Crunchy tech minimalism with an earworming lead hook is the order of the day on today’s exclusive! Arxiva at the controls for Mountain Trail, taken from the first in Calibrate’s Convergence EP series. Wicked stuff – look for this coming Sep 24th at digital stores!
PRTCL drops a solo EP for Berlin imprint Humanoid this month featuring more of his trademark tech-laced grooves, and we’ve got the exclusive on Late One (As Always) for you to check out today! Imbued with the throbbing grooves of Berlin techno, this is 100% hypnotic roller territory…watch out for the EP dropping this Friday at digital stores.
Spacey halftime on today’s premiere as Jaskin and Uneven launch their new label project, Squares Music! The first release will be a VA compilation named Epified and we’ve got the exclusive on Broken Promise & Turrican’s contribution, Ghola. Brooding synth work, sparse drums and tons of atmosphere…watch out for the compilation coming 24th of September 2021 on digital and tape, plus a 10″ limited vinyl sampler.
Loomis returns to Ink’s Architecture Recordings imprint with a beautiful new cut entitled Dual Realities. There’s certainly a duality at the heart of the track; shimmering synth leads reminiscent of Blade Runner sit alongside hard edged break chops and glitches, marrying dark with light to epic effect. Look for this coming Sept 24th!
A new book hits the shelves this month aiming to be the definitive tome on all things drum & bass. Written by DJ Magazine editor-in-chief Carl Loben and former editor-in-chief Ben Murphy, Renegade Snares charts the history of D&B from it’s earliest origins right through to the present day via interviews with a dizzying array of scene players. To find out a bit more, we caught up with Carl and Ben to chat D&B memories, favourite interviews and what it takes to distil decades of history into a manageable read!
Soul Trader boss Surplus lands in our guest mix hotseat with a whopping 2 and a half hours of classic jungle! Digging deep in the collection this 93-95 vinyl mix takes in legendary tracks from Foul Play, Bukem, Krust, Q Project, Danny Breaks, Roni Size and many many more…vintage breakbeat selections.
As always you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Fortitude lands on Incurzion Audio this month with new material, easing off on the raw aggression of much of his previous work in favour of dark, rolling grooves and moody atmospheres. The aptly titled Creepin is crisp and precise, building tension on halftime sections and releasing it on full-tempo rhythms that aim for hypnosis. Look for this coming September 10th at digital stores!
In honor of the modern sequel to the classic slasher Candy Man, I thought it fitting to highlight my favourite Darkcore tune bearing both the same name and a selection of samples from the original ’92 film. Candy Man (released on White House Records in 1994) was produced by the musical duo Phrenetic, comprised of C0ntax and Offkey. I recall finding this tune about 5 years ago and being completely blown away. I’m in awe at how timeless it still sounds.
This track is magnificently minimalistic and eerily dark, with tense breathing and rough whooshes behind an amen break at a blistering—especially for its time—180 BPM. Epic chords ring out from an uncanny choir, evoking one of the more unique atmospheres to be found in the Drum & Bass universe. Candy Man is a killer classic that’s dangerously fun.
Written by Luke Kessler
Danky lands on US experimental imprint Free Love Digi with a new EP this week and we’ve got the exclusive on Shock Jones. Angular beats, growling bass and grime-tinged synths make for a potent combo, full of brooding energy. Look for the EP coming at digital stores from Sep 3rd!
Today’s exclusive comes from Dojo boss Hex, bringing us some deep liquid vibes from his debut solo EP for Detached Audio! Inspired by a period of separation from his wife, Absence (Fonder) takes the listener on an emotional journey via echoing guitar harmonics and a deep, shifting sub bass line. Look out for this one coming Sep 3rd at digital stores!