NOTHING NEW is a new mixtape series we’re starting. We figured our Boiler Room shows are giving you access to the newest stuff possible week in, week out – but we also wanted to showcase the DJs and labels we love’s passion for crate digging.

The premise of NOTHING NEW is to allow people to demonstrate their influences – by playing you some of their favourite older records. The real insight being that you get to see what different people see as older music. One might be stuff from last year and the next might be a mix of medieval druid anthems. It’s all part of the ‘internet-speeding-up-the-rate-of-musical-transitions’ school of thought – or something like that.

For the first in the series, we’ve got Ben UFO showing you what’s what. In terms of selection, he’s one of the finest out there and if you know his sets, you’ll know how his mixing style seamlessly mixes sounds old and new. For this mix he’s highlighted his love of rugged Blue Note era Jungle. Here’s some words from him to give you some context.

DOWNLOAD NOTHING NEW #001/ BEN UFO – ‘NEVER WENT TO BLUE NOTE’

“This mix is based on my idea of what the Metalheadz Sessions at Blue Note might have been like in the mid-90s. It was a small place in Hoxton Square with a big sound system, designed in such a way that the DJ was almost in the crowd. The descriptions of the night I’ve read sound achingly distant from drum and bass now – the same crowds week in week out, producers and DJs mixing with ravers, an open music policy and the kind of accelerated development that comes with fierce competition and regular sound system tests. People talk about it with the same reverence and nostalgia as dubstep people describing the early FWD>> sessions.

“For all I know a lot of the tunes in this mix might never have been played at Metalheadz, and I wouldn’t expect the sets there to have covered as much different territory as I have – the tunes in this mix are were mostly released from ’94-’98, which doesn’t sound like long, but a huge amount changed in that time. The mix is the result of a record collection built retrospectively, and a romanticised image of the night constructed through other peoples recollections of that time – there are very few photographs of the night online and comparatively few recordings. It’s essentially a mix based on my own imaginary ideal drum and bass night.”

He also linked us to a great set of photos from the club, taken by Eddie Otchere back in November 1995 (when Ben would have been 9). You can check the rest of the set of photos here.

He also linked us to this amazing documentary all about the club, which is pretty unique in being one of the documentaries about Jungle on YouTube where the hilarity doesn’t outdo the informative aspect. It is still pretty funny though, especially the bit with all the Go Karting.

TRACKLISTING

1. DJ Die – Live and Direct (Full Cycle)

2. Innervisions – Digital Readout (Reinforced)

3. Studio Pressure – The Physical (Photek)

4. Hidden Agenda – Dispatches #1 (Metalheadz)

5. Plasmic Life – Death Trip (Brain Recordings)

6. Ed Rush and Nico – Technology [Boymerang remix] (No U Turn)

7. Doc Scott – Drumz ’95 (Metalheadz)

8. Lemon D – Manhatten Melody (Conqueror)

9. Danny Breaks – Conscience (Droppin’ Science)

10. Hokusai – Black Rose (Source Direct)

11. Dom & Roland – Mechanics (31 Records)

12. Kym Mazelle – Missing You [Dillinja remix] (White)

13. Digital & Spirit – Mission Accomplished (Razors Edge)

14. Desired State – Here and Now (RAM)

15. DJ Hype & Ganja Max – Pum Pum Mus Smoke Ganja (Ganja)

16. Jonny L – Tychonic Cycle (XL)

17. Optical – Moving 808s (Prototype)

18. Klute – Leo 9 (Certificate 18)