Krakota – Ice Hands / Ghosts [Hospital Records]

Posted on 6th March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Hospital’s latest single sees Krakota stepping up to the plate with a pair of eminently dancefloor-worthy beats for Tony Colman’s well respected label. Ice Hands sees the relatively young producer tapping into the teched-up, hardstep sound that the likes of Evol Intent made famous on labels like Renegade Hardware circa-2005 – no messing around on this one!

Over on the flip Ghosts relaxes the tone for a subby jungle-tinged roller which brings to mind Bladerunner & Serum’s classic Who Jah Bless. Tidy selections! Check out the clips below and grab this one from the Hospital store right 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.

Mystic State – Tactic Systems EP [Flexout Audio]

Posted on 4th March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Mystic State are back with a really varied EP for Flexout Audio showcasing the duos ample talents. The vocal talents of Lucy Kitchen open the EP over the beautiful melodies and deep atmospheres of Slip Away, a track which feels more aimed at the armchair than the dancefloor. Gremlinz collab Don’t Start switches the tone, heading for darker territory with Megatron MC on the mic.

Far Cry continues that trend with more weighty halftime shenanigans that ooze dark atmosphere. Last but not least, Faded heads back to warmer and more musical territory, with a playful back beat, hypnotic melodies and a hint of dub. It’s great to hear the duo pushing the envelope in terms of what the 170 sound can encompass! Check out the clips below and look for this at all good digital stores from Mar 30th.

Need For Mirrors & HLZ – Opium Dream EP [Fokuz Recordings]

Posted on 3rd March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Need For Mirrors & HLZ reunite once again in the studio to bring us something a little “out there” for Fokuz Recordings. One foot remains firmly planted on the dancefloor throughout the Opium Dream EP but the pair seem nonetheless unafraid to explore more unusual musical influences.

Slash proves the most straight forward track on the release, with crisp breaks and warm bass combining for subby dancefloor roller. Opium Dream meanwhile explores some pretty psychedelic territory with mad saxaphone samples echoing in and out of the mix over a backbone of sturdy beats and bass.

Out into the second half of the EP Nostalgia continues the eclectic sampling with creepy chiming melodies, while Pinch provides a relatively stripped back composition with a few more unusual atmospherics layered over the top. Overall this is a nice little EP that proves you can play around with a massive range of musical styles within the basic D&B template. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital right now!

Cirrus – Drone Protocol / I Know You [Terabyte Records]

Posted on 3rd March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Cirrus steps up to drop the latest beats for Terabyte Records, and as we’ve come to expect from both parties the results are deep, dark and minimal. A side Drone Protocol drives forward with an ominous selection of bass and atmospherics set to a plodding half-time lilt, while I Know You opts for a slightly glitchier aesthetic with skittering percussion filling out the kick/snare rhythm.

Check out the clips below and look for this one at all good digital stores from March 9th.

Altered Perception & Imprint – Weight EP [Rogue Beatz]

Posted on 2nd March 2015 by DNB Dojo

The ever prolific Altered Perception joins forces with Imprint for two bassy slices of dancefloor tech on Rogue Beatz. The appropriately titled Weight brings hefty bass pressure and a chunky rolling break to the table for a tune that’s sure to move some dancing feet, while This Joy strips things back a bit, playing with some interesting samples of the backbone of beats and sub.

Check out the clips below and look for this one at all good digital stores, with vinyl to follow soon!

ZEPH4R – Flip The Script [T3K Ltd]

Posted on 2nd March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Kaiza’s busy T3K release schedule continues with a new EP from ZEPH4R on the label’s “Ltd” arm. Featuring dark textures and intricate percussive details, the tracks on offer show tons of promise from a producer with plenty more to offer. The titular Flip The Script has proved the Dojo favourite with it’s combo of creepy FX and growling bass swells; check out the clips below and grab this from your favourite digital store now!

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.

Alex Agore – Tygah Style (Tim Reaper Remix) [Guangzhou Underground]

Posted on 1st March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Despite the relatively worldwide presence that D&B has attained, it’s still relatively seldom that we get much dropping into the Dojo inbox from China. New label Guangzhou Underground aims to change that, with a healthy looking roster of tunes spanning Deep House, Drum & Bass and more. The pick of their current release selection is undoubtedly Tim Reaper’s remix of Alex Agore’s Tygah Style – ruffneck Jungle break chopping at it’s finest. Check it out below and look for Guangzhou releases at your favourite digital outlet now!

Audio presents RAMLife [RAM Records]

Posted on 28th February 2015 by DNB Dojo

Audio steps up to the plate for the second in the RAMLife series, following on from Loadstar’s inauguration of the series last July. Fans of Audio’s work should know what to expect here – tons of vicious, high precision neurofunk including a raft of exclusive tracks from the likes of Black Sun Empire, Gridlok, Signs, and of course Audio! Check out the exclusives below and head to the RAM Store to cop the release on CD, vinyl or digital.

DNB Dojo

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