Music is a huge source of inspiration to me as an artist. So I thought it’d be fun to throw together a short list of some of my more recent and cherished mixes from around the web (which in some cases are actually live sets or albums, for those of you with literalitis). I’ve spent the last week baking the list and I’m pretty happy with the selection. I hope that some of you out there take a moment to become acquainted with something new (if you’re not already familiar with these). If you dig any of them, be sure to further check out and support the artists. Nothing says thank you (or, ‘please make more’) like a little monetary support on top of which, it will make the music more meaningful to you. No investment means no real ownership (or real personal value)- it’s not a legal principle, it’s a human one. Enjoy!

Ochre (Discogs)

Live @ Prototype / 2007 / 72m / Stream

IDM

Deceptively complex, elegant, alive, ethereal, and while it feels immediately personal it’s mysterious and new. There’s something very special about Ochre. Of all the music I’ve heard, Christopher Leary’s is some of the most beautiful and fascinating. His last ep ‘Death of an Aura’ was one of my favorite releases of 2008, and I’m hugely anticipating his new LP ‘Like Dust of the Balance‘ tbr July/09.
Recommended Album: Death of an Aura, Lemodie
Download (external site)

DJ Merck (Discogs)

Xmas Mix 2006 / 38m / 60mb

HipHop

If you have any appreciation for old school hiphop, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Mercks hiphop mixes are my all time favorite hiphop mixes ever, hands down – this one in particular is THE BEST. Make sure to check out the other mixes and downloads at his site, good times.
Recommended Albums: Anything released on Merck or Narita Records is quite good- if you’re not familiar with the material, dig in!
Download (external site)

Kettel (Discogs)

Live @ Eclectro / 081115 / 1h46m / 71mb

IDM

I’ve never seen Kettel live, but if I did I could only hope the set was this good. Jazzy, melodic, fresh, a little bit of cool kid attitude – what more could you ask for. I’ve been following him since my friend Ben bummed me his album ‘Smiling Little Cow’. Awesome stuff here.
Recommended Album: Whisper Me Wishes
Download (right-click + save-as)

Anders Ilar (Discogs)

Live@electronique.it / 1h08m / 94mb

Downtempo Electronic

A journey into time and space. Like just about everything Anders, this mix is beautiful. Just download it.
Recommended Albums: Nightwidth, Sworn
Download (right-click + save-as)

Amon Tobin (Discogs)

Foley Room Recorded Live in Brussels / 1h17m / 166mb

Electronic / HipHip

Clever and insanely listenable. The funny thing is, this mix is my favorite thing he’s ever done.  Please don’t interpret that as his albums are in some way lacking – to the contrary. I can’t say how many times I’ve listened to this.. it doesn’t really matter – I’ll probably never get tired of it.
Recommended Album: Supermodified, Foley Room
Download (click the white box that says ‘MP3′)

Disasterpeace (Discogs)

NEUTRALITE / 20m / 30mb

Chiptune

If you grew up in the Nintendo generation and liked the in-game music, you will probably love this. The format is limited, but the result is incredibly dynamic and listenable. To succeed here requires extremely distilled and effective lines – which Rich completely nails. While you’re grabbing this, be sure to check out ‘Norrin Radd – Melodia di InfinitÑ (also a free dl), epic.
Recommended Album: Atebite and the Warring Nations
Download (external site)

Rob Hall (Discogs)

12 Month Mix Series / 15h (yes, hours) / 1.16gb (yes, gigabytes)

IDM / Electronic / HipHop

Over 15 hours of IDM, electronica and hiphop-bent, twisted and pumped into your ears. Listening to this is like trying to shove a brick through a piece of macaroni, but instead of getting smooshed, the macaroni turns into a semi-truck tire.
Recommended Album: Key Nell
Download: Month 1 / Month 2 / Month 3 / Month 4 / Month 5 / Month 6 / Month 7 / Month 8 / Month 9 / Month 10 / Month 11 / Month 12 (right-click + save-as)

Dieselboy (Discogs)

Live on 3 Tables / 041224 / 58m / 53mb

Drum n’ Bass

Ahh.. DSL. One day, a long time ago, browsing the selection at Tower Records I came across the 6ixth Session, fell in love with the album art, then went home and fell in love with the music. Since then, I’ve had a really hard time listening to drum n’ bass by anyone else. His albums resemble audio espresso shots. Paired with real espresso you’ll either become the most productive person on the planet or suffer a cardiac event. I listen to his albums far more than this set, but as much as I do I have to include some form of his fury here.
Recommended Album: The Dungeonmaster’s Guide, Human Resource
Download (right-click + save-as)

Lattice

Night Driving / 080905 / 59m / 135mb

Downtempo Electronic / IDM / HipHop

If I didn’t listen to this quite frequently (which I do) it wouldn’t be here. A mix I made for late night drives to chill out and think. Works equally well as background music for writing posts.
Download (right-click + save-as)