Djrum – Plantain [Samurai Red Seal]

Posted on 11th March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Samurai Music continue the relaunch of their trio of labels with a new single from Djrum on Red Seal. Samurai’s expansion beyond the confines of traditional D&B and into the wider worlds of electronica seems set to continue, with the tracks on this single melting down the merest hints of jungle into a sonic pot alongside a plethora of other influences to create something almost impossible to pigeon-hole.

Plantain brings together ethereal soundscapes, hewn from soft strings and mournful vocal samples, with constantly evolving percussion lines which at once seem quite junglist in heritage and on the other hand are anything but. The unusual combination of sounds bring to mind some of DJ Shadow’s best work, albeit without the hip-hop shine.

The rather obtusely titled What I Was Doing When I Was Doing What I Was Doing ups the tempo somewhat, with more insistent yet unusual drumwork layered under a tapestry of weird samples and spaced out atmospheres. The detail present in both tracks is incredible, with every crackly edit and drum hit seeming perfectly and lovingly placed. As usual Samurai can be counted on to push the envelope in exciting and unusual directions, unconcerned with genre tropes or mainstream popularity. Check out the clips below and grab this one from the Samurai Store now!

AMIT – 4 Stories EP [AMAR]

Posted on 5th March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Fresh material from AMIT is always a treat, and a relatively rare one at that. The elusive producer seems content to buck the trend that sees many in the scene releasing new records as much as twice a month, preferring to bide his time and hone his craft, and the quality of his output is a fierce testament to that ethos.

As with the previous two releases this latest selection of beats comes via AMIT’s own AMAR imprint, and spans a variety of tempos while exploring his very distinctive sound. Hunted follows in the footsteps of Human Warfare and Killer Driller, blending ominous vocal samples and old school reese bass with a half-time gate and more than a hint of techno as the kick drums drive the tune on. Chalvey Town meanwhile brings a dub vibe to the table set over another techno-esque kick beat, bending the 170BPM tempo to his unusual template and sending it out to space.

Frequent vocal collaborator Rani pops up on Survivor, which sees the tempo drop to 140BPM and the tone back in haunting, creeped out territory. Last but not least, Mind Over stops the flirtation and jumps into techno territory with both feet, to great effect. Check out the clips below and look for the EP on vinyl and digital via the AMAR Bandcamp.

Ivy Lab – Twenty Questions EP [Critical Music]

Posted on 1st March 2015 by DNB Dojo

The unmistakeable production trio that is Ivy Lab are back with another fine selection for Critical Music, and they’re continuing to push their sound in all the right directions. As you’d expect, there are a couple of superb deep rollers (of which Gomeisa is the Dojo favourite), but there’s also a meaty slab of dark tech in the form of Forex, which sounds like a love letter to the early Virus Recordings sound.

The rest of the EP is given over to the team’s explorations in crunked up, half-time, hip-hop’n’bass. The D&B purists are doubtless gonna hate it, but I challenge anyone hearing the likes of Two By Two in the dance not to bust out a mad swagger! To round things out there’s fantastic discotronic remix of Live On Your Smile from El Train and an unusually deep mix of Slinky from the joyously unpredictable Sam Binga. Check out the clips below and hit up the Critical Store to grab this on vinyl or digital now; full release drops from March 9th.

Chilling On The Couch 2 [Scientific Records]

Posted on 29th January 2015 by DNB Dojo

Mav’s Scientific Records imprint returns with a sublime new album of chilled out electronica from the fringes of D&B. The album lives up to it’s title, providing some effortless musical and entirely un-banging cuts like Bop’s sublime microfunk remix of Mav’s Skylines. Other highlights comes on the jazzy licks of LM1’s remix of Time & Space, and the smooth downtempo of Naibu’s Bird’s Eye View. This one will be best listened to on your most comfortable chair with a warm cuppa; relax and lose yourself in the grooves. Check out the clips below and grab this one from Juno right now.

Hidden Element – Other Forms EP [Translation Recordings]

Posted on 24th January 2015 by DNB Dojo

January is proving to be the month of deeper beats so far this year, and the new Hidden Element EP for Translation is up there with the best of them. Opening with lush microfunk and seguing through meaty yet melodic dubstep, robotic halftime and out into atmospheric 160BPM liquid, the EP provides a more than ample showcase of Hidden Element’s varied talents. There’s a thoroughly enjoyable Dexta remix thrown in for good measure too, jungling up Hot Panks nicely with plenty of break choppage. Check out the clips below and head to the Translation Bandcamp to pre-order this ahead of the Jan 26th release.

Respite [Audio Plants]

Posted on 17th January 2015 by DNB Dojo

Russian imprint Audio Plants offer up a superb selection of beats from the fringes of 160 and 170BPM electronica, taking in influences from ambient and downtempo on a wide variety of sonic excursions. Highlights come on the bleak atmospherics of Torn’s Believers, the soaring melodies of Thankee & Urban Trip’s The Absyss and the ominous autonomic microfunk of Hidden Element’s How Can I Trust You, but the standout track is the manic 160BPM garage infused beats of Drillcut’s Snow Walk. Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet now!

Sam Binga – Nuh Chat EP [Critical Music]

Posted on 16th January 2015 by DNB Dojo

New beats from Binga for Critical mean many things to many people; the man’s unusual take on the 170 sound (and indeed Redders’ vocal stylings) have proved controversial among followers of the scene, some decrying the style as gimmicky or not true D&B while others praise the fun loving vibe and general innovation. Here at the Dojo we fall into the latter camp; anything pushing the boundaries of this music we love can only be a good thing.

The latest round of beats sees two new MC led cuts featuring Redders and two new instrumentals, plus a bonus Enei remix of Lef Dem. The latter proves pretty disappointing, taking the playful vibe of the original and smashing it against a brick wall with a rather unsubtle dose of amens and bass. The rest of the EP however proves much more entertaining, even if the patois/jungle/grime combo of the tracks with Redders is beginning to feel a little cookie cutter. The highlight in our eyes is the joyously swung Elastic, with its big enthusiastic synths and unusual drum groove. Check out the clips below and make up your own mind; this one’s out right now on vinyl and digital at the Critical Store.

Skeptical – Something In The Sound [Exit Records]

Posted on 14th January 2015 by DNB Dojo

It’s not often we cover dubstep here on the Dojo but we’re making a rare exception here for three reasons; Skeptical, Exit Records, and sheer quality respectively. Skeppy’s new 10″ harnesses the spirit of early releases (before the tearout crew crucified the genre with endless wobble and horrible midrange noises) and blends it with the man’s talent for huge booming sub and punchy drums. Think early Tempa or DMZ but with the benefit of another ten years of engineering – formidable stuff.

Something in the Sound carries more energy with plenty of low end muscle and tasty percussion fills to shuffle the track along at as much of a pace as you’d expect for dubstep, while Talk The Talk thins out the drums to let the bass breath through a plodding kick/snare riddim. Check out the clips below and keep your eyes peeled if you want a copy – the release is vinyl only and already appears to be sold out at the Exit Store.

Touchwood – Ad Astra EP [Reserve Audio]

Posted on 3rd January 2015 by DNB Dojo

Czech label Reserve Audio return with a fresh new EP from Touchwood. The tracks blur the boundaries on the edges of 85/170BPM electronica, taking in spacey melodies and a hint of jazz, and bring to mind some of the releases on the (sadly now defunct) Space Cadets imprint.

Starglider lives up to it’s name with lush synthwork and a generally “out there” vibe, while Zen Garden heads into that loungey downtempo territory that The Flashbulb has turned his hand to so well in the past. Mothership brings a darker and more ominous tone to the table, with bleepy melodies over a backdrop of growling bass and intricate percussion. Last but not least, Back in 1995 provides a love letter to the classic “intelligent D&B” of Good Looking and the like.

Overall this is a really enjoyable listen – if you like your electronica a bit on the cerebral side or just want a change from the endless dancefloor bangers, definitely give this a listen. The tracks are available now at the Reserve Audio Bandcamp and all good digital stores.

BMTFSOLFLW4 [Blu Mar Ten Music]

Posted on 23rd November 2014 by DNB Dojo

Blu Mar Ten close out their Famous Lost Words remix project with a remix from the legendary Future Sound of London. The release is coming out on a single sided 10″ vinyl (with free digital copies) and the only place you can buy it is from the Blu Mar Ten store. With pressing limited to 300 and only 94 left at time of writing, you better be quick if you want this one! Check out the teaser clip (or this longer one on Facebook) and look out for this shipping sometime in December.

Update: FSOL’s rather beautiful remix of Night Shift is out now at all good stores. The 10″ vinyl is entirely sold out so bad luck if you slept on that one, but the digital is still available via the Blu Mar Ten store (and should be available elsewhere too). Check out the Soundcloud clip below and get buying!

DNB Dojo

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