It's been said that having a BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix is a DJ's true big moment; not playing a festival or releasing an album to critical success, but rather curating a two-hour long mix on a singular radio program. It might seem crazy, but an Essential Mix is in fact an important piece of electronic music culture. Since October of 1993, the Pete Tong-helmed program has broken ground within the dance music scene, highlighting a wide array of DJs, allowing them to showcase their turntable skills for this block of time. Some take the time to fully express their sound, while others have mixed in genres and songs that have been more influential to their development, and the results are usually stunning. No where to do you get a clearer picture of what it takes to be a good DJ than by listening to them in the Essential Mix.
With that said, there are some great talents that have not been invited to express themselves for Pete Tong's program that we fill could truly be a gift to the Essential Mix series. You might also be surprised at who's not been featured yet!