Four years of silence have passed since Mauoq Music’s first release, but Mauoq has finally taken it upon himself to revive the imprint with two fresh new takes on the tracks from the first release. Medika turns in a fresh remix of Aerosolid while Mauoq revisits Free The Past for a new VIP. Both tracks deliver exactly the kind of deep, atmospheric halfstep the man has made his name delivering over the past few years; no surprises, but plenty to enjoy. Check out the clips below and grab this one from Bandcamp now, with full release following from Feb 20th.
Tag Archives: Dark
Phace – Shape The Random LP Sampler [Neosignal]
The mighty Phace is back and his signature high-precision, high-energy neurofunk sound remains as compelling as ever! The first taste of the German producer’s second solo album drops on vinyl and digital from Monday, and fans will certainly not be disappointed. My Mind Is Modular builds suspense with tight percussion and a hypnotic melody before slamming down into a typically frenetic assault of beats and bass.
Over on the flip Monochrome proves just as fearsome, playing around with unusual rhythms on the intro before dropping into angular kicks and snares set to a terrifying rising bassline. Robotic stuff! The sampler drops on vinyl and digital from Feb 16th, with the rest of the album due to follow a month later. The physical format aficionados (or those with deep pockets at least) can also head over to the Neosignal bandcamp to pre-order an album bundle with both vinyl releases, CD, t-shirt, stickers and full digital download. Check out the clips below and prepare yourself for the neurofunk onslaught!
Suboreal – Isis EP [Chaos Audio]
Chaos Audio return with a dark, minimal EP from German producer Suboreal. Featuring super crisp production and plenty of bass heft, the tracks take in a wide range of tones. Isis features driving, kick heavy rhythms while Abide provides plodding, onimous soundscapes; out into the back half of the EP Resilience explores chunky half time beats while Torrent closes things out with skittering percussion set over more gritty, detailed atmospherics. Check out the clips below and watch out for this one dropping from Feb 23rd.
Need For Mirrors – Verve [Warm Communications]
The latest release on esteemed US imprint Warm Communications comes from the ever reliable Need For Mirrors. Verve sees the London-based producer deliver a stomping slab of dancefloor tech with both eyes firmly on the dancefloor; crunchy breaks evoke the spirit of the 90s techstep golden era and the bass riff here is a pure head-nodder.
Berners Street Dub dials the agro back a couple of notches, heading for deep, subby territory with more classic D&B sounds updated for the modern generation. Finally Blue Go Purple chops up more crunchy breaks for a dark, angular stepper that has the warmth and fuzz which only analogue gear can produce. If you’re looking for super-clean mixdowns this might not be for you; if you want genuine music with a vibe then this should hit the spot! Check out the clips below and look for this one on vinyl and digital from Feb 9th.
TR Tactics – Mental Delusion EP [Citrus Recordings]
Austrian D&B duo TR Tactics follow up their excellent recent work for Addictive Behaviour with a fresh new single for Citrus Recordings. Mental Delusion hits down hard with big squelchy bass riffs, while on the flip fellow Austrian producer Phentix joins the TR team for a punchy drum workout on Quest Of Mind. Check out the clips below and head to your favourite digital outlet to grab the release now!
Forbidden Society – Throne Crusher [Forbidden Society Recordings]
Forbidden Society kicks off 2015 with a big new LP filled to the brim with upfront hardstep and neurofunk stylings. Anyone looking for subtlety need not apply, but if you’re looking for a stomping selection of dancefloor D&B with a tough edge you could do far worse than this!
Highlights come on the driving, riffy Boycott, the old school reese madness of Stay True To The Game and the skittering breaks of Paradise. There’s also some weird glitch-hop madness in the form of Ion Engines and Enter, alongside a wealth of other aggy D&B business. Check out the clips below and look for this on CD, vinyl and digital from Feb 2nd.
Fuj – Talus Nights / Aphotic Zone [AutomAte Deep]
AutomAte Deep keep things dark and moody as Fuj returns to the label with two fresh new tracks. Similar in style to his previous Terror Firmer single, Talus Nights and Aphotic Zone both feature ominous pads, throbbing bass and detailed percussion. Halfstep heads will love these! Check the clips below and grab a copy from your favourite store right now!
Skeptical – Imperial EP [Exit Records]
Having contributed releases for both Mosaic LPs, collaborated with dBridge and of course played a part in the seminal Marka single, it seemed only a matter of time til Skeptical dropped a solo release for Exit. Fans of all things dark and minimal in the 170BPM sphere will be glad to hear that that time is now, with young Skeppy dropping four new beats for dBridge’s esteemed imprint in the form of the Imperial EP.
The titular Imperial opens things up with a tight, percussive groover with a tribal vibe; with the exception of some fairly sparse strings this track pretty much entirely ignores melody in favour of a wall of sub bass and a hypnotic drum line, rattling away in a trance inducing fashion. Don’t bother listening to this on a pair of iPod headphones; you’ll need some fairly serious speakers to give it a fair hearing.
Playground Chat Back keeps the minimal aesthetic but strips the beat back and plays with some pretty robotic bass hums; once again the low end heft is definitely gonna induce a few screwfaces in the dance. Instant Reflex ups the energy a bit with tons of movement in the bass samples and massive kicks and snares driving the track along nicely, while Delusions of Grandeur closes things out with a growling, angular half-stepper. Watch out for these dropping January 19th on vinyl and digital, and arm yourself with some low end weaponry!
Hex – Tin Man / Skitta [Transmission Audio]
Dojo bossman Hex steps up to deliver the latest release for Leeds-based Transmission Audio. True to the label’s MO the release features two dark, techy cuts, with Tin Man bringing hard breaks and metallic bass while Skitta keeps the energy flowing with rising reese bass and plenty of atmospherics.
Check out the clips below and grab this from your favourite digital outlet now!
Infra Audientia Part 2 [Dark Manoeuvres]
Dark Manouevres close out their year with the second part of their Infra Audientia series, featuring 4 more tracks from some talented lesser known names. Native goes in super deep on the melancholy liquid of Gone, while Ower strips it back to the bare essentials of bass, breaks and piano licks for Another Day.
Dser’s wobbly bass and break chopping on Death Valley doesn’t really do much for me, but the EP still finishes strong as Beaton turns in a tough techy roller on the creepy, atmospheric Reproduction Prohibition. Check out the clips below and look for this one at your favourite digital stores from December 15th.