Please recommend some DJ mixes to put on my running iPod

November 22, 2013 9:32 AM

I've started listening to hour long DJ mixes as the soundtrack to my daily runs. I love BigBeat, Funk, GlobalHouse, Soul, mash-up type stuff. There are millions of DJ sets to download but the names mean nothing to me as I left the 'scene' well over a decade ago and find searching for new artists exhausting. Current faves and musical tastes inside, please help me find more?

Fort Knox Five are my current favorite, they are just a tremendous amount of fun to run to. Big, bouncy soulful funk and global house mashed up with remixes/mashups of...well, everything. They also release high quality mixes often.

I also have enjoyed:

DJ Andy Smith - a little too downtempo but so varied and so good it's worth it
Girl Talk - perfect running music
Norman Cook/Fatboy Slim - his "Big Beat Boutique" album is one of my desert island discs but i don't like when he goes 'wierd'
DJ Z-Trip - his beastie boys tribute is excellent
Groove Armada - a little too 'house' for me, but do-able
Ninja Tunes/ElectroSwing is also fun.

I don't mind a bit of rap, but tend to lean more towards the Tribe Called Quest/Dj Format side of the spectrum. I've looked at the BBC's essential mixes and tried a few, but they are hit and miss and I'm just picking at random.

Who else is putting out really eclectic, fun, interesting mixes of good music? Super Mega Bonus if they include some big beat bangra bollywood/eastern influences.

Thanks!

posted by BlerpityBloop to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

Best answer: Have you looked at Podrunner? His mixes are awesome, and if you buy the app, it includes a beat-shifting feature to change the BPM.
posted by jquinby at 9:46 AM on November 22, 2013 [2 favorites]

I've really liked the compilation albums from Future Disco.. I just pull them up on Spotify
posted by citron at 10:05 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

I was going to recommend Podrunner. He draws influences from a wide range of sources - seriously, like Fiddler on the Roof, 80's fitness videos, drill instructor orders, etc. Also, I enjoy the weekly Above and Beyond mix.
posted by kat518 at 10:47 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

A bit removed from the specific realm of Big Beat, Funk, Global House, Soul, etc: R_co's archive of mixes on Soundcloud span your specific genres and more. You can check out the streams and download anything that catches your ear. Of course, you can also browse by tags (example: bigbeat) and look for the longer sets, as you'll also find individual tracks and snippet previews in amongst the uploads.

More removed: Liquid DnB mixes is a great source to freely preview (via streaming audio) and download (if you like) drum'n'bass mixes. I suggest this because the "liquid" side of drum and bass incorporates more of the soulful elements, and avoid some of the overly aggressive, intense sounds of other DnB sub-genres. There are also some remixes of pop and other genres, if you look around.
posted by filthy light thief at 11:44 AM on November 22, 2013

Electroswing: Manie Dansante

80s action movie soundtracks: Blood Bros, vol. 1 2 3

Balkan Beats + Electroswing: Urban Balkan Disko
posted by Tom-B at 11:52 AM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

Best answer: * Sub Nav! *

* Migrations! *

* Mixtape Riot! *

* Beat Blender! *
posted by jammy at 2:35 PM on November 22, 2013 [2 favorites]

I can post a lot more later because oh man i live for this shit, but this is pretty much the best mixtape ever if you love funk and mashups. It also ticks the global house box and is just generally brilliantly produced.
posted by emptythought at 4:11 PM on November 22, 2013 [1 favorite]

I've been enjoying
Podrunner,
Deekron the Fitness DJs Motion Traxx,
Steve Boyett's GrooveElectric Downloadable Soul.

Also, note that you can turn on the BPM column in your iTunes, and there are a number of free bits of software out there that will assign BPMs to your own library, if you want to start creating your own playlists.
posted by AnOrigamiLife at 12:04 AM on November 23, 2013 [1 favorite]

First, thanks for the heads up on Fort Knox Five, listening now, definitely a new interesting thing for me to check out! Also thanks for all the other suggestions here, have not got to them yet, but I love hearing new party-type music.

Second, have you tried the Kitsuné Maison compilations? A bit different than what you've posted above, but I find them to be pretty awesome electro mixes, bangin' beat, good to run to I'd think. I don't think they are made available (downloadable) by their creators in their full format, though. I have Kitsuné Boombox, Compilations 1 though 9, and a few others, and almost all of them are great, although there are a few misses. Electrosound also did mashups of the Kitsuné stuff.

Also, I'm really digging Breakbeat Bass Vol. 3 by Nick Thayer (I have not heard the others, and I've only heard the unmixed version of this, but highly recommended).

And yeah, it is kind of exhausting finding new (to me) stuff that exactly hits the sweet spot of vibe you're looking for, and I find myself digging up stuff that's brand new or anywhere up to 30 years old, but it's so worth it when you find something that just nails it.
posted by the big lizard at 3:41 AM on November 25, 2013