracklist:
Goldie – Still Life (Photek Remix) (Razors Edge)
Dillinja – Deadly Deep Subs Remix (Razors Edge)
Decoder – Fuse (Elementz)
Adam F – Metropolis (Metalheadz)
B.L.I.M. – Jeamland (DJ Trace’s Word) (Emotif Recordings)
Doc Scott – The Unofficial Ghost (Metalheadz)
808 State – Azura (A Mix By Dillinja) (ZTT)
Skyscraper – The Difference Instrumental (Emotif Recordings)
Ed Rush & Nico – Technology (Boymerang Remix) (No U-Turn)
G Force & Seiji – 3rd Rail (Reinforced)
Source Direct – Secret Liaison (Good Looking Records)
Adam F – Circles (Remix) (Section 5)
Cybotron featuring Dillinja – Threshold (Prototype Recordings)
Ed Rush – Subway (Prototype Recordings)
Nasty Habits – Shadow Boxing (31 Records)
Dillinja – Armoured D (Metalheadz)
Hokusai – Black Rose (Source Direct Recordings)
Skyscraper – Liberty One (Emotif Recordings)
Bonus Beats Bailey takes it back to the iconic Metalheadz night at Blue Note for this set from a Metalheadz event at The Steel Yard in London in October of 2019. Stream and download below, or via SoundCloud.