WARMER MIXTAPES #1526 | by Robert Sparks [Rob Sparx/Rob The Builder] of Digital Source, Dirty Thieving Mongrels and Kachina

 1. Massive Attack V Mad Professor | Radiation Ruling The Nation (Protection) (with Tracey Thorn)
This is Mad Professor's remix of Protection from the 1995 remix album No Protection, some amazing tunes on there but itțs the 303 Acid line in this one that makes it special for me as it perfectly captures the heavenly vibe of the 90's with elements of Dub, Trip Hop and Acid House. The way that album was produced was brilliant, Dub style completely analogue live tweaking with some serious FX work, taking the original master tape and remaking it track by track on reel to reel, then re-recording that track onto another channel with more effects, repeating the process again and again until it sounded all mangled up and trippy as fuck, but beautifully crisp and warm with a life of its own. A good mate of mine used to go out with the Mad Professor's daughter and I was lucky enough to visit Ariwa studios a few times back in 2000 to meet the legend and check the kit out myself.

2. The Truth | Strickley Roots 
I can still remember buying this tune from HMV Croydon in 1997, it was the first track on a Dubhead sampler CD called A New Breed Of Dub, actually the first Dub release I ever bought. The sounds on this tune have inspired me ever since it's got some of the best dubsirens I've ever heard, really lazy sounding and smooth in tone with some great vocals too. This tune also really got me into the trippier side of Dub Music which I keep coming back to in my own productions.

3. Curtis Mayfield | Pusherman (Super Fly Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
I absolutely love Curtis Mayfield's Music - this is his cheekiest tune and one of my favourites, always brings a smile to my face probably because I know far too many people who this song could be about!

4. John Coltrane | Blue Train 
First heard this tune in Moscow in December 2010 when I was on a 2 week tour of Russia, one of the promoters friends was well into his Jazz Music and got me hooked on this, probably the catchiest and Funkiest horns you will ever hear!

5. Michael Jackson | Off The Wall 
This is MJ in his prime, made in the golden age of Analogue Technology, and, in my opinion, one of the best Pop tunes of all time. MJ always pushed to make his Music the finest, he would find the best musicians, use the best kit and worked with ones of the best producers - the quality of his albums from back then is still used as a benchmark for engineers even now. It's such an optimistic, joyful and emotional tune with such a dramatic switch in the chorus and bridge that it makes your heart race, has that WOW factor. It's a song that everyone likes, that holy grail of being completely Mainstream, slightly cheesey yet cool and authentic at the same time, Pop Perfection!


6. Goldie | You & Me
Goldie & Rob Playford go together like MJ and Quincy. Every tune on Timeless was a classic, but this tune is the one I associate most with my first love. I'm talking the kind of love that completely consumes you, an intense passion and Happiness so strong and fresh that all your Negativity is forgotten and you completely lose yourself in each other.

7. L.T.J. Bukem | Horizons 
This tune makes me think of when I was about 16/17 on a family holiday, sitting outside in Lanzarote, with a cold beer or two, watching the sunset out towards the beach... That's when I first heard Logical Progression Level 1 and got a taste for the sounds of Good Looking. It wasn't called Liquid at the time, but really this tune was one of the first Liquid tunes, absolute classic.

8. Calibre | Highlander 
My first ever gig was in Valencia in 2005 and I was hooked on this tune at the time. It's such a lush, Tropical Summery vibe, but with a hard edge to it, with some rough crunchy rolling breaks and a beefy 808 with some serious weight to it, still sounds good now.

9. Oaysis | Outcry 
This is one of the first vinyls I ever bought from Moving Shadow, such a simple but beautiful tune, sounds very Omni Trio. The perfect track for winding down to when I'd been out in London all night, had come home and The Sun's come out, having a spliff, trying to chill out and get to sleep. Love the pads and pianos in this one absolutely epic.

10. S.Y.N.K.R.O | Lost For Words 
My favourite Synkro tune, absolutely bursting with Love and Soul. Love doesn't usually last forever, so enjoy it while you can, make sure you live in the moment and focus on the positive rather than the negative!