Because no one wants to kick off their new year with an imaginative selection…
The first tune you’ll hear in the new year is a pretty big deal when you think about it and, if you’re out raving, the responsibility lies solely down to the DJ. We asked 22 of them across the bass board to see how they’ll be ushering dancerfloors into ’18. These are their selections… Happy New Year!
Bad Company UK
Midnight Banger: Redpill – Discipline VIP
“I can’t wait to play this in Brixton this new years eve. Sicker than sick.”
Billain
Midnight Banger: Noisia – Could This Be
“Not every moment needs to be quite an aggressive statement. In this particular mode, two tracks pop into my mind that have melody over saturation as a mind over matter moment. Noisia’s Could This Be and Camo & Krooked and Mefjus’s Mandala.”
Danny Byrd
Midnight Banger: 1991 – Dun Kno
“I could have gone with a classic but I think this is a modern classic and banger of all bangers in the clubs at the moment. This is pushing D&B forward for 2018.”
Break
Midnight Banger: Dillinja – Hard Noize (Break Remix)
“I’ll probably be playing my remix of Dillinja’s Hard Noize. It’s been the biggest tune in my set all year and was obviously a timeless classic already. As screwface bass goes, this is the ultimate track for me, so a good one to end a great year on.”
DC Breaks
Midnight Banger: Gambino (InsideInfo Remix)
“We’ll be bringing in NYE this year with an absolute monster remix of our tune Gambino crafted by the man InsideInfo. He’s flipped it upside down and smashed it out the park! Look for it coming out on Ram in early 2018 as part of the Different Breed remixes.”
Digital
Midnight Banger: Drumsound & Bassline Smith – Ouija
“It’s a proper classy banger! It’s worked everywhere I’ve played it in the last few months so it suits big and small clubs, kids and older ravers.”
Disaszt
Midnight Banger: Erb N Dub & DisasZt – Stop
“Me and Peter (Erb N Dub) had plans on doing a collab for quite some time now, and this very year we finally made it. He’s a true artist and there was great chemistry at our B2B sessions and in the studio. I’m really happy with the outcome and the tune doing proper damage every time it drops. The vocal we used essentially is a shout-out to all those whose passion for music keeps them going, no matter what the consequences. And it’s, of course, a tribute to one of my favourite artists who passed away way too early – RIP Adam Yauch a.k.a. MCA!”
Funtcase
Midnight Banger: Noisia – Tommy’s theme (Noisia’s ‘Outer Edges’ Remix)
“This track is an amazing mix of well crafted atmosphere and feeling crossed with a severe stomping headbanging drop. The orchestral on the intro is perfect for bringing in midnight and everyone celebrating then the drop being the FuntCase headbang section. Amazing.”
Keeno
Midnight Banger: Calibre – Even If
“This may not strictly be a banger but it has a special place in my heart. New Years is a time to let go of the past and walk into the future with a smile and this tune never fails to make me smile.”
Killbox
Midnight Banger: Audio – headroom VIP
“Shameful to pick my own track but I don’t care, this goes off everywhere, every time… Simple.”
Kissy Sell Out
Midnight Banger: PVC – Walking With Rhinos VIP
“My tune choice for seeing in the new year was a pretty easy one to pick in the end. This bootleg by PVC is not only a dancefloor banger but also a marvel of modern music production. It’s also the reason I immediately signed PVC to my label Stepper Man with The Preacher EP release earlier in the year. I’ve become a bit of an old hand at doing the midnight moment in night clubs at NYE over the years, and I still tend to play the same Auld Lang Syne medley I made for my first NYE gig with Pendulum in Scotland back in the day. With that in mind, my favourite memory is more of a funny observation as it goes – which is simply that I have still to actually witness a single raver who knows the words to Auld Lang Syne! Me included!? Also, call me old-fashioned, but I still believe it’s a good idea to mutually reserve a midnight kiss with someone well in advance – especially if you’re DJing. It’s wonderful to orchestrate a sweet midnight moment for the masses, but seeing thousands of people kissing each other and being the only one left out can be a lonely moment!”
Krafty Kuts
Midnight Banger: Crystal Waters – Gypsy Woman (Diemantle Remix)
“This New Year I will be in Sydney; one of the best places to spend the Christmas period in. I have experienced some amazing moments here, especially in Sydney playing to 25,000 on New Year’s Day with A.Skillz & Kurtis Blow performing The Breaks live which was a memorable moment in our careers. Always one of the hardest tracks to pick is the NYE bullet. A track that ticks all the right boxes and brings the crowd together for that special moment; a highlight in most DJs’ careers is the joys of choosing that tune that people will remember. Over the years I have experienced some magic in many countries, so this year I pick this awesome remix of Gypsy Woman by Diemantle. This version is so well put together and keeps all the elements intact, but turns it into proper anthem that ties everyone together for that pivotal time of the year. I love this remix and it totally puts it into a whole new dimension, yet still keeping it classy!!”
Liquid Stranger
Midnight Banger: Liquid Stranger & Space Jesus
“Bringing in the new year is about remembering and celebrating the best moments of the past 12 months, yet also a time to set new standards and goals for the future. Looking back, I feel the biggest tune for myself and WAKAAN in 2017 was Space Boss. It’s become a bit of a theme song for our fans, and was made as a tribute to mine and Jasha’s friendship. The track sums up everything WAKAAN stands for – weird, whacky and with a hearty dose of bass. It never fails to get people moving so it’d be a great pick for that New Year’s countdown. It’s a celebration of driving forward experimental bass music.”
Lookas
Midnight Banger: Memba – Warrior
“These guys are some of the most underrated producers. Introduce your friends to a new group for the new year.”
Mampi Swift
Midnight Banger: Mampi Swift & Arnone – History
“This new track we’ve done has energy like nothing else, it will be played at every gig I play at across the country on New Years Eve. And I also believe a few other DJs will be playing the track around the world. It has fat drums and a super sick melody that has been killing every party played at in the last month.”
Maztek
Midnight Banger: Maztek & Aeph – The Dirt
“I would play one of my dubplates at midnight on the NYE; a collab I made with my mate Aeph who is not producing music any more but working in the soundtracks and movies sector. The track is called The Dirt and it will be the first single on the new label called 0101 which I’m going to launch in early 2018. So that is something special: new year, new banger.”
Monty
Midnight Banger: Break – Catch Off
“I dropped this last NYE at this massive party that the Dark Pack crew organized in some rich guy’s house aha! Emotional, moody, atmospheric intro that builds up to a massive drop where Break’s signature funky bassline absolutely destroys the dancefloor. You can’t go wrong with this one! It’s all about the rolling and grooving drums and bass! I still play it in every one of my sets. I think it’s a great and efficient way to start off a new year!”
Party Thieves
Midnight Banger: Party Thieves & Basko – One Zero Zero
“This record is incredibly special to me. It is the second single off my Anarchy EP which releases on January 12 and it’s a family made record. My intern-turned-assistant Dean Sloves launched his musical project Basko this year and One Zero Zero is the second record from his project. I could not be more proud to release a record with him. I would love nothing more than to hear this as the ball drops heading into 2018. I GO ONE ZERO ZERO!”
Rene Lavice
Midnight Banger: TC – The Countdown VIP
“This has got an epic yet fun vibe to the build up and then it drops into some crazy vibes. It’s a great way to kick off the new year.”
Shimon
Midnight Banger: Un-Cut ft Future Cut & Jenna G – Midnight (Marcus Intalex & ST Files Remix)
“This is the ultimate midnight tune for about 6 billion different reasons. RIP Marcus <3”
The Upbeats
Midnight Banger: Falling Into Place
“Well we always draw for our super top secret Prince 1999 drum and bass, neuro jump up halftime bootleg…. That we wish actually existed, haha. To be honest we’d probably be selfish and play one of our more emo tunes like Falling Into Place or Say Go.”
Total Science
Midnight Banger: Q Project – Champion Sound (Total Science Hardcore Will Never Die Remix)
“It never fails and proves hardcore will never die. Happy New year one and all!”
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