We’ve teamed up with the mighty T3K Recordings to present a nice little free download from label boss Kaiza and fellow German producers St4sh & Wresker. Bringing together a monstrous bassline and a heavy swung beat that moves from stomping halftime into full roll, this one is pure destruction! Check it out and grab yourself a free download via Soundcloud or Google Drive!
Our latest exclusive mix comes from an artist we’ve been keeping an eye on for a while, so we’re hyped to welcome Samurai Breaks to the Dojo Mix Series! Hailing from Leeds but now based in Prague, the last month has seen Sam launch his Tsunami Bass Weight imprint with a big VA compilation and release a sick new single via Halogen Music. With releases coming soon on Ground Mass and support on Noisia Radio, we’re tipping Samurai Breaks for a big 2017.
Sam’s mix for DNB Dojo takes in the full range of 170BPM music with deep, halftime head nodders sitting alongside techstep rollers from the likes of Icicle and Mikal. There’s plenty of space in the bumper 106 minute selection for music from Terabyte, Subtitles Music, Critical, Free Love Digi and plenty more alongside a host of tasty dubs from the man himself and his cohorts at Tsunami Bass Weight. Sick selections; get to know!
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Our latest premiere comes courtesy of Ground Mass boss Mark Kloud, who turns in a sick 160 refix of Johnathan Thomas’ new track Rupture. Out soon on Good Street Records, Mark flips around the dark halftime of the original into something with a little extra swagger on the bass and a little extra roll in the percussion. Yes yes! Best of all it’s available for free from Friday – watch the Good Street Bandcamp for the full EP dropping Dec 5th including remixes from Breaka and Walters.
Free Download →
Methlab’s dark and minimalistic BNKR imprint returns for it’s 3rd outing with Utopia Music’s Hydro on the buttons accompanied by familiar partners in crime Villem, War and Mateba.
Unsurprisingly given the artists involved, the release has a very ‘headz-y vibe, combining crisp modern production with the influence of golden era techstep D&B from the likes of Source Direct and Photek. Despite the grimey basslines and dark, ominous atmospheres there’s still an emphasis on funk and groove which can be lacking in some of the hyper-clean productions of 2016. In amongst the sharp snares and carefully tuned reverbs there’s still plenty of analogue distortion and warm, organic tones, melted together into compositions that feel both driven and hypnotic.
The drum programming on show here deserves a special mention too; after the more straightforward steppers beat of opening track Ethos Hydro and friends have gone in on hyperactive funk drum chopping that is an absolute joy to listen to; think somewhere between the chaos of a Paradox break and the sharpness of DLR’s best efforts and you’re in the ballpark. This back to basics approach, revelling in the origins of the genre and the most central elements of the D&B sound while still leveraging modern techniques is what makes these tracks such a joy to listen to.
If you’re a fan of precision, dark edged techstep with depth beyond the dancefloor then BNKR continue to deliver right at the top of the game! Check out the clips below and look for the EP dropping at all good digital stores from Nov 29th.
We’re kicking off a special new feature this month as we present the very first DNB Dojo Podcast! Mixed by blog owner Hex and featuring the best cuts to land in the Dojo inbox over the last couple of months, the podcast features 80 minutes of brand new D&B from across the spectrum with liquid, techstep, neurofunk, halftime and everything in between represented. Check out the mix and look out for a new podcast coming every month from now on!
You can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Our latest exclusive mix comes courtesy of Xanadu who delivers an Addictive Behaviour special to celebrate the release of their recent Rotation Part 2 LP! Packed full of tunes from the album alongside Xanadu’s new single for Dom & Roland productions and a host of other tough, rolling beats, this one is a treat from start to finish, and we feel pretty honoured to have Xanadu on board the Dojo mix series. For more info on the album be sure to check out our recent Q&A with Addictive Behaviour label bosses Clayton & Neil.
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Today we’ve got a brand new production / label project for your listening pleasure in the form of AGN7 Audio (that’s pronounced ‘Agent Audio’ if you were wondering; perhaps a sly nod to Trace’s DSCI4?). Coming at you from the US, AGN7 is the new brainchild of established producers SPKTRM and Ronin Selecta, and their press release sets out the bold aim of “adventurous” drum and bass.
While the first single perhaps isn’t defining any new sub-genres quite yet, it’s certainly ignoring current trends in both US and worldwide D&B; a cynical attempt to top the Beatport charts this is not. Mantra brings to mind 2005-era hard, break driven techstep with a deep, ominous build-up giving way to harsh chopped up drums and massive bass hits. Over on the flip Vignette takes the foot off the gas a little, easing back on the bassline heft to focus on cleaner break manipulation set to creepy atmospherics. This one brings to mind darker material from the back catalogues of Seba, Paradox or Blocks and Escher, and it’s totally up there in terms of quality too.
Overall this is a solid statement of intent from a duo we’re looking forward to hearing more from! Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab the release now, with other stores following in two weeks time.
Where do you go when you’ve been a mainstay of the D&B scene for twenty years, with six albums already under your belt and a back catalogue spanning Moving Shadow, Renegade Hardware, your own immensely successful imprint and plenty more?
If your name is Dominic Angas aka Dom & Roland, you head into the studio and write possibly your best album yet for none other than the mighty Metalheadz. As one of few labels with both the pedigree and the reputation to match Dom himself, we can’t think of a more perfect home for Dom’s work, and anyone who’s heard Goldie hyping the album over the last year will know they feel exactly the same way.
There’s always the risk with any album from a producer this established that the results will prove either too far from their style or too close to it, but thankfully the line trodden on the enigmatically titled Last Refuge of a Scoundrel sits perfectly within these boundaries; recognisably Dom, but pushing his style in new and intriguing directions. Those new directions are found most prominently on vocal tracks Sacrifice and Sirens Song, featuring Natalie Duncan and Robert Manos respectively. Both tracks blend Dom’s talent for heavy hitting, detailed percussion with a softer and more melodic side lent from the immensely talented singers he’s recruited, and they make a welcome change from the instrumentals of the rest of the LP.
That’s not to say in the slightest that said instrumentals become tedious; from classic Dom smashers like Tone Poem, Steam and Hive collab DMT through the hip-hop infused vibe of King of the Hustlers and out into more playful tracks like A New Renegade, there’s plenty of variety and every track is presented with that match of precision and scuzz that makes the Metalheadz output some of the best in the scene. The layers of drum distortion and bassline growl on even the lighter tracks give this a punky edge that ultra-clean modern mixdowns so often lack, and that’s just the icing on a very, very delicious cake. Check out the clips below and hit up the ‘headz store to grab the LP on vinyl, CD or digital now.
Methlab’s foray into record label territory over the past few months has resulted in some seriously impressive releases, and their latest from US production trio Audeka is undoubtedly the label’s most ambitious project to date.
Unsuprisingly given Methlab’s heritage and artist roster and Audeka’s previous work, the first thing that jumps out about Lost Souls is the quality and detail of the sound design. Bassline production geeks will definitely find plenty to be impressed by here, but despite the technicality the results are powerful and emotionally resonant. Neurofunk and it’s related lower-tempo cousins can sometimes become a biggest-bassline dick-waiving contest and thankfully Audeka have avoided falling into that trap.
There’s also a versatility on show here with the album’s first two tracks alone showing a huge range, jumping from dubstep-esque industrial-tinged destruction to beautifully soft trip-hop. Most of the tracks on the LP definitely lean more towards the former than the latter, but even within that signature Audeka sound of groaning bass distortion and heavy hitting percussion there’s room for tons of experimentation with both rhythm and sonic texture.
Most ambitiously still the album attempts to tell a complex story of a man’s journey from a small village through a forbidden underworld as he attempts to rescue his wife from the clutches of a dark magic. Given the album’s largely instrumental nature it’s difficult to imagine this narrative coming across without prior knowledge, but it’s nonetheless interesting to bear this in mind when listening to the sounds and moods of each track; it certainly conveys a journey through myriad fantastical landscapes.
Overall if you like your electronica a little avant-garde and have ever enjoyed productions from the likes of Broken Note, Amon Tobin or Noisia then this album is absolutely essential listening. Lost Souls is available right now from the Methlab Bandcamp; grab it straight from the source and net yourself some attractive artwork posters into the bargain.
We’ve been keeping an ear out for fresh music from Peterborough producer Bereneces since hearing his releases for T3K and Onset Audio, so naturally we jumped at the chance to get him on board for a mix! Taking things to truly subsonic depths with his selections, Bereneces brings the gritty, ominous halftime flavours with a host of dubs alongside beats from the Onset Audio and T3K back catalogues. If you like your D&B dark and minimal you’re in for a treat.
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.