Jeff Tovar

Guest mix for 10High™

REPHORIA 02 dives deeper into modern drum & bass while tipping its hat to a few timeless standouts as my re-infatuation with the genre grows stronger. The mix opens on an emotive note with rolling, feeling-forward selections, anchored by one of my all-time favorites from Break, “Tell Me.” From there, it mutates into darker territory, leaning into squelchy, weighty new steppers that push the energy and tension. The closing stretch eases things back into motion with liquid rollers that glide, letting the mix breathe on its way out. A journey through mood, pressure, and release, all tied together by forward momentum.

After years of focusing elsewhere, I found myself drawn back to my drum & bass vinyl. These records shaped how I listen, move, and connect to music. Pulling them out of storage wasn’t just about revisiting old tracks; it reawakened a feeling I hadn’t realized had gone quiet. The ritual, the weight of the records, the immediacy of vinyl all came rushing back. REPHORIA exists because of that reconnection. REPHORIA 01 is a collection of favorites from the first batch of white-label vinyl rips. The vibe immediately takes me back to late nights at Muse at Boardners in Hollywood, where DnB was community, feeling, and everything revolved around the patio stage. High-energy, good-vibe liquid drum & bass, mixed and recorded simply for the joy of returning to it.

GENREshift 04 swings back to my roots in bass music, opening with artists who are pushing the sound forward right now. What I’ve always loved about this space is how reactionary it is — quick mixes, drops that catch you off guard, and hard-hitting frequencies that bless you with that stanky bass face. From there, the mix spirals inward into a lush, layered zone where tension builds and releases in waves. By the end, it drifts into a subtle nod to the old days of progressive breaks. Altogether, this one feels the most like me, making it my favorite of the series so far.

After the more abstract turns of the last two volumes, GENREshift 03 dives headfirst into what made me fall in love with electronic music in the first place. The mix opens in that ravey sweet spot of 140 BPM — the perfect meeting point of weight and movement — where bass pressure, melody, and atmosphere all lock in. It's a culmination of everything I’ve chased in various stages of my musical journey: dark, wide-eyed euphoria, and alive. From there, it stretches into drum & bass, progressive textures, and shadowy spaces that carry the same pulse. Still cinematic, still emotional, still stitched together with intent.

Still pulling from all the music I love, but this one leans more nostalgic. There’s a softness to it, even when it’s loud. Some parts might feel like a junior high mixtape or a roller rink memory, others drift into something more future-facing. Sometimes I build these knowing exactly what I want to play. Other times, the next track reveals itself in the moment. Vibe and key guide the whole thing. GENREshift 02 blends sentimental tones with post-punk shimmer, synth-heavy slow burns, and an ending stretch that slips into more experimental, drum-focused territory. Another open-format offering—personal, imperfect, and shaped by feeling.

First mix I’ve recorded in four years—life’s been full (my son just turned 4), and for a while, the urge to DJ disappeared. I used to focus mostly on electronic music, especially for mixes and production, but lately that singular focus hasn’t felt like enough. This is me easing back in, pulling from everything I actually listen to, not just what fits a genre. It’s the start of a new series called GENREshift, and it’s meant to be open, personal, and format-free. GENREshift 01 is a blend of shoegaze, post-punk, indie dance, and electronic gems stitched together with intent, without overthinking it. I hope you enjoy.