Helping to create the niche that they and Anticon now sit in, Mush Records – once a Cincy based endeavor – is ready to turn ten years old. It’s odd to think about all of the music in every genre that’s come out since 1999, but even with the stated priority of releasing disparate genres of music, Mush has maintained a pretty cohesive sound over a decade. There might be acoustic guitar on one release and synthesizers on the next, but the production values that are behind those central instruments really seems to have a common base.

Being credited with releasing the first full length from Aesop Rock could have really made that label – or subsequent left field rap records like Radioactive. But because of the label’s disregard for taste making sounds, they’ve remained unique amidst a field of dullards and do-overs.

About three years ago, I was lucky enough to see Thavius Beck alongside not only Daedelus, but also Caural. And even though I came to see Daedelus and had earlier that day seen Dosh perform at a record store, it was Thavius Beck that I recall the most clearly. I can’t recall any specific tracks that he played, or samples that he pulled out, but the ferocity with which he spliced sounds together in front of an appreciative crowd made him the focal point of that particular show.

And most likely for that reason, Mush tapped Thavius Beck to turn in a mix encompassing as much of the label’s history as one producer is capable of. There are set to be two volumes of these mixes and both can be downloaded here. The label honchos described the first mix as encompassing folk-glitch, post-rock, shoegaze and dream-pop. I suppose that means the second one works in the boom bap mode.

For any producer to be charged with such a daunting list of genres seems tantamount to failure and while there’s no way to identify every piece of music that’s included, Beck somehow seamlessly sews these sounds together. He hasn’t, as of yet, received the level of renown that some of his label and tour mates have garnered, but these sets could be what makes the difference.