Once in a while an idea for a mixtape takes over my brain like a computer virus. It hits me all at once that I have all the requisite parts, a theme emerges, and suddenly it’s not an idea anymore—it’s an obsession.

• Tempo Beach Mixtapes Vol 1: Crushed Ice
• Tempo Beach Mixtapes Vol 2: Peppermint Chip
• Tempo Beach Mixtapes Vol 3: Sour Fruit

This time around it’s electronic dance music with roots in soul, hip-hop, and R&B. The idea was to find those hidden gems in my collection that screamed summer, that screamed fresh fruit and hot sun. Some of these songs are brand new, some have been around for a decade, and some of them I’ve had since the late ’80s. All of them, for one reason or another, I never got a chance to spin live. So this was a long time coming.

I threw together a quick playlist in iTunes and realized I was staring at over six hours of music. It took a massive effort to work it down to the best of the best, and even that only brought it down to three hours.

There was nothing else to do about it: I needed to make three mixtapes, and I needed to do it fast—it was almost the first day of summer!

Thankfully it only took a few weeks to get all three mixes recorded, and I couldn’t be happier. These are some of my favorite, favorite artists and tracks. Kaytranada, Machinedrum, Lone, TEK.LUN, Evil Needle, and Pomo are the new torchbearers, while epic legends like 808 State harken back to an era when electronic dance music was just shaking off its pop and disco roots. In between there’s Jazzanova, Ian Pooley, Timewriter, Pépé Bradock, and Justin Martin. Just an insane lineup of talent.

I hope you enjoy these mixtapes as much as I do. Now go get STOOPID! 🤪