Category Archives: Other

Reso – Pulse Code EP [Hospital]

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I’ve been a fan of Reso ever since his early releases in the dubstep scene and more recent work at the 170 tempo has consistently proved his talents as a producer of tight, innovative electronic beats. His latest Ep for Hospital continues that trend, with particular highlights coming on Pulse Code (which sports some of the finest drum editing I’ve heard recently) and the monstrous Devastator, a spiritual successor to the epic War Machine. 

So far there are only short teaser clips online but they give a taste of the EP’s variation and polish. Check it out below, and head to the Hospital Shop where you can pre order the EP on limited edition 10″ vinyl or digital prior to the March 24th release.

Snake & Wolf – Lost & Found [Free Download]

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It’s always interesting to hear what the mainstays of the D&B scene get up to musically when they’re not thrashing out 170, and the latest set of uploads to The Upbeats’ Soundcloud page showcase exactly that. Lost & Found proves a rewarding collection of breakbeat, house, dubstep, hip-hop and other assorted electronica. Better still it’s all absolutely free, so have a listen and grab the tracks via Soundcloud.

Nian Dub – Aftermath EP [NB Audio]

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Manchester’s NB Audio collective bring us another deep, dark EP this time from Nian Dub. Fans of Dub Phizix’s style of bashment influenced beats will definitely enjoy the opening track Aftermath – heavy kicks and deep sub combine with the unmistakable vocal stylings of Fox for a deft lesson in minimalism.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db0ZNeszbXQ]

Elsewhere on the EP we’re treated to dark Jungle rollers (Deliverance) rolling techstep (Antaeus), minimal steppers (Jazz Craft) and even a touch of Dub reggae and dubstep at the end of the EP – clearly Nian Dub is a man of versatile talents. Unfortunately no other tracks are online for preview, so you’ll need to pick it up to hear the rest – head to your favourite digital outlet to grab a copy.

Dubmonger – Re-Translation to Another Galaxy! [Translation Recordings]

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Translation Recordings rounds off a successful year with a very special project from Morphy’s Dubmonger alias. Re-Translation to Another Galaxy! sees Glasgow’s finest dub soldier going to town on five tunes from the Translation vaults with live bass, guitar, tape echo and warm analogue reverb all employed to great effect. Just to add to the authenticity of the whole thing, Translation are releasing the EP on cassette tape (with digital download of course) for extra analogue joy.

Highlights of the EP include the upbeat, dubbed out skanking of Rascal, the classic echo-drenched vibes of Babylon Dem (I challenge you not to nod your head to this one) and the epic, spacey psychedelia of Lion of Judah in all it’s eleven and a half minute epic glory. Check out the beats below and pre-order yourself a copy from the Translation Bandcamp. Cassette’s ship from December 9th!

Frustrate – Chaos Elevator EP [Chaos Audio]

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Up and coming producer Frustrate unleashes his debut EP for Chaos Audio, showcasing range and versatility for someone comparitively new to the game. Alongside D&B rollers like the titular Chaos Elevator and the deep and dubby Digital, we’re also treated to Breakbeat and Dubstep beats before Endloop brings things to a close with some nice techy business.

Check out the EP below and grab yourself a copy now from your favourite digital store, out now.

Nuage – So Long EP [Translation]

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Translation return with their twentieth release from Russian producer Nuage, showcasing the producers versatility crossing styles and tempos. Last Seen opens the EP with a sublime slice of melody driven garage, while Compared heads for funky, infectious house territory. Both tracks are full of lush, beautiful synth work, with as much attention to musicality as dancefloor sensibilities.

Unexperience continues the infectious house groove with some nice vocal treatment from Ellie, while So Long sees the producer returning to 170 realms with a soulful, experimental composition characterised by chant-like vocal cut ups and more lavish synth backdrops. Finally there’s a cheeky freebie in the way of Simple Story, which you can grab from Bandcamp here. Look out for the release via all good digital outlets from November 4th.

Kid Droid – Project Onyx [Droidsong]

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Droidsong take a break from their usual D&B output to give us an EP of glitch-hop and midtempo breaks from Kid Droid. Packing some serious bass punch and some excellent sound design, the EP seems to be aimed at both the dancefloor and the living room.

Onyx and They’re Coming For You gun the bass bins with some deadly sub and chunky breakbeat action before Guns drops the tempo down for a fat hip-hop influenced outing. Finally Waves weaves off into dubby downtempo territory to close out the EP.

Check out a “micromix” of the tunes below and watch out for the release dropping October 28th.

FIS – Homologous [Void Coms]

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Kiwi producer FIS continues to push the boundaries of weird, experimental electronica on the fringes of the D&B scene with his latest release for Void Coms. The tracks display a deft appreciation for sound design and unusual rhythms, along with a complete disregard for conventional song structure.

This is not the work of an artist looking to churn out DJ friendly singles or be tied to a genre or style of someone else’s creation; rather, the record sounds like an attempt to fuse the atmospherics and deep bass of experimental D&B with the more free-form compositional style of ambient music and noise.

Deeply cinematic, so leftfield it’s off the pitch and doubtless not everyone’s cup of tea. Check out a preview of the EP below. Go on, challenge yourself.

Stray – Matchsticks EP [Exit Records]

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Following on from his excellent Ginseng Smash 12″ for Critical, Stray once again revisits the footwork-influenced side of 170 on his latest EP for Exit. Prof Popper feels like Ginseng at 5am…the same syncopated riddims and cut up vocals are present but the overall vibe of the track is much more laid back, with smooth pads allowing the track to float along on a mellow plane. Dropping Bombs provides the antithesis, amping up the drums for a totally bouncing raved up belter.

Bounce That sees Stray teaming up with Fracture for a tune that’s one part half-step and one part old skool Jungle with a hint of ghetto-tech thrown in for good measure. Eerie keys and a drum line that sounds like 4×4 garage on steroids prevail on the duo’s evolution of the sound Fracture pioneered on Get Busy. Last but not least the titular Matchsticks takes things back to a more mellow place, bringing a skanking LA hip-hop vibe to the mix; this could just as easily have been written by Flying Lotus, and it sounds fantastic for it.

As usual Exit and Stray are at the cutting edge of all things 170. Check out the beats bellow and watch out for the EP dropping October 28th.

In The Mix…Heart Drive

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The recent release of a Kid Drama remix on the flip of a Jon Convex release gave me hope that the ex-Instra:mental collaborator might be returning to Autonomic sound that revolutionized 170BPM music several years ago and then vanished as Convex and cohort Bodika went on to pursue solo careers in the realms of House and Techno.

Low and behold a few days ago a tidy new mix appeared online featuring tracks from dBridge, Kid Drama and a new collaboration between the two named Heart Drive. The spirit of Autonomic is audible throughout the mix, and it’s fantastic to hear it once more. Check out the mix below and expect big things from this collaboration.