At this time of year, I'm usually back with my family in South Africa for the summer.
Inspired by the new African sounds I've been listening to, I wanted to create a mix celebrating the subculture of hardcore gqom - sometimes referred to as quantum or taxi gqom.

I took a huge interest in this during the latter half of 2024 as I set out to discover more about the young producers from Durban shaping the sound. 'These kids are 14 to 20 years old making these tapes,' someone told me on TikTok.

It pulses through taxi speakers and phone speakers, made by the youth in the townships of Durban. I loved the rawness of the music, hypnotic bass lines, coming from kids working with whatever they can get their hands on, making a few tapes a year for the holiday break parties.

This mini mix is the result of my findings, made entirely on the SP404. 
Every beat selection is personal, every transition purposeful.

Extremely proud of this - please enjoy.

Firstname BASIS

HARDCORE GQOM SUMMER

I had the opportunity to come through to the East Side FM studio and perform a set with my two SP-404s. Using a rich tapestry of sampled sounds, along with an eclectic mix of Gqom from Durban, Soul, and Breaks, I delivered a set that showcased creativity and lots of energy. 
LOVED IT SOOOOOOO MUCH

SOL RADIO MIX

This mix brings together all the eclectic, dance loving parts of me. From a nostalgic FIFA 2008 banger to the samba-infused rhythms of Mr. Hermano, it travels through the sounds of Angola, South Africa, Brazil and beyond. A journey across global dance genres, woven together on the SP-404. Really proud of this one. And to everyone that danced with me to it - thank you.

For the intro, we open up with an unlikely cover of ‘I Believe’ reimagined by the heavy metal band ’Ghost’. Stripped back & cinematic, the strings hold tension as Ursula Ruckers voice suddenly beams out: “Gravity.” Ursula’s one of my all-time favorite vocalists from the mid-2000s, an acapella from the 1998 techno track ‘Sixth Sense’ with Josh Wink follows “You know what gravity is right?” The suspense of the opening builds up, dropping into the original 2008 Fifa banger ‘I Believe’ - by Simian Mobile Disco. WE’RE ON!


As we mix into the next track, a familiar tune for some of the oldheads starts playing, Coração by Ian Pooley - an absolute house classic that carries the warmth of early 2000s dance floors. Effortlessly slipping into the mix like a memory you didn’t know you still had.

From there, we slip into a groove. 
Deep percussive cuts from Angola and South Africa start to emerge, The rhythm begins to stretch and sway. You’ll hear the bounce of kuduro, hints of kwaito, and broken house weaving in and out, stitched together through the SP-404.

The energy is fluid. 
Never static, always, always moving.

SWELL MIX

Little live mix I did using my lil baby SP404 

Tracklist:
Celebration of the Sunrise - Sergio Mendes & Brasil 66'
The $hoots - How are you?
karavelo - Pigeon Park
BLVNT RECORDS - sabata - splendour
GRiMM Doza & Lord Apex - Aww Shit [Prod. SwuM]
GRiMM Doza - The Real (Prod. Al Dali)
BURNT TAPES - jax - skithouse [BTS005]
sand people - mojo
VORSYN - Whitch Trails
harris cole - waves (w/ kenny segal, ianewing, & mr. carmack)



RADIO BASIS 001

24.10.2015

uh so i made this podcast when i had acid for the first time with my flatmate, what a month that was, have a listen if u want 

oh yeah, also here's the tracklist if u want i'duno

Syke - TRELLION
Ahhh - TRELLION
Writing Time - J-Why
Erm - TRELLION
Turn Up - Gucci Mane & Chief Keef
Laurel Canyon - Chief Keef
What Shall We Do - Moonchild

RADIO ACIDIS

Rawly crafted straight from the SP404, no sequencer

Its A Pleasure For You To Find It

This mix was made especially for 27 MOLLYS
With the aim to apeal to the audience at the event, hence (ironic) mac demarco playing as intro. With some nora jones, bjork, all while trying to maintaine a constant upbeat flow w/ a little kaytranada, ugly god & 21.

Follows the flight 002 saga i started 2 years ago which 
was my first mix I ever did.

As always, enjoy & listen.

FF F F F F FF F FF F FIRSTNAME BASIS

Flight 002 : 27MOLLYS

sampled straight from a phone call in the early months of 2017.
personally archival, 3 voiced conversations layered ontop of eachother without the presence of myself.

a section from Radio Basis 002 which was a project started in 2015 that I never finished.

enjoy,
firstname BASIS

Can I Come Over

DES 1 MIX : DISTANT EXPLORED SOUNDS

Exploring electronica and all its subcategories.

We start this mix with combined sounds from Mhysa, Dean Blunt & Jan Jelinek. with the calm narrative of Eckhart Tolle, which brings together a vibrant array of chaotic harmony to challenge the senses. we then break into the first hard-hitting introduction track (Spectrum by Mhysa)

Yes, a very special mix, the start of (D) distant (E) explored (S) sounds, a raw mix prepared with my SP404, alongside commentations of myself as I finish my bottle of wine over the span of this mix.

DES 1 MIX

Uhhh so my SP404 died and I lost all my samples that I've had since 2015, so RIP to everything I've ever worked on.

This is the last mix I lively recorded while kinda drunk (again) a mix of the tracks im listening to if u see me boping my head down the street, my guilty pleasures, as of 3 months ago (bitch im lit). 
Uhh also DES stands for Distant Explored Sounds if u missed the memo.
A follow up to DES 1 which was categorised as mainly electronica.

rip my sp404 and pls come back alive.
mikka xx

DES 2 (bitch Im Lit)

SP404 DJ exploring sounds.

we back baby!

MIKKAPEDIA

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