Category Archives: Other

Sam Binga – AYO [Modulations]

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Critical sister-label Modulations continues it’s fine tradition of putting out the less conventional end of the 170BPM sphere with it’s latest release from Bristol’s Sam Binga. AYO kicks things off with an MC-led halfstepper featuring the vocal talents of Redders over a distinctly trap-influenced beat that brings to mind Fracture’s half-time explorations in terms of drum structure, but moves off into synthier territory for the lead and bassline. The influence of EPROM and the glitchy LA hip-hop sound shines through here to give the tune real character, not to mention a healthy swagger.

Freezy keeps things bouncy and half-time but ups the syncopation, drawing on classic jungle breaks and some ghetto-tech/footwork style vocal cuts for an effortless blend of slow and fast. a hypnotic lead line and some tasty old-skool rave stabs fade in and out of the mix for extra sizzle. Lastly for the digital buyers 8 Barr ups the glitchyness with a tune that’s sure to have crowds raising a gun finger or two for the deadly subs.

Check out the tunes below and watch out for the release from October 7th on vinyl and digital.

Mutated Forms – Eighty Six EP [Pilot]

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Estonian trio Mutated Forms live up to their name with a truly wonky take on the 170 sound. From the frenetic footwork/grime crossover of Tension (featuring Manchester MCs Virus Syndicate) through the mutant rave/trap/drumstep beats of Swamp and out into the hip-hop influence of Blop, these beats should challenge listeners and DJs alike.

Have a listen to the clips and watch out for the release dropping via Pilot Records from September 23rd.

Dawn Day Night – Re-Animations EP [Astrophonica]

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Dawn Day Night (still unidentified but widely presumed to be Fracture working under an alias) drops his second EP for Astrophonica, bringing us four tracks of weird and wonderful electronica spanning tempos, styles and influences.

Re-Animation of Scottie kicks things off deep and dubby, keeping the tempo half-time and rolling out with mountains of sub and crisp percussion. Hold That Leg Up proceeds to change things up, immediately heading for pretty silly ghetto-tech territory. It’s definitely the most booty-shakin’ tune on the record, but it feels shallow compared to the rest of the material on show.

Mister Meanie makes exceptionally good use of old funk/soul sampling layered over hyper-syncopated footwork riddims, creating serious groove. Finally Higher Plains heads back to deep territory, with more dub-infused vibes; all echo, reverb and bass. Check out the beats below and grab your copy on vinyl or digital now!

Consequence – Etcht EP001 [Etcht]

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Consequence has been fairly quiet lately but it seems he’s been busy in the studio cooking up leftfield beats for his new label Etcht. His work on this release fuses elements of breakbeat, acid, IDM, glitch, jungle and ambient to create a sound that is remeniscent of Aphex Twin or Bop, with more than a hint of dBridge and autonomic thrown in for good measure.

Across the EP the sounds of warm analogue synths combine with distorted percussion and strange, syncopated rhythms, all layed over smooth, ambient pad-work. The hypnotic melody of Ressed and the classic breakbeat vibes of Lyon are particular highlights, but ultimately the whole record is outstanding. Watch out for the release dropping on vinyl from 12th August.

Spectrasoul – Delay No More – The Remixes [Shogun Audio]

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Spectrasoul - Delay No More - The Remixes

Shogun bring us another eclectic selection of remixes, this time of tracks from Spectrasoul’s recent LP Delay No More. dBridge delivers a respectable leftfield 170 rework of Momento with some nice filtering on the main break and James Zabiela delivers an appropriately catchy house reflex of The Curb, but ultimately the highlights are found in the other remixes on show.

DLR turns in a tidy remix of Sometimes We Lie, fusing the soulful elements of the original with a beat and bassline combo that’s techy enough to move a floor without overpowering the tune. Next up the ever innovative Rockwell gives Echo Park the glitched up trap/juke/hip-hop treatment, creating a fantastic blend of synth euphoria, hip-hop back beat and hench bass stabs. Methinks Mr Rockwell has been listening to a lot of EPROM lately, not that it’s a bad thing!

Lastly CMX (nee Commix) turns in a superbly weird rework of Away With Me, dropping the tempo way down and creating a break from distinctly unconventional samples. In the wake of the ludicrously smooth Calibre remix of this tune that dropped last year, it’s good to see other producers taking a totally different direction. Look out for the EP dropping July 22nd.

I Am Legion – Make Those Moves [Division]

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Noisia & Foreign Beggars have taken their increasingly frequent collaborations to a new level with their new project I Am Legion. Fusing Noisia’s talent for epic basslines with a lower tempo and the Beggars’ distinctive vocal stylings, the debut single Make Those Move packs quite a punch. Ahead of shows in September and the full album dropping later this year on Division, the boys have released the first single as a free download. Check it out below and head to the I Am Legion website for your freebie!

Kreed – Progression LP [Lifestyle]

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Lifestyle bring us a brilliant full length LP from rising producer Kreed. Covering a nice spectrum of styles, from the punchy hip-hop of opener Soul Tape to the shuffling dubby vibes of Inspector Slim and out into the deep house of Lean, Kreed has certainly proved himself a man of diverse talents.

Fear not though, Lifestyle haven’t abandoned their D&B roots; the 170 is present in abundance elsewhere such as the excellent minimal, jazz inspired Zulu Shenanigans and the deep soulful roller that is Low End Culture. Check out the beats below and watch out for this one dropping June 10th via all good digital outlets.

Om Unit Edits Vol. 2 [Cosmic Bridge]

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Om Unit continues his travels into all things not quite D&B with another pair of excellent 170BPM explorations for Cosmic Bridge entitled Om Unit Edits Vol. 2. Weird and wonderful synths and frantic half step syncopation are the order of the day here, blended into a musical tapestry like only this man can. Check it out and grab yourself a copy from the Cosmic Bridge Bandcamp page. 

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Venetian Snares – printf(“shiver in eternal darkness​/​n”); [Isolate]

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Breakcore legend Venetian Snares has been digging in the archives and has come up with the long out of print printf<“shiver in eternal darkness​/​n”>; LP, which is now available via his bandcamp page. The LP is packed full of the unmistakeable Venetian Snares cutup sound, but bears a distinctly more jungle-influenced vibe than some of his other more raved up material such as Pink + Green or Chocolate Wheelchair. Dark, industrial sounds, heavy bass, chopped up breaks and hard static are present throughout.

The re-release also features some bonus tracks that never made it out originally, and you can grab the whole thing for a measily $8 straight from bandcamp. Check it out and grab yourself a copy below!

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In The Mix…Om Unit & DK

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Ever since his rather excellent release for Civil Music came out I’ve been keeping a close eye on Om Unit‘s 170BPM explorations, and his latest mix for the esteemed Solid Steel Radio sessions run by Ninja Tune delivers the goods nicely. Om Unit goes in deep for part 1 of the show with sublime cuts from himself, Fracture, Escher, ASC and Phaeleh; 170BPM vibes, but definitely not as you usually hear it. Half step and footwork influenced beats are the order of the day here.

For part 2 DK throws all kinds of different beats into the mix with tunes from Space Dimension Controller and Machinedrum sitting alongside tracks from Bonobo; a truly diverse selection. So if you’re looking for something a wee bit different, check out the mix below!