Dekmantel Podcast 308 - DJ Earl

"Nobody did it the way Earl did," says the Moveltraxx label of the time they first fell in love with this Chicago producer 10 years ago. On December 4th, they will mark the milestone by putting out his sophomore album, BASS + FUNK & SOUL. In between his debut and this first solo album in four years, Earl (@djearlchi) has continued to shape juke and footwork with music on Hyperdub, Planet Mu and Teklife that combined tragedy and ecstasy with hyper speed BPMs. Frankly, the title of the new record says it all, with those sounds making free associations with old school samples and new school rhythms that are unafraid to head off in bold new directions. Whether deep and soulful or frantic and club-ready, it's a record that leaves you breathless. And of course, so does this mix, a thrilling one hour selection that chews up and spits out a dizzying array of drum patterns and vocal samples with carefree abandon. Trapping you in a high pressure loop one moment then lifting you to the heavens on a wave of euphoria the next, it features plenty of material from the new album as well as some classics. This, then, is high class body music that has the power to swell your heart and give your brain just as much of a work out, quite often at the exact same time.