Montesco lands on Portugal’s Skalator Music with a slab of grimy tech minimalism. Maximum tension on this one, and those bleeps are so good…look out for the single dropping Sep 25th at digital stores.
Premiere: Mystic State – Expectations
Mystic State are a duo we’ve been keeping a close eye on for years here at Dojo HQ, so naturally it’s an absolute pleasure for us to be premiering a cut from their stunning debut LP My Own Private Island! Album opener Expectations sets the tone for the album with aplomb, blending their knack for atmosphere and characterful percussion with heavy kicks and a dark, brooding bassline. Sprinkle in some haunting Burial-esque vocal echoes for the icing on a deliciously moody cake; dripping with vibe! Hit up the Chikara Project bandcamp to grab the whole album right now.
Get To Know: Goldfat
We continue our label showcase series with a deep dive in the Goldfat archives! Started as an outlet for Mitekiss’s solo productions, but quickly expanding to encompass other producers’ work, Goldfat has proved itself a top-shelf purveyor of classy liquid goodness over the last five years. Read on for our favourites from the ‘fat…
Spor – Anachronic [Sotto Voce]
New music from Spor is a fairly rare treat these days, with the main focus of Jon Gooch’s time being his lower-tempo Feed Me alias, but what he lacks in quantity he certainly makes up for in quality. Anachronic lands four years after the Black Eyed EP and five years on from the Caligo LP, but if you’re looking for detailed, cerebral neuro that still packs enough punch for the dancefloor this will certainly scratch that itch.
In Rixa opens the EP with a Ghost In The Shell-esque intro before crashing into a helter-skelter of heavy hitting percussion and roaring basslines, maintaining that chaos until the final minute when the track drops into a more conventional rolling breakbeat. Beam Cannon picks up that energy, keeping things simmering along nicely with call and response patterns jumping between funk bass hits, synth growls and melodic flourishes.
Title track Anachronic brings a rock aesthetic to the table; snatches of distorted guitar intermingle with weighty drums and some characteristically twisted bassline modulations for possibly our favourite track from the EP. Things then take a left-turn for Your Mind is Water, which channels old Photek records into a deep and ominous journey through sub pressure and intricate drum programming.
Turning that energy back up to eleven for the finishing salvo, Cohesion provides the most obviously dancefloor-focused track, with a hooky bassline riff and pounding drum line. Finally Count My Blessings heads off into full pop & bass anthem territory with a vocal led number reminiscent of some of Pendulum’s later output. This one will probably prove divisive; certainly in danger of stepping over the line into outright cheese, it is nonetheless a very well-constructed tune.
Whatever your thoughts on Jon’s rock-star aspirations on the closing track, this is another varied and interesting release from one of the finest producers in the scene. Who knows when we’ll get more, but fingers crossed it won’t be another four years. Check out the tracks below, and hit this link to grab the EP on vinyl or digital from your favourite outlet. We’d also thoroughly recommend checking out Spor’s mix for UKF Hyper Vision, which features a number of tracks from the EP alongside some lives modular jams and as-yet unreleased material.
Classic Track: Nebula – Chords of Sorrow
I’m excited to have recently stumbled upon Nebula, whose works capture the magic of the 90’s drum & bass sound to an exceptional degree. While there are many amazing songs to choose from in Nebula’s repertoire, Chords of Sorrow, released on Subtle Audio Recordings in 2008, is a beauty.
Drumfunk panache is provided here on a silver platter, and so elegantly at that; glossy harmonies wind around wispy choir tones that eventually swell into a poignant choral crescendo. Nebula paints us a picture of dreamlike ambience brushed with strokes of melancholy – all animated by dynamic, adeptly arranged drum patterns. Enjoy the dive into this deep vibe, and if you’re enjoying it you can grab the digital re-release direct here.
Written by Luke Kessler
Premiere: SR & Vinyl Junkie – Clockwise
Breakbeat technician SR teams up with Vinyl Junkie on today’s exclusive, rocking some seriously funky drum programming on a cut from his new Squat Rave LP for Locked Up Music. Hypnotic lead melodies, booming sub, crispy breaks and a cheeky Wu-Tang sample; what’s not to love? Hit up the Locked Up bandcamp to grab this one right now on vinyl or digital!
Premiere: Surgence – Summit
Surgence lands in our premiere spotlight today with a wicked new track for Tesseract! Combinging old school techstep heft with a dollop of soul and atmosphere, this is vintage roller territory, taking you to the Summit! Check it out and look for the release coming September 12th at digital stores.
Capturelight – Circles [Soulvent]
Every now and then a piece of music lands in the inbox that is instantly captivating and effortlessly beautiful. The new release from Capturelight is one of those rare gems.
Circles kicks things off with intricate and characterful percussion, and a grasp of melody that instantly hooks you in. The track has an ethereal, almost dream-like quality, with whispered shards of vocal peaking through the mix.
B-side Bubblewrap takes things in a more jungle-inspired direction via crispy breakbeats while retaining an emotive use of melody; more insistent than Circles but equally enthralling, and filled with a sense of muted euphoria and yearning.
This single is the first time the Bay Area producer has landed in the Dojo inbox but based on this we’ll certainly be keeping a close eye on him! Check out the tracks below alongside a guest mix to celebrate the release.
Classic Track: Mace – Inside Your Soul
Better known as a DJ than a producer, Mace was a staple in the UK club scene after claiming the title of best up and coming drum & bass DJ in Kiss FM’s 1997 DJ competitions. Around the same time, Mace put production onto his resume. Mace’s standout release came along in 2003 on one of the premier imprints of Intelligent and liquid D&B: Creative Source.
Inside Your Soul’s sound resides in smooth and mellow expression with a rolling bassline and dynamic percussion exuding unabated exuberance. Here, a subtle-yet-powerful influence from jazz and funk can be felt – a demonstration of eclectic class. This tune is a perfect companion for enjoying the last of the summer vibes!
Written by Luke Kessler
Premiere: Jolliffe & Terror – Vanity Project
Jolliffe and Terror join forces for a 160 badboy on Delta9 Recordings, and we’ve got the exclusive! Hard edged breaks, foghorn screams and some choice sampling from 2001: A Space Odyssey; what more could you want? This one lands Friday at digital stores.