Tag Archives: Bass

Quentin Hiatus – I’m Neither Quentin Nor Hiatus Vol. 2 [Free Love Digi]

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US beatsmith and sonic experimenter extraordinaire Quentin Hiatus returns with the second volume of his split LP, I’m Neither Quentin Nor Hiatus. After the mostly experimental and introspective sounds of the excellent Vol. 1, the second instalment seems to shift focus towards the dancefloor while keeping that trademark QH playfulness when it comes to sitting slightly outside convention.

There’s certainly plenty of variety on show here; After Image kicks things off with a hypnotic slice of rolling, tech-edged D&B, while Always Sunny immediately flips things around into a moodier and more techno inspired groove. Elsewhere we’re treated to lower tempo garagey vibes on the fantastically groovy Danny Tanner, jacking house on Steppin Out and scuzzed up footwork on Edison before I Stop closes the album out with a slice of IDM-infused halftime hip-hop.

If Vol. 1 was the sound of a man’s innermost thoughts and feelings wrapped in an eclectic array of electronic instrumentation, Vol. 2 is that same man jumping out of the armchair and heading straight to the dancefloor to throw some mean shapes. Another thoroughly enjoyable outing from a producer who constantly impresses us here at the Dojo. Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite digital outlet to grab the LP now!

Grand Royal Vol. 1 [Vandal LTD]

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Vandal LTD’s latest release sees them celebrating a collection of tracks at the edge of the halftime D&B sound where the waters begin to get muddy and the influence of hip-hop, footwork and other bass music mutates the sound in new and interesting ways.

Signs, SKS & Skank get together for the EP’s opener, the swaggering and audacious Bliss Flop. This one undoubtedly owes a little to Ivy Lab’s seminal Sunday Crunk, but it’s still a fantastic slice of halftime hip-hop with a grin-inducing bassline and heaps of attitude.

Tim Reaper’s contribution to the EP (alongside Vanar and Mieur) takes things in a totally different direction, with a distinctly techno influenced beat driving along under spooky soundscapes for a hypnotic journey through 5am clubland and into weird early morning psychedelia.

Elsewhere the EP features some nice tracks influenced by the Chicago footwork sound, the best of which is undoubtedly Lumumba’s Exhale. Frantic high hats and rap vocal cut ups may well be overplayed by now but this one is still a hugely satisfying listen, and it’s nice to see this sound spreading and being played with by so many in the D&B community.

The Grand Royal EP is out now at all good stores, so check out the clips below and grab yourself an unconventional selection of beats at your leisure.

Ivy Lab – 20/20 Volume One [20/20]

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Ivy Lab’s sonic journey since the trio’s pre-alias collaboration in 2012 on the sublime Oblique has been a treat to watch. While initially known for silky smooth liquid rollers, it didn’t take the Lab long to start experimenting with a distinctly different style of beats that they refer to loosely as “halftime”, starting with the infamous Sunday Crunk and continuing with many of the tracks on the Twenty Questions EP.

That “halftime” moniker really doesn’t do the style justice though, especially since it’s a term used to describe a lot of the deeper, half tempo music created by producers like Homemade Weapons and Cirrus that has little if anything to do with the hip-hop infused sound that Sabre, Stray and Halogenix have pioneered. “Halftime Hip-hop” might be closer to the truth, but as yet noone has really found a suitable handle for their mixture of LA bass, crunk, hip-hop and glitch.

All of this brings us to now, and Ivy Lab’s decision to separate this “halftime” material from their more traditional D&B excursions, start their own 20/20 label and release a full album of it. With nary a 2-step breakbeat in sight (or should that be earshot?) this is a firm division of styles, with the trio already having stated that we can expect more D&B via Critical Music in the future.

The results here should definitely appeal to fans of EPROM, Alix Perez, and anyone who appreciates the swagger and funk of this style of beats. Low end heft, sexy vocal cut ups and great use of space define a confident and exciting sound from a production team that surely have tons more to show us. Get your groove on with 20/20 Volume One – you won’t regret it! The album is out now via the 20/20 website, and there’s a sick album mix by none other than the legendary DJ Craze below.

Altered Perception – 1144 EP [PowerON Records]

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Sam Altered Perception is a busy man. Between co-running five (five!) record labels and a nearly constant stream of new productions, we’re not quite sure when the man finds any time to sleep or eat.

His latest EP for 50/50 sublabel PowerON is some of his finest work to date, exploring the halftime D&B template with an emphasis on intricate percussion. Title track 1144 brings some serious bassweight to the party, growling away behind a plethora of skittering percussion inside a tight kick/snare riddim. Synchronicity takes things deeper, with floaty synths, heavy sub and almost drumfunk style fills driving the tune along.

Last but not least, Space Invaderz takes things in a ravier direction with old school stabs and a staccato feel to the composition. This one hits hard! The halftime style continues to prove an exciting dimension to the D&B sound, and we hope to hear more from AP in this style in future. No release date as yet, so keep your eye on the relevant Facebook feeds for news.

Alix Perez & EPROM – Shades EP [Alpha Pup]

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Alix Perez’s latest collaboration with US bass-slinger EPROM sees him completely eschewing the D&B template in favour of lower tempo shenanigans, but if you’re a fan of bass heavy electronica with a hefty dash of hip-hop swagger then you should definitely give the Shades EP a listen.

Dropping today on LA imprint Alpha Pup, the four tracks feature some serious low end weight and a head nod inducing groove that is just irresistible. Check out possibly the EP’s biggest cut, Chiron, below and hit up iTunes to grab the EP now; vinyl should follow shortly.

Lakeway – Don’t Stop / Coke & Cola [Diffrent Music]

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We’re big fans of Lakeway’s footwork-tinged 170 sound here at the Dojo so naturally news of a release for Diffrent’s Giraffestep series got us a little excited! Don’t Stop brings the heat with frantic vocal chop ups, insistent percussion and big bad bass hits, with a sprinkle of jungle FX icing the sonic cake to perfection.

Over on the flip Coke & Cola pulls a fantastic bate and switch with full roll D&B breaks giving way to slouching hip-hop bassweight, with AZ’s Sit ‘Em Back Slow sampled to great effect. Expect some serious bassface in the rave when this gets dropped!

Check out the tracks below and hit up the Diffrent Bandcamp to pre-order the release ahead of the July 13th release. Boom!

Klient – Intent EP [Tessellate]

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We’re taking a brief break from our scheduled programming today to cover something outside the realms of D&B, but nonetheless firmly informed and influenced by the 170 sound. Scottish duo Klient (aka Mr. Beeb & Fault Lines) have been forging quite a reputation for bass heavy 130-140BPM shenanigans over the past few years, and their latest EP for Tessellate is well worthy of your attention.

Despite the lower tempo, their music betrays a misspent youth listening to the likes of Dillinja; if late 90s techstep and UK house had an affair then Klient would be the illegitimate love child. Just listen to the bass on Vultures or the vocals on Intent and you’ll hear strains of Deep Deadly Subs or Ink’s Need You.

The tunes speak for themselves in terms of quality too; perfectly placed percussion, heavy impact basslines and a badboy attitude throughout. Anyone looking for a change of pace but still wanting the dark energy of D&B should look no further. Check out the clips below and look for this dropping at all good digital stores from June 1st.

As if that wasn’t enough, the boys are also giving away a cheeky freebie to say thanks for 4043 followers (bit random, but who are we to argue?). Check that out below and head over here to get the download.

Compound Two [Renegade Hardware]

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Renegade Hardware return with the second part of their Compound series, showcasing more fresh talent from the worldwide neurofunk scene. Disprove provides two hulking bassy steppers for the first half of the EP, including a dangerous collab with young upstart Signal.

Out into the back half rising stars Volatile Cycle take things seriously dirty with the twin pairing of Switchblade and Backlash. The tracks provide vicious bassweight in equal measure, with the former narrowly emerging as our favourite. Expect some serious screwfaces on the floor when these get dropped! Check out the clips below and grab yourself a copy from the Hardware store right now.

KOAN Sound – Forgotten Myths

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Anyone who keeps an eye on the wider bass music scene should already be familiar with KOAN Sound – the Bristol-based duo have gained fairly widespread acclaim for their dubstep, glitch-hop and other lower-tempo material on Skrillex’s OWSLA label, Inspected Records and beyond.

Their latest release sees them concentrating on the 170BPM sound more than usual, with two of the four tracks playing with the D&B template. Strike hits down with intricate drum programming around a halftime kick/snare rhythm and plenty of the duo’s trademark squelchy bass, while Forgotten Myths goes full roll after a pretty epic atmospheric build up.

Elsewhere on the EP we’re treated to lush, melodic glitch-hop on Sentient and soft, almost ambient tones set to rolling 140BPM breakbeats on View From Above. Overall it’s a top notch EP, and best of all you can grab it on a “pay what you like” basis from their Bandcamp. Check out the tracks below and grab it right now!

Reso – Ricochet [Hospital]

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Reso is an artist I’ve been keeping an eye on ever since I first heard his productions in the (then burgeoning) dubstep scene; his work stood out from the pack of 140BPM stuff for the detail of his tracks, with much more complexity than other tracks at the more tearout end of that genre’s spectrum. His early forays into D&B proved equally as exciting, and his apparently permanent move into the higher tempo realm has already yielded some excellent releases.

Thus we arrive at Reso’s second LP which dropped last week on Tony Colman’s esteemed Hospital imprint, and a varied treat it is too! The first thing that stands out about the tracks on Ricochet is the drum work; the precision, detail and impact on the percussion across the entire album is absolutely unbelievable. Debates about the best drums in D&B are sure to have a fresh contender to the throne.

Stylistically the material feels like a continuation of the themes and sounds that Reso has been playing with for nearly a decade now, but with a confidence to explore softer tones alongside the stomping material. Compared to the relatively relentless bassweight of Tangram, there’s more variety to be found here, with the different tones bound together effectively via the incredible drum programming.

Highlights come on the soaring arpegiated melodies of What Is, the deep chiming IDM-esque drumfunk of Echo Loss and sublime album opener Taiga, with monstrous heavy hitters like Move It and The Blob punctuating the more melodic material perfectly. Simply put, this is an LP I can find little fault with. Check out the previews below and head to the Hospital Shop to grab a copy on CD, vinyl or digital now!