Ever since Mary Anne Hobbs abdicated her BBC Radio1 throne last month, impressionable American journalists have returned to being blissfully unaware of what goes on across the Atlantic. This is ideal for everyone. They get to breathe a massive sigh of relief at not having to feign interest in esoteric 2-hour stream-only British broadcasts. And I get to bask in my own self-importance at posting up obscure radio shows that I steal from seedy Serbian torrent networks. For those clinging to the misguided belief that Hobbs’ absence will cause dubstep to descend into a wobbly abyss of chip-eating chavs broing out on the dance floor, her replacement Benji B remains a dependable “tastemaker”– even if he lacks a Girl 6 voice.
Granted, I’m partial to Benjamin Benstead because I’m pretty sure we have identical inclinations. His final BBC1Xtra show before replacing Hobbs is catnip for West Coast weedheads: Madlib, Dilla, Ghostface, Raekwon, Big Boi, Dam-Funk, Flying Lotus, Doom, and James Brown, on down to Brit beatmakers like Dorian Concept, Bullion, and Digital Mystikz. If you’ve been reading this blog long enough, chances are you’ll have heard most of the tunes played on his epic three hour finale, but it’s worth downloading nonetheless. This is one of the most impeccably curated mixes you’ll hear all year — one that vouches for the BBC’s good sense in picking a replacement. And if anyone at the BBC is ever in the mood to recruit new DJ’s, I’ll let Leonard Cohen speak for me.
Tracklist below the jump.
Download:
ZIP: Benji B’s Soulful Beats- 10/10/10 Final Show
Tracklist:
Jaylib – The Official (Stones Throw)
Madvillain – Accordion [Stones tHROW]
MF DOOM – Gazzilion Ear (Lex Records)
Mos Def – Auditorium (feat Slick Rick) (Downtown)
Erykah Badu – Soldier (ControlfreaQ/ Universal Records)
Flying Lotus – Melt (Warp Records)
Steve Spacek – Dollar (Sound In Color)
Madlib – The Payback (Stones Throw)
James Brown – Payback [Polydor]
Waajeed – Proud (Fat City)
Nas – Get Down (Columbia Records)
Nas – Made You Look (Columbia Records)
Busta Rhymes – New York Sh** (feat Swizz Beatz) (Flipmode/Aftermath/Interscope)
Big Boi – (feat Andre 3000 & Raekwon) – Royal Flush [La Face Records]
Raekwon – (feat Ghostface Killah & Method Man) – New Wu (Wu-Massacre Label)
Ghostface Killah – Whip You With A Strap (Def Jam Refords)
J Dilla – Gobstopper (Stones Throw)
J Dilla – Diamonds (Stones Throw)
J Dilla – Two Can Win (Stones Throw)
J Dilla – Stop (Stones Throw)
J Dilla – One Eleven (Stones Throw)
Jay Electronica – Exhibit C (Control FreaQ/Decon)
Dam-Funk – Hood Pass Intact (Stones Throw)
Cesária Évora – Angola (Carl Craig Remix) (Lusafrica)
LCD Soundsystem – 45:33 (Theo Parrish’s Space Cadet Remix) (DFA)
Alice Smith – Love Endeavour (Maurice Faulton Remix) (BBE)
Âme – Hydraulic Dog (Sonar Kollektiv)
Peven Everett – Bangin (Trippin Records)
At Jazz – Osulande Remix – (Mantais Records)
Zed Bias ft Omar – Dancing Now ( ft Mr Fox Dubplate )
4hero – Hold It Down (Bugz In The Attic’s Co-Operative Mix) (Talkin Loud Records)
DKD – Future Rage (Bitasweet, 2000 Black)
Afronaught – Transcend Me (Apollo)
Donnie – Twist This (Karizma Remix) (R2 Records)
Skream – Midnight Request Line (Tempa)
Digital Mystikz – Anti War Dub(DMZ)
Martyn – Vancouver – (3024)
Dorian Concept – The Fu**ing Formula (Deviation Edition) (Kindred Spirits, Nod Navigators)
Bullion – Get Familiar (One-Handed Music)
Tron – Waajeed (Fat City)
Sa-Ra – Glorious (ABB Soul)
Georgia – Angels (Dubplate)
GE-OLOGY – Geo Piano Instrumental (CDR)
Jimmy Abney – The Marvin Touch (Deviation Dubplate)
J Dilla – Bye (Stones Throw)
