Chopped up darkcore jungle from the depths of Germany on our latest premiere as No_Name returns to Krytika Productions with a slamming slice of breakbeat chaos called The Things We Left Behind. Ominous pads, growling bass hits and a frenzied assault of chopped breakbeats combine on a track that takes in the influence of techstep, old school jungle and breakcore. Sick! Check it out and look for the track dropping as part of the VA We Are Products EP on Monday.
Bristol producer Ethos is on the buttons for our latest premiere as we present an exclusive slice of jungle-tinged goodness coming soon to Silent Dust’s None60 imprint. Injustice blends floaty pads and atmospheres, vinyl crackle and satisfyingly crusty breakbeats for a slightly retro sounding track; think a pinch of LTJ Bukem crossed with the recent productions of Sully and Dead Man’s Chest and you’re close. Check it out and watch for the release dropping Oct 27th.
Leeds imprint Ronin Ordinance continues their steady flow of deeper D&B with their eighth release, and this time it’s Discipline Records co-founder Fortune on the buttons. Gram Negative channels the spirit of old school techstep and drumfunk into a dark landscape of break-switchups, hefty sub and ominous atmospherics; serious business. Check it out and watch for the release dropping 23rd October.
The latest entry in our exclusive mix series comes from a bona fide scene legend as we welcome DJ Trax to the Dojo decks! With over 25 years experience in the scene and releases for the likes of Moving Shadow, Outsider, Paradox Music and many more, Trax has been plying his breakbeat-driven style across the world and shows no signs of slowing down.
For his Dojo mix Dave has gone in with a selection of drumfunk riddims including cuts from his brand new EP for Tempo and forthcoming music from Djinn, Tim Reaper, Ilk and longtime collaborators Nucleus & Paradox. If you appreciate the art of break chopping then this one is for you!
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.
Hertfordshire label Repertoire have been making quite a name for themselves as purveyors of some of the best modern jungle productions of the last few years, and their latest release is no different! Two tracks from Law get the remix treatment and we’ve got the exclusive of Outer Heaven’s new take on Emptiness Is Form. Full of break switchups and creepy atmospherics, this is moody breakbeat exploration at its best; watch out for this dropping June 2nd on vinyl and digital alongside a tasty new remix of Sophine from Law & Wheeler.
Love Love Records are back with a seriously tasty jungle EP from Richard Wilson under new alias Rognvald. Best known for his eclectic acid output as Beatwife, Wilson’s latest sees him chopping the breaks and drawing on influences from classic jungle, drumfunk and breakcore for a dark and chaotic selection of tracks.
From the outset it’s obvious that any concerns about DJ friendliness or adherence to the common confines of electronica have been chucked straight out of the window in favour of the open ended progressions and freeform danger that makes modern jungle and ‘core so enjoyable. Opener R.O.G.N.V.A.L.D wastes no time in building terrifying atmospheres amid a whirlwind assault of beats, segueing effortlessly into a haunting beatless bridge and back out into more of those crunchy drum chops. Next up, Whistle Posse lightens the mood with a distinctly tongue in cheek ode to classic nonsense jungle; wobbled up bass, helter skelter snares and of course, whistle samples a-plenty!
Out into the second half of the EP, Lowcol Junglist employs spacey pad sounds and distant ragga vocals for a tripped out ride as the beats crash down around the listener’s ears. Once again the pace is breakneck and all the tools in the breakbeat arsenal have been employed with just the right balance of precision editing and low-fi scuzz; mid 90s vibes updated for 2017. Last but by no means least, Asbiorn voyages into intricate drumfunk territory with the beats coming up a little cleaner and crispier. Replete with satisfying drum edits and haunting samples, this one is truly hypnotic.
Love Love are on fine form once again with possibly their best jungle release yet! Check out the clips below and hit up the label Bandcamp page to grab the EP on vinyl or digital now.
Our latest premiere comes from Manchester-based THUGWIDOW as he drops some serious jungle vibes for Lifted Contingency! Old school break chopping and a hypnotic lead line alongside the vocals of Sarah Zad make for a potent combination; pure vibes with a 90s twist. Check it out below and look for the release dropping April 17th at all good digital stores.
The Finnish experimental drum and bass artist Fanu has just released his 10th album, The Silent Watcher. He seems pretty jazzed about it, and he should be. By his own admission, Fanu decided to use some older techniques on this record, and it really comes through. Snares and classic 90s-style D&B drum combos are employed on tracks like album opener Five Ounces and Otherworld. The snare and drum combo on Otherworld is so thick, in fact, that drum and bass heads worth their salt will wonder if this track is a re-issue of a mid-90s track. Also pervasive are the many and sundry vocal samples from TV shows and movies, another 90s staple.
The Silent Watcher isn’t all about vintage beats and vocal sample cuts, however. It appears Fanu, a more than 20-year veteran in the D&B game, is examining the history of this genre and, effectively, his own history right the way through to present time. Paracosm Part 2, for example, blends a modern half-time beat with grimy bass grind-downs the like of which have not been seen since the early noughties. The smoothed-out Presence even hearkens back to early dubstep, while album closer Agenda goes full-on ambient.
There’s a little something for every time period of drum and bass on this album, and it’s nice to see Fanu playing with all the eras he’s loved the most as well. The Silent Watcher is available to stream or purchase on Fanu’s Bandcamp, Discogs and Beatport pages and on the Lightless Recordings Soundcloud page.
[bandcamp width=100% height=406 album=1335397922 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 artwork=small]
Written by Layla Marino
Blog: (Dropping) Weird Science
Twitter/IG: @dropweirdsci
Tim Reaper joins the Blu Mar Ten Music family with two sublime jungle outings, taking us back to the sounds of the early 90s in superb style. A-side All Right is pure euphoria, with a soft, bleepy melody and pitched up vocal hook layered over chunky breaks and warm sub hits for a disarmingly simple yet utterly beautiful track. This one evokes memories of simpler times…
Over on the flip Reaper joins forces with Parallel for the deeper, darker Innerspace. Hard amens, gunshot FX and classic ragga samples get things off to a flying start in the first half, while shimmering pads in the back end of the tune progress the vibes into a more atmospheric, faintly psychedelic ebb. Nostalgia for sure, but difficult to argue with when it’s done so well!
All Right / Innerspace is out now on Blu Mar Ten Music. Hit up their Bandcamp Store to grab the digital direct or start scouring Discogs if you want a copy of the vinyl…
Old school vibes on today’s exclusive as Lavance lands on Silent Audio with crusty tech rumbler 12 Inch! Loaded with crispy breaks, dirty bass and classic rave stabs, this is gruff techy business with a vintage junglist edge. Yes yes! Watch out for this dropping as part of the Breaking Point EP from Mar 23rd.