Tag Archives: Dark

DNB Dojo Mix Series 08: Deficit

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MixSeries08Defecit_new

Automate co-founder Deficit steps up to deliver the eighth installment of our exclusive mix series! Packed full of cuts from the label alongside dark techy business from the likes of Philth, Raiden, Icicle, Dose and many more, this is definitely one for the heads! Stream via Mixcloud below and grab yourself a download from Mediafire.

Ben Fawce & P-Fine – Boiler Room  [Flexout Audio]
Philth – Submarine  [AutomAte]
Foreign Concept & DRS – Falling Stars  [Critical]
Shiver – Forfeit  [Diffrent]
Vince Grain – Nyctophilia  [AutomAte Deep dub]
DROPS – The Catalyst  [AutomAte]
DROPS – Utopia  [AutomAte dub]
Fuj – Pressure Plates  [AutomAte Deep]
PRTCL – Grinder  [Flexout dub]
Philth – The Game VIP  [Flexout]
Icicle – Anxious  [Shogun]
Raiden – 657  [Tech:nology]
Noisia – Brainstitch  [Shogun]
Raiden – Citalopram  [Tech:nology]
Raiden – Trinity  [Offkey]
Soularize – Buried  [Broken Audio free]
None Decay – Gully  [AutomAte]
Beaton – South  [Dark Manoeuvres]
Halogenix – Raya VIP  [Dispatch]
Raiden – Danzon  [Voodoo]
Philth & Wreckless – Poison (Raiden Remix)  [AutomAte Tech]
Philth & Wreckless – Daywalker  [Peer Pressure]
Philth – Overload  [AutomAte Tech]
Dose – Squander  [Human Imprint]
Audio – Loudener  [Position Chrome]

Chroma – Territories / Brain Strain [Renegade Hardware]

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Following their appearance on the Limber EP last year it seemed likely only to be a matter of time until more Chroma tunes surfaced on Hardware and the new 12″ about to drop sees the boys on fine form with two tough techstep offerings for the legendary label.

Territories keeps the beats skittering and meshes traces of dub nicely with dark bass and rugged beats, while Brain Strain heads for more rolling territory, bringing tasty bass modulations and finely crafted percussion lines sure to move a dancefloor. Check out the beats below and watch out for the release on vinyl and digital from April 7th.

SCAR – Fair Game / Later [Horizons]

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SCAR follow up their epic debut for Dispatch Recordings with another pair of finely crafted slices of dark techstep for Horizons Music. Fair Game goes in with a rolling break and big, warm bass swells and a hint of wobble in the modulation…definitely one for the steady skanking crew.

Over on the flip Later kicks things off with echoing chords and weird squelchy samples before hitting down with massive bass stabs and a rough break which brings to mind the classic era of hard hitting techstep from the early 2000s.

You can pick up advance white labels of this from the Horizons Shop now – eyes peeled for general release over the next few weeks.

Opsen & Primal Therapy – Paradox EP [Vandal Records]

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Vandal Records return with another hefty neurofunk release from relative newcomers Opsen & Primal Therapy. Paradox ticks all the right boxes for neurofunk fans with heavy drum lines and warped bass, while Billain’s remix smashes the tune out of the park with a glitched up intro and the sort of relentless drop that only the badman from Bosnia can craft.

Hologram builds tension nicely on the intro with mechanical sounding FX and eerie pads which give way to tasty bass swells at the drop. Finally Analog Dream dials back the aggression for a moody, tribal stepper with more of the crisp, well crafted percussion that’s present throughout the EP. Another great release from a label that seems destined for great things!

Check out the clips below and grab the release from your favourite digital outlet now.

Sensus – Primal EP [Chaos Audio]

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The next release from Lancaster-based Chaos Audio comes from Canadian producer Sensus who drops an EP of dark, brooding techstep. All three tracks head for grimey territory with punchy synthetic drums and crunchy bass, the highlight for me being Pulse. Check out the tracks below and watch out for the release dropping from March 28th.

Depth of Vision Vol. 2 [AutomAte]

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Automate return with the second of their Depth of Vision EP series featuring another four fresh cuts from up and coming producers. D.R.O.P.S. kick things off with the tight, dark and rolling beats of Utopia, while None Decay heads for more tribal territory with the insistent half-time kicks and morphing bass of the appropriately named Gully.

Into the latter half of the EP we’re treated to some crisp drum syncopations on Beaton’s Something From The Jungle, with spooky pads and vocal echoes moving in and out of the mix. The leftfield beat arrangements and some great use of stereo width really make this one! Lastly Ruffie delivers an industrial tinged stomper in the form of Strife, mixing hard kicks and treated snares with haunting, reverb drenched pads.

Check out the clips below and watch out for the EP dropping at all good digital outlets from April 7th.

Emperor & Mefjus – Hello World EP [Critical]

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Fans of the heavier end of D&B will doubtless have been waiting on this one with keen anticipation, but the wait is now over – Emperor & Mefjus’s collaborative Hello World EP is now available on vinyl and digital, exclusively at Surus prior to the general release on April 7th.

There’s absolutely no holding back on this release as the pair showcase two collabs and two remixes, all of which prove to be 100% neurofunk killers. The level of detail, grit and weight imbued in each track is pretty self evident from the clips below so have a listen and grab yourself some dancefloor weapons!

Binary – Etched / Polaris [E-Motion]

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Binary returns to E-Motion with a pair of dark, minimal steppers in the vein of Icicle et al. Both tracks emphasise deep sub and crisp drums over in your face lead segments and aim for groove rather than heft, and the overall effect is very satisfying.

Etched heads for dark, angular territory while Polaris softens the mood slightly with lush pads on the intro and bridge segments and a more rolling break compared to the hard drums of the A side. Check out both tracks below and watch out for the release dropping from March 24th at all good digital stores.

SCAR – Call To Arms EP [Dispatch]

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Dispatch return with a storming EP from Survival and Script in their new SCAR collaborative alias. As you’d expect from both the producers and the label this is heavy tech D&B at it’s finest with every kick, snare and mangled bassline perfectly placed for maximum impact.

Burnside gets the EP off to a fine start with a precise yet raw slice of dark, rolling drum & bass. Call To Arms ups the ante with a seriously broody intro the builds suspense all the way from the initial snares, through the ominous stab samples and into the groaning bass of the drop. Screwfaces at the ready!

Out into the back side of the EP the duo get creative on Time Constant with some nice clattering breaks and plenty of tasty drum edits, while Dodgy Dalek aims for sheer groove and succeeds in ample measure. SCAR are clearly a duo to watch this year if this EP is anything to go by. Head on over to the Dispatch Store or Surus to grab it now!

Fre4knc – Tellurian EP [Samurai Music]

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Fans of the tough, dark and minimal end of the D&B spectrum should already be familiar with Fre4knc (that’s pronounced “frequency”, right?). His latest EP for Samurai continues his trend for a sound which mixes darkness and precision to great effect.

Opener Tellurian strikes down with insistent tribal rhythms, while The Source makes great play of an alternation between dubby half-time beats and schizophrenic drum break syncopations as scratchy old breaks are pushed to the limits. Drumfunk heads are in for a treat with this one! Finally Flink rounds the EP off with a mean combination of hefty sub hits, an infectious scattershot lead and crisp, rapid drum rolls.

As usual from the Samurai camp the release is available on beautiful marbled wax and both the physical package and the music contained within are pretty damn stunning. Pre-orders are up now at Surus and the release drops on Monday 10th March.