Sam Binga & Om Unit – TransPacific EP

Posted on 21st March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Messrs Binga & Unit are back with another cheeky slice of white label shenaniganery following the success of their Transatlantic EP. The pair have gone in on a selection of experimental beats for this one, with one eye on the dancefloor but probably another three eyes elsewhere.

Windmill Kick opens the salvo with a ruffneck slice of chopped up jungle sporting a distinctly grime-influenced synth melody. It’s a perfect example of the sort of genre-clashing production that makes their work so exciting, and it’s more than capable of moving a dancefloor to boot; wicked stuff.

Big Kev changes tack completely, bringing together footwork, hip-hop and a squelching acid line for an outing remeniscent of Fracture, Spinn & Taso’s recent Acid Claps; apparently great minds think alike! 1000 Cats keeps the riddims shuffling but airs things out with a fantastic psych-tinged melody, leaving it to Planetary Reboot to go full-mental and close the EP with a droning, beatless synth-noise wash.

We’re suckers for a good white label here at the Dojo and it’s fantastic to hear two producers as talented as Om Unit & Sam Binga flowing free with their sonic whims, unshackled by labels or genre pigeon-holes. Roll on the next instalment! Hit up the BUNIT Bandcamp to grab a copy now, but move fast; if this one sells as well as the first release did it won’t be on their shelves for long.

Coma – Burn The Past EP [Flexout Audio]

Posted on 18th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

The latest release from London imprint Flexout sees Coma stepping up to the plate with a four track EP full of deep, dark flavours and some tasty collaborations.

Gritty tech minimalism is the order of the day here, with plenty of crisp percussion and grimy bass to drive the tunes along. Dionysus is one of the obvious highlights, combining the swaggering vocals of Sense MC with an ominous combo of kick, snare and heavy sub.

Out into the back side of the EP there are also some slick collabs with Arkaik and Semitone, and overall this is a tight cross-section of murky tracks for those who like their D&B threatening and minimal. Check out the clips below and hit up the Flexout Bandcamp to grab the release right now!

AudioSketch – Sound Design LP [Soul Trader]

Posted on 17th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Soul Trader are upping their game in a big way with their latest project, presenting their first solo artist LP after a fine run of single and EP releases, and they’re going back to the artist behind their first two releases: AudioSketch.

AudioSketch has really outdone himself on this project, serving up twelve wicked originals and three cracking remixes for an album of crisply produced rollers with an ear for both melody and a solid dancefloor bassline. Introspective deep liquid this is not, but neither is it a soulless collection of “bangers”, as the tracks tread that line between soul and heft with aplomb.

In terms of guests the Soul Trader team have brought quite the crew to the table; label owner Surplus is on hand, as are Oktiv, HLZ and Salaryman, while guest vocals come from Hannah Eve and Identified. Remix-wise the invitations are equally top-drawer, with Villem & McLeod, BCee and Random Movement turning in wicked takes on some of the album tracks.

Overall while this might not be pushing any envelopes in terms of genre innovation, the match of musicality, bassweight and production sheen is just impossible to argue with, and the tracks are more than memorable enough to stand the test of time. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab the whole LP right now.

March Roundup

Posted on 14th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

We round up the best of the rest once again! New music from Shogun Audio, Hospital, Soul Trader, Lockdown, Terabyte Records and more…

Continue reading →

Wax Breaks [Paradox Music]

Posted on 11th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

One for the b-boys, turntablists and producers today as we take a quick look at Paradox Music’s latest release, Wax Breaks. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, the LP features 16 funky fresh breaks for scratching, sampling, rapping over, or just listening to while you eat your breakfast cereal if that’s your thing.

True to the name and true to the aesthetics of the classic break/scratch records this plate pays homage too, this one is available on vinyl only. It’s already sold out at the Paradox Music store but copies are still available at Samurai and Eastern Bloc…move fast if you want to lay hands on this!

Lynch Kingsley – Eden EP [Inperspective]

Posted on 6th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Lynch Kingsley continues his impressive run of releases with three new tracks for long-running London imprint Inperspective. The results are outstanding, taking the musicality of Lynch’s work to a new level while retaining the tasty break chopping that has always characterised his beats.

Vision of Suffering kicks things off with a dark, moody take on old school jungle-tinged techstep; eerie pads, heavy breaks and massive sub hits drive this one along nicely. The track manages to maintain a threatening vibe without ever veering into more tearout territory and the crunchy drum work really makes it stand out.

Minutes of Silence continues in a similar vein, with a beautiful guitar lick intro giving way to frenetic break chopping business. Last but not least, Eden touches down with huge distorted bass hits and helter-skelter drums that veer in and out of the mix at breakneck pace. The second half sees the tune drop into a serene, ambient breakdown before switching things up into less angsty drumfunk riddims for a really tidy progression.

The drum programming on show here is top notch from start to finish; fans of Mako, Paradox and Photek should be all over this. You can pick the EP up right now via the Inperspective Bandcamp page so check out the clips and go grab a copy!

Demand Selects #1

Posted on 5th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Following a quiet few months, Swiss label Demand Records are back with the first volume of a new EP series entitled Demand Selects. The series aims to showcase new talent and Demand veterans alike, and judging by this debut instalment we’re due for some sonic treats over the coming year!

Taelimb kicks things off with the stripped back, ominous halfstep vibes of Depth Charge, while Bulgarian producers Robustus & Moody switch gears with an understated liquid roller on Falling. Bristol’s Mystic State team up with Dutch wunderkind and Critical signing Signal for the driving, atmospheric delights of Seven, and last but not least Austria’s RoyGreen & Protone team up with Dual for the crisp and playful Ridestep.

Tons to enjoy here with producers from all over Europe stepping up to represent the Demand sound. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab a copy right now.

Art of Deception LP [Authentic Music]

Posted on 25th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Authentic Music are now well and truly back; after a lengthy hiatus from releasing music and a couple of retrospective EP releases, the Czech label returns proper this month with a various artists LP in the form of Art of Deception.

It’s worth noting at this point that I’m not a big fan of compilation LPs. Certain labels have taken in recent years to releasing ever bigger and bigger albums packed with twenty, thirty or even forty tunes loosely bound by rough subgenre and largely lacking in vision or purpose; sure, there are often some good tracks to be found, but who wants to listen through dozens of beats to find the gems? Quality before quantity should be the maxim, but more and more in this ADHD digital age that maxim is being ignored.

Enter Authentic Music, a label that has always striven to provide that all important quality. In the three and a half years of its existence, the imprint has moved slowly but steadily, releasing only tracks which pass the tests of both production sheen and innovation, and thankfully that ethos hasn’t changed for their latest outing.

The slightly old school approach shines through in the release of samplers, a-la vinyl LPs of yesteryear; there might not be wax in the offing, but a handful of tracks have been selected from the main body to lead the pack, and in that fine tradition of samplers they feature some of the LP’s strongest material, with remixes from A-Cray and ArpXP sitting alongside originals from Revaux and Kusp.

Tone-wise most of the album holds true to the Authentic aesthetic; techy vibes fit for the dancefloor but featuring strong sound design and enough of an experimental edge not to be forgettable club fodder. There are some surprises to be found too such as Revaux’s uplifting remix of Mr. Magician and the playful rolling melodies of Dephzac’s sublime Sum Is Wrong.

I could spend time picking out favourites from the selection but with the quality so high you’re better off just listening for yourself. Wicked vibes through and through; hit up Beatport to grab the lot right now.

Cirrus – Remixes Vol. 2 [Terra Null]

Posted on 17th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Given that all three artists involved in the latest release for Terra Null have contributed mixes to the Dojo Mix Series, it probably comes as no surprise that the release proved to be right up our street!

Label boss Cirrus turns in two tracks for the remix treatment; on the A side Fearful dishes up a menacing new mix of Diacria; throbbing bass, rapid fire staccato percussion and tons of atmosphere on this one.

Not to be outdone, Fuj keeps things gritty and ominous on the flip with a creeping remix of Angel. The progression on this one is fantastic, particularly the eerie synth melody that ramps up in the second half of the tune. Wicked stuff; check out the clips below and hit up the Terra Null Bandcamp to grab this right now.

February Roundup

Posted on 15th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

With winter rapidly escaping and another two weeks of the year down, it’s time for another roundup. New beats from Response, Lenzman, Metro, Ayshot prod and more… Continue reading →

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