As I may have mentioned once, or twice, or twenty times in my latest articles – for most of us around the world, summer is finally here! With summer comes plenty of good new music and the playing of old. Here at EARMILK there are 89 of us in 7 different time zones all doing various bits and pieces – that's a serious crew. But if there is one thing to be said for our family, it's the absolute passion for music, whatever our preferred genre.
A handful of EARMILK family members rallied together to tell me their favourite mixes they enjoy listening to in the warmer months, whilst sipping cocktails, preferably on a beach, or on a terrace, traveling to an exotic destination.. you get the gist. You can check out our choices below.
Montrey Whittaker – Co-Founder/President
"This mix, much like EARMILK itself, straddles the line between mainstream and underground jams with a few throwback hits tossed in. When music is truly good, it doesn't matter its age."
David Sikorski – Senior Editor
"This mix from Desert Hearts Crew DJ Porkchop is in my constant rotation. It's special to me because I had heard it at my very first Desert Hearts Festival last year. The set was filled with pure good vibe, dance floor tech house but the build up to the nostalgic finale left me filled with a sense of complete musical joy. I go back to this set whenever I have a long road trip and it always takes me back to that night."
Steph Evans – Managing Editor
"When you review the volume of music we do as writers, it’s hard to make time to sit down and fully enjoy a good mix from end to end. When Lane 8 puts out a new mix, I make sure to make the time for it. I’ll never forget hearing his ID’s (specifically “Fingerprint) and listening to them over and over, eventually hearing them live at EDC Las Vegas in 2016. He just does such a good job of putting in music that most of us have probably missed getting released already along with his own future releases – a combination that makes whatever music all the more exciting. He used to put his seasonal mixes out just as they are – seasonally – but now, after their rising popularity he’s expanding the offering and this time dropped two, soon to be four."
Rachel Steer – Dance & Electronic Contributor
"Ekali is the man of mixes. If you're like me and summer just means it's festival season, you'll see why this is my favourite mix for the season. I like my mixes how I like my sets: high energy and bass heavy. Ekali definitely delivers. Mashing up all kinds of bass with hip-hop and dubstep, this mix will get you hyped as hell and ready for whatever festival you're off to next. Happy head-banging, friends."
Ruth Jiang – Electronic Contributor
"I love this new mix from Kasbo because I feel like it's often hard for me to really feel emotions when I listen to electronic music. This mix is the perfect balance between all the things I love about electronic music as it blends my favorite tunes together in a way that will, well, make me want to cry and dance at the same time."
Jess Bartlet – Indie Contributor
"The late night tales compilations have always been one of my go-to's for discovering new musical gems. They're musically selected playlists by artists for evening listening, and this mix is Bonobo's continuous mix of his curation for Late Night Tales. It's a real light, summery and perfect."
Amy Fielding – Tech & Underground Contributor
"Mall Grab is someone who never bores me or fails to entertain me with his expert track selection. This for me is the perfect mix for summer, fusing everything I love – disco, house and tech. This takes me back to festivals and gardens with friends, late nights drinking and long road trips. I heard this last year and it soundtracked the warmer months and it's back again on my playlist for another smash year."