Another top notch release from re:st in our premiere spotlight today with Swiss producer Simstah at the controls. Intricate halftime drum patterns and brooding basslines on this one…wicked tune. Watch out for the vinyl coming April 10th at all good wax boutiques…
Rohaan winds up for the release of his debut LP on Mad Zoo with a fresh single drop in the form of Burner. Trancey lead synth lines combine with weighty sub and rolling breaks for a dark slab of dancefloor hypnosis. Wicked stuff; look for this one today at all good digital stores.
Crunching bass textures on a dark and minimal new cut from Forbidden Society! Taken from his forthcoming Liminal Point LP, this one strips things back to the bone, with stark drum rhythms punctuated by sharp breakbeat assaults, powered along by groaning bass howls. Watch out for the album coming April 16th…
Unreal Project lands on Nurtured Beatz with an epic new slab of tech-edged goodness…PTSD invokes the spirit of classic early 2000s neuro from the likes of BSE and Jade; dancefloor chops and trancy synth pads. Look for this coming to digital stores from Mar 27th…
Unchained are back in our hotseat today with a sick new tune taken from their Year of the Rat compilation LP. Dave Owen and Root for the Villain team up on a hefty slice of slow/fast halftime business…jungle inflections and sub boom all the way. Look for the release dropping Mar 13th at all good stores!
Sneaking in just in time for the end of the month, Hex delivers the February podcast with 75 minutes of brand new music including cuts from Break, Ancient Radius, Philth, Kidsan and many more. There are also unreleased dubs inside from Boredome, Livid Cheese, MAE917, Howler, Layton, Plasmer and Hardnocker so watch out for those!
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
The recent passing of the venerable Edward Holmes, better known as Optiv, has been a time to celebrate his body of work. A stalwart in the pantheon of Drum & Bass luminaries, Optiv’s impact will live on forever. One such work by Nomis and Optiv sticks out indelibly for me in a lineup of classics from the Cause 4 Concern camp, released on Optiv’s Red Light Records.
Piston is an underrated 2002 track that can stand with the best bass bangers in the genre. I love to crank the dial on this tune to get the full effect of its behemoth bass…yet, I always end up having to bring it down a notch or two just because of its sheer force. Intensity is further mounted by the frantic cacophony of howls and shrieks that ensnare the atmosphere. And what’s a song in the C4C domain without slick drum sequencing? This track has it in spades. Sonorous grooves beat away in this brute force classic. Long live Optiv!
Written by Luke Kessler
Utopia Music have been quiet for some time now as Mako concentrates on his work with DLR as OneMind and his forthcoming LP for Samurai Music, so it’s great to see the label making a return on this brand new 12″ from longtime label collaborator Mikal.
Under The Earth sees Mikal and Mako teaming up on a trademark Utopia cut; exquisitely crafted breaks, bassline scuzz and tons of detail. The fusion of jungle sensibilities with a hint of ‘headz and a taste of techstep darkness has long defined the Utopia sound and this one fits that bill perfectly.
On the B-side Mikal gets militant with an angular kick-drum rhythm and a selection of aggy bass hits. This one should produce more than a few screwfaces; proper stomper! Check out the previews below and hit up the Utopia Bandcamp to grab the release right now…
Our latest exclusive guest mix comes from Australian producer Jaise! With releases on Subplate and Protocode and a huge love for vintage techstep and neurofunk, Jaise’s mix takes in selections from the likes of Enei, HLZ and Ulterior Motive alongside unreleased music from himself and Seattle’s D-Struct. Strap yourself in for a dark and rolling journey…
As always 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.
Murky vibes from French producers War & Gunston on today’s premiere for the second release on Huski Records! Playing with the slow/fast nature of halftime drum patterns, this one is all sub weight and atmosphere. Watch for the release coming Feb 17th…