Bristol producer Ethos is on the buttons for our latest premiere as we present an exclusive slice of jungle-tinged goodness coming soon to Silent Dust’s None60 imprint. Injustice blends floaty pads and atmospheres, vinyl crackle and satisfyingly crusty breakbeats for a slightly retro sounding track; think a pinch of LTJ Bukem crossed with the recent productions of Sully and Dead Man’s Chest and you’re close. Check it out and watch for the release dropping Oct 27th.
Regular readers will be aware that we’re big fans of the drumfunk sound here at Dojo HQ; something about chopped breaks just gets our feet moving like nothing else. Given that love, it’s probably no surprise that we’re all over the latest EP from Dutch imprint Next Phase; every track is a masterclass in breakbeat manipulation from some extremely talented producers.
Infest & Drummotive kick start the selection with title track To The Generation; mining the rich seam of jungle heritage for some classic reggae elements and switching deftly between harder amens and cleaner break samples, this one seriously bangs! Next up, Earl Grey takes things deeper on Burnt Letters, dialing up the atmosphere to 11 and putting some serious detail into the percussion for a composition that is frantic yet serene.
Moving Shadow legend DJ Trax goes in on a classic slice of b-boy funk on Feeling Deeper. Pure dancefloor shaking sub, an infectious vocal hook and more of those tasty breakbeats…yes yes. Last up, Enjoy give us a decidedly ominous effort named The Shark…dark and foreboding vibes run throughout, from the gloomy bass to the creepy pad tones.
Next Phase are definitely an imprint with their finger on the pulse of the drumfunk sound, and this EP is well worth your investigation; check out the clips below and hit up their Bandcamp Store to grab a copy on vinyl or digital now.
Another wicked slice of raved up jungle from The Dreamers today as we present the exclusive on Lizard – Stabbing. Taken from the imprint’s brand new VA compilation Dream Cycle Vol. 1, the track lives up to it’s name with vintage piano stabs and razor sharp chopped breaks from some proper old school vibes. Look out for the LP dropping tomorrow at all the usual digital outlets.
Today’s exclusive comes from one of favourite labels as Neve’s The Dreamers gears up to release a summery VA compilation entitled Dream Cycle. Enjoy brings the classic jungle vibes on Contours, blending jazz influences, twinkling melodies and chunky chopped up breaks for a wicked slice of rave euphoria. Yes yes! Look for this dropping August 11th at all the usual digital outlets.
Sneaking into the end of June and Dojo boss Hex is back with another podcast featuring 80 minutes of fresh beats across all the styles of drum ‘n’ bass. New tracks from Disprove, Sentic Cycle, Law & Wheeler, SubMarine, Fortitude and many more inside the ride…
As usual you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Hertfordshire label Repertoire have been making quite a name for themselves as purveyors of some of the best modern jungle productions of the last few years, and their latest release is no different! Two tracks from Law get the remix treatment and we’ve got the exclusive of Outer Heaven’s new take on Emptiness Is Form. Full of break switchups and creepy atmospherics, this is moody breakbeat exploration at its best; watch out for this dropping June 2nd on vinyl and digital alongside a tasty new remix of Sophine from Law & Wheeler.
Love Love Records are back with a seriously tasty jungle EP from Richard Wilson under new alias Rognvald. Best known for his eclectic acid output as Beatwife, Wilson’s latest sees him chopping the breaks and drawing on influences from classic jungle, drumfunk and breakcore for a dark and chaotic selection of tracks.
From the outset it’s obvious that any concerns about DJ friendliness or adherence to the common confines of electronica have been chucked straight out of the window in favour of the open ended progressions and freeform danger that makes modern jungle and ‘core so enjoyable. Opener R.O.G.N.V.A.L.D wastes no time in building terrifying atmospheres amid a whirlwind assault of beats, segueing effortlessly into a haunting beatless bridge and back out into more of those crunchy drum chops. Next up, Whistle Posse lightens the mood with a distinctly tongue in cheek ode to classic nonsense jungle; wobbled up bass, helter skelter snares and of course, whistle samples a-plenty!
Out into the second half of the EP, Lowcol Junglist employs spacey pad sounds and distant ragga vocals for a tripped out ride as the beats crash down around the listener’s ears. Once again the pace is breakneck and all the tools in the breakbeat arsenal have been employed with just the right balance of precision editing and low-fi scuzz; mid 90s vibes updated for 2017. Last but by no means least, Asbiorn voyages into intricate drumfunk territory with the beats coming up a little cleaner and crispier. Replete with satisfying drum edits and haunting samples, this one is truly hypnotic.
Love Love are on fine form once again with possibly their best jungle release yet! Check out the clips below and hit up the label Bandcamp page to grab the EP on vinyl or digital now.
Our latest premiere comes from Manchester-based THUGWIDOW as he drops some serious jungle vibes for Lifted Contingency! Old school break chopping and a hypnotic lead line alongside the vocals of Sarah Zad make for a potent combination; pure vibes with a 90s twist. Check it out below and look for the release dropping April 17th at all good digital stores.
Tim Reaper joins the Blu Mar Ten Music family with two sublime jungle outings, taking us back to the sounds of the early 90s in superb style. A-side All Right is pure euphoria, with a soft, bleepy melody and pitched up vocal hook layered over chunky breaks and warm sub hits for a disarmingly simple yet utterly beautiful track. This one evokes memories of simpler times…
Over on the flip Reaper joins forces with Parallel for the deeper, darker Innerspace. Hard amens, gunshot FX and classic ragga samples get things off to a flying start in the first half, while shimmering pads in the back end of the tune progress the vibes into a more atmospheric, faintly psychedelic ebb. Nostalgia for sure, but difficult to argue with when it’s done so well!
All Right / Innerspace is out now on Blu Mar Ten Music. Hit up their Bandcamp Store to grab the digital direct or start scouring Discogs if you want a copy of the vinyl…
Eveson’s retro jungle alias Dead Man’s Chest returns to Ingredients with more crusty break chopping vibes, 90s style. The aptly named Trilogy is available as a double-sided cassette mix featuring material from his initial trilogy of EPs alongside six previously unheard dubs, which Ingredients have also dropped on three new limited edition 10″ singles.
Fans of the project will know exactly what to expect; crunchy jungle breaks, deliberately rough and ready mixdowns, psychedelic textures and more than a few nods to the iconic era of jungle and hardcore. As with previous releases, the new material on the Trilogy Dubs 12″s varies in tone. Fade Away and Fresh Nation draw on classic dub elements, Open Your Eyes and Rinsa feel darker and more break-focussed while Tears (Fantazia Version) is blissed-out rave euphoria at its finest.
Alex’s knack for capturing what made early rave music so special is definitely still present here, so if you’ve enjoyed the first three EPs as much as we have this is essential listening. What remains unclear is whether Trilogy marks the end of the Dead Man’s Chest project, or just the end of chapter one; time will tell. Check out the new Trilogy Dubs below and hit up Beatport to grab a digital copy of the mix. If you’re keen for a copy of the cassette or the 10″ singles, time to start scouring Discogs…