It didn’t take long for Orlando dance-floor pioneer AK1200 to get into the groove with the latest trend in drum & bass: a mix record that also boasts the talents of a live MC. For this journey, AK1200 recruited Navigator, respected frontman of U.K. big beaters The Freestylers. The duo skillfully guides a San Francisco Moonshine Overamerica tour-stop audience through 16 furious tracks — all worthy D&B destinations in their own right. But under the influence of Nav’s rapid-fire, party-hyping shout-outs, the repetitive beat-blasts become sure-footed pads that launch the talented wordsmith’s feel-good, anthemic adventures.
From the opening frenzy of Shimon and Moving Fusion’s “Hangman” to the set closer (AK1200’s mix of Cleveland Lounge’s “Drowning”), “Mixed Live” delivers a powerful punch. The components are all here and working — AK’s deft turntable skill, Navigator’s rhythmic rants and an audibly appreciative audience — making for a jungle expedition worth embarking upon.
This article appears in Jan 10-16, 2001.