MIX SERIES
SKERD
Originally from the Netherlands and now residing in Vancouver, Skerd carefully curates her sets to incorporate dubstep and garage selections from both European and North American roots. With her signature multi- genre approach and saucy blends, she infuses an electric vibe onto the dance floor that keeps the crowd locked in all night long.
CLEARLIGHT
@the_clearlight has consistently been pushing the dark psychedelic side of dubstep for years. You can find his releases on @subaltern-records @foundationaudio @dnorecords and many others
KNOCK KNOCK
OKPK
@okpk
SWAGGACATS
What did we miss? Looks like @swaggacats was getting busy with the Dubmarine. Alas even though we missed it in person heres the next best. Full tilt rave and breaks inside.
APE SUIT
@apesuit The Ape Suit project is the musical exploration of Corey, a human from Earth (probably). Corey enjoys nature, art and kindness. He is most fascinated by human’s being, interesting textures, abstract rhythms and frequencies between 30-100hz. In the dream world Corey collects financial stability as a live sound engineer and has developed a life focused on the sonic universe and artistic expression.
R&R Sound
@rrsound-dj R&R SOUND is the blend of selectors Smirk (Kyle Rosso) and Rennie (Euan Rennie). Coming out of Canmore, Alberta, this duo was formed on a mutual love of Garage, Breaks, UKG, 140, Club and Futuristic waves. Both are major players in their local scene and throw a monthly night by the name of Local Wild Life. Catch them this summer at Wicked Woods, Shambhala and monthly in Canmore as they continue to grow this new project.
gABBY HAZE
A blooming young selector from Calgary, Gabby Haze has quickly won the hearts of our local festivals and has just returned from playing Envision in Costa Rica.
An energy that is hard to miss: @_gabbyhaze_
FLO & JAFU
It’s with our deepest joy to bring you a two-hour label feature from @chordmarauders. From @jafuone and @flo__wav this mix inside will show you all the reasons why this label has been so influential.
LSN
@lsn.audio are sonic sculptors who push boundaries and blur the lines between genres, bringing a sound that is fresh and unique. Their contribution to our mix series is jam packed with loads of dubs and forthcomings inside.
westerly
Westerley is a cornerstone of Western Canada's soundsystem culture, known for their exceptional ability to deliver a powerful array of steady, laid-back dubs. Whether you're a seasoned dub enthusiast or a newcomer to the genre, Westerley's heavyweight selection is sure to captivate your ears and transport you to a state of musical bliss.
rosso
Welcome Rosso, raising the shade over our dance floors and a key member of Nelson's own Creek St.
He’s got a special Valentines mix to share with us, so run a warm tub, get out that charcuterie and, a glass of wine because this mix is meant to soothe.
okiro
It's 4:20, and you've just finished work. You arrive home to discover that Okiro has released a new mix today. Haha, yes! You roll up a fat spliff and put the mix on your HiFi system. As the vibes settle in, you start thinking about how summer is just around the corner.
Soon, you'll be enjoying this music on a powerful festival rig, surrounded by all your friends. Everything feels right again.
killbourne
As an ace selecta, conscious connoisseur and curator of Canadian bass music, Kilbourne is a man of many talents. Producing dubstep over there and mixing over here and owning a record label on top of it all is no small task, but his vision is one without rest. That vision, drive and integrity are what lit up Sub Chakra's radar, and they're what motivated us to invite him out for a mix and interview to highlight him and his contemporaries' work in the Canadian bass music scene as the first installment of our mix series in 2022.
Interview: subchakra.com/blog/2022/1/23/kilbourne
Tracklist: instagram.com/subchakra
Howl
The Winter solstice is here. Things are cold and long since motionless in Mother's Nature's frigid north, but between the frost in the air and crunch of the snow beneath our feet, magical things are always happening.
Harrop, BC's very own Howl is acutely aware of that magic flowing through all things, even in the coldest of seasons - she works with it, every day, both within the world of music and beyond it. Arriving at Sub Chakra HQ's inbox at the year's 11th hour, her 79-minute mix of pure bliss is rife with future garage moods that both elevate the soul and contemplate on the nature of our being. It all starts at the heart, and radiates outward like pure light, reaching every sense and garnering a wondrous state of unity and cohesion.
Truly, if these frostbitten weeks have got you feeling cold inside, cozy on up with our last mix of the year and have a read about Howl's thoughts on music, the magic needed to host an impromptu festival, and her work as a facilitator of constructive plant medicine work and consciousness expansion.
Interview: subchakra.com/blog/2021/12/21/howl
Tracklist: Instagram.com/subchakra
Dolla Hilz
Born in Texas and raised in Alberta, Hilary now resides in Revelstoke, BC. Her early musical influences departed from the twangy norm to follow the bassy draws and soulful sounds of Brooklyn, Oakland, Havana, Kingston and beyond.
When she isn’t behind the decks, she can be found wandering in the woods, snowboarding, biking, teaching yoga and dancing as a member of 2 Canez, her clowning crew of cane-waving, wig-wearing granny dancers.
She facilitates embodied movement practise with Embodied Rhythms soundtracks that she curates, and her love of Caribbean music and culture can be heard on her thematic Stoke FM radio show, Irie & Fiery.
Dolla Hilz pours love into all of her performances and projects, ever propelled upwards by her passion for spreading joy, love and understanding through music and movement.
Interview: subchakra.com/blog/2021/11/30/dolla-hilz
Tracklist: instagram.com/subchakra
lil cis
We return to the west coast this month with a mix from @lilcis.
Although her presence in behind the decks is relatively new, her presence in the music scene is not. She is one of the co-founders of @goodnightout_vancouver, a project based around consent culture in the nightlife scene. She is also a co-founder at @audiosocialvancouver, which aims to cultivate culture and create a platform for an inclusive community to connect through sound. Her love of music and event planning is the driving force behind why she picked up djing.
Ashtyn strives to improve her community and the music scene, even with her name, "Lil Cis" aims to spark a conversation around Gender Identity. Cis, short for cisgender (pronounced sis-gender, or just sis), is a term that means whatever gender you are now is the same as what was presumed for you at birth. Our appearance does not equal our gender, her playful name aims to make us more aware of everybody’s experience of gender.
This very conscious approach to her place in music industry is admirable, and we can't wait to see where it takes her in the future.
sortof vague
Prominent sound slooth @sortof-vague joins the mix series this month with a high-energy set worthy of this year's overdue festival season. Each of these tunes represents a different time period, specifically different shows that he's played over the past 4 years. Sometimes referencing the past is the best way to move into the future and we commend him for reminding us that it's ok to play tunes that are more than 2 weeks old. He's been busy in the studio too and we look forward to hearing some new original material from the man later this year!
vinil motion
Representing Mexico City, today we welcome @Vinil-Motion-1 to the mix series with a heart-pumping mix perfect for this heatwave we are currently experiencing. Alan is a certified crate digger, his mixes have become well known in the footwork-jungle scene and his label ArmadaSounds is pushing it even further. Alongside his peers at @bldsmx there's no slowing down, certainly not in the tempos he's cursing at.
tone.d
From humble beginnings, Tony has been a supporter since the earliest days of Sub Chakra - before we even had a name. Today he plays with us regularly and is a key member of our operations as volunteer coordinator. One of our most reliable team members and soundboys, his selections are always consistent and flavour forward. From simmering notes of lush 140, to searing basslines that rumble your gut, Tone.D stocks all the right plates. Did we also mention that he's a majorly talented chef too?
rhombi
Based out of binesii-wiikwedong in Northwestern Ontario, Sub Chakra welcomes Rhombi to the mix series with a particularly smooth selection of dubstep and grime. As Co-founder of the Thunder Bay Bass Collective, Rhombi leads the next generation of local artists on the foundation of soundsystem music. This one is sure to take you on a journey. #eyesdown
yetz
There must be something in the water as we return to Nelson, BC for this month's guest mix featuring young YETZ. Hudson is a member of the Lost Boys Collective, Kootenay Junglist Movement and the founder of 44 STEPS which showcases local talent via live stream, keeping the scene alive during the pandemic. This mix explores various UK styles he's been feeling lately, so spark up a spliff and run dat.
Rich Nines
Long-time supporter of Sub Chakra, @richnines joins the mix series this month with a selection of footwork, jungle and autonomic selections to carry you into the spring equinox. Alongside @crystelclear, Eric is the curator of the @lighttwerkerz LiT MIX series and has been a leader in the underground music scene for 20+ years. Hailing from Toronto and now based out of Vancouver, he knows a thing or two about curating a set.
mews
@mews_sound is no stranger to the mix series having appeared recently with her other project "Wicca Wicca", the name she shares with @littybones. Coming off a weighty 140 mix, this month she brings us some romantic selections she's been feeling at the moment. A seductive collection of emotive slow jams pumped full of RnB, soul and cheeky edits. Dim the lights and enjoy <3
