AirPod by AirDrop

Our collaboration with Nail started slightly over a year ago, as we released his «BPMs Vol.1 EP». In the last months, Nail went on to sign a series of 12"s on labels like Robsoul, or Shabby Doll. He also saw one of his works be included on a Mosaic split EP, while remixing for labels like One Records or Bass Culture, with each one of his new production excelling its predecessor. We are glad to present his first appearance on the AirPod podcast series. This set was recorded during his latest appearance in Berlin, at the infamous Globus, on March 8th.

Sometime during the cold season in 2009, a foggy warehouse in the outskirts of Copenhagen became the setting to a collision that would change the turn of underground history for the Danish capital city. This was the night, when Marc Helt and Mikkel Ulriksen met on the floor, deciding to unite their singular yet reciprocal tastes and change the face of their native city. Fast forward four years later Marc & Mikkel's first meeting and the duo has been pushing its serious sound weekend after another ever since. Always in the most casual and friendly manner, Marc & Mikkel takes over Copenhagen's many venues for their raver's delight. You can catch them this coming Sunday at Søndagsvenner, an open-air party, dockside in the Refshaløen district.

Airdrop's very own podcast series has returned in full power, starting with a new episode by one of the most talented artist out there. Andres Zacco is currently preparing his next and fourth European tour in June / July '13. The multi-faceted Argentine artist has prepared a very special hour mix, featuring very strong techno influences. The mix starts with the wonderful floating electronics that have become characteristic of Zacco's productions and mixes, before evolving into more solid grounds. Also presented exclusively on this hour-long recording are two new records - the fourth edition of Andres Zacco's Greener label "Differential" by J.C. (releasing in April), as well as one of the titles Andres has prepared for his upcoming record on Airdrop (AD 024).

Following what has been one of our favorite record to plot, plan and release ever - AUX 05 / Exos / With-The Re-Edited - we are very proud to bring you 120 minutes and 70 tracks mixed in perfectly by the Icelandic master himself. Exos wrote the following words along with the mix: "In '97, I heard Thor's new record... "Class Of '96", produced under the name "Flow Machine". Thule Musik was full of life and guys like Biogen, Ozy, Plastik (Yagya), Cold, Thor, Vector, and myself were making deepdubbyminimal experiments like there was no tomorrow... I made this mix with some of the tracks I was listening to at this time, between '96-'99. Hope u enjoy the mix." –– AirPod 56 - Exos / Tracklist Exos & Octal - With The (Original Version) - Force Inc. Exos & Octal - Mining - Mosaic Isolee - Playhouse 11 69 - Microlovr - R & S Ridis - Chain Reaction 20 Sanasol - The Normal Spot - Thule 2 Flowmachine (Thor) - Class of 96 - Elektrolux Biogen - (Sanasol remix) - Thule 3 Sanasol - (Ozy remix) - Thule 6 Thor - Thule 9 Ozy - Thule 8 Exos - Spællt Octal - Nucles í bata Exos - Ljóshimna - Mosaic Burger / Ink - Love Is The Drug Exos - Orangeblue - Mosaic Diego Jose & Kate Olivia Martinez - Corrina Molerte - Trance America 503 Exos - Eleventh - Force inc Interference Communications - Unit moebius JS - 03 Exos Gegnum skaargat (Q-Box) - Thule 10 Exos - Concord - Force Inc Monobox (Robert Hood) - Realm - M-plant Monojunk - Trope 014 Rhythm & Sound - Music A Fe Rule - RS 001 Merv - Happiness On A String - Dancecop 14 Rythm & Sound - Roll Off - R&S 003 Plastic (Yagya) - Brain Plasticity Or: The Evolution Of My Every Day Life Convextion - Convextion - Matrix Scion -Emerge - Chain Reaction 001 Planetary Assault Systems - Diesel Drudge - Peacefrog Porter Ricks - Port of Nuba - Chain Reaction 004 Substance - Relish - Chain Reaction 005 Glory B - Friday Island - Grow Digital Princess - Constitution of sound - LL 009 Hardfunk - Electrophunk - Pr 020 Studio 1 - Green Studio 1 - Silver Thomas Brinkmann - Studio 1 Variationen Monojunk - Dum 017 Randon Logic - Profano EP - Matrix Music Modell 500 - Starlight (Maurizio Remix) - Metroplex Ricardo Villalobos - Sini Est - Perlon Dark Energy - Stargate - UR 29 X press 2 - Rock To House Beats - Junior Boys Own YMC - Last Stop EP Octave 0ne - 15/13 Larry Heard - So Much Joy - Guidance Baby Pop - Past & Future Roger S - Get High Oz Interactive - The future Is Now - Barracuda Oz - one Thor - Aliens Don't Boogie EP - Ae Recordings 002 Various Artist (Torsten Pröfrock) - 6 - Chain Reaction 002 Fluxion - Lark - Chain Reaction 21 Plastic - Thule 11 Studio 1 - Red Vector - Hyperxioliral Sky - Thule Musik - unreleased white label Grungerman - Facklen In Sturn - Profan 17 Grain - 001 - Fat Cat 002 Plastikman - Consumed Vertical Form 002 - white label Round Four - Found A Way - Main Street Records Exos - WE - (Ae recordings) Exos - Inmost - Force Inc Maurizio - Domino - Mseries 003 Mark Broom - Pure Plastic 12 Torul V - Pooh EP - Tissju 001 Maurizio - M6 - Mseries Sanasol (Thor/Yagya) - AM EP - Thule 005 The Connection Machine - Planet E - 001

Young upcoming producer from Paris, Douze develops some really mature and round blends of house with strong disco, soul and funk influences. After remixing Hold Youth's Screams of Passion and his old friend Funkalicious James on the occasion of our 21st vinyl outing, he presents today a wonderful hour-long mix, compiling current favourites, long-time inspirations and summer freshness...

Having returned to his hometown of Brussels over the last few years, Jona is planning to move back to Berlin this Spring! After releasing his first tracks and getting picked by Get Physical in 2005 to be an entire part of the family, Jona has since released some landmark EPs on Supplement Facts, Planet E and Resopal. More recently over the last year, he also joined the Airdrop and Mobilee families by releasing a splendid mini album on Airdrop and a floor-burning record on Mobilee's sublabel Leena. Expert in the twists and turns of music theory and studio recording and always driven by his desire to explore new sound perspectives and ideas, Jona keeps reinventing his music around his perfect production techniques. This week he delivers this new mix we have been waiting for so long, giving a good example of what a Jona set would sound in the club…

LHAS Inc. recently released their first remix ever produced for our 20th record release. Jamie Read is better known for a string of classic releases in the mid-'90s which he produced in answer to the Chicago sound of the time. At the time, Jamie Read's music was also object to an unfortunate offense. Indeed in 1995, keen to have his music released on Cajmere's Relief label, Read handed a demo DAT tape to Joe Lewis for him to transmit it. Some time later some of these tracks appeared on Relief as a Joe Louis release entitled "Back To The Beginning", with no credit to the people who actually produced them. A while later, further material from this DAT was released under Louis/Lewis' name on this release and on "Netherlands EP" on Basement 282, again with no mention of the actual producers. That famous DAT contained music made during a period when Read was recording at the studios of 10th Planet with legendary Lee Purkis, Chris Hartley and David Manuel (the 3 of whom ran 10th Planet and recorded as Insync vs. Mysteron). Jamie Read also started LHAS - the Larry Heard Appreciation Society - around the same time. Later renamed LHAS Inc. as Felix Dickinson joined Read, the first two records which by Read alone, came out on a dedicated imprint, Push II Shove. These were followed by the first three records including Dickinson's participation in '03 and '04, on Wax (Doc Martin's label), Eskimo and Cynic. In the last two years, LHAS Inc. presented two more records, "Learning To Live" on the fantastic Vibrations project (one of the best 12"s release in 2011 in our humble opinion) and another one on Cynic. We are really proud to have included their first remix work ever on "Benzo - The Remixes", released on Airdrop, on Monday, March 12th through Syncrophone Distribution.

In the light of AD 020, our twentieth 12" outing, "Benzo - The Remixes", UK's classic-house duo LHAS Inc. prepared two unique mixes for AirPod. LHAS - the Larry Heard Appreciation Society - is a project started by Jamie Read in the mid '90s, later renamed LHAS Inc. as Felix Dickinson joined Read. Dickinson's name has surfaced through many different projects, from numbers of disco edits, to producing as the Foolish half of Foolish & Sly, as well as running the celebrated Cynic label. The first two records, produced by Read alone, came out on a dedicated imprint, Push II Shove. These were followed by the first three records including Dickinson's participation in '03 and '04, on Wax (Doc Martin's label), Eskimo and Cynic. In the last two years, LHAS Inc. presented two more records, "Learning To Live" on the fantastic Vibrations project (one of the best 12"s release in 2011 in our humble opinion) and another one on Cynic. We are really proud to include their first remix work ever on "Benzo - The Remixes", released on Airdrop, Monday, March 12th through . And probably the first LHAS Inc. mixes, featured outside of Cynic's treasure download chest. Enjoy this first part, mixed by Felix Dickinson.

Some of you have been lucky enough to attend one of Funkalicious James rare appearances behind the wheels of steel. The others had to wait until... today! Yes, the wait was long, but get ready for an hour of pure FUNKaliciousness in the classiest manner. Last summer, Funkalicious James' edit of Janet Jackson - That's The Way got rinsed on the floors and beaches worldwide by anyone in the know from Soul Clap to Till Von Sein. Funkalicious James is also one half of the Childhood '87 project with Le Loup - their edit of "Caught Up" on our 2nd Aux-Rec 12" outing made some serious commotion in 2010. This year, he comes back with a full EP for Airdrop. Due out in the spring, it also includes stormer remixes by John Spring and Douze, who just dropped a really hot one on Le Loup & Seuil's Hold Youth. Funkalicious James will be playing this weekend on Saturday, February 11th, at Airdrop's winter shindig in Paris.

Today we’re celebrating the 50th episode of our beloved AirPod – but this month also marks our podcast’s 4th anniversary! That’s right, over the last four years – and since Paulo’s first episode in Dec. ‘07 – we sent out no less than fifty mixes from our roster’s precious talents. Who better to celebrate such jubilee, than someone who keeps raising the level of wonderment record after record, mix after mix – Mr. Andres Zacco. Fresh off the release of his third 12″ on Airdrop Records, we are proud to announce Zacco’s participation in our next Aux-Rec project, the re-release and remixing of an original piece by Icelandic producer Exos. The next twelve months are set to hold many more surprises for Andres Zacco. His label Greener Records will be presenting the 2nd volume of its ambient compilation series – Landscapes Of The Future, as well as 12″s by himself, Jacek Sienkiewicz and Dario Zenker. Also on his schedule is a European tour in May 2012, for which we are already booking.

At the end of each year, the same circus happens over and over again. We try to wrap up (not only Xmas presents) but all the things we've pushed under the carpet until the last minute. All of this cumulates in the most hectic moment of the year, whereas we should really be enjoying our well deserved holidays! So in the midst of the year end craze, take a tiny minute to load up Brandub's latest mix into your iPod. This hour of simple dubby euphoria will lift you many strata away from any superfluous concerns. Brandub created the mix in his home studio, in the city of Cordoba, Argentina. We also take on this opportunity to announce that Brandub's next release on Airdrop is now mastered and ready. The 'Bank Side EP' features three originals and a Beat Pharmacy take realized by Mr. Brendon Moeller. This project is set for release towards the end of January, bringing an extra layer of warmth in the middle of the cold winter. Kick back and relax!

Jason Carich aka Sr.Replicante has been active in Buenos Aires for over 20 years now. In the early '90s, he was one of the core members of Urban Groove, the legendary DJ collective which shaped the future of the Argentine sound. Celebrating their 20 years of existence in 2011, Urban Groove will be appearing for a series of gigs in Argentina before the end of the year. More recently, Sr.Replicante, also a professional architect, has been producing some of the most subdued and highly refined music in the country. We initially met Jason as he remixed our second digital release by Fase. We also had the chance to have him spin at one of our parties in 2008, on the historical Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires, where he played back to back with Nico Purman - a memorable night! We are really glad to send out this recording today, featuring two hours of the finest dancefloor jack mixed with the subtle technique that characterizes all of his sets. Can't get enough of it? Sr.Replicante already announced a Pt.2 to this mix…

Ahead of the presentation of their new live set this weekend in Paris, FRITZ & LANG are sending out a homemade mixtape blended with some jams the two boys are currently digging. With their signature sound oscillating between electro, pop, disco and funk FRITZ & LANG are blazing a trail into some fresh musical fields. While their first release on Airdrop, the 'Crash EP' received some tremendous praises, the Franco-Argentine duo is already announcing some new projects, some of which the parisian public will be able to preview on the occasion of Airdrop's Sundae, on June 6th, with Andres Zacco, Funkalicious James, Martin Teysera and yours truly, Paulo.

Here is the 2nd part to Leonel Castillo‘s take on Detroit House. Exploring a darker, more complex part of the genre, Leonel pulls out some old secrets and new picks out of his endless collection. If you’re in the US, do not miss out and go to one of Leonel’s dates in LA, NYC, DC or Boston. Also make sure to download the 1st part of this mix on AirPod’s 45th episode.

This week we bring you a special mix by the producer of our last 12" record release, the most talented Leonel Castillo. Respected by all, Leonel is a humble man with over twenty years of experience in the electronic field. Hailing from Buenos Aires, he took on many guises over the years, putting out his incredible musical creations, ranging from deep house all the way to experimental techno. We are really proud to send you one of Leonel Castillo's many perfect selections, yet so rare to find. Here is a two hours selection of the best current pieces fitting in the Detroit House category. Studio-side, Leonel Castillo is currently finishing a remix for Brandt Brauer Frick due soon on !K7 Records, alongside another remix by none other than Pepe Bradock... Leonel is also finishing a string of new records to come out this year on Groovear, his own imprint. Finally, and following on his first US tour in October 2010, Leonel is already announcing to come back to the States in May / June and also planning a European tour for the Fall 2011. Be on the lookout for dates near you!