The Soul In The Machines

I have an affinity for 90’s British electronica which can probably be traced back to countless childhood afternoons spent playing Wipeout. The futuristic anti-grav racing series, with its soundtrack featuring Leftfield, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, The Future Sound Of London, etc., introduced me to a whole universe of sound. House, techno, drum & bass, trance, big beat.

As the years have gone by, I’ve grown especially fond of the more ambient, chilled-out sounds of this era. I will not shut up about The Orb, for instance. So when a new mix by Jimpster showed up on MAJ’s YouTube channel last month with the title The Soul In The Machines: UK 90’s Electronica & Ambient Techno, I knew it would probably be my type of thing. And I was right: I’ve been coming back to it a few times a week ever since.

Jamie Odell AKA Jimpster is a legend in his own right: he founded the deep house label Freerange in 1996 and made a name for himself with jazzy, ambient electronica releases like 1999’s Messages From The Hub. In 2024 and 2025, he revived his Loxodrome alias to release two new EPs, Drop Out and More Alive. Selections from both releases are featured in this mix and fit in perfectly next to classic tunes by B12, As One, HMC, etc. The whole set is groovy, deep, and — as advertised — soulful. My only complaint is that it isn’t longer.

You can listen to The Soul In The Machines: UK 90’s Electronica & Ambient Techno on YouTube here.