Beneath Mix 2 comes from two DJs out of Manchester, Eil R and Conr, both taking up a side on a (limited edition, natch) cassette tape for extended, contiguous mixes. The choice of cassette for the format is both odd and natural. I was expecting what normally graces cassette runs these days - modern classical and drone pieces, and of course the 80's nostalgia of "chillwave" music, but Beneath Mix 2, while eclectic, is rooted firmly in the confines of "mainstream" (as in, not strictly experimental) electronic music. The sound quality suffers somewhat but the hiss of the tape and the muted bass give the mixes a lived-in feel (artists in other genres, notably rapper Buck 65, have used the sound limitations of the cassette quite creatively) that compliments the live, one-take mixing very nicely.
Side A belongs to Eil R, and while it starts off fairly oddly, with what sounds like a movie clip of a woman speechifying about Jihad, the mix soon enough finds it footing in bass-heavy techno workouts (though you can't feel the bass very well given the medium) and stays in the groove pretty consistently. Throughout the side there are excursions into Jungle and acid house, and the surprise appearance of Autechre's remix of The Black Dog's "Tunnels ov Set".
Side B varies things up a little bit more, as Conr goes abroad for influences and draws from more popular contemporary dance genres. The oddly affecting intro was the first time I had heard the ramshackle afro-dance movement dubbed "Shangaan Electro", and from there Conr explores the borderlands between techno, Chicago Juke and modern UK bass music. Peverelist's "Fighting Without Fighting" (from the Better Ways of Living single) and Ramadanman's "Work Them", both b-sides from popular 12s, are put back to back, and later on a fascinating pitch-shifted remix of Addison Groove's Juke-indebted "Footcrab" (Conr's own?) shows up. The only niggling problem seems to be intermittent insertion of Brainfeeder-esque "wonky" beats. This might just be because I'm not a big fan of that movement, but it still feels a little sloppy, even if that's the point.
Overall, Beneath Mix 2 is a bewitching little lo-fi dance mix that's just as suited to home listening as a dancefloor. Probably more suited to it, all things considered. It's also a welcome respite from the ultra-polished megamixes that crowd the marketplace these days. The handmade feel of the mix is refreshing. There are apparently only 50 of these cassettes in existence but Boomkat somehow still manages to keep them in stock. Go get one! The packaging is all handmade and worth the price.
*Preview is unavailable, unfortunately!*
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