It'd be easy to assume that a mix compiled by the drummer of indie electro-pop outfit Passion Pit would be chock full of the same sugary, high-pitched hooks that his Cambridge, Massachusetts band propagates on the regular. So it was a bit of a curveball to hear that Nate Donmoyer--who produces bass-centric tracks under the name Shuttle and was recently signed to massive beat label Ninja Tune to release his "Tunnel" single--is posting a DJ podcast mix containing far more garage, dubstep, and future-house from the UK's club scene than overbearing electro-pop. In fact, there's hardly a semblance of Passion Pit to be heard here.
On his free, 77-minute set for UK music mag Clash, Shuttle immediately kicks things into high gear with an unreleased track of his, entitled "Lion." Amidst repeating variations of the line "I just don't know what I'll do without you in my life," the song's rolling percussion and stabbing synth tones build in angular intensity, and set the tone for some of the biggest names in bass music to follow suit.
Club tune stalwarts L-Vis 1990 and Untold make numerous appearances on the mix with their bouncing, hard-hitting beats, as do the more poignant, reverberated sounds from dubstep giants Joy Orbison and Burial. And yet many of the stand-out moments come from Shuttle himself. His unheard original tracks and the remixes he's done for the likes of Phoenix and Body Language not only add a strong personal touch to this party-starting dance comp, but also add a distinct American flavor to a primarily overseas style of dance music.
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