Category Archives: Releases

Dave Catalyst – Play Your Hand EP [Deconstructed]

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In a little under two years, US imprint Deconstructed have already carved a solid niche for themselves as purveyors of high quality deep liquid rollers, and their latest EP from Dave Catalyst is possibly their best release yet. From the ethereal and faintly melancholy opener Strong Suit, through the noodling jazz piano and swing vocals of Slim City over to the darker bass-led vibe of Distant Notion and out via the playful, uplifting tones of Room for Manoeuvre, this is a joy to listen to from start to finish. If you like you D&B detailed, melodic and full of soul then this EP is for you! Check out the clips below and hit up the label’s Bandcamp Store to grab it right now.

Love You Forever LP

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As if the recently released Grenfell LP from Nurtured Beatz wasn’t enough, another corner of the D&B community has come together to support the survivors of the Grenfell disaster via another packed charity album. The Love You Forever LP  features a whopping 25 tracks of mostly dancefloor focused D&B from some of the biggest names in the game, including Whiney, Kenny Ken, Kasra & Enei, DJ Fresh, Genotype and many more. Hit up the iTunes store to grab a copy and help out this essential cause.

Displaced Paranormals – Secret Space LP [Inception Audio]

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Displaced Paranormals have been moving from strength to strength this year with a nice remix for Counterpoint and a track featured on Renegade Hardware’s Final Chapter LP, and now they bring us their debut album on long standing partner label Inception Audio.

The first thing that stands out about the album is the atmosphere. From the very beginning the pace is gentle, and the soundscapes are detailed and stark; a big bag of dancefloor rollers this most certainly is not. The crew have recruited promising underground producers like No Rules, Torn and Picota & Kumbh to help them out, and the resulting twelve tracks carry a grimey, industrial edge, which drives along despite the comparitively relaxed beat structures.

Fans of the kind of moody halftime grooves found on Samurai Music, Ronin Ordinance and the like will find plenty to enjoy here, and the level of sound design and imagination puts this up there with the best producers in the scene. As an added bonus, they’ve given DNB Dojo an exclusive free track to celebrate the album’s release; check out Gremlinz collab Paradox below (download via Soundcloud or Google Drive) and hit up Juno to grab the full album right now.

The Grenfell LP [Nurtured Beatz]

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Watching the drum & bass community come together in the face of tragedy and adversity is one of the most heartwarming aspects of being involved in this scene. Whether it’s specific, personal responses like those to the deaths of scene legends like Marcus Intalex, or wider campaigns like Drum & Bass Against Racism, a huge number of figures in the scene are always pushing to make our world a better place, one beat at a time.

On that very tip, our pals at Nurtured Beatz couldn’t simply sit by and watch as survivors of the Grenfell tower disaster were left high and dry by their local authority, so the label bosses responded with what they do best; a charity LP featuring no less than 18 tracks by a cracking selection of underground producers. Label regulars like Kalm & Spindall, Genotype, Interline and Kolectiv bring some gully business to the table alongside other producers like Mitekiss, DBR UK and Mystic State, and there’s even space for hip-hop from Django Mancub and the legendary Chester P, plus an accoustic swansong from Blake Bastion.

We’d be recommending this album even if it weren’t for such a good cause, but given that it is also providing support for people who desperately need it this is a must buy. Hit up the Nurtured Beatz Bandcamp to grab a copy now.

OneMind – EP2 [Metalheadz]

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As individuals, these artists are arguably two of the most talented in the genre – certainly right now, if not ever. Impossible though it might seem, by joining forces, they have reached yet higher altitudes: OneMind’s EP2 is the second comprehensive testament to this. The EP’s opener, Pullup, is a future classic for certain. Only Mako & DLR combined could lace such a simple bassline with such complex eccentricities, and the result is frankly breathtaking sound design.

In every tune, you can hear both of their individual influences shine through. Mako’s old school vibe oozes through Late Addition, albeit with a little help from Total Science (and of course DLR). This collab definitely ticks the dBridge-coined ‘beautifully aggressive’ box, being both relentless and delicate – something many artists will never achieve. Early Daze is yet another example of the vibe OneMind are championing, intricate combinations of old-school vocals and one shots with modern-day sound design that provides such a rich texture to the track. The final track, Quiet Fire, features genre-agnostic Throwing Snow, whose Houndstooth & Moda Black heritage shines through in bags. I look forward to the prospect of more D&B from him.

OneMind have truly distilled all the ingredients that make Metalheadz the greatest label in the genre’s history – combining a pioneering integrity for sound design with a nuanced, yet deep-seated appreciation of the drum & bass past. Long live this sound; let’s end this before I run out of superlatives. Hit up the ‘headz Store to pre-order the EP ahead of the August 25th release date.

Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records

Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb

To The Generation EP [Next Phase]

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Regular readers will be aware that we’re big fans of the drumfunk sound here at Dojo HQ; something about chopped breaks just gets our feet moving like nothing else. Given that love, it’s probably no surprise that we’re all over the latest EP from Dutch imprint Next Phase; every track is a masterclass in breakbeat manipulation from some extremely talented producers.

Infest & Drummotive kick start the selection with title track To The Generation; mining the rich seam of jungle heritage for some classic reggae elements and switching deftly between harder amens and cleaner break samples, this one seriously bangs! Next up, Earl Grey takes things deeper on Burnt Letters, dialing up the atmosphere to 11 and putting some serious detail into the percussion for a composition that is frantic yet serene.

Moving Shadow legend DJ Trax goes in on a classic slice of b-boy funk on Feeling Deeper. Pure dancefloor shaking sub, an infectious vocal hook and more of those tasty breakbeats…yes yes. Last up, Enjoy give us a decidedly ominous effort named The Shark…dark and foreboding vibes run throughout, from the gloomy bass to the creepy pad tones.

Next Phase are definitely an imprint with their finger on the pulse of the drumfunk sound, and this EP is well worth your investigation; check out the clips below and hit up their Bandcamp Store to grab a copy on vinyl or digital now.

15 Years of Secret Operations

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15 years is a long time in music. 15 years from the time of writing, Nelly’s Hot in Herre was top of the US billboard charts – a position it had occupied for 6 weeks previously, and would surrender the following week.  15 years is an even longer period of time to be pushing music; some flash in the pan artists are lucky to go a five-year stint in the limelight. This makes Seba’s seminal Secret Operations label even more important.

Reaching 15 years of age, Swedish-sprung Secret Operations has decided to look back, not forward, to appreciate all that has gone before it to date. Seba has selected 18 tracks to represent the label’s ever-expanding history, including collabs and features from the likes of the timeless Robert Manos, the genre stalwart Paradox, and an unusual track from the ever imaginative Resound.

Musically, the LP features that signature Seba sound, carefully constructed breaks alongside a musicality so often overlooked by today’s brightest producers. Tracks like Pieces, Wake Up Call, and Forever amongst others capture that vibe expertly. That said, there’s also room for the darker side of drum and bass that has woven its way in and out of this genre’s discourse since the early 90s. Cuts such as External Reality, Fire Like This, and Day By Night are my go-tos as far as darker material goes.

But my wanton pigeonholing of tunes here doesn’t allow for some of the classics present on here. Before I Can Breathe from Seba & Physics was one of the first tunes I heard getting into the genre, and much of the rest of the album will represent similar audible milestones for you, too.

Distilling 15 years into 18 tracks would be hard for any label manager, but I think those selected for this compilation both reflect the outstanding musical ethos of the label, as well standing the test of time. Here’s to 15 more years of Secret Operations.

[bandcamp width=100% height=472 album=4159865374 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 artwork=none]

Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records

Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb

Razlom – Thriller EP [Bad Taste]

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The trio known as Razlom seem to be releasing EPs with rapid fire succession, as their new EP, Thriller, is out only one month after their Arrival EP. Thriller is out on Bad Taste Recordings, which is a good choice of imprint for them due to the weird and slightly retro nature of this sophomore EP.

The EP opens with the title track, which is an excellent mix of old school dnb beats, tech step synths and vocal samples, and modern sound design. The inter-beat is so fast it almost makes the track sound a little like gabber, but make no mistake: this track is well inside the drum and bass wheelhouse, with classic wind ups, drops and sweepdowns.

Another highlight is the neuro-fueled Storm is Coming, which also has some nice techy grinds to it as well as a techstep backbeat. This will likely be a single other producers will play out, but it’s still more arty and not as easily mixable as it sounds in the opening. Voyager is probably the raviest track on the EP, while album closer No One (Feat. MC Temper) has a more melodic quality, if Razlom are capable of such a thing.

While neuro seems to be the term of the day for many acts like Razlom, Thriller seems to be much more in the techstep realm, but done in a really modern and interesting way. Razlom are here to shake up the drum and bass norms with their brassy, techy way, and it’s definitely none too soon. Thriller is available now on all major platforms.

Written by Layla Marino

Blog: (Dropping) Weird Science
Twitter/IG: @dropweirdsci

Spirit – Think / Bounty Killer [Inneractive]

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A fresh release from the legendary Spirit is nearly always a treat and the latest single for his own Inneractive imprint proves to be exactly that. As with many Spirit compositions Think carries more than a little of the old school flavour, with big floaty pads, analogue reverb and crunchy breaks a-plenty; energetic, but dubbed out and spacey at the same time.

Over on the flip Bounty Killer once again invokes the aesthetic of days gone by, but this time swapping the calmer elements of the A-side for a vintage-style jump-up workout based around hard hitting breaks and an infectious bass hook. This one will take you straight back to the late 90s and a sold-out sweatbox rave! Check out the clips below and hit up Bandcamp to grab it on vinyl or digital right now.

Delta – EP-1 [Microdot]

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Younger heads may not recognise the name Delta, but older D&B fans (and particularly connoisseurs of the deeper end of the sound) should recognise him from his productions in the early 00s alongside production partner Format. Their concise but influential discography from that period is well worth a look, with cuts on legendary labels like Dread, Creative Source, Reinforced and Hospital for those who fancy crate digging a little.

Fast forward to 2017 and Delta is back with a fresh EP on the pair’s resurrected Microdot label. The pioneering and experimental spirit remains as exciting as it was 15 years ago; there’s an old school aesthetic at play, with everything from classic vocal sampling techniques to acid-y basslines weaved into the tracks. Opener Dreaming From The Hip combines a hint of b-boy funk a-la-Paradox with rolling breaks and soft pads more reminiscent of the old “intelligent D&B” style. Feel meanwhile takes things tougher, with hard edged rhythms and a stabbing set of vocal cut-ups punctuated by sections of warping analogue bass bleeps.

Kundalini Serpent goes out into jazz jam territory, combining a playful break and bassline with echoing piano and sax for a distinctly unusual take on the D&B sound. Last but not least, Second Wave throws the 2-step beats out of the window for a hypnotic bass-loop workout driven along by a truly bizarre drum arrangement. Lilting, swung and spaced out, this is possibly our favourite track on the release, and it sounds like nothing else you’ve heard this year.

Overall this EP shows a true pioneer of the sound back in the groove and on fine form. Broaden your horizons and head to the Microdot Bandcamp to pre-order a copy now on vinyl or digital. The release drops August 11th.