This is first of what we hope will become a regular feature on the blog. An insight into 10 records that never leave a DJs box. Any other DJs that fancy contributing please email blunted.

Just a quick note to start off, this list is in no order, nor does it mean these 10 records are my favourite Drum & Bass tunes of all time. These are just the ones that always stay in the back of my bag because I know they can do the job if needs be. Some of my favourite tunes simply can’t be in here, because Drum & Bass has got a lot faster in the last decade, mixing an LTJ Bukem tune from 1994 into a Alix Perez tune from this year just isn’t going to happen.

Shimon & Andy C – Quest / Night Flight (Ram Records)

A couple of tunes that are 10 years old now but still do a huge amount of damage on the dance floor. At the Source Special at Brookes Union in October, Friction teased Quest over a new record and it got one of the best reactions of the night. It has one of those basslines that it instantly recognisable when you hear it drop. Night Flight is no shoddy B Side either, and it probably my favourite tune of the two if I was forced to choose. For me it’s the epitome of a jungle tune, massive bassline and striped out beats, it’s all you need. Watch out for when those ‘Amens’ come in at the second drop though, I challenge anyone not to dance to that.

ST:CAL – Loosing Ground / Hensure Dub (Soul:R)

For me, one of the most solid 12’s of recent years. A 12’’ with two good tunes on it seems to be a bit of a rarity in Drum & Bass these days, although Marcus Intalex’s Soul R label never fails to disappoint. Loosing Ground is the more soulful of the two; a simple but effective vocal sample gives way to a classic warm Calibre bassline, one for the more discerning Drum and Bass heads. Hensure Dub is a bit rawer, with quite brashy beats and cheeky dub-wise elements; it’s guaranteed to go off wherever I play it.

Phantom Audio – Phantom Force (Phantom Audio)

I can’t remember the last time I played a set where I didn’t play or tease Phantom Force. Without doubt it is one of my favourite Drum & Bass tunes of all time. Its key is its simplicity. A nice short intro and when the bass drops it feels like you are being thumped in the chest by a jackhammer. It also holds a special place in my heart and DJ box because it is responsible for my favourite DJing memory. I was playing in London at a big night called Repercussion, a really headzy night with a quite in-the-know crowd. I was already quite nervous because of the scale of the night but the crowd was getting me even more edgy. There was a lot of well respected members of the scene wandering around, so not a good time to mess up. So, to regain my dwindling confidence I pulled out Phantom Force, it had never failed me before so I hoped it wouldn’t let me down now.

I began mixing it in, using the EQ to try and hide the fact it was coming in as much as I could, then when it dropped, just swung the bass in. The result was exactly what I had hope for, absolute carnage on the dance floor. People were leaning over the booth screaming for rewinds and I gladly pulled the tune back. The rest of my set went off without a hitch, and I was then seen walking round for the rest of the night with a constant grin on my face, it was the best feeling ever.

Bad Company UK (D Bridge) – True Romance (Metalheadz Platinum)

This is probably my favourite tune of the last 3 or 4 years. I love it. Nice to mix, while that enormous bassline it proves that, in my opinion, Drum & Bass is all about keeping it simple. You don’t need stupid trance-like synths. The fact that every DJ from Pendulum to Andy C to Calibre was dropping this tune when it came out shows its originality, and people are still playing it to this day.

DJ Marky & Bungle – No Time To Love (Innerground)

This is the newest record on my list and one of the biggest hits of this year. It’s the best dance floor tune of 2006 for definite, showing that dance floor Drum and Bass doesn’t have to be cheesy. What I like most about this track is that it seems to be about 4 tracks in one. It starts off with a reasonably mellow intro, then builds into a first drop of proper feel good summer vibes, then 32 bars later makes the big switch and the no legendary bass stabs come in. Then later at the second drop it switches again, big vocal samples and proper hairs-on-the-back-of-the-neck business. I played it at Source at Brookes too a packed house and promptly got everyone jumping, even got a rewind thanks to MC Rage.

Ram Trilogy – Mind Overload (Ram Records)

This is a tune that is not even that high up on my favourite tunes list. However it’s just nice and easy to mix, has a good structure and a heavy drop. From, in my opinion, the golden age of Drum & Bass when everything was just sounding so raw, the bassline almost sounds like it’s being sick over itself. Andy C is under-rated as a producer, maybe because of his god-like status as a DJ; he has made some of the best tracks in Drum & Bass with Ram Trilogy. Apart from Body Rock of course, that was just terrible.

M.I.S.T – Outterspace (Soul:R)

This is another tune that just stays in my bag because it is kind of a ‘get out of jail free’ card. Outterspace is really nice to mix with as it has a simple structure, big build up and nice fat rolling bassline. It still gets dropped by a lot of DJ’s now, Lee played it at HQ in October and it still made everyone go just as mad as when it first came out, a true sign of a future classic.

Optical – To Shape The Future Remix (Metalheadz)

The only bad thing I can think to say about this tune is that it is pressed on 33 RPM, which is a bit annoying when 95% of Drum & Bass is pressed on 45. But other than that, I love it. Sometimes still use it as an intro tune if I can’t think of anything else, the bassline is something that the older headz will recognise but people who have never heard it before will also be hooked after a few bars. The classic ‘’Boo-wee, Blink Blonk’ noise has to be one of the most recognisable in Drum & Bass too.

Jonny L – See Red (XL Records)

I could quite easily put the whole of the Magnetic LP on this list but I think I’ll just stick with See Red for now. It’s quite annoying to mix because it drops something like 4 bars out of place, but intelligent DJ’s like myself can work it out. The bassline is like Phantom Force, a real punch in the chest, and the little noises over the top make it sound like a pack of wild velociraptors are pouring from the speakers and are coming to get you.

Bad Company – The Pulse (Prototype)

I had to have one Bad Company tune in here (True Romance doesn’t count) and I chose The Pulse over a number of others. I could of gone for Planet Dust, The Nine, Four Days, Miami Flashback etc, but The Pulse for me is one of their best tunes. Released on Grooveriders mighty Prototype recordings, it reminds me of finally being old enough to go out to Drum and Bass nights. For that reason it holds a special place in my heart. It’s one of those tunes that managed to be an anthem, but didn’t get rinsed. DJ’s seem to have lost the ability not to rinse anthems these days. This could be because with the evolution of the internet sets are available to download online right after the event. Back in the day you would have to wait for the tape pack!