Premiere: Sun People – Rattle

We’re proud to present our very first premiere of 2016 from Sun People and Beat Machine Records!

The Italian label continue their eclectic electronic explorations with the first in a brand new 7″ series entitled Swinging Flavors. The beats on the first instalment come from disko404 collaborator Sun People aka Simon / Off, and we’ve got the premiere of digital bonus track Rattle! Classic jungle breaks, footwork-esque syncopation and the production sheen of drum & bass collide on a track that is at once frantic and serene. Tasty stuff!

Look out for the 7″ and digital release of Swinging Flavors featuring Flowers and a superb remix from Moresounds dropping Jan 14th; pre-orders are available now via the BMR store.

Sully – Flock EP [Astrophonica]

Sully is a name that may not be familiar to many within the D&B scene but should ring bells for anyone who keeps an eye on the 140BPM arena; Sully made his name with dark garage and dubstep productions for the likes of Urban Graffiti and Keysound. More recently his output has begun to focus on jungle, which brought him to the attention of Fracture and his Astrophonica imprint.

So to the Flock EP, and it’s undeniably retro sound. The use of classic breaks and fairly stripped back compositions give the four tracks here an authentic jungle sound, but Sully manages to avoid the cheesier genre tropes which would turn this into a tedious copycatting of early 90s material. The deceptively simple arrangements allow the carefully chosen elements of each track to shine and Sully’s obvious love of the jungle sound to come through perfectly, all buoyed along by crisp, modern mixdowns.

From the darker pad sounds and slightly creepy vibe of Helios to the Squarepusher-esque IDM melodies of Hours, Miles and Still… this is a welcome love letter to a sound at once long gone and at the same time ever present in its lasting influence on so many scenes. Check out the clips below and grab yourself a pre-order via the Astrophonica bandcamp ahead of the Nov 27th release.

Classic Track: Apollo Two – Atlantis (I Need You)

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This one should need no introduction; LTJ Bukem’s seminal 1993 release has been played, sampled, remixed and rinsed to death in the 22 years since its original release on Good Looking Recordings, and yet it’s a track that will never get old. From the infectious hook and iconic vocal sample to the satisfyingly crunchy breakbeats, this is blissed out rave euphoria at its best and one of the finest jungle tracks ever made. If you’ve somehow missed this one then check it out below; for the rest of you, give it another play and relive the golden age of jungle one more time…

Premiere: Quatermass – You Gotta Take It

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We’ve got another exclusive first listen for you all and this time it’s coming from Quatermass and Terabyte Records! Blending the Chicago Footwork sound with jungle breaks, rave horns and smooth, sultry pads, this is a chopped up rollercoaster of a track. Check it out below and watch out for the release dropping via all the usual digital stores from Oct 19th.

DJ Vapour – Obnoxious EP [36 Hertz]

If you’re looking for some dark, nasty tearout jungle then the latest release from DJ Vapour for 36 Hertz hits the spot nicely. Old school break chopping, grimey bass hits and all the trappings of the 90s sound are present in abundance; cutting edge this is not, but highly satisfying it certainly is! Check out the clips below and hit up the 36 Hertz store to grab a copy now.

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Future Ghost & Tim Reaper – Back To Basics [Guangzhou Underground]

Guangzhou Underground impressed us a few months ago with a ruffneck jungle remix from Tim Reaper and their latest release sees Tim back in action going head to head with Future Ghost.

The aforementioned Ghost provides the first two tracks, serving up a smooth, vibesy hip-hop-infused roller with an infectious groove on 139 and Lennox before heading for more melancholy territory on the deep and thoughtful Truant Muse.

Reaper lives up to his usual stylings in the back end of the EP, bringing junglist breaks and plenty of lush soundscapes on 220 to 319. If you’re looking for a smooth ride the original mix might float your boat, but for us it’s all about the frantic break chopping of the chaotic VIP. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to snag the tracks right now.

Dead Man’s Chest – Nautilus EP [Ingredients]

We really enjoyed Eveson’s previous jungle explorations under the Dead Man’s Chest alias so news of a second EP (and indeed a third to come) was met with enthusiasm here at Dojo HQ.

The sound he pioneered on the Dreamscapes EP is very much continued here, with more crusty breaks, old school-style sampling and an open minded approach to musical textures. The whole thing plays like a love letter to the scene that Eveson experienced through his treasured collection of rave mixtapes. Liquid ’94 provides a perfect example, keeping things airy and almost ethereal in the first half before flipping round for an entirely darkside bassline on the second drop; an appropriate homage to the shifting tones of the original jungle raves.

The freedom and experimentation of early 90s dance music is present, with less concern for the rigid formulas that can make modern D&B a little sterile. The mixdowns too, punchy though they are have that warmth, crackle and general imperfection that is sorely missing from the perfectly engineered electronic music of today.

Overall it’s another thoroughly enjoyable selection, and we’re looking forward to the next volume already! Watch out for the release dropping on beautiful marbled vinyl (and digital) from August 7th, and if you can’t wait hit the Ingredients Store for preorders.

If you want a bit more from Dead Man’s Chest be sure to check out his latest mix to promote the release. Tracks from both EPs appear alongside classic selections from J Majik, Doc Scott, Dillinja and Omni Trio, and the results are absolutely delicious.

Threshold – The Sticky Planets EP [Vivid Sounds]

Brand new label Vivid Sounds kicks off their release schedule with a four track EP of sci-fi imbued jungle from Threshold. The tracks here have plenty of the old school to them, with crusty breakbeats and entirely unshiny mixdowns making a welcome change from the mass of over-polished modern D&B about at the moment.

Fans of leftfield jungle explorations from 90s IDM composers like µ-Ziq should find plenty to enjoy here; the beats aren’t as chopped up but there’s definitely a similarity in the synth work and the general vibe. Check out the clips below and look for this one from July 24th at digital stores.

G.H.O.S.T’s Top 5 Jungle Breaks

G.H.O.S.T are a production outfit who have continually impressed us here at the Dojo in the relatively short time they’ve been on our radar. Their latest release for their own Goldman Records imprint sees them making great use of classic breakbeats for a pair of tracks with a hint of the drumfunk to them, plus a healthy dollop of that original G.H.O.S.T flavour.

Given their obvious affinity with old school percussion, we asked them to pick out their five favourite jungle breaks and tell us a little about each one. Over to Lewis, Tom & Will…

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DJ Monita – Luv Ta Luv Ya (Fracture VIP) [Astrophonica]

Astrophonica’s latest sees Fracture going in on a huge VIP of DJ Monita’s rave classic Luv Ta Luv Ya. If you enjoyed Loving Touch this should be right up your street; it’s a joyously chaotic chopped up jungle bouncer, and no mistake! Hit up the Astrophonica bandcamp to grab this on 10″ vinyl and digital right now.