Tag Archives: Dark

Seba & Paradox – Delusions [Secret Operations]

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Seba and Paradox reunite for their first collaboration in a while, dropping via Seba’s Secret Operations imprint. Delusions strips things right back to the bare essentials, with weighty sub, classic breaks and an ominous sliver of melody lending the tune b-boy flavour and menace in equal proportion.

Future Now keeps the bassweight and spooky vibe but swaps out the relatively steady break of the A side for a far more chopped up affair, snares and cymbals landing all over the place as the low frequencies wobble away beneath. Dangerous! Check out the clips below and look out for this on vinyl and digital from December 8th.

Mauoq – Grey Scale / Itchy Way [Terabyte Records]

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Terabyte welcome Diffrent/Dispatch/Flexout alumnus Mauoq to the fold for a cracking new single to close out the year. Grey Scale builds up nicely with soft strings and piano before dropping into a shuffling beat and typically grimey bassline. The groove on this track is phenomenal, and the contrast between dark and light elements works really well as the piano licks re-emerge in the mix.

Over on the flip Itchy Way keeps the crisp beats in play with more soft, ethereal pad work on the intro giving way gradually to squelchy bass rumblings. The use of space really makes this one, allowing all the elements to breath nicely. Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet from December 8th.

Horizons 10 [Horizons Music]

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Horizons Music celebrate 10 years in the game with an excellent new compilation featuring 14 fresh cuts from names that will be familiar to anyone who’s been following the label in recent times. The compilation takes a look back at the label’s very first release, with Jubei and Amoss both turning in remixes of Skitty’s 10 Steps, but for the most part they’re looking forward with new material from some of the best names in the scene.

It’s difficult to pick highlights from such a strong selection, but a few stand out from the pack. Silent Witness brings a perfectly balanced combination of melodic elements and rolling, dancefloor tech on Fields, Amoss explore their deeper side on the subby liquid of Piano Licks and DLR turns in a trademark chunky stepper on Outta Time. The whole LP is well worth a listen, so check out the clips below and head to your favourite outlet to grab this on CD, vinyl or digital now!

SND – Annihilation EP [Lifestyle Recordings]

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The latest from the Lifestyle camp sees SND return to the label with 5 tracks of crisp, detailed D&B. Annihiliation provides the EP’s most conventional slice of D&B with a nice chunky stepper, while the rest of the EP explores moody half-step territory. One for the heads! Check out the clips below and head to Digital Tunes to grab a copy now.

Fearful – XIII [AutomAte]

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AutomAte round off their year with a fresh release from one of the label’s first artists, Fearful. Crisp, precise beats and growling basslines are the order of the day on this one, keeping things deep and dark. The EP also features remixes from Mtwn and Raiden; the former refixes the track into a skittering percussive workout with all the menace of the original but a distinctly different vibe, while the Offkey boss lends his signature tribal drum sounds to turn in a brooding mix for my pick of the three.

Check out the clips below and look for this at all good digital stores from December 1st.

Maztek – Three Point Zero LP [Renegade Hardware]

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Maztek brings his inimitable neurofunk stylings to Renegade Hardware once again and this time we’re being treated to a full length LP featuring some tasty dancefloor workouts. Fans of Maztek’s style won’t be disappointed, with plenty of gnarly dancefloor workouts like Sprocket,  BTK collab Wraith and the appropriately titled Stompin’ nestled in amongst the tracklist.

For me the highlights came on the impeccable sound design of Tokiwa, the mangled, slouching half-time rhythms of Disprove collab Bad Body and the relentless, rolling beats of Three Point Zero, but the whole LP is well worth your attention; crisp beats and sonic detail are the order of the day here without a doubt. The sampler drops tomorrow so check out the clips of that below, and keep your ear to the ground for clips of the full album before its release on December 15th.

SCAR – Call It What You Want EP [Dispatch Recordings]

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SCAR continue their assault on the D&B scene with four fresh new beats for Dispatch Recordings. Call It What You Want heads straight in with warped bass and rolling breaks for an atmospheric tech workout that should have more than enough juice to move a dancefloor or two. Dank follows suit with a slightly more stripped back beat and some big squelchy bass rumblings driving the tune along.

Twice Shy is pure dancefloor fodder, with an old school set of stabs and a catchy bass riff giving the tune a good stomping rhythm. Last but not least Zero One switches things up with chopped up breaks and creepy FX combining nicely on the EP’s least conventional track.

You can check out the title track from the EP below – full audio previews and pre-order are available at the Dispatch Store. Look out for this on vinyl and digital from November 24th.

Alchemic Breaks 001

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Apparently running three D&B labels and finding time to produce and DJ just wasn’t enough for Leeds-based D&B obsessive Altered Perception, as we’ve just gotten wind of a brand new imprint from the Terabyte/Transmission/Sub:mission boss in the form of Alchemic Breaks. Judging from the first release the label’s MO will be focussing on the deeper and more experimental side of D&B, with minimal stylings at play throughout the tracks.

Jaydrop serves up a tidy slice of tribal half-step business on Camo, while Transmission/Terabyte alumnus Automate brings the dark drumfunk vibes on the appropriately titled Breaksrus. Xsetra delivers the EPs heaviest hitting track with a showering of hard kicks and snares set to a backdrop of warping bass modulations, while Mystic State and Hidden Life team up to close the EP with the dub and IDM-tinged vibes of glacial halfstep number Defrost. Check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping at all good digital stores from November 22nd.

None Decay – Carnea EP [AutomAte]

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AutomAte’s latest release sees None Decay return to the imprint’s “Green” wing for a solo artist EP showcasing their deep, dark, minimal stylings. Carnea opens the EP with a stripped back, crisp, minimal drum workout, while Clockwork moves along like it’s namesake at a steady, tribal gate punctuated with steely percussion and echoing FX.

Paesan recruits Stakka Lyrics to provide vocal duties over another stark, stripped back combo of beats and bass, and the MCing doesn’t disappoint; quick flows, smart rhymes and an appropriately swaggering delivery give this one plenty of character. It’s left to Last Midnight to close the EP, building up with creepy pads and a nicely lifted vocal snippet from True Detective before dropping into a grimey combination of bass and frenetic, cymbal-led beats. Tasty stuff.

As usual this will be dropping through all good digital outlets – check out the clips below and look for the release dropping from November 10th.

Locksem – My Love & I (Despicable Youth Remix) [Lockdown Recordings]

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Lockdown Recordings return with an excellent new single featuring the beats of Cardiff producer Locksem. The A side sees Despicable Youth on remix duties, reworking My Love and I. The intro features some top notch sound design work, with textures crackling over the mix before the beats drop and start building the tension. Creepy vocals and heavy sub bass give the tune a nice mixture of heft and atmosphere, which is no mean feat in the often sterile world of tech D&B.

Chaos Theory on the flip aims for more predictable dark dancefloor tech territory, and succeeds amiably in creating a big, stomping roller with plenty of detail. The use of dramatic strings on the build ups is a nice touch too. Check out the clips and look for this one at your favourite digital store from November 3rd.