First to take the reins of the DJ-Kicks mix series in 2019 will be ever evolving UK artist, Leon Vynehall. His 26-track mix features new material from the man himself, as well as exclusives by Hessle Audio and Timedance affiliate, Ploy, rising newcomer Peach, and Pavilion, plus a number of gems that will be available digitally for the first time ever. In a short space of time, Leon Vynehall has established himself as a DJ and producer with real craft. He brings a much wider than usual array of skills and influences to electronic music, and is always as likely to talk about minimalism, post-punk, or hip-hop as he is house and techno. This comprehensive approach to was confirmed by his spellbinding debut album Nothing Is Still on Ninja Tune in June 2018. An imagined soundtrack to his grandparents' emigration from the UK to New York throughout the 1960s, it told a distinctive story that unfolded into a resonant narrative; a richly layered affair filled with curveballs and a wealth of adventurous ideas that Vynehall pulled off with confidence and style. It’s the same story with his DJs sets, and particularly this DJ-Kicks mix, which goes from 79-169bpm in fluid fashion. Always interesting and distinctly diverse both in genre and tempo, the mix works in a range of settings, as was the artist’s aim. “I wanted to approach this more like a compilation than a stand-alone ‘mix,’” he says. “To me, compiling a DJ-Kicks is a significant statement of intent and representation, so with that in mind, I thought more about the selection than the mix. Being given the responsibility to select work from artists I admire, some of which have only ever been released on their first vinyl presses many years ago, was a task I didn’t take lightly.”