Rakoon – Sandworm EP [Paradise Lost]

Posted on 5th July 2015 by DNB Dojo

Rakoon is a name I first came across via dark dubstep releases for Excision’s Rottun imprint a few years back, and consequently as my interest in the 140BPM sound waned I’ve not kept track of his work in the interim. It was a pleasant surprise then to hear his latest EP for Paradise Lost, which sees the German producer exploring the 85/170 tempo range with some really nice results.

The darkness and militancy of the sound I remember from a few years ago is definitely still present on this collection. Tracks like Guard and Sleeping Giants explore the halftime sound with heavy kicks, growling bass and bleak atmospherics a plenty. There are also full-roll excursions on Sandworm (easily the EP’s most upfront track) and the drumfunk-esque breakwork of Meltdown.

There’s also a real finesse to some of the tracks, particularly on the glitchy percussive groove of Filter, with a fine balance struck between softer pads and the darkness of the drums and bass. Safir also deserves a mention for it’s slow/fast play between the halftime kick/snare and skittering hat fills; think Om Unit but gloomier. Overall it’s a solid EP and I’m hoping to hear more from Rakoon in this vein; check it out below and hit up the Paradise Lost bandcamp to grab a copy now.

Kolectiv & Survey – A Bunch Of Notes / Circular Logic [Plasma Audio]

Posted on 28th June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Melbourne’s Plasma Audio return with their fourth release, this time tapping London’s Kolectiv and Berlin duo Survey for the beats. The former turn in a super deep halftime number coyly titled A Bunch Of Notes – we’re thinking a bit more thought went into the arrangement than that name implies. Hints of dub and serene atmospherics collide with intricate percussion and dark, stalking bass, and the result is top class.

Over on the flip we’re treated to more of Survey’s trademark gloomy, ominous, tech-edged style. The bass on this one throbs away against a grooving, tribal rhythm that’s likely informed by Berlin’s thriving techno scene; either way, this is heavyweight business. Check out the clips below and pick this one up right now from your favourite digital store.

Futurist EP Vol. 2 [Faded Music]

Posted on 22nd June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Faded Music return with a fine selection on their latest EP featuring beats from Fade, NotioN, KAI, Fawce & P Fine. Fade sets the tone with a big raved up roller on Graviton, with a high energy lead over a punchy rolling break. Next up are NotioN, who keep things rolling but take things a bit grimier on the insistent and robotic Find It Out.

Fawce & KAI team up with P Fine for another grimey number in the form of Vengeance, before KAI totally switches things up with Take Away; this one has a great combo of soft, floaty melodies and growling low end for a pretty unique and quite stripped back tune.

Last but not least, Fade explores the more minimal half-time stylings on the dark, industrial sounds of Molfar. Tidy stuff as ever from Faded Music! Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet right now.

DNB Dojo Mix Series 16: Fearful

Posted on 21st June 2015 by DNB Dojo

We’ve kept an eye on Fearful ever since his release for AutomAte Tech in 2012 and have had the pleasure of watching his style and skills develop nicely, as amply evidenced on the Mechanism EP released by Diffrent earlier this year.

Pushing a deep, dark and unique style, we felt it was high time Fearful got involved in the Dojo Mix Series, and Chris has obliged with an hour of techy, underground selections. Fresh dubs, VIPs and heavyweight business from the likes of Amoss, Skeptical, Kush T, Perverse and many more; this one is definitely one for the heads.

As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Dropbox.

Fearful – Shock
Lakeway – Guns For Hire
Amoss & Fearful – Carcosa
M:Pathy & Kush T – Bleepers
Fearful – Mechanism
Transparent – Hustler
M-soul, S27 & Mombosh – As I’m Drifting
Conscience – U Make Me Feel
SVB – The Solution
Perverse – Petrichor
Skeptical – Imperial
Fearful – Tongues VIP
Co.Lateral – Coast Killers
Kush T – Delirious
Kasra & Enei – Arcana
Hyroglifics – Astraya
Kasra & Enei – Inside The Box
Lockjaw – Idol (Euph Remix)
M-Set – All Consuming Fear (Amoss Remix)
Shiver – Fragmented
Lynx & Kemo Feat. Alix Perez – Dangerous
Transparent – Patriot
Rakoon – Guard

Tonic – Disposition LP [Modular Carnage]

Posted on 21st June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Kiwi producer Tonic first appeared on the Dojo radar last month with a great release for AutomAte Deep, and it seems he’s been busy in the studio lately. His latest work dropped a couple of days ago via Modular Carnage in the form of a nine track LP, and it’s an impressive body of work.

The tracks on show explore a variety of vibes, with a few of the deep halftime outings amongst a selection of more rolling numbers, all with a shared tone via grimey bass filtrations, sci-fi synths and a general attention to detail. There’s also a willingness to experiment rather than just copycating common D&B sounds and structures, which is nice to hear.

Highlights come on the dubby, sprawling halftime of Disposition, the punchy, insistent roll of Heat Index and the skittering, bleeped up vibes of Collision. Check out the clips below and hit up the Modular Carnage website to grab the album now on a “pay what you like” basis.

Nausika – Dominion / Echoes [Blu Mar Ten Music]

Posted on 17th June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Blu Mar Ten Music’s output continues to be as varied as it is excellent with a cracking new single from Leeds young team Nausika. Dominion provides a study in minimalism and bassweight; punchy percussion, brooding sub and sparse atmospheres define a tune that keeps things stripped back and allows the percussion to evolve along the full length of the track.

Echoes keeps things deep and crisp, once again defined by weighty sub and precise percussion. As with Dominion there’s a steady and subtle progression to the track, with what feels like a nod to the aesthetic of minimal techno. Tasty stuff; check out the clips below and hit up the Blu Mar Ten store to grab it on 12″ before they sell them all!

Future Tense EP [Turbine Music]

Posted on 8th June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Dust Audio sublabel Turbine returns with a menacing selection on their latest Various Artists EP, Future Tense. Acid Lab leads the charge with creepy atmospherics on the intro dropping into old school break chops and reese bass. Love the tension on this one! Slider and Expose keep it grimey on the appropriately titled The Wrath…definitely some angst in the mix here.

Out into the back end of the EP we’re treated to sparse, militant halfstep from Akinsa and industrial tinged business from Antagonist. Deep and dark all the way. Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital store now!

Q&A – PRTCL [Notion Audio]

Posted on 4th June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Those of you with your fingers on the pulse of dark D&B should already know Joe London aka PRTCL. With releases out and forthcoming on the likes of Flexout, AutomAte and Terabyte Joe’s productions have a formidable edge and plenty of atmosphere. We discovered recently that he’s starting up his own label for vinyl releases, so we tracked him down to find out more.

Continue reading →

Survey – Chop Chop EP [Translation Recordings]

Posted on 19th May 2015 by DNB Dojo

Survey continue to hone their sound with a great new EP for US label Translation. Fans of the Berlin based duo will know what to expect here; industrial, grimey techstep in the vein of early Ulterior Motive.

Most of the EP focusses on the half-time tempo with detailed, gritty textures among sparse beats. For us though the standout track is the crisp, rolling beat of the more conventional Paperhands. Check out the clips below and hit up the Translation Bandcamp to grab the release now.

None Decay – Lithium EP [None Decay Music]

Posted on 18th May 2015 by DNB Dojo

Watching None Decay’s evolution over the last few years has been an absolute pleasure. From their humble roots as a relatively unknown act, they’ve honed their skills and notched up some impressive releases on Citrus, AutomAte, Vampire and of course their own None Decay Music imprint.

Their latest EP is absolutely their best material yet, bringing together their usual half-step darkness on The Hive and Forever with more upbeat material on the darkly ravey Lithium and the grimey, skittering Road Runner. There’s some absolute danger in here and no mistake! Check out the clips below and head to Juno to grab the EP right now.

DNB Dojo

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