Category Archives: Releases

Quentin Hiatus – Passive Boycot EP [Translation Recordings]

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When two of the most innovative names in US D&B get together, you know you’re in for a treat! The latest release on Translation Recordings comes courtesy of Free Love Digi bossman and general 170BPM badman Quentin Hiatus, who regular readers probably already know we’re big fans of.

Melting down glitch, techstep, footwork, soul and more into the pot, QH comes correct with an eclectic selection that should be capable of moving both your feet and your braincells. The EP explores the slow/fast thing the likes of Om Unit have been pushing, playing with the shuffling half-time D&B pattern across a variety of tonal palettes.

The ultra-insistent, hyper-syncopated conga drums of Obsessive Nature and the swaggering bassline shenanigans of Keep It Gangster stand out as highlights among a strong four track selection which you can hear below. Hit up the Translation Bandcamp to pre-order now, and look for this one dropping at all good digital outlets from March 16th.

Fracture x Chimpo – From Early / Hard Food [Metalheadz]

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Leftfield D&B innovators Fracture & Chimpo land on the mighty ‘headz imprint with a fresh new 12″ showcasing their unusual take on the 170 sound. From Early taps into the swaggering half-time sound with more than a hint of LA bass, but for us at the Dojo it’s all about the old school stylings and fantastic drum work of Hard Food. Check out the clips below and head to the Metalheadz store to pre-order a copy now, with full release due from March 16th.

Friction Vs. Volume 2 [Shogun Audio]

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Shogun Audio present the second of the Friction Vs. series and this time the label boss has teamed up with Icicle and Technimatic for two fresh new collabs. Crucifix yields a slab of weighty dancefloor neurofunk which won’t win any prizes for innovation but will certainly shake down your bass bins more than adequately.

Floating Frames is the real star here though; insistent, melodic, and euphoric without becoming outright cheese, showing Technimatic’s mastery of the deep liquid roller. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital from March 15th.

Marso & Gala – Promise / Monochrome [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Blu Mar Ten welcome a pair of fresh new talents to their ever expanding roster with a new single from Siberian duo Marso & Gala. Promise kicks things off with massive, sweeping, Vangelis-style synths that lead an airy composition set at 170BPM but bearing little in common with most D&B. Gala’s vocals drift effortlessly over the mix, icing a lush cake drenched in ambience and style.

Monochrome drops the tempo to dubstep territory but once again eschews genre tropes in favour of more shimmering melodies and atmospherics. Gala takes a slightly more prominent role this time, with warmer bass driving the tune onwards under her rich, soaring, reverb-drenched vocals. Check out the clips below and look for this at your favourite digital store now.

Djrum – Plantain [Samurai Red Seal]

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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!

Seba – Nothing Can Replace / Too Much Too Soon (Remixes) [Secret Operations]

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Secret Operations returns and this time Seba has recruited John B and Blu Mar Ten for remix duties on tracks from 2013’s Identity LP. The former turns in a big bouncy dancefloor relick of Nothing Can Replace. Gone are the slightly 80s sounding synths of the original in favour of warm bass stabs and a pretty infectious hook.

Blu Mar Ten opt for a less drastic shift of tone for Too Much Too Soon, turning in a trademark deep liquid roller that captures the essence of the original (mainly thanks to the unusual vocals) while switching up the melodies enough to make it their own. Check out the clips below and look out for this one dropping on vinyl and digital very soon!

Cirrus – Dark Skies EP [Alchemic Breaks]

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Alchemic Breaks cement their reputation for quality, forward thinking beats with a fresh new EP from Terra Null Recordings boss Cirrus. The Dark Skies EP lives up to its name, with all four tracks bringing ominous, foreboding vibes with dark textures and plenty of atmosphere.

All four tracks are well worth a listen, from the punchy drums of of Dark Skies through the skittering glitches and rich, throbbing bass of Lost In The Desert. The Hannibal-sampling Ugly Variables proves the standout track, with it’s mix of perfectly programmed drums and spooky vocal clips, leaving Wind Like This to close the EP with something slightly more melodic.

Cirrus and Alchemic Breaks and definitely both on our “to watch” list for this year on the strength of this release! Check out the clips below and grab the release from your favourite digital store from Mar 16th.

Boston – Catch Your Breath / For Grace [Symmetry]

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Young Welsh producer Boston touches down for his second single on Symmetry Recordings with two slices of impeccable deep liquid. Taking the energy and melody back a couple of notches compared to his excellent label debut, both tracks exhibit the flair and musicality which makes Boston such a rare and exciting talent.

Catch Your Breath is an exercise in understatement; resisting the temptation to over-egg the elements, the bass is warm but not too aggressive, the melody poignant but subtle, and the breaks simple but effective. Jazzy licks round off a super deep slice of liquid brilliance. Over on the flip, For Grace takes the energy up a couple of notches for a more playful, less contemplative track with more warm bass and beautiful guitar work. D&B for a jazz bar perhaps? Beautiful either way. Check out the clips below and grab this from March 9th via the Symmetry Store.

DLR – Seeing Sounds [Dispatch Recordings]

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The wait is finally over – DLR’s debut solo LP Seeing Sounds has arrived, and it’s every bit as good as I’d hoped it would be! Having deliberately avoided listening to the preview clips I sat down with the full LP for a start-to-finish listen, and I wasn’t even remotely disappointed.

Understandably enough, this record feels like a spiritual successor to Octane & DLR’s 2012 LP Method In The Madness. The same cinematic sampling and atmosphere is present, as is the sonic detail and creativity. DLR’s sound has been refined further over the past three years, and the album seems less bent on complexity for complexity’s sake; the emphasis seems to have shifted slightly towards groove and weight over technicality, and the compositions really shine for that emphasis.

Above all else this is a record that firmly injects the funk back into the techstep sound, from the playful basslines of Charlie Brown and Break collab Human Error through the chunky lower tempo breakbeat workout of I Found Out and plenty more besides. There’s room for some surprises too, such as the melancholy liquid of Hydro collaboration Empyreal and the jazzed up tech of Minds Eye. There are also two fantastic MC-led steppers, with Gusto repping the mic on The Author and Fokus providing vocals on the politically minded Ask The Question.

Many of the LPs best tracks have been pressed loud and proud onto four slabs of that black crack we love so much, and having given them a thorough mix on the decks I’m happy to attest they all sound as tight and punchy as you’d expect from the Dispatch family. The vinyl releases are already sold out via the Dispatch Store, though the digital version is still available and the vinyl plates can all be picked up via Redeye.

The first couple of listens give me the distinct impression that this is an album which will grow and grow over the coming months while we wait with anticipation for DLR’s collaborative LP with Mako. Check out the clips below and go grab yourself a copy of what is undoubtedly one of the best D&B albums we’ll hear this year.

Impish – Friday [Blendits]

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Blendits are back and this time they’re bringing the liquid flavours with two new tracks from names that should be familiar to anyone who keeps an eye on the Fokuz release schedules. Impish brings a lush roller to the table in the form of Friday, combining crunchy bass and crisp beats with a cheeky selection of vocal cut-ups for a nice little outing with equal parts energy and soul.

Over on the flip production duo Soligen & Type-2 team up with vocalist Wednesday Amelia for another slick roller, amping up the melodic vibes to great effect. This one reminds me a lot of Naibu’s best work, with a great balance between the melodic elements and the tough beats and bass that drive the tune along. Check out the clips below and give the official video a watch – this one is out right now at all good digital stores.