Stepping up for Tapes #56 is South East London DJ & vocalist Ell Murphy. Behind the decks, Ell combines both disciplines to deliver a unique performance style.  You can catch her singing live over her high energy selections on the airwaves as a resident on Balamii radio and across the UK – with notable sets for FOLD, Hör Berlin, Fabric & Motion plus guest-mixes for Rinse, NTS & Reprezent. Ell’s studio output is just as exciting. 2021 saw the release of her debut solo EP on Shall Not Fade sub-label Time Is Now, featuring collaborations with DJ Crisps, Stones Taro & Highrise, receiving widespread acclaim & Radio 1 support. This year has also seen the growth of her collective Team Woibey, featuring rising selectors Mixtress, ohmydais & FAE and securing a monthly residency on Foundation FM & multiple festival bookings.

Guava, aka Bradley Hutchings joins us for #52 on our Tapes series. Guava is a British, Berlin-based producer whose discography includes releases on labels such as Holding Hands, Control Freak, and Rhythm Section.

His latest EP, released last month on Tread Records, represents a musical bridge between his electronic output as Guava, and his other work as a session guitarist and composer of film and TV scores. While most certainly a record for the dance floor, Guitarist EP is another example of Guava’s ability to push boundaries and combine elements of different music to great effect.

Former military man and marching band member James Bangura is next up for #51 on our Tapes series. He’s an artist who has roamed the world and picked up musical influences at every stop on the way. Be it D&B in Alabama, blog house in California, or the rich house sound of New York, this Washington DC native is now distilling all those references into his own searing sounds. They have come on labels like Mister Saturday Night and can range from sauced out to brutally energetic. And the latter of those two is what defines his unrelenting mix for us. It is a hard-hitting collision of raw, decaying textures, pummeling drums, and stark, post-industrial atmospheres that are thrillingly harsh. The rhythms roam from the fringes of techno to the heart of jungle and on to icy but powerful minimalism that very much consumes your body. So strap in, cause this is one helluva ride.

Ronan, who joins us for the big #50 on our Tapes series, is the moniker of sound sculptor and disc spinner Robin Lohrey. A lifelong lover of rhythm and the capacity of sound to facilitate extended states of consciousness, he cut his teeth helping organise the legendary Groovy Groovy rave series in NYC from 2015-17. He has released music on his own label Eternal Ocean, as well as Planet Euphorique, and OnLoop. Enjoy!

Here to takeover Tapes #49 is London based DJ & Producer Bakongo. When it comes to London sound it’s hard to overlook what ground Wayne Goodlitt has covered under his first alias Roska. He’s been at the forefront of UK underground music, merging genres and pushing UK Funky for just over a decade. Roska uses many styles and influences, including his Jamaican heritage as well as South African house. In 2019, Wayne decided to change his style and focus more on his second alias, Bakongo. Adding elements of broken techno, tribal house, and keeping the genre-blending elements we’re used to hearing. This led to his EP release on Livity Sound and he’s currently working on a live show where we will see more great things from Bakongo!

Stepping up for Tapes #48 is Edinburgh-based J Wax. He started releasing music in 2019 but in this short space of time the young DJ & producer has had two highly respectable releases, with a third out very soon.

Up next on our Tapes series #47 is Jurango. The Bristol-based, DJ and producer has released on Livity Sound, Pressure Dome, [re]sources, and Intervention. Along with a residency at Bristol-based party PTS, and a regular monthly show on Noods Radio called Staring At The Wall. Enjoy this face-paced mix!