Tag Archives: Atmospheric

Famous Lost Words Remixes: Part 3 [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Blu Mar Ten unveil the third and final instalment of their Famous Lost Words remix EP series with new mixes from Ulterior Motive, Nuage and their latest signing Kimyan Law. Ulterior Motive make In Your Eyes very much their own, swapping out the frantic amens of the original for a slower paced half-time beat. The twinkling atmosphere of the original is largely gone too, replaced with ominous bass growls and a spooky, pitched down version of the original vocal.

Nuage turns his hand to Famous Lost Words, channelling the autonomic spirit for a glitchy, slouching remix with tons of the lush pad work I’ve come to love on his productions. The real star of the show here though is Kimyan Law’s absolutely beautiful re-imagining of Half The Sky. An insistent beat combines with a soft chiming melody that has either been crafted fresh or has been re-sampled from the original beyond recognition, and the atmosphere of the track is dialled right up to 11. The result is effortlessly emotive and hauntingly beautiful, and I can’t wait to hear his debut album when it drops later this year.

Check out the clips below and head over to the Blu Mar Ten Music store to pick up the release on vinyl or digital now.

Response – S.O.S / Control [Ingredients]

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Ingredients return with another excellent 12″ from up and coming Manchester producer Response. S.O.S. brings old school techstep vibes with up to the minute production techniques, combining rolling breaks, throbbing sub and ominous synth stabs for a Tech Itch style workout.

Control is the real star of the show here though, and is one of the most interesting tunes to have graced the Dojo inbox in recent times. A crisp 2-step beat provide the backbone of the tune, over which we’re treated to big sweeping synths, a melancholy lead melody and a repetitive, dystopian mantra about computers and their control on our society. You can hear all sorts of musical influences being melted down into this one, and the vibe is impressively creepy.

Check out the clips below and watch out for this one dropping on vinyl and digital September 8th.

Betafuture – Void EP [Free Download]

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The latest freebie to grace the Dojo inbox comes from Spanish duo Betafuture. Recently relocated to Bulgaria, the pair have just released their latest work in the form of the Void EP, featuring four tracks of crisp, atmospheric liquid D&B. Morning Sun brings a cheerful vibe with rolling breaks and soft, melodic synths. Breathless takes the energy down a little, focussing on bass texture while retaining atmospheric elements.

Sonder meanwhile brings in natural bass guitar and distinctive high frequency synths over another crisp set of breakbeats. Finally Distance drops the tempo for a more chilled out, melancholy slice of piano-led electronica. Check out the clips below, buy the release on iTunes, or just grab it for free here.

DLR – Your Mind EP [Metalheadz]

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New material from DLR has consistently proved excellent since his split with production partner Octane (who sadly has been pretty quiet by comparison), and his latest EP for Metalheadz is no exception. While retaining plenty of dancefloor heft on the tracks, the overall vibe seems atmospheric, and even contemplative; appropriate given the title of the release.

The title track sees DLR joining forces with Mako for a skittering drumfunk extravaganza; soft pads and a plethora of percussive elements give the tune most of it’s character, but there’s some tasty bass pressure for good measure too. 10 Steps sounds more like a “conventional” DLR track by comparison, with a rolling beat and slightly more dancefloor sensibilities. An ominous and slightly hypnotic melody stalks throughout the tune, bringing to mind a slightly altered consciousness.

Sense Of Wanting continues this trend with another dancefloor friendly slice of techy business, impeccably constructed as ever. Seek Knowledge meanwhile sees Mako back on board and Rider Shafique on vocal duties for a track that sounds like the spiritual successor to the excellent Setup The Set from Octane & DLR’s Method in the Madness LP. Lastly Outbound rounds off the EP with a halfstep beat plodding along in a dubby fashion amidst creepy pads, jazzy FX and a plethora of swirling, groaning bass.

As we’ve come to expect from the Metalheadz new school this is another essential purchase – grab it now from your favourite outlet on vinyl or digital.

Bone – Unspeakable EP [Authentic Music]

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Estonian producer Bone returns to Authentic Music with a second EP following up last year’s Structure EP. The titular Unspeakable shows Bone’s varied sensibilities, with lush atmospherics overlaying darker bass tones and solid beats. Moral fibre collab Crossbite heads for darker territory, with ominous pads characterising the intro before a drop into moving basslines and intricate rolling drums.

The Block makes great use of some unusual percussion to create a really angular, robotic groove, keeping the atmosphere and the growling bass nicely balanced in the process. Last up comes Raspy, a skittering hi-hat fuelled head-knodder with a hint of trap and an infectious vibe. Check out the clips below and head to Beatport to grab a copy of the EP, out now!

Tiuu – All Good Things [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Blu Mar Ten Music continue their catalogue of top notch leftfield electronica with a new single from Russian producer/singer Tiiu. Fans of Synkro’s brand of “is it Dubstep, is it D&B or is it a film soundtrack” type beats will definitely appreciate the work on show here, but that’s not to say it’s a copycat job. Oozing atmosphere with its reverb drenched pads and natural sounding percussion, All Good Things is so slow as to be practically ambient, and fantastic for it. The ghostly vocal echoes are a particularly deft touch in amongst the tapestry of sounds.

Tiiu teams up with fellow Russian producer Faib to craft a slightly more beat driven Dubstep composition on the flip; the same warm atmospheres are employed here but with a little more insistence to the drums than on the positively soporific pace of the A side. Simple but effective bassline reverberations reminiscent of Distance’s growling, sludgey style provide a nice counterpoint to the more musical elements of the tune.

Check out the clips below and grab this one on digital from Blu Mar Ten’s online store now.

Mindstorm – The Descent / Escape Route [Mindstorm]

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Mindstorm’s latest release sees the label boss going in deep. The Descent brings together ethereal, almost ambient synths with a glitchy half-step beat and some hefty dark bass work; equal parts atmosphere and teeth.

Escape Route on the flip takes things even deeper, with a tribal percussion line taking centre stage in a tune that minimal D&B-heads are sure to love. Check out the beats below and grab a copy from your favourite digital retailer now!

Thing – Renew / Outer Lands [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Blu Mar Ten continue their excellent run of releases from leftfield artists with a pair of deep, dark, steppers from Estonian producer Thing. Renew blends the percussive intricacies of Bop and his ilk with the insistent kicks and snares of Amit’s best work, adding in low sub and tribal echoes for some serious atmosphere.

Outer Lands continues the journey with a throbbing sub line and a shuffling, echo-imbued beat while haunting robotic vocal cuts fade in and out of the sinister pads and synths; once again this is a tune just dripping with tension and cinematic quality. Look out for these dropping on vinyl and digital on June 3rd.

Get To Know… Blu Mar Ten

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Blu Mar Ten are quite literally legends of the drum & bass scene. From their origins way back in 1995, through their early material for LTJ Bukem‘s Good Looking Records, their downtempo explorations in the early 2000s and their return to drum & bass production in more recent years, the London production trio have always maintained a ridiculously high level of production quality. These men are part of a rare breed of electronic musicians, writing tunes that manage to be both dancefloor oriented and emotionally charged, immediate and yet timeless. Their work is truly beautifully composed.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hszNBAiSPx0&w=560&h=315]

BMT also manage to write music that is stylistically quite diverse, even within an album that concentrates (broadly) on a single genre such as last year’s Love is the Devil. The album features a great selection of drum & bass, from hard hitters like Damage, through vocal led steppers like The Fourth and out into magnificent liquid rollers like Whisper (which features the superb talents of Kirsty Hawkshaw).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IufUY6J7W0k&w=560&h=315]

Outside of their main production work, BMT have brought great new music to the world via other avenues, whether by encouraging budding young talents in their remix competitions, or by their recent forays into label territory with the release of the first music by other artists on their Blu Mar Ten Music label.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6dyWQeeovA&w=560&h=315]

It’s definitely the mark of a special producer when I can’t think of a single track they’ve written which I don’t like, and BMT are one of few I could bestoy that accolade upon. Here’s to the next album, whenever it may arrive.