The year of 2010 felt like a whirlwind blur of emotions, it was all about incredible sacrifice, hard work, big changes, and immense challenges. I was still in a desolate place in my own mind, consistently fighting those demons that had decided to nest deep down inside me, always living with a mask so thick that at times I would even forget I even had one on.

As much as Dubfluence was still the mix series that I hold closest to my heart, I hadn’t created one for over a year and believe me when I say people weren’t happy. I soon realised I wasn’t happy either, but because this mix series means so much to me, it would always be so pressurising to make sure I created something I was proud.

The tracks I was being sent, songs I would hunt down and source, really had to represent how I was feeling. For me, the magic and power that DJ’s possess aren’t down to dropping a random selection of popular tracks in a club, though sadly that does seem to be the artform for so many nowadays, the real superstar DJ’s, at least in my opinion, are those who want to take people on a journey.

The whole process would literally keep me sane and has done ever since I was a kid in my bedroom discovering the art of what it is to be a DJ. Each Dubfluence mix I’ve created is an accumulation of hours spent listening to the tracks over and over again, doing at least five mixes previously and being as harsh as I can, cutting and dropping tracks I felt didn’t match my genuine mood or sound.

Dubfluence 5 was about feeding my soul, using music created by some of the most amazing talents on the planet to counteract my secret inner pain and suffering but also pushing a more upbeat sound too. When I heard Jamie XX debut EP, I knew I had to include both tracks in the mix as they had the sound I was always looking for. It could be upbeat, skippy and energised, but never forgetting that there is a darkness you cannot and shouldn’t ignore.

I was trying my best to keep myself glued together, create new opportunities for my loved ones and really start to build some truths, sadly all on top of a host of lies, but truths nether the less. Dubfluence 5 was a window into my soul.

1. Farewell – Desolate
2. Volvic – Numan
3. This Is – Atlas
4. 7.3.26am – Duncan Powell
5. Kaneda – Asa
6. Beat For – Jamie XX
7. Two – Seekae
8. Buzzard & Kestrel – James Blake
9. Neon Highway – Numan
10. Through The Night – ImOne
11. HowYouFeel 6.0 – Figgy
12. Somebody Said They Saw You (Submerse Remix) – Jack Dixon
13. Blind Spot – Skanky
14. Far Nearer – Jamie XX
15. Mozaik – Zomby
16. Is It Real – Raven
17. Further – Lando Kal
18. Hold On – SBTRKT
19. Fill My Coffee – Arkist
20. Belong – Submerse