Episode five of our Routes series comes from fresh Deep Medi signing Compa, covering everything from dubstep classics to cinematic soundtrack scores.
1. Shigeru Umebayashi – Lovers (Flower Garden)
This record almost puts me in tears. It’s incredible. I love dark, emotional music that really takes a hold of the listener. This piece of music was composed for the House Of Flying Daggers soundtrack. I’m strongly influenced by Shigeru’s compositions and the emotion in a lot of his work. It’s so bare and stripped-back, but all the right elements are there and it works. Just phenomenal music.
2. Burial – Etched Headplate
The emotion connects in all of Burial’s work. I used to listen to his album Untrue, which this track is taken from, whilst driving home from an ex-girlfriend’s house on dark Sunday evenings and then I’d get home and build music all night. Religiously, every weekend for many months, so Burial was a direct influence on my music and the dark emotions I’ve always tried to convey.
3. DJ Marky & XRS – LK (It’s The Way)
When I first started DJ’ing age 13 at local youth club, everyone played Drum & Bass, so naturally that’s where I started too. This is one of the first records I ever bought and i’d play it religiously every single week for a couple of years. Brings back good memories, it’s part of my history which is why it made his list, but I can’t say it influenced me as a producer because I started DJ’ing years before I touched a DAW.
4. Tim Deluxe – We All Love Sax
As well as Drum & Bass, I’ve always collected House records since about 2003, 2004. This was one of the first House records I ever bought. I still love it, brings back more great memories. The love and euphoria in this record is inspiring. It makes me realise how much emotional feel-good strength a great record can carry and that energy stays with the listener. Such a great record.
5. Skream – Midnight Request Line
This has to be the most inspiring record I’ve ever owned because as a Drum & Bass DJ originally, before I was producing my own music, I found this by accident in a friends record collection. I was like, ‘what’s this slow Drum & Bass?’ and he explained it was being called Dubstep, this was about 2008, and through Skream and Tempa I found Mala, Burial, Kromestar etc. and that’s where my love for Dubstep music started.
6. Hans Zimmer – Time
Another of my favourite compositions. Really inspiring. This one was written as part of a soundtrack for the film Inception. Hans’s ominous soundscapes are a big influence on my own. I’ve tried to write my own almost film soundtrack records, but they don’t touch this quality of arrangement and depth. Maybe they will one day.
7. Jay Z – All Around The World
He killed this instrumental originally produced by No I.D. This is just a straight jam. He’s banging Beyonce for fuck sake; he’s untouchable. Good one to draw for if you’re mid-house-party and no-one’s really having any fun yet – Roll this one out and you’re nice.
8. Mobb Deep – Survival Of The Fittest (Havoc Remix) [Instrumental]
This one inspires the sample digger in me for sure. Really well built and layered. Rough around the edges. Fuck your pristine mix-downs and crystal-clear clinical shit. This is built on a vibe: how it should be.
9. Mala – Pop Pop Epic
Dread. One of my favourite records by Mala. He definitely shaped my sound from the day I became fascinated by his music. It’s an understatement to say that DMZ records, from 001 to where we are now, have all equally contributed to inspiring me and my music for many years.
10. SpaceGhostPurp – Black Money World
Real real ominous, dark, heavy and raw as fuck music from SpaceGhostPuurp’s 2013 mix tape B.M.W. All-around inspiring for me, it ticks all the boxes shit has to tick if i’m going to enjoy it and especially if i’m going to be inspired by it.
11. Inner City – Good Life
I could go on forever with this list and I know it’s been pretty left-right-left selection-wise, I’m in to all sorts of shit, but this one is a real percy and a good one to end this on. Let’s put it this way – If this comes on in a club, I’m dancing, and I don’t dance! PURE vibes.
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