This mix leans into disco and modern funk, keeping the groove locked down for 60 minutes. Classic late-70s and early-80s grooves sit comfortably alongside newer edits and remixes that respect the original feel while adding a modern touch.

Some artists belong to a moment. Johnny Osbourne is part of the evolution of reggae, dating back to the 1960s and the Studio One world, to the raw energy of 1980s dancehall. Osbourne didn’t just adapt to change; he carried his voice through it all while delivering his unique vocal style.

We’re going back to a moment in time during the 90s when you had breakout stars from Jamaica - Shabba Ranks and iNi Kamoze hitting the mainstream charts and rotation on MTV and other music video stations. You also had the mixing of dancehall with hip-hop - Vicious with Doug E Fresh, Supercat, and others. This mix moves between street anthems, radio hits, and club staples.

There was a crossroads in the UK during the ’70s, as dub and reggae sound systems were spreading and building a wider audience. By mid-decade, the rise of punk began - a raw, gritty DIY ethos that opened the door for thousands of youth who wanted to play music. Anyone was welcome. Don Letts is well known for helping introduce the sounds of dub and reggae to the punk scene at The Roxy, as both shared a like-minded attitude toward inclusion and anti-establishment values. It was only a matter of time before both styles began to appear in the same songs.

This Funk Jazz mix leans hard into the groove, moving between modern jazz-funk burners, deep-pocket classics, and band-driven jams where feel is everything. Tight rhythm sections, loose nimble fingers, letting forth musical consciousness. New cuts sit beside genre classics - let your backbone go and dig what’s going on.

Aram Scaram began his DJ journey in Toronto’s late-90s underground, spinning at house parties and one-off club events before landing weekly residencies at the beloved lounges Ciao Eddie and Alto Basso. It was at Ciao Eddie where he met Sassa’le, founder of the influential Version Xcursion radio show on CKLN 88.1 FM — a connection that would shape the next chapter of his career.

Going back to a period in time in the 90s that seemed short-lived once it hit the mainstream media - Electronica / Big Beat. However you categorise it, it fused aggressive drums, breaks, dance, rave, and other genres to create something fresh.

For this mix, I dove into a selection of artists that bring old school funk and hip-hop together into modern times - New Funk, Modern Funk, however you describe it, FUNK is in each one of these tunes.

A roots-and-dub midweek mix for your ears.

Today I bring in a long-time brother-in-dub - Andrew (aka Eccodek). We’ve shared stages and music for almost 20 years now. I asked him to create the mix for today, and knowing his musical inspiration, it’s a good one.

When their debut “License To Ill” was released in 1986, almost 40 years ago - it was fresh and had a great sense of humour, playfullness that on the surface could be disregarded as white-boy rap, but if you took a close listen you’ll notice the attention to detail in the music - the use of sampling, 808 Drum Machine, experimentation, mixing and overall production - this was groundbreaking.

Certain artists bring a feeling of soulful upliftment and leave a mark on your musical heart - Jimmy Cliff is one; you sense a man smiling and embracing life. He’s navigated Jamaica’s musical evolution from the start, with 1962’s Hurricane Hattie, to the soundtrack that put him front and centre on a global stage in 1972. He’s continued to release beautiful music that speaks to our spiritual sides, and his legacy will live on for generations to come.

he link between jazz and what we now call reggae goes back 70+ years to the time of Count Basie and Duke Ellington’s big bands in the 1940s and ’50s, which were very popular in Jamaica. These records arrived through sailors, migrants, and sound-system operators like Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, who travelled to the U.S. specifically to buy jazz and R&B 78s. The island absorbed these sounds and fused them with mento (Jamaica’s folk music), African rhythmic traditions, New Orleans R&B (Fats Domino, Rosco Gordon), and bits of Country and Gospel. Out of this blend came the foundation of what would eventually become ska.

There are so many artists and songs that pass through our ears, but rarely do we know who’s behind the music. The sounds we gravitate to, that we identify with, and that is part of what I try to do here on Bass Culture - pull back the curtain and find out who helped shape an album or entire generation - Gussie Clarke is one of those “wizards of oz” - a man who helped shape hit after hit, that still spin on turntables and sound systems today. His career has spanned decades, but for this mix, I’ve focused on his earlier productions from the 70s and early 80s, before the digital age of reggae took over.

Let’s start with the title of this mix, “Dirty Funky Nasty Bad” - a long-time friend of mine with a great sense of humour would keep all of us howling with laughing, doing bits and saying random shit dropped this line in one of those moments and it’s stuck with me for decades (thanks Kento).

There was a period in the 60s & 70s that set New York on fire, emanating from Spanish Harlem, The Bronx, and Lower East Side, and labels like Fania Records - boogaloo (bugalú).

I had a show in Dresden years ago, and the opener was a DJ who played cumbia. When her set began, the dance floor instantly filled with people laying down synchronized dance steps, which was eye-opening and fantastic fun to watch. It’s inevitable that these two genres would merge, as Cumbia originated on the Caribbean coast of Colombia and includes African, Spanish (colonial), and indigenous influences that date back to the 16th Century. For this playlist, I went down the rabbit hole seeking groove enlightenment.

I’ve always seen/heard the parallel between reggae and house music—namely, the Steppers vs. 4-On-The-Floor groove, and have been drawn to that fusion of the two. Back in 2002, I’d slapped a King Tubby sample over a house beat, and it was a revelation to me (I can fuse this) that song that became Journey To The Center Of The Dub. The King Tubby sample was removed, but the idea remained. On the other side of the pond, in the UK and across Europe, this style was already established and in the clubs. I can’t profess to more than a surface-level knowledge, but after sifting through a lot of tracks, I put together this playlist of songs that I enjoyed. I encourage you to share some of your favourite house reggae tracks in the comments—include a YouTube link if possible.

My soul has a deep passion for all things groove—reggae, jungle, hip-hop, funk, soul, or any style that gets the feet moving and the head nodding. So, for this mix, I decided it was time for a dive into Latin Funk with some greats—Joe Bataan, Tito Puente, and Ray Barretto, alongside lesser-known artists from the 70s onward. Bring on the thin-lofi-guitar solos, wah-wah flavours, rollocking percussion, blazing horns, and as much cowbell as you can handle.

The focus of this mix is the 4-on-the-floor roots reggae stepper style, with a variety of artists spanning decades, from Johnny Osbourne to Chronixx—the mood-lifter mix.