*** The mix makers: The first name in Beijing drum 'n' bass, The Syndicate is turning ten damn years old with a big shaker down at Yugong this Friday night. They've hired out the Sennheiser sound system; they're flying in special guest BBC1 host Friction to headline; the big, beat-looking yellow Syndicate sign shall be hoisted precariously above basically every DnB tweaker in Beijing, as they writhe and throb the night away in a sybaritic mess of flesh, sweat, and bad decisions. And memories! Ahead of this momentous and deafening occasion, SmBj contacted The Syndicate crew to serve up some music -- one track each from Blackie, Donkey Tonk, Chole, Elemental, and Clir -- that represents what The Syndicate and the city means to each of them. For a more in-depth look back on The Syndicate's last ten years, here's a video they put together about their story. The party is this Friday. Friction is headlining. Bring your posse, bring your crew. Advance tickets are 120rmb -- available here. 160rmb at the door. Starts 10pm. Here's The Syndicate mixtape. Crank your VPN -- these are all YouTubers. ***

London Elektricity - "Just One Second"

“The ciiiii-ty’s beauuuu-ti-fuuuul…in the early mor-ning aaair,” said no-one in Beijing this morning. I first heard this tune while at uni in Edinburgh, a city so confident, so consistently and proudly picturesque that you feel like a proper mug for liking it so much. At a big d’n’b rave just before I graduated, London Elek played it at 5am, just as everyone was about to stumble out into the clean, bright, perfectly antique streets. Way too obvious. Cut to Dada on a Syndicate night, usually around 4am, just as the less hardcore are asking themselves what the fuck they’re doing with their lives and skulking back to their apartments. When the dancefloor is strewn with spilled drinks, lost shoes, wisps of beard, and the fifty or sixty wreckheads who'll be with us til closing time. That’s when I like to play this little beaut. Syndicate parties are primarily a sweaty, grimy affair, but we move through the full spectrum of d’n’b, including the warmer, softer side. A 6am trip to McDonald's is far less depressing with this one ringing in your ears. And who knows…you might get lucky, and the city might actually be beautiful in the early morning air. *

Commix - "Belleview"

Why? The Syndicate took over Beijing in 2007 and 2008, and this dirty, bleepy, static-filled super-sub-heavy slice of naughtiness is the actual sound of that era compressed into one 12" piece of vinyl. We did parties at basically all the clubs – Zub, Yugongyishan, Mix, Vics, White Rabbit, China Doll, Tango, Mao Livehouse -- and if there was any other party or festival worth a look – Yen / o2, Midi Festival, Modern Sky, Great Wall Beach Party -- you could bet our DJs and MCs were on the line-up. Don't believe it? Check the flyers here. *

Alex Reece - "Pulp Fiction" (Lynx Rework)

Pulp Fiction is a classic drum n bass track, re-worked by Lynx in 2011. Just like The Syndicate this tune has stood the test of time but still feels fresh and current. *

Seba feat. Robert Manos – "Cold Spring"

When I heard I had to pick a tune for this thing, the first one that floated into my head was “Cold Spring”. I joined Syndicate in spring -- a cold, cold Beijing spring. For me, this tune feels soft, gentle, and full of hope, but with a slightly devious vibe. Like spring sunlight peeking through dark winter clouds, it’s full of life -- bright and beautiful. This is actually like the feeling I get from Syndicate; it’s a big family full of positive energy. Everyone supports each other, fighting together based on a mutual love of music. Everyone is so full of energy, and it feels very comfortable working together. This is what Syndicate is about. You could say this is what brought us together in the first place, and makes us want to stay in Beijing and work hard towards making Syndicate even better. *

Todd Terry - "Something Goin' On" (Loop Da Loop Uptown Mix)

I first heard this tune when I was about 13 or 14. It completely stuck in my mind because it was on one of these popular compilation CDs that used to get advertised on the telly all the time. I think it was Speed Garage Nation or Pure Garage or something like that where they would wow you with about 2 second clips of about 7 or 8 songs with gyrating ladies in Aiya Napa. I never actually new what the song was until about a year ago when I heard it in a Fat Boy Slim mix and it took me right back to my early teens. The funny thing is, the speed garage bass line that cuts right through the tune fits in perfectly with a lot of the bass line house that's making big in UK right now. *

Ben Sage - "Sleepless (Resonant Evil Remix)"

When I first arrived in Beijing, 9 years ago, my friend and flatmate at the time, Ross Goulding, played this loudly over our speakers when jet-lag started to hit and my eyes started to close. As you can see, we used to get up to some incredible japes #lolz. It was obviously an impressionable period of my life because that simple act of deliberate annoyance has seared this tune into my mind forever and has connected it irretrievably to that period of time. Whenever I play this tune now it instantly transports me back to that very moment -- arriving in Beijing with one Gemini record deck stuffed into my suitcase and another carried on to the flight in a carrier bag with a record box stuffed with vinyl in tow -- convinced that I was here "to bring Dnb to China". Those were the days of me starting a Dnb night at Kai Club -- receiving more and more ridiculous musical requests (Brittney Spears, ABBA) as the night wore on. Getting thrown off the decks in various places around town as the management decided 10 mins into my set that they didn't like Dnb after all. Then I joined The Syndicate. The scene has come a long way since then. But the, almost, aching nostalgia that this tune invokes reminds me how exciting the whole journey has been. * The Syndicate turns 10 this Friday night at Yugong. Special guests for the evening is Friction, headlining a line-up that features the full Syndicate crew. Advance tickets are 120rmb -- available here. 160rmb at the door. Starts 10pm. Photos with this article are by Mao courtesy of The Syndicate.