Nice mix from Hotflush/Halcyon NYC’s Nihal Ramchandani

I was caught dead in the sights of this mix today.. waking up over my cup of coffee, starting to work, got in the ZONE and then wondered “hey what did I just download.. this is great.” It starts off ambient and moody (a la Sigha and Gas) then gets sneaky and changes up on you in a very subtle yet determined rising rhythm backbeat. Ends with one of my favorite tunes of all time (Babyford’s “Dead Eye”) and makes for a fantastic AM journey. Words below the break from Percussion Lab.

Perhaps it’s not surprising how deep the music runs in a guy who got his first set of turntables at 13 after a dance music crash course by his older brother. By 15, Nihal Ramchandani was rising through the ranks of Houston’s techno scene. This past September, at a fresh 18, he arrived in New York and quickly fell in with the crew at Halcyon Records and the NYC arm of Berlin’s Hotflush Recordings.

“Inward” is a testament to Nihal’s supreme versatility and focus behind the decks, not to mention how damn good records sound when he plays them. Moving from tense ambient swells to heady techno and beyond – featuring classic, current, and forthcoming cuts from the likes of Ben Frost, Sigha, Mike Parker, and Baby Ford — Nihal has committed something very, very special to tape. Moody and dark yet executed with the lightest of touches, it’s a fantastic introduction to Nihal’s style.

We had to get this fantastic set up today, just in time for Nihal’s birthday. If you see him wilin’ out on the streets of NYC this evening, buy the man a drink. Shit, for this mix – he deserves it.

Download Nihal Ramchandani Inward Mix

Tracklisting
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Sigha – Light Swells [forthcoming Hotflush Recordings]
Mountains – Choral [Thrill Jockey]
Gas – Zauberberg #1 [Mille Plateaux]
Ben Frost – Theory of Machines [Bedroom Community]
JPLS – Reset [M-nus]
Mike Parker – Inversion 6 (Donato Dozzy Remix) [Geophone]
Ø – Lasi [Sähkö Recordings]
DJ Qu – The Zones [Strength Music Recordings]
Julius Steinhoff – Something Like Wonderful [Smallville Records]
Planetary Assault Systems – The Return [Peacefrog Records]
Sigha – Shake [forthcoming Hotflush Recordings]
Monolake – Melting [Imbalance Computer Music]
Mount Kimbie – Vertical (SCB Remix) [forthcoming Hotflush Recordings]
Stanislav Tolkachev – Blue Mood [Aftertaste Recordings]
Donato Dozzy & Mike Parker – Cat Claw [Geophone]
Baby Ford & Eon – Dead Eye [Plus 8 Records Ltd.]