Pitchfork

In an announcement that should be greeted by a stampede of interest from the hordes of Ninja Tune fans, the London-based electronic label will spin off some records from their very popular radio show Solid Steel. The show, which can be heard on BBC radio and syndicated on 50 stations around the world, has been on the air for 13 years, and has consistently provided the blueprint for Ninja Tune's diverse and ambitious philosophy. Begun by Coldcut, the DJ founders of Ninja Tune, the show has been graced by the presence of such luminaries as Squarepusher, Dan the Automator, Alec Empire, the Orb, Tortoise, and Kid Koala, all of whom have all been given the total freedom to play whatever they want.

In the spirit of that freedom comes the first release in what promises to be a very interesting series: the Solid Steel Mix CD. The first release will be a mix by Ninja Tune mainstays DJ Food (Strictly Kev and P.C.) and DK. Featuring tracks from such diverse sources as Quincy Jones, The (English) Beat, and the suddenly controversial DJ Vadim, the disc was inspired by past sessions Food and DK did for the show. The label promises future volumes will be mixed by Mr. Scruff, Kid Koala, Ollie Teeba, and others. No release date has been confirmed, though it will likely be released within the next three months, as DJ Food and DK are taking it out on tour across the U.S. and Canada in November.

[Correction: We ran the tracklist for this record earlier today, but were contacted by Ninja Tune, who informed us that they're still clearing the tracks and that nothing is official yet. We'll keep you posted.]