** NEW ** This segment is now shared with Fabric Records mix releases.

Every seven days Coldcut, DJ Food and show producer DK construct possibly the best mix show on the airwaves. The show features mixes from Coldcut, Thievery Corporation, Strictly Kev, DJ vadim, Hextatic to Boca 45. Within a week over 30 stations around the world receive a recording of the show for broadcast to international Ninjas far and wide. Truly the show can still claim to be 'The Broadest Beats'.

Now Solid Steel is available for you right here on PBS 106.7FM. Bevin pics his favourite of the month and puts it to air on the ultimate (last) Friday of each month. A one hour mix from one of the Ninja Tune crew. No announcing just straight tunes - Real Radio on PBS 106.7FM...

A History of Solid Steel Radio
Solid Steel started in 1988 when Matt Black & Jonathan More both had their own shows on the then pirate station of KISS. They joined up to form both the duo Coldcut and the show Solid Steel. The KISS shows were rough and ready mixtures of the old, new, borrowed and blue. Matt and Jon would make special radio only cut up mixes, play tracks they were working on and have guests in from all over.

In '93, PC and later Strictly Kev of DJ Food joined in on a regular basis and became a weekly fixture on the show. The four would troop up to KISS in Islington and bang out two hours of live mix improv, each taking turns of 30 minutes on the decks, flying in spoken word snippets from the CD players and punching in ad breaks off of cartridges from the antiquated studio set up. In '97 DK joined as the show needed someone to organise and run things with Coldcut and Food increasingly away on tour. He eased into the role of show producer like the smoothest of 747 landings and more guest mixes and occasional interviews were commissioned. The international syndications started coming through too - worldwide domination was close!

Following changes at Kiss FM that would have forced them to move the show to a semi-playlisted graveyard slot (what?) Coldcut and crew resigned at the beginning of '98 and decided to get all cutting edge and start broadcasting over the internet from Ninja HQ . Then in March of '99, BBC London offered them a slot and they were back on the wireless, with no adverts as an added bonus. As Coldcut continued to present and contribute mixes, DK is now firmly at the helm as show producer and contributor along with DJ Food and numerous guests. Now with more changes at the Beeb, Solid Steel has taken it underground again and is broadcasting on the inimitable Resonance FM in London for now, but continues with the 30 world wide syndications and archives on the Ninja web site.

Last and by no means least is the Solid Steel club night in London. Inspired by the diversity, creativity and open minded attitude of the radio show, the Solid Steel night is all about the music. Resident DJ's Strictly Kev & DK plus their guests (including: Luke Vibert, Rob Da Bank, Ross Allen, Diplo, Jon More, Four-Tet and many more) spinning on the first Monday of every month. Come and get your regular slice of Solid Steel at Ruby Lo, 23 Orchard St, W1 for just £3!!

Solid Steel also has residencies in Bristol, at Timbuk 2 (in conjunction with the Detectives of Perspective) and Edinburgh Solid Steel at the Bongo Club. But 2004 has seen the Solid Steel night touching down in the clubs of Europe – spreading the vibe established in London. There have been shows across the continent including: Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin, Warsaw, Oslo, Prague, Madrid, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Vienna, Belgium, Marseille and more…

Some of the more special Solid Steel mixes are pressed up meaning you can get your grubby mitts on 'em! These special mixes are also played on tHE bLEND on their release. Some of those will be listed below under the 'Related Summaries' section below.