Apex – Echoes [Hospital]

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The sad news last year of the passing of Rob Dickeson, aka Apex, was met with universal heartbreak across the D&B scene. An incredibly gifted musician responsible for a number of iconic tracks, first in collaboration with Jim Gash as Unknown Error and later under his solo Apex moniker, Rob left our world long before he should have.

To honour his memory, Hospital have now released the last known new music from Rob, with all proceeds going to Help Musicians UK’s “Music Minds Matter” campaign aimed at raising awareness surrounding mental health issues within the music industry.

The tracks on the single fittingly span almost the entire length of Rob’s discography – A side Echoes is a completely new, previously unheard track featuring characteristically sublime melody as piano, strings and synthetic chimes interact in a playful, serene dance set to a crispy liquid backbone of breaks and bass.

On the flip, vintage Unknown Error track The Yearning gets a Super VIP mix, embellished even further than the already lavish VIP released by Horizons Music in 2008; weighing in at over 9 minutes, and featuring an absolutely breathtaking pre-drop breakdown, this is emotional D&B at it’s best.

Sadly no Soundcloud / Youtube clips are available but you can hear a preview of Echoes either at the Hospital Store or at the beginning of the latest Dojo Podcast. Hit up the store to grab the single now on vinyl or digital; rest in peace Rob, you’ll be missed.

Classic Track: Unknown Error – The Yearning (Remaster)

Unknown Error are chiefly remembered for their hefty neurofunk outings for the likes of Lifted Music and Renegade Hardware but the duo also had a knack for the deeper side of D&B as evidenced by their 2006 single for Horizons Music, The Yearning.

Combining rough breaks with soft pads, the track explores the “liquid with teeth” style that other producers like Chris.Su have since taken up, and the track walks the line between deep euphoria and darker dancefloor sensibilities with finesse. Tasty stuff, and a record we’ve got a lot of time for here at Dojo HQ. Best of all it’s been remastered and reissued for 2017! Check out the new audio below and hit up the Horizons Store to grab the limited clear 12″ release now…

Classic Track: Apex – Inner Space

Not long after the relaunch of Subtitles in 2010, Teebee’s label treated us to a fantastic track from one of my favourite producers, Rob Dickeson aka Apex. While I discovered Apex initially through his harder tech and neurofunk productions on Lifted Music (and earlier as one half of Unknown Error), I later fell in love with his more musical output which featured on Horizons and Hospital, and this gem is definitely up there with his best.

Inner Space explores lush, synthy ambience and remains downtempo until the second verse at which point that familiar, crisp D&B break kicks the track up a notch. The whole thing is just beautiful and unusually serene for even liquid D&B, and it’s a track I never get bored of hearing. Unfortunately this 12″ would prove to be one of his last before his apparent retirement sometime in 2012, and his output is much missed (by me at least). Check it out below and go look out a copy on vinyl or digital!

In The Mix…Hex

DNB Dojo head honcho Hex brings us a 40 minute mix all vinyl mix for the Sun & Bass DJ Competition spanning deep, drumfunk, liquid, techstep and neurofunk D&B. The tracklist speaks for itself with old classics sitting alongside new material – check it out now via Mixcloud.

Tracklist:

Mode – Stats [Ingredients]
Fracture & Neptune – Get Lost [Astrophonica]
Paradox – Crate Logic [Paradox Music]
Subtension – Changes [Samurai Music]
Digital & Spirit – Backlach (Digital & Spirit Rework) [Phanton Audio]
Photek – Ni Ten Ichi Ryu (Teebee Remix) [Photek Productions]
DJ Trax – Syncopation [Outsider]
Vicious Circle & Nocturnal – Skylark [Quarantine]
T.E.E.D. – Household Goods (Enei Remix) [TEED]
dBridge & Vegas – True Romance [Metalheadz]
Martyn – Virgo [Play:musik]
Lenzman – Empty Promise [Metalheadz]
Calibre – Sick Of It All [Signature]
Amit – Killer Driller [Metalheadz]
Ulterior Motive & Judda – Timekeeper (Calyx & Teebee Remix) [Subtitles]
Phace & Noisia – MPD [Neosignal]
Mefjus – Signalz [Critical]
Apex – Inner Space [Subtitles]

DNB Dojo Mix Series 01: Hex

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The first in our series of exclusive mixes for DnB Dojo comes courtesy of blog owner Hex! The mix features a sneak peek at his newest track The Law alongside an hour of the best techstep and neurofunk, including brand new tracks from Telekinesis, Fourward and The Upbeats. The mix is available as a free download, so stream it below and grab a copy from Mediafire! The mix is also available over on Mixcloud.

Tracklist:

Hex – The Law
The Upbeats & Noisia – Creep Out [Non Vogue]
Telekinesis & MC Coppa – Pocket Full of Drops [Eatbrain]
Cause4Concern – Luca (Silent Witness Remix) [C4C]
Ivy Lab – Brat [Critical]
Mikal – The Chant (Rido Remix) [Utopia]
The Upbeats – Diffused [Vision]
Enei & Mefjus – Crawlers [Critical]
The Prototype & MC ID – Blackout [Shogun]
Telekinesis & Concord Dawn – Nightwalkers [Eatbrain]
Neonlight – Frozen Tape (Rregular & Dementia Remix) [Trust in Music]
Inside Info – Sundew [Viper]
Audio & Future Signal – Furyen [Subtitles]
Cause4Concern – Control Freak (Task Horizon Remix) [C4C]
Ewun & Spor – We Dominate [Lifted]
Cause4Concern – Pandemic (Octane & DLR Remix) [C4C]
Naibu & Ena feat. Key – Into The Distance (Break Remix) [Horizons]
Cause4Concern – Jinx [C4C]
BSE & Foreign Beggars – Dawn Of A Dark Day [BSE]
Optiv & BTK – Riptide [Virus]
Neonlight – Computer Music [Lifted]
Jade – Acid Flood [BSE]
Fourward – Street Knowledge [AudioPorn]
Jade – Venom (Mindscape Remix) [Eatbrain]
Memtrix – Mind Control [Breed 12 Inches]
Teddy Killerz & Nphonix – Earth Shaker [Bad Taste]
Joe Ford – City 17 [Bad Taste]
Apex – Malfunction [Trust in Music]
Villem – Splinter In Your Mind (Break Remix) [Ingredients]