Djrum - DJ-Kicks: Djrum (2026)

British producer and pianist Felix Manuel, known as Djrum, works largely within dance music, yet his sound has always drawn on a much broader range of influences — post-classical, ambient, and jazz — scenes that continue to thrive independently across the UK’s musical ecosystem. His 2025 album Under Tangled Silence marked a shift in priorities: electronics remained front and centre, but on many tracks piano and jazz colours became the focal point — unsurprising, since Manuel was a pianist before anything else.

Djrum has now contributed a mix to the long-running DJ-Kicks series, showcasing his fluency across different musical traditions and his instincts as a DJ. The mix opens with quasi-natural, sonically ambiguous soundscapes, followed by “Turning” — one of four tracks Djrum produced specially for the release — a hypnotic piece built on off-kilter rhythms and string ostinati. Other exclusive productions by Skee Mask and Clark serve as waypoints along the way. Manuel moves between moods with confidence and sensitivity, juxtaposing the unlike: the post-jungle chaos of Venetian Snares, the mbira meditations of Lino Capra Vaccina, the post-punk of The Raincoats. He himself calls the result “a bit bumpy,” and that unevenness is precisely what makes the mix so engaging.

The record captures the intricacy and technical precision of his live sets while widening its scope for the home listener — fans who have seen him perform should be more than pleased.

Tracklist:
01-01 Chris Watson - Glastonbury Ocean Soundscape (Mixed) [0:09]
01-02 Djrum - Turning (Mixed) [3:23]
01-03 Venetian Snares - Miss Balaton (Mixed) [3:03]
01-04 Uwalmassa - Untitled 12 (Mixed) [1:30]
01-05 CLARK - Clonk Dual (Mixed) [2:42]
01-06 Human Resources - New T (Mixed) [1:04]
01-07 Djrum - Psychic Video (DJ-Kicks) (Mixed) [6:33]
01-08 Idris Ackamoor, the Pyramids - Traponga (Mixed) [1:22]
01-09 Atrice - Hatara (Mixed) [2:42]
01-10 Lino Capra Vaccina - Antico Adagio (Mixed) [6:34]
01-11 Susumu Yokota - Fearful Dream (Mixed) [2:51]
01-12 Lo.Sai - Voi Siete Qui (Mixed) [1:06]
01-13 Kimyan - Chungwa (Mixed) [1:58]
01-14 Core Self - Suspiria (Mixed) [0:34]
01-15 The Raincoats - Only Loved At Night (Mixed) [3:02]
01-16 Chris Watson - Glastonbury Ocean Soundscape (Reprise) (Mixed) [0:46]
01-17 Djrum - Leave Me Alone (Mixed) [3:29]
01-18 Chewlie - Run (Mixed) [0:34]
01-19 Bugge Wesseltoft - Flimmer (Mixed) [3:33]
01-20 Chris Watson - El Divisadero (Mixed) [3:24]
01-21 emptyset - Point (Mixed) [1:37]
01-22 Planet Battagon - Salacians of Trans-Neptunia (Mixed) [2:39]
01-23 Skee Mask - Flip (Mixed) [1:51]
01-24 Eli Keszler - Sun (Mixed) [4:48]
01-25 E Wata - U D S2S (Mixed) [1:57]
01-26 Chris Watson - Waiting (aka Adult Cheetah) (Mixed) [0:53]
01-27 |||||||||||||||||||| - Causalities (Mixed) [1:24]
01-28 Mark - Incantation For The Protection Of JC (Mixed) [3:30]
01-29 upsammy - Relict (Mixed) [1:33]
01-30 A.Fruit - Measures of Dispersion (Mixed) [0:46]
01-31 Sandro Mussida - EEE (Mixed) [1:54]
01-32 Djrum - To Do What To Do (Mixed) [2:59]
01-33 Actual Proof - Maybe We’ll Stay (Sileni Remix) (Mixed) [5:42]
02-01 Chris Watson - Glastonbury Ocean Soundscape [5:28]
02-02 Djrum - Turning [2:54]
02-03 Venetian Snares - Miss Balaton [9:38]
02-04 Uwalmassa - Untitled 12 [4:14]
02-05 CLARK - Clonk Dual [3:22]
02-06 Human Resources - New T [4:28]
02-07 Djrum - Psychic Video (DJ-Kicks) [6:35]
02-08 Idris Ackamoor, the Pyramids - Traponga [6:09]
02-09 Atrice - Hatara [4:50]
02-10 Lino Capra Vaccina - Antico Adagio [10:12]
02-11 Lo.Sai - Voi Siete Qui [1:29]
02-12 Kimyan - Chungwa [3:32]
02-13 Core Self - Suspiria [4:56]
02-14 The Raincoats - Only Loved At Night [3:35]
02-15 Djrum - Leave Me Alone [3:46]
02-16 Chewlie - Run [5:10]
02-17 Bugge Wesseltoft - Flimmer [6:11]
02-18 Chris Watson - El Divisadero [5:34]
02-19 emptyset - Point [3:34]
02-20 Planet Battagon - Salacians of Trans-Neptunia [5:39]
02-21 Skee Mask - Flip [5:06]
02-22 Eli Keszler - Sun [5:00]
02-23 E Wata - U D S2S [6:31]
02-24 Chris Watson - Waiting (aka Adult Cheetah) [1:51]
02-25 |||||||||||||||||||| - Causalities [2:36]
02-26 Mark - Incantation For The Protection Of JC [8:14]
02-27 upsammy - Relict [4:20]
02-28 A.Fruit - Measures of Dispersion [4:12]
02-29 Sandro Mussida - EEE [7:17]
02-30 Djrum - To Do What To Do [3:22]
02-31 Actual Proof - Maybe We’ll Stay (Sileni Remix) [6:14]