RIP Spirit

The drum & bass community has been rocked by word of the death of Duncan Bisto, better known to fans as Spirit.

For anyone checking out drum & bass from '96 onwards, something Spirit has done has to have rocked you. While a number of his earlier productions were released via imprints like C.I.A. and Timeless, it was his material with Digital that really cemented his legacy early on, with cuts like "Mission Accomplished," "Remote Control," and the absolute anthem "Phantom Force" coming from their collective studios. Over the years, Spirit not only released material through some of the finest imprints in the scene (Metalheadz, Commercial Suicide), but also set up his own imprint, Inneractive Music, which he continued to drop material on.



News of Spirit's health issues hit less than a week ago, with Digital (who had just recently dropped an EP he did with Spirit over on Phantom Audio) recently sharing that Spirit was in the hospital in critical condition since August 13. He shared that Spirit had suffered a cardiac arrest, and that there had been irreparable brain damage. The family was told to prepare for the inevitable. On Sunday, Digital shared the tragic news that Spirit had passed.

It's also sad when the drum & bass community loses one of their own; last fall, Spirit released a single he produced with Marcus Intalex, who himself passed in May of 2017.




For those looking to remember Spirit, there's no doubt going to be a number of tributes on the way. For starters, check out this interview UKF did with Spirit back in 2017, which looks back at the reasons why he's regarded as one of the best and most prolific producers the scene has ever produced. Spirit was also very active in remastering and re-releasing the Inneractive Music back catalog via Bandcamp; take some time reminiscing through those classics, especially his stellar 2005 album Puzzle Box.

For now, here's a three-hour set Spirit did back in 2016. We also put a bunch of his gems into this Apple Music playlist. Or just check out the mixes we've thrown down below. Rest in power, Spirit.

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Lil Pump "Esketit (Kozee Edit ft. Stormzy)"

One day, Kozee asked me if I realized how grime-y Lil Pump's "Esketit" was. I hadn't, because I don't rock with Pump's music like that. Sure enough, I peeped the track and agreed. She's since double-backed and hit the world with an edit, complete with some Stormzy bars, to prove how grime-y this new school cut is. Stream below, and make it yours via Bandcamp.

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Apollo Brown & Joell Ortiz "Decisions"

On October 26, a collaborative album, Mona Lisa, from Apollo Brown and Joell Ortiz, is dropping. To help announce that, they gave away the first single from the album, "Decisions," for free. Just hearing that the Detroit-based producer and the NY spitter linked up for a project should have you pre-ordering what's sure to be a banger ASAP. Fully ready for #hoodieseason with this one.

Stream and download "Decisions" via Bandcamp.

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Young Thug "Chanel (Ase Manual Remix)"

With everyone feeling their way through Young Thug's Slime Language, Jersey club destroyer Ase Manual decided to turn "Chanel" into a certified banger. This is one for the DJs who need a proper DJ tool with a Thug touch for their late summer sets. Tell 'em who sent ya.

Stream the remix below, and grab it via Bandcamp.

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K. Sparks ft. Leslie Carron "April In Paris"

Artwork by Rafael Mattey

November 6 is a while from now, so shouts to K. Sparks for sharing the second single from his upcoming Kurser-produced album Note to Self, "April In Paris". It definitely blends what sounds like a serene spring day in France, but with a hypnotic hip-hop flavor. Peep that second verse; Sparks kicks some ill rapid-fire flows.

Stream "April In Paris" below, and pre-order Note to Self via Bandcamp today.

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Black Collar Biz "The Get Back is Amazing" (Video)

Because I've been rocking with Black Collar Biz for a minute, I know that he's never truly left the rap game. He's had situations go down, and real life is always a mother, but it's not like he's dropped tracks on the low. That said, his new album, The Get Back, is Collar's official return to the game, and "The Get Back is Amazing" is a mission statement for what he's been doing, where he's going, and a reminder that he does, in fact, do this.

Collar's practically an elder statesman for the emcees coming up in the Trenton area, which makes sense, consider all of the accolades he's received over the years as an artist. This nine-track project is one of my favorites of his catalog, and something you need to ride out the rest of the year to (at least).

Check the Jubee-directed video for "The Get Back is Amazing" below, and grab the full project via iTunes.

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R.O.E. "No Time to Waste" (Video)

R.O.E. and J. Slikk fit perfectly together; it does help that I heard R.O.E. spitting over Slikk instrumentals eons ago, but it's dope that they've continued to churn out material together. This XBT 91-directed video takes this jazzy number to new heights.

If you need the actual track, grab it from R.O.E.'s latest album, Better Late Than Never. Peep the video below.

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DJ Snoopadelic x Green Lantern 'Live From the Mothership' Mix

What do you get when you have Snoop Dogg, Green Lantern, some bomb weed, a stack of classic funk, soul, and R&B, and an empty studio? Live From The Mothership, a mix from Green and Snoop's DJ Snoopadelic alias. They took classics, added some hip-hop flavor to it, and let Snoop go ham on the mic (at times). Clean the house or fire up the grill to this.

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Virgil Abloh Gets Busy for Solid Steel

While Virgil Abloh has been known for being everything from one of Kanye West's creative partners to being the genius behind Off-White, he's also been on his DJ grind as of late. That persistence has ended up with the Louis Vuitton Creative Director of Menswear getting an hour's worth of time for his exclusive Solid Steel mix, which he recorded in London.

"DJing in London is always a great time," Abloh says, "because I like to create a contemporary dialogue with the audience but also root it in vast history of the many sub-genres that makes London super unique."

This set features an interesting selection of tunes; everyone from Pearson Sound and Donae'o to Roy Davis Jr. and Boddika get some shine. Stream and download ASAP, and peep the tracklist below.

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DJ Ends Drops His Latest, 'Walkin'

Been interesting to see DJ Ends develop his sound. Obviously influenced by the likes of the TEKLIFE camp, he's been sending his own edits and originals our way for what feels like the better part of the last year or so. With his new album, Walkin, it feels like he finally honed in on what makes him unique while maturing his sound. This eight-tracker will definitely have something for everyone who loves to get their footwork on, trust. Stream below, cop via Bandcamp.

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