Today we present the second of our Headsbass Volume 7 premieres with Dojo boss Hex on the buttons alongside fellow Scottish producer Frustrate! In The Wind blends melancholy melodies with upbeat amens for a deep, old school liquid feel. Look for this coming Oct 29th, and as always all proceeds will go towards mental health charities.
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
Old school amen danger on today’s premiere as Heatwave returns to AGN7! Taken from his debut album, Get Down channels classic D&B and jungle influences into a towering sonic inferno of chopped breaks and dark reese basslines. Deadly stuff; look out for the Echoes LP coming August 13th at digital stores!
You know we love break chopping here at Dojo HQ and Antares is serving up exactly that on his latest for Locked Up Music; serious amen terror on this one! The old school vibes will never die…hit up Bandcamp to grab this one right now.
With one foot firmly planted in his own forward-thinking spin on hardcore and the other toeing the edge of a nascent jungle sound in the 1993 track Worlds of Confusion, Eze-G is underrated in my book. Just one of multiple aliases under which Gareth Oxby produced a tightly focused range of electronic music, Eze-G’s style fittingly represents a main tenet of what drum & bass has always been about: fusion.
Worlds of Confusion is the standout tune on the EP bearing the same name released by label Unatural Light (the remix of this tune released the following year is also great with a sound even more within the domain of jungle).
Noteworthy in the design is how much depth is added to the song through simple yet effective pitch shifting on the vocal cuts. Original use of the amen break, wispy pads, and enlivening vocal samples all come together to form a unique experience smack dab in the middle of hardcore and jungle – don’t miss it!
Written by Luke Kessler
Karma Kingdom serves up a wicked new track for the third volume of Detached Audio’s 5 Years EP series, delivering a hard hitting combination of drumfunk breaks, melodic chops and bassline heft. Beautiful and deadly! Look for this coming Dec 11th…
Ronin Ordinance return with another essential 12″ release this month, and we’re hyped to have the exclusive on Athena. Scene veteran Ink teams up with up and comer Loomis for a deep, atmospheric ride through bleep melodies, halftime drums and amen choppage. Wicked stuff; hit up Bandcamp for pre-orders ahead of full release November 9th.
Modu lands on Addictive Behaviour for today’s exclusive with a gnarly breakbeat smasher! Tech bass modulations under an absolutely razor sharp drum line make for a serious slice of dark jungle weaponry. Hit up beatport to grab this one right now – other stores follow in a couple of weeks.
When I think of my favourite jungle artists, Just Jungle (also known by his Genotype alias) easily etches out a spot in my mind thanks to his repertoire of solid tunes. One of his very best? Double Crisp, from 1994’s The Gold EP released by Trouble on Vinyl. D&B history sidenote; Trouble on Vinyl was run by Clayton Hines & Mark Hill, the same duo behind the legendary Renegade Hardware. It’s now owned and operated by fellow D&B originator DJ Kane.
Beginning with a radiant pad that cascades into a sensational flurry of amenism and genius programming, Double Crisp is a hallmark of Just Jungle’s production prowess. It cannot be understated how striking the drum cuts are on this classic. You also get a sense dub and dancehall’s momentous influence on jungle through the flavorful sampling that serves as a proper homage to part of the genre’s roots.
Remastered and repressed, you can grab your very own copy of The Gold EP at Trouble on Vinyl’s website.
Written by Luke Kessler
Dev Pandya broke onto the scene under his Paradox moniker in 1996 wielding solid amen smashers. The formidable energy and complexity of Pandya’s deft cuttage made him a staple of the Jungle/Drumfunk style. Remaining true to his sound, Paradox rocks his breaks-heavy style to this day.
Paradox’s breaks are relentless and stone cold on the early Renegade Hardware release A Certain Sound, with bass straight from the depths of an abyss. The 1996 heater employs a quote from the iconic film Dune to psychedelic effect, as Paul’s voice bounces along in hypnotic cadence, and is ultimately complemented by eerie atmospherics. This classic track is not to be missed – a considerable weapon of sound in any Jungle/Drumfunk DJ’s arsenal!
Written by Luke Kessler