Figurehead.... icon... experimentalist... ambassador... Carl Craig has been at the forefront of techno for twenty years and has been a huge influence on modern day producers like Flying Lotus and Ramadanman.

Craig was a key member of the 'second wave' of Detroit techno in the early 1990's, along with the likes of Richie Hawtin and Jeff Mills. He set up the seminal Planet E Communications in 1991 to release music from artists like Moodymann, Kenny Larkin, 69, Recloose and his own projects Paperclip People and Innerzone Orchestra.

Check out our minimix taster and let us know what you think of the full show!


:: Listen to the Carl Craig Essential Mix in full
:: Listen to Carl Craig on Benji B's show

Howdy folks and folkettes and welcome back to a da Bank blog on whats happening in my world. Was wetting myself with excitement about two things this weekend: 1) the new Radiohead album landed in my inbox
2) PJ Harvey did a session for my show and its downright brill!

It's also about time I got Festival Boy out of his cupboard, dusted him down and got him ready for the 2011 festival season. Yup, I know its only February but the announcements are coming thick and fast for festivals from Lands End to John O Groats ... and personally I'm as excited as a rabid mouse stuck in a washing machine that soon I'll be donning my wellies and once more venturing forth into festi-land!

Big announcements in the last week from Stateside. Coachella have a corker lined up for with Kings Of Leon, Kanye and Arcade Fire with a healthy smattering of UK acts in Mumford and Florence. Check the full line up at Coachella.

With a slightly more hippy vibe our friends at Bonnaroo over in Manchester, Tennessee have unveiled Neil Young, Robert Plant and Dr John alongside some bloke called Eminem and the omnipresent Arcade Fire and The Strokes.

Back in the UK the Isle of Wight festival has sold out with Pulp, Kings Of Leon and Iggy and The Stooges amongst many others whilst Evolution in Newcastle has announced a corker with Plan B, Tinie Tempah and Two Door Cinema Club alongside our very own Annie Mac.

Hot gossip emanating from Worthy Farm with Coldplay and U2 alongside Beyonce heavily rumoured and mostly self-confirmed!

Belgiums Rock Werchter is looking saucy with Underworld, Magnetic Man and Fleet Foxes joining Iron Maiden and Portishead whilst the Sonar line up in Barcelona looks ace also with Underworld and the legend that is Steve Reich.

It's enough to make you forget its grey and miserable outside, crack open the pina coladas and slap on the suncream.. well maybe.

I'm going to be bringing back my Festival Boy, who may now be a Festival Girl, most weeks from now on my show (5-7am Saturday mornings kids!) so tune in for the latest news and mutterings. Have a cracking week.

Love Robby
x

Higher, lower, faster slower? That is the question I ask myself every week when making plans for the 'Hardest Record In The World' feature!! It's not all about speed, but it is all about trying to out-do the track I selected the week before!! Here are the two leading contenders for this week's show, make sure you tune in live on Friday night's show to see which one made the cut!!!!
Kutski

:: Listen to this week's show from 0100 on Saturday the 19th February

It's so amazing I get to do an Essential Mix again! It was on a very short notice though so gave me little time to prepare! I took the oportunity to dive into my old harddrive and pick out the essence of tracks that make my sound what it is today. I hope you'll get an insight and understanding of where I came from and also to where I'll be going soon. Thanks so much for having me BBC! Hope you'll enjoy, let me know what you think to my mix here!

Luke

:: Listen to Laidback Luke's Essential Mix from Saturday 19th February 2011 at 0300

German DJs Cosmic Gate (Bossi & Nic Chagall) take control of Radio 1's Essential Mix this week. They've been DJing and producing together for eleven years, enjoying chart success in 2001 with the top 10 hit 'Frirewire'. They've shifter towards a deeper, edgier sound in recent years, with tracks like Analogue Feel and remixes for Deadmau5 and Robbie Rivera cementing their position as one of the most in-demand acts in trance.

Check out this minimix version of the show below and hear the full two hours at 3am on 12th February or on iPlayer. Let us know what you think to the mix here on the Dance Blog!

Hi there year's started off with lots of changes - new time new team new studio and now on Sunday nights but all good, we're getting into the swing of things.

Lots of good gigs, stand out ones Logical Progression in Amsterdam, which involved stage diving, me MCing on the mic and other shennanigans - a special night. Big up to Doc Scott, Goldie, Bukem etc. Also Detonate in Nottingham, where a 'randomer' thought Grooverider was my MC!!! (Groove wasn't there thank goodness!) Also Tru Playaz night at Fabric - great to see both places rammed in January with 2000+ in each - big up to drum and bass!!

In other news, been going to the gym (NY resolution of course!). TV-wise - been watching Take Me Out with Paddy 'no likey no lighty' McGuinness! Special. Also checked out new series Boardwalk Empire - caught the first episode it was great.

Recently got wrapped up in the end of the season transfers which has been incredible - you would never have thought we were in a recession with so much money being thrown around. I'm happy my team Tottenham didn't get caught up in the madness... 35 mill for Andy Carroll is excessive. Spent the whole day checking out everything that was going on every minute.

Been eating out way too much (hence going to the gym more)! Favourite at the moment is Tricolore salad - next level. Guacamole, mozzarella and red peppers on bread. That's what I'm talkin about.

Also enjoyed sorting out tunes for the Old Skool special, tunes really took me back and I'm amazed how good and recent they all sound. Lots of new tunes as well, love the new Calibre album, Chase n Status album coming out... some big collaborations on that and big up for them reaching No.4 in the nationals with Blind Faith.

Outside of drum and bass I'm liking the new Chris Brown Look At Me Now with Busta Rhymes and Twista - sick sick tunes... Busta is BACK!

My daughter started her new school and she's lovin it! Big up to my girl Cassie

Also, no holiday this year yet been too busy (normally go away in January) but might be going to Miami for the conference in March - looking forward to that. Might be going to Australia in April, haven't been for many a year. Got a festival in Lyon coming up with Groove - and doing a festival with the guys that do the Exit in Serbia

The years looking good for gigs so far... some really interesting stuff coming up!

That's it from me for a couple of weeks

Remember to check out Groove's show next Sunday - laterz

Fabio

Legendary Italian DJ Marco Carola graced the Essential Mix decks on Friday Night. Marco has been an unofficial ambassador for Italian techno over the last twenty years, helping build the scene in his home town of Naples in the early nineties. He's played all over the globe and was resident for Cocoon in Ibiza last summer. Here's a minimix taster of his mix, let us know what you think about it!
:: Check out the mix in full

For this year's INMWT live in Sheffield we wanted to try something a bit different to visualise the event and so decided to take a small camera around with us which took a photo every 30 seconds throughout the journey from London to Sheffield and through the night as the chaos unfolded on the dancefloor and the nation's airwaves. Rob da Bank even kindly agreed to wear it on his head during his set to give you a proper DJ's-eye-view.

You can see the finished, extended version above, featuring your favourite Radio 1 Dance DJs. (Apologies to Jaymo and Andy George you guys aren't in the vid because while you were playing the camera was missing in action - it was eventually discovered on a settee backstage!)

Also, if you were at the event, check out our audience gallery!

So Friday night was the epic 12 hours of none-stop dance music, live from the Steel City.

The last time we DJd fully live on Radio 1 was actually the first time we were ever on the station, an Essential Mix live from our club night back in 2008 - seems like years ago! Well it was years ago, but never-the-less we were massively excited to be back playing in front of our Radio 1 fam, and of course a room packed full of Sheffield ravers.

We had a gig in London first with the one & only A-Trak, and after spending the duration of dinner with him explaining what exactly "Big Fat Gypsy Wedding" was, we played the gig & hopped in the car for a mammoth 3 hour drive up north.

A couple of friends of ours, Luke & Mark, otherwise known as the Union DJs came for the ride too - here's a rather tanned looking Jaymo with them in the back! After a quick toilet stop at the services, we were raving up the M1 to what sounded like a hardcore remix of Pon De Floor! Locked to Radio 1...

We arrived in Sheffield about 30mins before we were due to start at 4am, and after recording a few links we were mega hyped to hit the decks!

It was amazing that so many people had stayed so late - Kissy was destroying it and people were genuinely there for the duration, still mega up for it. We had so much fun it was ridiculous and lots of people have been asking about where they can find our tracklisting etc. You can listen again AND see the full tracklisting here, our set & Heidi's is up there - so you can re-live the magic!

We're back hosting a really special new producer BBC Introducing Masterclass, from the famous Abbey Road studios on Thursday afternoon! You can watch it all online too. So if you're a budding producer we suggest you lock-in! We'll also be back on-air on Thursday night from 9pm, speaking to Pedro Winter aka Busy P & Gildas, the owner of Parisian super-label Kitsune - in a new producer special, after our Abbey Road session.

See you there!

As well as sticking a camera to the bonnet of our car on the drive up to Sheffield and to the head of Rob da Bank and his team (check the video), and recording Vernon's debut on Pete Tong's show, we stuck a camera in a load of people's faces in Sheffield University Union - were you there? If so check out our audience gallery.

Get involved with all our content from Friday night's epic rave up:

Annie Mac's show










:: Listen back to the show in full
:: Pics from her show
:: Skream and Benga's set
:: Breakage's set
:: TEED's set





Pete Tong's show










:: Listen back to his show in full
:: Skream and Benga's set




Judge Jules' show










:: Listen back to his show in full




Kutski's show









:: Listen back to his show in full
:: Read his blog entry from the night



Rob da Bank's show









:: Listen to his show in full
:: Check his blog entry from Sheffield



Kissy Sell Out's show










:: Hear his show in full



INDJWT with Heidi, Toddla T and Jaymo and Andy George









:: Hear the Jaymo and Andy George show in full
:: Hear Toddla T's wind-down mix
:: DOWNLOAD his Sound of Sheffield minimix
:: Read Heidi's blog entry