Since the inception of German label Innervisions, Âme and Dixon have focused on ensuring quality sounds won’t drown in the white noise of an increasingly mass-produced market. The minds behind the world-class imprint have seemingly become defined as much by what they won’t release as what they will.
For BBC Radio1′s inaugural Essential Mix X show of the year, which links two DJs together for a special b2b set, Radio1 brought together Dixon and Âme’s Kristian Beyer, who have created an undeniable mix highlighting their discerning curatorial process.
In his role as A&R for the label, Dixon has paid lip service to his own disdain for the minimalism that grew to define dance music in the mid 2000s. Interestingly enough, this dual mix provides a more pared down sound than either of the two’s previous Essential Mixes — Dixon’s was recorded as recently as 2013 and Âme back in 2006.
Dixon and Âme’s efforts here are subterranean, eschewing the bold maximalism of earlier work and embracing a deliberate, nuanced narrative. The mix begins at a luxuriant pace with bossa nova instrumentation curling around syrupy vocals. The restrained, driving beat is continually pressed against a lush jungle of ambient noise.
By the time the mix picks up, around the 20 minute mark, the two are sufficiently warm and cycling through varying genres with genuine ease. Their flawless live mixing reveals not only their individual talent at work, but also the palpable collaborative energy between the two.
Ultimately, when all is said and one, the German pair have delivered one of the standout Essential Mixes of 2016.
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