I started DJing and producing music in 2001 and early on I was captivated by this dark, almost industrial style of Drum & Bass being created by artists such as Kemal, Dom & Roland and Technical Itch and championed by DJs like Dieselboy. This music went on to influence what eventually became my early works under the pseudonym SPL. After connecting with other producers and some of my heroes on the chat client AOL Instant Messenger (thanks Infiltrata AKA 12th Planet), my first release came out in 2005, a 12" vinyl release on Sinuous Records based in the UK.

Shortly afterwards, I partnered up with another producer who goes by the name Limewax. We produced mostly on our individual projects, trading our progress over AOL internet chat and getting together weekly in the Netherlands (where I was living at the time). During this era we focused on pushing the limits of our sound on influential dark DnB labels such as Tech Itch recordings, Dylan's Freak Recordings and Renegade Hardware's Barcode imprint. After building an audience in the scene, I started my on vinyl label "Lost Soul Recordings" which I would use as a launch pad for my own more experimental efforts and other work that I thought was important. From that point on, I contributed as SPL to over 35 different dark DnB vinyl releases which received DJ support from many of the genres great DJs as well as some experimental music legends and outsiders, as far reaching as folks like Aphex Twin.

This mix features tracks that I was influenced by early on, what I consider to be darker classics, as well as music by my contemporaries and myself. I also touch on newer music towards the end of the mix that I feel captures some of the lost vibe of "Golden Age Dark DnB". Usually in DnB retrospective mixes, this darker sound is underrepresented so I'm putting this out to the world so people hear this important style. These tracks are close to my heart and I hope that you enjoy the mix.

Tracklist:

01 // NIN - Focus
02 // SPL - Take Me Away - Lost Soul Recordings
03 // Technical Itch - Critical Switch (feat. Jakes) - Tech Itch Recordings
04 // Dom & Roland - Imagination (Kemal & Rob Data Remix) - Moving Shadow
05 // Kemal & Rob Data - Gene Sequence - Negative
06 // Dom & Roland - Soundwall VIP - Moving Shadow
07 // SPL & Eye-D - Pyramid Punk - Lost Soul Recordings
08 // Evol Intent & Ewun - Headcase - Barcode
09 // Kryptic Minds & Leon Switch - Blueprint (Technical Itch Remix) - Defcom Records
10 // SPL - All Over - Lost Soul Recordings
11 // SPL & Eye-D - The Exploding Star - Lost Soul Recordings
12 // Evol Intent - Suicide - Renegade Hardware
13 // Technical Itch - The Risin (feat. Jakes) - Moving Shadow
14 // SPL - Death - Tech Itch Recordings
15 // Limewax - Everything - Tech Freak
16 // Evol Intent - The Blood - Renegade Hardware
17 // Technical Itch - The Ruckus - Penetration Recordings
18 // Kryptic Minds & Leon Switch - Primary Objective - Tech Freak
19 // Limewax - Escape - Tech Freak
20 // Limewax - One of Them - Lost Soul Recordings
21 // Son of Kick - Hours feat. Paigey Cakey (SPL Remix) - Midication Records
22 // Noisia & The Upbates - Dead Limit (Noisia's 'Outer Edges' Remix) - Vision Recordings
23 // Audio - Gotham - RAM Records
24 // Limewax - Ukrboy - L/B Recordings
25 // SPL - Bristol Transmission - Rhythm & Chaos
26 // Culprate - Dawn - Open Outlets
27 // Noisia & Calyx & Teebee - Hyenas - Vision Recordings
28 // SPL - The Sickness - Smog Records
29 // Mustard Pimp - Renegade (SPL Remix)
30 // June Miller & Mefjus - Saus - RAM Records
31 // Current Value - Quantum Physics - Barcode
32 // Noisia - Voodoo (Noisia's 'Outer Edges' Remix) - Vision Recordings
33 // Limewax - Mind Machine - L/B Recordings
34 // Limewax - Screamwar - Tech Freak
35 // Noisia - Sinkhole - Vision Recordings