Standard UKF procedure on the final day of every month: Ring up a bunch of DJs and demand they hype their favourite tune from the last few weeks.
Some of them tell us to piss off because they’re too busy. Some of them tell us there are too many good tunes to just pick one. Others simply don’t answer their phone. But when they do play Tune Of The Month ball… They pick some serious heaters and highlight a whole sea of newness to explore.
This month we’ve flipped the vibe for a special summer shakedown. Celebrating the release of Summer Drum & Bass Vol 2, we thought we’d ask everyone what their personal favourite summer tune was. Some have come back with some stone cold vibers that are so primed for summer silliness they should have come with free shades. Other selectors have pressed the festival banger button. Others have gone for out and out and classics.
24 in total… Each one selected to soundtrack a certain chapter of your summer. Dig deep and enjoy!
Anile
Tune: Halogenix – All Blue (Feat. Cleveland Watkiss)
“This tune is just fire… It has everything a track needs; amazing production and solid vocals. This one’s got summer written all over it in a very very deep manner! No cheese or big build ups. Just straight up vibes! Without a doubt, Metalheadz strongest release in recent times. Don’t sleep on the rest of the EP either!!”
Astronaut
Tune: Zomboy – Delirium (Ft Rykka) (Far Too Loud Remix)
“As soon as we got hold of this one it went straight in the summer record box. Far Too Loud is a wizard… The mixdown is on point and this new wave of bass sounds he’s using is our jam! Perfect for big festivals all summer.”
Barely Alive
Tune: Eptic – Ectoplasm (Ft MUST DIE!)
https://soundcloud.com/edm/eptic-ectoplasm-must-die-premiere
“Because dubstep. Nothing sounds better in the summer!”
Broken Note
Tune: Two Fingers – Salah (Ft Noisia)
“Fresh like a newborn’s bone marrow, I’m feeling this track at the moment. It takes influence from multiple different styles and laces them together seamlessly. This is the kind of track gets me excited, maximum props all summer long!”
Billain
Tune: Lone – Minor Suns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTXr7Jg5lCw
“From the Lemurian album, this delivers the right temperature and the sun’s brightness to it. It’s one of those tracks repeatedly played in correct moments during driving next to the seashore after a long morning travel, and playing it on empty beaches, right up to sunny mountain exploration of old dystopian ruins around Sarajevo. Seems like the track delivers summer correlation every time.”
Culture Shock
Tune: June Miller – We Are Not Human (Ft Hannah Lux)
“Perfect combination of piano chords and vocals. There’s an amazing subtle character to the vocals that sets this track apart. Lovely strings; a light touch. The perfect summer chiller.”
Diamond Eyes
Tune: Towkio – Heaven Only Knows (Ft Chance The Rapper, Lido & Eryn Allen Kane)
“Love this record, it has such a gospel-esque vibe and an overall incredible production by Lido. Great summer tune.”
Diskord
Tune: Jurassic 5 – Concrete Schoolyard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeN9c2GYJkk
“For us summer means getting the beers out, the BBQ on and the hip hop beats blaring… And this tune is one of the classics we always reach for. James saw them at Glastonbury years and years ago and it made them a fundamental part of the summer music rotation forever.”
Doctor P
Tune: Flux Pavilion – Exostomp (Diskord Remix)
“Lately Diskord have been one of my favourite artists to listen to at home and to play in my DJ sets. They manage to strike a balance between being really musical and somehow really hard-hitting on the dancefloor. The perfect summer formula, this is definitely one of my favourite tracks of theirs.”
Engine Earz
Tune: Jamie xx – Loud Places (Ft Romy)
“Haven’t been out in the sun much this summer since topping up my studio tan, however this makes me feels like I have”
Figure
Tune: Modestep – Sing
“My favourite tune of the year so far, let alone the summer. It has everything I want in a song; creative vocals, clever bridging between the sections of the song… Topped with some really good bassline work. The way the vocals are processed remind me of Kanye’s vocal processing on Black Skinhead.. But Modestep did it better!”
Flux Pavilion
Tune: Flux Pavilion – International Anthem
“It’s the biggest track in my set right now, it’s got that summer festival vibe and I’m mega proud of it.”
Fred V & Grafix
Tune: Ghostface – Back Like That (Ft NeYo) (Marky & Bungle Remix)
“We’ve recently started playing this again. What an absolute gem! I remember hearing Marky playing it at Global Gathering back in 2007, can’t believe it’s that old!”
Funtcase
Tune: Brookes Brothers – Tear You Down
“I remember hearing this track years and years ago and loving it and thinking it would be a timeless drum and bass classic! It’s one of my favourite tracks of all time. Not only is it catchy and bouncy, there’s an element of emotion to it that some people might be able to relate to. For me, it depicts the vibe of summer perfectly, and that’s why it’s my Summer Anthem.”
Jubei
Tune: Jaheim – Put That Women First (Calibre Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQ57k6JHCbg
“For me this track is the ultimate summer track. This has the ability to make everyone start smiling and dance, literally from groups of females who start singing the words to each other to the rude guys previously holding up the wall who can’t help but to start busting a little two step. I loved this track from the first time I heard it to just now listening back to it, it’s timeless.
I remember going to Belgium to play a gig with Calibre & SP:MC back in 2003. I was on before Calibre and I had just got my hands on a vinyl copy before we headed out there. I didn’t play it because I knew he would most likely play it and I didn’t want to play it before him. When I finished and he was about to start he asked me if I had a copy of it as he’d lost his, I gave him mine and he started his set with it and everyone in the club went crazy, which is something people still do all over the world years later.”
Martin Carr
Track: SMOKI – Let You Go (AndMe. Remix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOTF08rVh34
“AndMe’s remix sticks out for me as a spot-on summer track combining the techy house club sound and the sunny day festival vibe. The production on this record is second to none also.”
Mt Eden (Jesse Cooper)
Tune: Fleetwood Mac – Everywhere
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbsaj0XHUeg
“This track is one of my all-time summer jams. From having first started listening to them in the late 1990s with my older brother, it then became one of favourite songs to listen too while on road trips around New Zealand in the summer. Particularly while heading to our favourite holiday spot with my fiancé. It reminds me of good times, good people and good classic summer roadies. A timeless tune!”
Mt Eden (Harley Rayner)
Tune: Jon Bellion – All Time Low (Oji x Volta Remix)
https://soundcloud.com/ojixvolta/alltimelow
“The sound design on this is so top notch. I like to listen and geek out on it. It’s got an uplifting vibe, the structure is right on point and the drum grooves are loose and organic and irresistible. Probably wouldn’t play it in a set as it’s inevitably going to be hard to beat-match, so I listen to it on repeat instead.”
PhaseOne
Tune: Kove – Night Thought
“It’s a tough choice to pick an all-time favourite summer tune, but I’m going to choose this. Even though I predominantly produce dubstep, I have a huge soft spot for D&B. This song reminds me of Sunday Sessions in Australia by the beach drinking beer with melodic/liquid vibes (such as this tune) in the background to set the scene.”
Reid Stefan
Tune: Justyle – Wine Dey Waist
https://soundcloud.com/justyle/justyle-wine-dey-waist-original-mix
“This track has everything that a summertime banger needs, tropical vibes, lots of bass, dancehall vocals, and some quirky out-of-the-box rhythms. There aren’t many songs lately that I play both drops on stage, but this one comes with a perfect flip during the second half to keep if fresh but maintain that catchy lead.”
SKMA
Tune: Low5 & T:Base – Rollercoaster (Maduk Remix)
“This remix is an absolute beauty, stunning vocals over the most eloquent track. We’ve played this at every gig this month to great reception, but the way it went down on a balcony overlooking the town at a pre-club party in Ayia Napa last week was just delightful. Summer is definitely here!”
Sleepy Tom
Tune: Boys Noize & Pilo – Cerebral
“This one made me fall off my chair on the first listen…It’s tough, but simple and moves so effortlessly. This is going to be a perfect addition to my sets this summer and the rest of the year!”
SMOKI
Tune: Rare Candy & Martin Carr – Weekend (Ft Emiliyah)
https://soundcloud.com/the-bay/rare-candy-martin-carr-weekend-feat-emiliyah-radio-edit-premiere
“Champion Records have such a great pedigree and they’ve got another massive tune on their hands here. Perfect for summer as it’s so uplifting and soulful. There’s a great meeting of musical minds on this one: Martin’s songwriting, Rare Candy’s production and Emiliyah’s voice, it all just comes together really well”
T & Sugah
Tune: Tantrum Desire – Oblivion (ft. Solah)
“This track is made to play at the festivals this summer; uplifting vibes and an absolute banger! No need to double drop this beauty, the drop does all the work by itself. Definitely looking forward to the rest of the album!”
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