Mixtape Mondays: WILDLIFE!, Kush Arora, Winstrong x WBLK, D’Bandit

Words by DJ Theory—

It’s officially a New Year, and the mixes are rolling in already. This week we’ve got some remixes from Northern California, tropical bass from Switzerland, more bashment (and bhangra) from the Bay, and some straight up soca madness from Toronto. Get in there.

Kush Arora, Surya Dub and Nonstop Bhangra Reunite Mix: San Francisco badman Kush Arora makes his Mixtape Mondays debut with a wicked mix of dancehall, UK funky, Afro, a little moombahton, and his signature “dread bass” sound. Recognized far and wide for his forward-thinking original production and collaborations with the likes of Lady Chann, Mega Banton, Jahdan Blakkamoore, Zuzuka Poderosa and many more, Kush never disappoints when it comes to the mixes either. This here is a promotional ting for SF’s Nonstop Bhangra party, a group that is steadily repping for all bhangra heads with regular parties and even bhangra lessons at the events. Catch the vibes this Saturday, 1.14 @ Public Works in SF, stream and download the mix below. Full tracklist here.

Kush Arora – Surya Dub and Nonstop Bhangra Reunite Mix by KushArora

Winstrong x WBLK Dancehall Massive, A Tribute to Legends (The Ganja Refix): It’s no surprise that Northern California has an abundance of  ganja farming and reggae music. What may surprise you, though, is this unique new combination from Surinamese reggae singer Winstrong and DJ Jacques of WBLK Dancehall Massive (which also includes DJ Guacamole). Although this isn’t exactly a mixtape, you’ll find 15 custom remixes recorded in the WBLK lab in crucial Norcal homegrown style. Jacques leaked a few of these dubs over the last couple years to his DJ fam, but they’re now all available in unmixed mp3 format. Giving salutations throughout the mix to ganja culture, Jacques and Winstrong combine dip into their influences and old favorites for flips like “This is How We Grew It” and “All Night Long.” Definitely a unique creation… Twist somethin’, download here, and stream the whole project below.

A TRIBUTE TO LEGENDS: THE GANJA REFIX by DJ JACQUES – WBLK

D’Bandit, First Wine Podcast (via Cutlass & Cane): Toronto’s D’Bandit is back with a new podcast LACED with nuff new soca riddims, in celebration of the first fete of the year. Toronto is home to some of the wildest soca and dancehall parties outside of the Caribbean, and D’Bandit takes you there in one fell swoop with First Wine, which features brand new music from Kes The Band, Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin, Konshens, Problem Child, Fay-Ann Lyons, Rayvon, and many many more. Wine up. Stream below, download and get the tracklist here.