Mix Up Look Sharp: The Best Mixes Of The Week

High-powered techno, a lesson in the history of reggae and a long overdue Essential Mix all feature this week.

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Complex Original

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This article was originally published on Complex UK.

Here at Complex, we understand the grind of listening to the best music each week. There's so much new music uploaded to every single platform, every single day, that following just one of your streams can become a dizzying, life-consuming task. To help you out on at least one front, each and every Friday, our music team will trawl the depths of the internet to bring you the best mixes from the past week. House, hip-hop and bass, grime, trap and techno—it'll all be represented in our picks to get you warmed up for the weekend. So let us do all the hard work; click through below and enjoy.

Konx-om-Pax's Mix For FACT

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Glasgow's Konx-om-Pax first made his home at Planet Mu back in 2012 with Regional Surrealism. Now he's preparing to release new album Caramel, again via Planet Mu, and to celebrate he's made this mix of some of classic electronica's finest moments. Everything from Boards Of Canada and Lee Gamble to Lone and Robert Hood. The latter's rework of disco classic "Greatest Dancer" is an obvious apex but the whole thing is a marvel, expertly compiled to get the most out of the peaks and troughs in what is a master class in set-building.

Oneman's 'Essential' Mix For BBC Radio 1

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With his summer-long XOYO residency in full swing (check the line-up—it's insane), Rinse regular Oneman has finally been invited to record a Radio 1 Essential Mix. His Solitaire mixtapes were expertly crafted and it's the extra level of detail and hard work he put into those mixes, and indeed his radio shows and live sets, that earned him a place in the pantheon of DJs that have recorded Essential Mixes over the years—though, we have to admit, it's long overdue. Hit play below to hear him blend Palmistry, JD. Reid, Treble Clef, Drake and a shed load more bangers.

Josh Wink's Mix For i-D

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Classics like "Higher State Of Consciousness" and "Don't Laugh" are enough for any DJ to kick back and enjoy the mounting piles of cash, but Josh Wink has instead spent the last two decades pushing himself harder and harder. His Ovum imprint has put out huge releases from the likes of Scuba, King Britt, Levon Vincent, DJ Pierre and Loco Dice. That same drive can still be heard today, particularly in this mix where you can the same attention to detail that made him famous in the first place, as he moves gently between disco, minimal techno, classic house and more.

Finn And UNIIQU3's B2B Mix

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Starting this week, Local Action's Finn is kicking off a brand new B2B mix series that will see him link up with a new DJ each month to mix up their favourite club tracks, recorded live with no practice and no edits. This month saw Finn team up with one of the most exciting talents in club music, and electronica, UNiiQU3. It makes sense that Finn should work with UNiiQU3 at some point; their high-energy selections complement each other perfectly and there's a wildness about UNiiQU3's sets that fits well with the kind of sugar-rush R&G we heard on Finn's Knock Knock and Keep Calling.

James Dodd's Mix For Function 16

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On Monday July 18, techno trouble-maker James Dodd will be tearing up his hometown of Bath for the Function 16 crew. He'll be joined on the night by Bata & Bruce for a night of pure, uninterrupted techno. To give you a taster of what's in store, here's Dodds with a combination of industrial tinges, subtle minimalism, silky melodies and entrancing arpeggios.

Seani B's Mix For Clash

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It's one thing to have a mix of the most uplifting ska and reggae to enjoy, but, as 1Xtra regulars will know, Seani B likes to go that little further. This mix loosely charts ska and reggae's progression from its nascent years across the many decades that have been dominated by reggae, ska, dancehall, lovers rock and roots. As he brings in each new development, he gives a little introduction to the new wave, adding context and a few nuggets of knowledge. There's a tonne of classics here, real classics, but it's the history lesson embedded in the mix that sets it apart.

James Deen's Mix For The FADER

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With some semblance of summer upon us, James Deen (not the porn star) has just delivered a laid-back mix for hazy afternoons in the park. Tapping in to the homegrown talent of his home country Canada, Deen brings in selections from Ryan Hemsworth, Deebs and Internet Daughter alongside scorchers from Kodak Black, Little Simz, Kevin Gates and more. Keep an ear out for appearances from GRRL, PHF and, of course, James Deen himself (again, not the porn star).

Classical Trax's Mix For Hyponik

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The growth of Matt Lutz' Classical Trax movement has been one of the best success stories of the past few years. Growing from a private Facebook group to an ever-expanding outlet for global club music, it shows no signs of slowing. Radio stations across the world are scrambling over themselves to feature a guest mix from CT (it's well worth checking out their guest spots on Rinse, Radar NTS and Reprezent—and that's just to start you off), so it's impressive that the quality or drive hasn't dipped once. Oh, and once you've peeped this mix, check out Matt Lutz' new label JEROME to further bolster your collection of mind-melting club music.

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