008 - Christmas '25

Martin van Zeelandt / TCD
26 minutes ago
3 min read

The weekend is about to land upon us, and I'm excited for it. Not that I've got something special planned, it means that I get to do absolutely bugger all. Chill, a bit of PS5 time, and some awesome music playing in the background. And have I got something special for you to listen to! A mix by Jay Ryder, celebrating not only the Christmas and New Year gone by, but also Jungle and Drum & Bass. And I love myself a bit of both, Jungle and Drum & Bass.

This mix landed on my timeline a few days ago, and I jumped straight on it. I don't know why but I just had to listen to it. I've never heard or seen the name Jay Ryder before, but all that is irrelevant: it's all about the music. And a few days ago, on the M1, I decided to give this mix a go. I went in blind, did not check the tracklist, but I am pleased that I did. I am sitting here with a massive smile on my face, listening to this mix for coming up 8 hours straight.

Those journeys on the M1 and M25 have been extremely pleasant. And even though I haven't got the highest spec Toyota Yaris, the speakers did tremble. Only at maximum volume though, but how can you listen to a mix like this one with the volume low? Are you mad? Jungle and Drum & Bass, they need to be played at max volume, without a shadow of a doubt.

So, if you were on the M1 and M25 on Tuesday and Wednesday, you might have heard me. And if you did, I could not care less. I was enjoying myself, in my little Yaris bubble of happiness!

Sonar's Ghost - Mindrumming
Dub One feat Blatant - Inner Sense
Dub One feat Blatant - Hesitation
Atlas & K Super - Dex's Funk
Digital & Outrage - Dillengence
Polarity - Redeemer
Dub One - Da Artical Bushman
Loxy & Resound - Dunn's River Falls
Dub One feat Blatant - Overdose
Dub One feat Blatant - Future Of The World
DaRuff - Abyss (Dub)
Mshcode - Silver Dub
Sonar's Ghost & Acid Lab - Is Jazz Is
Double O - Thankful

I do love myself a bit of Jungle and Drum & Bass, but last year I've neglected it a bit. Which in itself is a shame. But 2026 will be a different year. More Jungle, more Drum & Bass. And we are starting off strong, with a very good mix.

Jay Ryder has selected 14 big tracks, and I thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them. They've been a pleasant companion on both the M1 and M25. And they've made me extremely chilled. Not as chilled as the outside temperatures, but close enough.

The mix itself is dope, and the tracks too. One thing I did notice: I do not recognise any of the names in the mix. Time for me to re-educate myself, and dive back into it. Jay seems to upload a new mix every so often, so I've got new music coming soon. And besides: Soundcloud is filled with excellent music, so I'm not worried.

Best song in this mix? Without hesitation: 'Artical Bushman' by Dub One. Big boy anthem! Never heard it before, but it has been on my mind ever since. Big track.

A solid mix. Worth your time. It might only be 57 minutes long, but it packs a punch. A hefty punch!