'Classic Material' - Chris Read (free download)

What's not to like here? The kind of music we all harp on about all mixed together with more to come!

Chris Read (remember his diaries?) has put these together and this isn't just a download. It's much more than that: "This mixtape, together with an unreleased megamix, is available on an extremely limited edition CD as part of a box set also containing a T-Shirt and 7inch artwork print available exclusively from Classic Material events and the Classic Material website".

The first mix covers 1979 to 1983 (see the tracklist and listen here) and the second covers 1984 to 1987 (see the tracklist and listen here). The mixes are free to download although after hearing them you might just want to get the special CD which also contains a bonus mix of Electro-Rap and Electro-Funk from the early to mid 80s.

The first Classic Material event takes place at The CAMP (City Arts and Music Project) on Saturday 16th October 2010 with special guest DJ Format playing a 7inch only set of early 80s Hip Hop alongside Chris Read, DJ Nickname and Daily Diggers. Entry is Free!

'The Diary Volume 1.5 (Twenty Years of the Remix)' - VA - Chris Read (free download)

'The Diary (World's Greatest Rap Megamix)' dropped in 2007 and it was a 800+ track mix that really really did what it said on the proverbial cylindrical metal container. If you missed that one, then you can download it for nothing at Music of Substance's downloads page.

As a stop gap between that and the second volume, which is currently being worked on, Chris has put together 'The Diary Volume 1.5 (Twenty Years of the Remix)'. This time the tracks are split and named (an easier task than splitting and naming hundreds of tracks!) and it features Chris Read's own remixes of tracks from Eric B & Rakim, Nice and Smooth, Heavy D, Beatnuts, Jurassic 5, Jay Dee, Lupe Fiasco, Common, Busta Rhymes, Mobb Deep and loads more top quality names.

The idea of this latest work is: "one iconic hip hop track from each of the last 20 years, remixed paying tribute to the prouction style and sampling trends popular at the time of the original release. From the James Brown influenced style of the late 80s, to the jazz sampling trends of the mid '90s, to the iconic and distinct sounds of DJ Premier and Jay Dee, all the cornerstones of the genre's development are touched upon." A mixtape with a great concept!