Why Be Mix For The Astral Plane

If an observer were to theorize about the political context of Danish musician Why Be‘s output, the obvious answer would be dystopia. Alarm bells, gun shots and blood curdling screams are only occasionally interrupted by brilliant moments of calm, perhaps denoting a rapidly dissolving state or the supernal disposition of a natural disaster. Foreboding rap cuts echo out of the carcasses of motor vehicles as helicopters circle endlessly above, but while ensconced in the world shattering violence, Why Be’s world is pockmarked by moments of supreme beauty. The all-caps, un-Google-able world of Why Be is difficult to decipher, but like Janus resident M.E.S.H. and recent Astral Plane mixer Drippin, it’s a world that unnerves and disorients with deliberate abandon.

With only one semi-official release to his name, the collaborative fam EP in conjunction with E+E, Triad God and Godlink, and a sprawling collection of, at best confusingly tagged edits, remixes and mixes, Why Be has flown under the rainbow of the club music cognoscenti. Nonetheless, the Copenhagen-based producer’s tracks have ended up in a variety of high-profile mixes and each successive “chop”, “fix”, or “libsent martian attack” uploaded to his Soundcloud solidify his credentials as a bonafide contributor to the zeitgeist. If concrete-hewn, blood splattered dystopia isn’t your game, the brief moments of resplendent beauty in Why Be’s mix work offers catharsis. In his Astral Plane mix, it comes in the form of JT The Goon‘s “Twin Warriors”, albeit mediated through Rabit’s blipping remix, and Palmistry‘s foreboding, melancholic “Lil Gem”. The appearance of grace in a landscape of destruction doesn’t necessarily offer respite from the septic state of being, but it does mirror the paradoxical nature of modernity. At only 24 minutes, Why Be’s Astal Plane mix is brief, but you would be hard pressed to concoct a more accurate representation of destructive club music. Hit the jump for track list and be sure to hit up Why Be’s Youtube channel for a collection of songs, live recordings and other ephemeralia.

Sami Baha – SWAN

NUNU – Do it again

Dat Oven – Icy Lake (Total Freedom Remix)

Kevin JZ Prodigy – I Am Happy To Be (Traxxx Romay’s Want It All Bootleg)

Palmistry – Lil Gem

Evian Christ – Fuck It None Of Ya’ll Rap

False Witness – Dip Don (Dubbel Dutch remix)

Poor Sport – Thuta FLiiP

JT – Twin Warriors (Rabit Remix)

Lotic – Chunk

Lotic – Hummingbird feat. MikeQ, Bobby Johnson and Miss Modular

Dexter Duckett – Up Down (lychee skin rmx)

Jim C. Nedd – Amazon Trap (YB Extension)

Sudanim vs Kelis – Linkshake (Sean Smith YB remake)