A Playlist For Getting Super Zooted On Coffee and, Thus, Typing So Fast

Yo, Skrillex gets such a bad rap—I think half his haters haven’t heard him, have only seen his hair—but he is hands-down the best DJ on the corporate rave circuit right now, and “Ragga Bomb” is a peek into why: he’s a dubstep-adjacent producer that actually listens to (and apparently likes!) dub, peppering his sets with that, dancehall, jungle, R&B, just about everything. On this track, though, he also links ragga vocals to his own entry point, which is metal. Synth shredding so real.

4. Gage f. Kevin JZ Prodigy, “Bad Bitch”

Kevin JZ Prodigy! I could listen to him 24-7. One of the most charismatic personalities on New York’s vogue/ballroom circuit, he is constantly receiving accolades and awards for his masterful commentating skills, so it stands to reason he’d be in demand on producer cuts. “Bad Bitch,” though, might be the first song he’s done that’s not on a specifically “ha”-sampling ballroom house beat. Gage’s bouncy, taut toms sound great under Prodigy’s skittering tale of bad bitchitude, always with the “brrrrrrrr… OW!” Theme song material. Get ‘em with the verbiage.

5. Udachi & Jubilee, “Paypur”

Udachi and Jubilee made this like six years ago, but it’s still one of my go-tos, most especially for the chaotic crescendo and blocky bass drop about a minute in. Plus, once again, it has a message of “getting that paypur,” which is great motivation as a writer, especially during the most recent four years I was a freelancer.

6. Swindle, “Do the Jazz”

Swindle’s a producer most closely associated with grime, but in 2013 he released an incredible album called Long Live the Jazz, which traced his lineage from underground British dance music to the jazz he grew up loving. “Do the Jazz” was the single for obvious reasons—it’s kind of a masterpiece melange of syncopated drums and Brazilian jazz-style harmonies, but let’s face it: the reason I love this song is because the sub-bass hits at 1:23 remind me of DJ Magic Mike subwoofer tests, descending funk just to see how low can you go. This warps my mind .

7. Faze Miyaki, “Take Off v. Gargoyle”

Another grimy cut from a British dude, listening to this while I type just makes me feel like a heavyweight boxer in the ring. Like Ronda Rousey, except instead of extra-strength limbs, my superpower is… a… Bluetooth Mac keyboard. OK, probably not like Ronda Rousey.

8. 808 State, “Cubik”

I first heard this song when I was a young teenager, on a vinyl 12-inch record I bought used because I thought the cover art was cool. Little did I know that it would change my life, having introduced me to acid house (and what a terrific introduction to that crunchy subgenre, no?). I still think the bass-y synth hook on this is one of the greatest ever, and it’s only four simple notes.

9. Leftfield, “Release Three”

Classic jungle breaks. I don’t know what kind of bananas designer drugs they were doing in 1995 to rave to this stuff for 22 hours straight, but let me tell you: on coffee, the shit rules.

10. Shy FX & Ms. Dynamite, “Cloud 9”

Ms Dynamite kicks off this song by singing, “You get me high, high, high, so I don’t wanna come down,” which is appropriate, but sometimes we have no choice in the matter. As my caffeine jam peters out, I like to cut a propellant rhythm with some soulful vocals, hence “Cloud 9,” a lovely track however you cut it.

11. T. Power f. Elisabeth Troy, “Blow Out”

I could listen to classic UK garage/house belter Elisabeth Troy sing any damn thing, but she’s especially good on drum n bass—years on, I’m still jamming “Fever,” her joint with B. Traits. “Blow Out” adds a tiny tinge of jazz to the mix, easing out the coffee crash, a lovely way to go.