a year in mixes

recently we went through our favourite mixes of 2010, but this list was definitely incomplete, as it excluded many of the mixes we listened to and loved the most, our own! this year has been another big year for mixes on mnml ssgs. actually we planned to do fewer mixes, but some how this didn't quite happen... anyway, what i wanted to do in this post was just review what we've had on mnml ssgs this year, encouraging you to discover any you might have missed and revisit the others.

an important shift this year was the 'official' series effectively coming to an end with peter van hoesen's mx50 back at the start of march. this proved a fitting finish - peter has played an important role in the development of mnml ssgs and we are very proud of both the mixes we've had from him so far. the shift from the 'official' series to the more loosely focused ssg 'specials' was, more than anything, a way to give ourselves the freedom to present a wider range of artists, sounds and styles. we were starting to feel a bit constricted by the 'official' series, and while we were uncertain about finishing them, we are very happy with the results. it has definitely given us some more space to explore a wider range of sounds, as you can see and hear.

we are intensely proud of what we've accomplished this year, and we would like to thank all of you for your continued support, and for having faith in our selections, and continuing to download our mixes, whether they be from big names or newcomers. massive thanks also goes to official.fm, who have hosted all of our mixes and have been big supporters of us from early on. if you ever post ssg mixes elsewhere, please use the official.fm link - unlimited, quick downloads, it is the easiest way to get access to our whole archive of mixes. and, of course, none of this would not have been possible without all the artists that contributed mixes. we are constantly overwhelmed with the remarkably high quality of mixes people put together. we ask them to dig deep and deliver something special, and this is almost always what happens. thank you.

mnml ssgs mxs

mx46: levon vincent. what a fantastic way to start 2010. levon dug deep to give us a special mix to bring in the new year.

mx47: oni ayhun. this was a difficult mix to make happened, but we were determined. as soon as we first oni, we had to have him on mnml ssgs. powerful, distinctive sounds. this is what the ssgs love.

mx48: redshape. the picture redshape gave us for this mix was of the inside of his mask. this is most fitting for a very personal and revealing journey. a stunning mix.

mx49: natural/electronic.system. two of our favourite boys from italy returned to give us a second mix, this time encapsulating some of the feelings and inspiration from their performance at labyrinth in 2009.

mx50: peter van hoesen. this has been our most downloaded mix of 2010. there is a good reason from that. inspirational mix from our pvh that brought the 'official' series to a fitting end.

ssg specials

falko brocksieper. falko dropping this mix our way was the spur to start our ssg specials, and what a great way to commence. lovely low slung, grooving mix from a favourite of ours.

claudio fabrianesi. and back to italy we go... we lined this up after hearing his collaboration with dozzy (which came out on mule). quality slow burning house from claudio.

patrick walker. forward strategy group make the kind of techno we like, so it was a real pleasure to host this tight mix from one half of FSG. patrick really knows his techno and it shows here.

eli verveine. we have a massive soft spot for this girl. few DJs manage to convey such warmth in their mixes. a charming effort from one of our favourites.

deer. this live recording from deer has received a lot of excellent feedback throughout the year and introduced his sounds to plenty of new ears. our main complaint is that much of this remains unreleased, hopefully that will be rectified in the future!

DDKH. plenty of people slept on this one because we didn't announce that the DD meant Donato Dozzy. but if you listened to the mix, you should have been able to work out who it was pretty quickly. as is usually the case when dozzy plays, there are some truly transcendental moments in this mix.

finn johannsen. diverse, engaging, strangely cohesive. finn has a great nose for interesting records and always manages to present them in a way that grabs your attention.

kevin gorman. after delivering one of the highlights in the 'official' series, kevin returned with an expertly structured DJ set. starting ambient and slowly building, this one just grows and grows.

october. i remember the first time i listened to this. when it opened with actress, and followed by moodymann, i had the feeling it was going to be a great mix. and it is. quality stuff from october. expecting big things from him in 2011.

june. a new name to us, but after hearing the lovely of june01 EP, we were curious to hear how he'd sound in the mix. and the results were impressive. classic sounds presented with style. if you missed this one because you didn't recognise the name, i'd suggest grabbing it now.

prosumer. we've been huge fans of prosumer for a long time. it was an absolute pleasure to be able to host a mix from him. as always, in this mix he puts a big smile on your face.

john osborn. this mix is really what mnml ssgs is all about. after many emails over a long period of time, i finally met john on the dancefloor of p-bar and he told me he had a special mix for us. and he was right, this one is definitely special. the response to this mix was huge, and we are very happy john shared it with the ssgs.

roger23. roger is just an out and out DJ. he knows his records, and he knows how to play them right. no bullshit here. just quality music presented and shared with care.

kettenkarussell. as the saying goes, good things come to those that wait. in this case, excellent things come to those that wait. it took a while to make this happen, but it was definitely worth it. a delightful effort by this duo. if you passed this one by because you didn't know the name, i'd suggest giving it a listen. it's a real treat.

steffi. in preparation for her debut at labyrinth, we asked steffi to put together a mix for us, and the results were impressive, to say the least... a pretty clear demonstration of why steffi is one of the best DJs around.

mike pollard. a beautiful mixtape of ambient and synth soundscapes from the label boss of arbor records. music for floating and dreaming.

blackest ever black. this is one label that immediately got our attention with its very strong aesthetic and attitude, which is amply conveyed on the mixtape they gave us. arresting music that demands your attention.

delta funktionen. 2010 was a breakout year for delta, and you can hear why listening to this brilliant 3 hour mix. carefully built, adding piece by piece, setting up the night: this is the way to play a warm up set.

sigha. if anyone had any doubt about how to classify sigha, this mix was a very clear demonstration of his techno credentials. this is another person i'm expecting big things from in 2011.

ancient methods. no one can quite do power techno like ancient methods. this mix again demonstrated why they are one of the most compelling voices in techno music today.

the black dog and regis. an absolute honour to host such a special mix from these foundational figures. it also happens to be a brilliant mix.

felix k. the man behind hidden hawaii covers everything across these two mixes from techno, house, dubstep to d & b. both mixes have a very intuitive feel to them. this guy can definitely DJ.

senking. the man responsible for one of our albums of 2010 put together a killer livepa of deepwater techno and bass music. don't miss this.

donato dozzy. what better way to finish a year of mixes than with donato recreating his opening kosmische set from labyrinth. timeless music presented in a way that only dozzy can.

ok, i think that is all of them! add in some lovely sunday sounds mixes, a few poorly mixed efforts from myself and some other treats, and this really has been a big year of music for us here on mnml ssgs... we are still planning for 2011, but you can expect plenty more quality mixes here. i'm sure there will be new mixes from quite a few of the names here, who are part of the ssg family, as well as many fresh names and sounds.

we've already got our first mix lined up for the new year and it's a beauty. until then, we encourage you to go back and enjoy again some of the amazing mixes we've had in 2010. thanks again.