Old school break chopping goodness on our latest exclusive from Imanzi! The Norwich-based producer lands on Portuguese label Skalator Music on March 10th with the appropriately titled Ragga; on ode to the classic ragga jungle of days gone by. No prizes for originality but this one is still crispy as hell. Junglist massive!
We’re big fans of Beat Machine Records here at DNB Dojo so naturally we were well on board with helping them give away a copy of their latest Swinging Flavors vinyl 7″. Featuring a sick jungle/footwork crossover from Itoa and an equally tight remix from Astophonica artist Sully on the flip, this is more essential breakbeat business from one of the most exciting labels in the scene!
To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is like the DNB Dojo Facebook page, like the Beat Machine Facebook page, and send an email to competitions@dnbdojo.co.uk with your name & address and the subject line “Swinging Flavors Competition”. The lucky winner will be drawn on Feb 22nd.
We’ve long been fans of Italian label Beat Machine and their club focussed Swinging Flavors 7″ series so we’re pretty excited to share exclusive previews of their brand new release from Itoa! Jungle meets footwork with a sick remix from Keysound / Astrophonica badman Sully to boot, and these tracks are bringing a classic sound into 2017 with a nice modern twist.
Check out the previews below and keep your eyes peeled for full length premieres on the Beat Machine soundcloud between now and the release on Jan 26th. Hype!
To celebrate the release of his second LP for DJ Vapour’s 36 Hertz imprint we’ve got a big new mix from Jem One! Packed full of steppers, rollers and amen smashers, this is quality break-loaded D&B with an old school tinge and it still sounds fresher than ever. No tracklist on this one as there are a fair few dubs in the mix! Check it out and hit up the 36 Hertz Bandcamp to pre-order new album The Infinite Circle now.
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
We’re suckers for a bit of old school break chopping here at Dojo HQ so news that dgoHn would be returning to Love Love with more of his ruffneck jungle stylings was met with rapturous applause and jubilant celebration (not really, but we were pleased). Side-note: if you missed his rather excellent All The Fuckin As EP earlier this year then definitely go and give it a listen.
The Ralph EP sees dgoHn (pronounced “John”, apparently) treading a well-worn path of breakbeat manipulation, stopping short of the full on breakcore of artists like Venetian Snares but nonetheless injecting a fair bit more chaos into the drums than is to be found in most modern drum & bass. The attention to detail is palpable too; every edit, glitch, reverse and FX stab feels placed for maximal efficacy, keeping the listener engaged with an onslaught of unpredictable kicks, snares and hats for a beautifully anarchic rhythm.
Asides from the two dgoHn originals, the EP also features a tidy remix from Rephlex producer Jodey Kendrick, who twists the relatively light and playful tones of the title track into a darker and more ominous flex, playing with tempo on a glitched-up halftime intro before knocking into full-roll choppage later in the track.
Tasty business all round; fans of Paradox, Fanu and the higher end of the beat mangling craft should definitely give this one a listen. Check out the clips below and look for the release on vinyl and digital from Sep 30th; pre-orders up now at the Love Love bandcamp.
Lynch Kingsley is back with two more fantastic slices of his crossover footwork-jungle badness for Italian clubnight-cum-record label The Dreamers, and once again is funky-ass choppage at it’s finest.
Whether it’s on the frantic vibes of Mute Bliss or the slightly more laid-back halftime syncopations of Secret Dream, Lynch’s latest work finds him on fine form once again! Check out the clips below and grab yourself some tasty breakbeat business from your favourite digital outlet.
Redpine & Solo return to Studio Rockers, spreading their jungle-tinged sound across four cracking new tracks that bring together old school breaks with lush modern production techniques.
Most of the EP showcases the duo’s softer-side, from the shimmering vocal-led title track Hindsight, through the jazzy guitar licks of Species and out into the spacey atmospheres and chopped breaks of Nebula One. Don’t worry if you’re looking for something with a bit more edge though; the boys have got that covered too with the hard-edged amens, gritty bass and rave stabs of This Is It.
Wicked vibes all round as Redpine & Solo bring the jungle sound firmly into the 21st century. Check out the previews below and grab this one from your favourite digital store right now.
Before we proceed, if by some anomaly you haven’t heard Special Request’s sublime 2013 jungle revival LP Soul Music then you need to stop reading right now and go and listen to it. No really. Off you go.
Joking aside, the 2013 arrival of Paul Woolford’s Special Request alias saw new life being inserted into the jungle sound, as the classic vibe and spirit of 90s rave culture were combined with the power of the modern mixdown to create something that transcended mere nostalgia. These tracks are unmistakeably informed by jungle, but melded into something slightly different, and not just because of the obviously lower tempo of most of the productions.
Enter Detboi, much championed by Woolford and clearly tapping into the same vein with his releases for the likes of Keysound. His latest work for Metalheadz could be his best yet, featuring simple but rich analogue bass, chunky breakbeats, classic samples and tons of atmosphere. There isn’t much more that needs to be said honestly; the music more than speaks for itself so check out the clips below and channel your inner 90s raver.
The Joyride EP is out now at the Metalheadz store.
Few labels in recent memory have started as strong as RUA Sound. Their first release featured future jungle heavyweights Sully and Sam Binga and unsurprisingly sold out in no time at all (c’mon guys, repress…) so we were more than a little pleased to hear of a follow up from promising upstart TMSV.
Continuing RUA’s quest to unearth the best genre-bending sounds from the bleeding edge of the 170BPM spectrum, we’re treated to two weighty cuts with more than enough muscle for the dancefloor but plenty of playful experimentation to boot. Fission Chips kicks things off with an 8-bit grime hook, rapid footwork-style hats and hypnotic arpeggios set to a hefty slab of sub bass pressure; proper head nodding business.
Over on the flip things take on more of a dub/jungle vibe, with classic reggae sounds mixed with a sparse beat and some super tasty snare rolls. Yes please! Another fine release from a label we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on; check it out below and hit up Redeye or Kudos to grab the wax right now.
Soul Intent’s latest sublabel for Lossless Music, Dope Plates, keeps things retro with three new slices of old school-tinged breakbeat jungle goodness. To celebrate the label’s launch, we asked Alex to give us his Top 5 90s Jungle classics. Serious selections! Read on for Alex’s thoughts on each track…