Tag Archives: Conduct

Premiere: Mauoq – Voids (Conduct Remix)

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Mauoq’s latest project on his very own Mauoq Music imprint sees previous tracks from the man himself getting the remix treatment from some talented scene luminaries, and we’re hyped to present the exclusive of Conduct’s remix of Voids! Switching up the original’s full-roll into a skittering halftime pattern and adding plenty of the detailed sound design Conduct are known for, this one goes deep…look for the tunes on vinyl and digital from May 9th on Bandcamp with other outlets following on the 16th.

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Conduct – Oma LP [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Just over a year on from their superb debut LP for Blu Mar Ten Music, Conduct are back to the label for a second LP. After the varied delights and beautiful atmospheres of Borderlands, how well will the duo cope with the so called ‘difficult second album’?

Pretty well, it turns out. The guys haven’t rested on their laurels at all, and they’ve found time to explore some different sounding rhythms while still retaining that detailed, cinematic quality that defined the previous album. From the obvious rock influences on intro track Welcome In, to the shades of Burial and Frederic Robinson on the breathtakingly beautiful Out of the Blue and out into the aggy, staccato gut punches of RDM, there’s a positive smorgasbord of sonic delights to be found here.

The only possible complaint upon the first couple of listens is that the album perhaps doesn’t seem as cohesive as its predecessor; every track sounds distinctively Conduct, but the segues from one to the next sometimes jar slightly. Maybe this will ease with familiarity, and this is certainly an album we’ll be getting more familiar with over the next few months.

Oma is out now on Blu Mar Ten Music; hit up the label store to grab a copy on vinyl, CD or digital now.

Conduct – Borderlands LP [Blu Mar Ten]

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Let’s get this out of the way straight off the bat; Conduct’s debut LP is one of the best album’s you’ll hear this year, if not this decade. Regular readers are unlikely to be surprised by this verdict given our glowing coverage of the previous album singles and general love of all things Blu Mar Ten Music, but don’t dismiss this review based on our apparent lack of objectivity.

To get another thing out of the way, anyone looking for an album of dancefloor rollers or constant 2-step drum beats will be heartily disappointed, but this has never been what Blu Mar Ten Music has been about. Following in the footsteps of Frederic Robinson and Kimyan Law, Conduct are doing their best to redefine the boundaries of what 170BPM music can or should be, and the results are breathtaking.

The most striking thing about many of the tracks on Borderlands is the bold use of prominent instrumentation not usually associated with drum & bass, particularly guitar lines. From the stark, country-style steel string lines of Bat Country to the lavish twin-guitar progressions of Archaic, it’s obvious that Conduct are more than just laptop junkies.

That use of natural instrumentation combined with more synthetic bass and drum elements defines the sound on many tracks, providing a fantastic duality. Soft, natural keys float above monstrous low end modulations on Pianotune, while mournful six-strings duel with warped vocals on Beta’s Error to highlight a couple of notable examples.

A strong sense of yearning shines through on the material too, such as the delicate and heartful strains of Turmoil and the more optimistic melodies of Grand Panjadrum; attempting to adequately describe the intention of these tracks is probably an exercise in futility, but they certainly carry an emotional component often lacking from even leftfield electronic music.

Overall this is an intense and powerful body of work; varied yet cohesive, musically deft and thoroughly evocative. It plays like no other drum & bass record you’re likely to hear, and it’s a huge achievement from a duo we hope to hear much more from in the coming years. Check out the previews below and head to the BMT store to grab it on vinyl, CD or digital right now.

Conduct – Bat Country [Blu Mar Ten]

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Blu Mar Ten Music continue winding up towards the release of their latest solo artist album with a second single from the rather talented Conduct. As we’ve come to expect from BMTM the musicality on show here is breathtaking, providing ample proof that D&B can be about so much more than just forgettable dancefloor fodder.

The solemn guitar work on lead track Bat Country brings to mind equal parts latter-day Earth (check their excellent album Hex; or printing in the Infernal Method) and the soundtrack to a tense saloon stand-off in some imaginary Western. Said licks combine surprisingly well with the obviously synthetic bassline elements later in the track for a decidedly moody aesthetic.

Over on the flip, Beta’s Error goes in super deep, eschewing any kind of rolling or stepping drum pattern for sparse, echoing kicks and percussive glitches, allowing the creepily treated vocals and melancholy atmospheres space to breathe. The influence of shoegaze and post-rock definitely seeps into Conduct’s sound on this one, and the results are sublime.

As usual you can pick this one up from the Blu Mar Ten store on vinyl or digital, and we’d encourage you to grab a copy right now, because this is undoubtedly one of the finest pieces of music to cross our inbox this year.

December Roundup

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Another month, another massive wealth of new drum & bass! We check out the best of the rest from Conduct, Skeptical, Benny L, Cybin and more… Continue reading →

Famous Lost Words Remixes: Part 2 [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Blu Mar Ten unveil the second set of remixes from last year’s Famous Lost Words LP with reworks from Kid Drama, Anile and the winner of the remix competition, Conduct. Kid Drama brings his autonomic-esque stylings to Thin Air, retaining the lush melodies of the original but switching up the drums from their previous liquid roll and rearranging the parts to make the song his own.

Anile meanwhile performs the reverse switch, replacing the unusual rhythms of Remembered Her Wrong with a rolling liquid break, but retaining the melancholy vibe and atmosphere of the original nicely. Last but not least, Conduct turns in an absolutely serene mix of Hunter, stripping back most of the elements to leave a lean combination of piano, drums and weighty sub bass. Check out the clips below and grab this one on vinyl or digital from the Blu Mar Ten store now!

Conduct & Lockjaw – Futile / Big System [Lifestyle]

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Lifestyle return with a big new single sure to be smashing up a few dancefloors in the near future! Conduct kick things off with some atmospherics and echoing breaks on the intro to Futile, building the tension with rising filtered synth work before amping things up with an absolutely monstrous bassline and heavy hitting compressed kicks and snares. Oooft!

Over on the flip Lockjaw deliver the appropriately titled Big System, a track clearly written with said large bass bins in mind. Throbbing modulated bass and tough, rolling breaks line up nicely to create another slice of techie business. Check out the beats below and watch out for the release dropping in all good digital stores from November 4th.