Tag Archives: Deep

G.H.O.S.T – IV [Goldman]

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Dojo favourites G.H.O.S.T are back with another EP on their own Goldman Records imprint and as usual the three man production team have poured their heart and soul into another finely crafted vinyl release. Blood Brother kicks things off with a crisp, rolling break set to crunchy bass and moody atmospheres; threatening without ever lurching into truly aggressive territory, this is spooky and unsettling in all the right ways.

The flipside takes things old school with some serious break chopping and ethereal padwork on the tough yet beautiful Brut. Fans of the natural funk breaks of 90s D&B should find plenty to enjoy here! Last but not least digital bonus track Structure hits home with a techy edge and more superbly crisp drums; those fills are unbelievably tasty. Check out the clips below and hit up the Goldman Bandcamp to grab the release on digital or strictly limited 12″, shipping out at the end of this week.

The Untouchables & Resound – Seperate Reality EP [Translation]

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Esteemed US imprint Translation returns with a fantastic new 12″ EP from crafty dubslingers The Untouchables, with a couple of guest appearances from the equally crafty Finish Beatsmith and collaborator extraordinaire Resound.

If threatening, dubbed out minimalism and tribal rhythms are your bag then you might as well just stop reading and buy this right now; the EP delivers in spades on that front, and the halftime fanboys / room 2 train-spotters are doubtless already salivating over this release. Rightly so; the material here carries that blissful combination of hefty bassweight, crisp but spacious beats and terse atmospherics that made the early dubstep sound and the thriving deep halftime scene so satisfying.

This EP isn’t full of surprises by any stretch but the hypnotic echoes and resonating sub pull you in over and over, like a warm blanket of sound encasing you completely. Those that find the halftime rhythm slow / boring aren’t likely to be any more sold based on this outing, but it’s their loss; one for the heads that know! Check out the clips below and hit up the Translation Store to grab this on vinyl or digital right now.

DNB Dojo Mix Series 24: Fuj

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MixSeries24_Fuj

For our first mix of 2016 we welcome Fuj to the DNB Dojo Mix Series! With some cracking releases under his belt for AutomAte Deep and Scientia and a fresh remix just about to drop for Cirrus’s Terra Null imprint, Fuj’s deep, dark style has been turning heads for some time, and we’re big fans here at Dojo HQ.

For his DNB Dojo mix he’s compiled a selection that is threatening and thoughtful in equal measure, featuring deep cuts from the likes of Module Eight, Loxy & Overlook alongside techier business from the likes of Amoss and Fre4knc, and of course a few of his own beats for good measure. Grimey business…

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 Google Drive.

Ghostek – Velvet (Forge remix)
Thing – Atomica
The Untouchables – Weapon X
No Rules & Torn – Massacre
Loxy & Overlook – Harbour
Pessimist – Gas Heads
Mystic State – Spirituality
MTWN – Spinal Groove
Amit – Pripyat
Space Matters – Westend
Skadi – Quick March
Mystic State – Lost Cause
Fuj & Dauntless – Deadweight
Paragon & Gremlinz – Oranda
Synx – Hollow Point
Foreign Concept & Xtrah – Harsh Reality
Paragon – Heirship
Survey – Deflection
Skeptical – Square Breathing
Fuj – Death Trader
Survey, Tehpra & Arkoze – Pattern
Amoss – Crooked Arm
Fuj – Rogue Inferno
J.Robinson – The Tribal Effect
Acid Lab – Hybrid
Module 8 – Meltdown
Last Life – 85 15
Mako – Let The Truth Be Heard
Danny Scrilla – Fallout (Goth Trad remix)
Fuj – Pressure Plates
DBR UK – 2-Shots (feat. Gremlinz)
Jaydrop – Camo
Fre4knc – Marching Cube VIP
K-Rob & Kevlar – Hostile Visitors
Cirrus – Angel (Fuj Remix)
Homemade Weapons – Beowulf VIP
SKV18 – Falling
Concealed Identity & Mental Forces – Nomad
Overlook, Loxy & Resound – The Lodge
Antagonist & Paragon – Deadly Design
Fuj – The Prow

Concealed Identity – Levanter [Narratives]

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In today’s world of low cost, high quantity digital output, Narratives Music are something of an enigma. Compared with the hectic release schedule of most D&B imprints, their leisurely pace (with sometimes only one release a year) stands apart from the pack, but the bar set by those releases very much stands apart too. Quality over quantity is a maxim more imprints might do well to try and follow.

The latest work on the imprint comes from relatively unknown producer Concealed Identity and holds true to the aesthetic of previous releases; deep, beautiful, and unbelievably well produced. The positively cinematic Levanter brings together epic pads, super crisp drums and soft, melancholy sax for a constantly cascading, reverb drenched halftime exploration that could scarcely be more spaced out if it tried. Dancefloor material this is most certainly not, but powerful and enthralling it most certainly is.

Calavera meanwhile brings similarly crisp percussion and hints of jazz but mixes them up into a more insistent, more threatening composition that carries a hint of the Metalheadz sound. The creepy string work and clattering drum section are absolutely hair raising on this one.

Narratives have once again excelled themselves here! Check out the clips below and hit up their Bandcamp page to bag the release on vinyl or digital ahead of the Jan 29th release.

January Roundup

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2016 is already looking like a great year for drum & bass, so without further ado we’ll be taking a look at some of the worthy releases that have hit the Dojo inbox so far this year. Read on for new beats from Genotype, PIN, Sully and more… Continue reading →

Composite – Nesh EP [Context Audio]

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Those who keep their finger on the pulse of the D&B scene in the south of England should already be aware of Context Audio, but for anyone who missed their inception announcements they’re a new digital imprint based in Portsmouth. In their own words, they are “a label focused on only serving up exceptional high grade drums. We like it deep and rolling, and we hope you do too”. Sounds good to us here at Dojo HQ!

Sounding even better than the press sound-bites are the clips for their debut release from Composite. The EP serves up three distinct tracks held together by fantastic percussion – those brags about high grade drums seem well founded from this outting at least.

The grittier vibes of opener Nesh and the softer liquid strains of Know Yourself are both solid tracks but for us the real star of this show is the crazy 5/4 drumfunk of Dispersion. Channelling the influence of Photek from tracks like Ni Ten Ichi Ryu into an utterly beautiful, confoundingly rhythmic and deeply unusual composition, this is one of the freshest tunes we’ve heard from a new label in some time.

The EP is due for release Jan 28th so keep your eyes on the Context Facebook feed for more details, and if you happen to be in the Portsmouth area on Feb 5th get yourself along to their label launch party.

Get To Know…Bay 6 Recordings

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Regular readers may well have picked up on the fact that we quite like Bay 6 Recordings. In fact we’d go so far as to say it’s one of our favourite small liquid imprints around right now, and that’s in the face of some fairly stiff competition to boot. 2016 felt like the perfect time to resurrect our ‘Get To Know’ label showcase feature, so for the first of many we present the finer points of the Bay 6 discography. Continue reading →

Lurch – Long Road Back [Flexout]

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Flexout Audio continue their impressive run of releases with two fresh tracks from Lurch. Long Road Back brings together Lurch’s aptitude for melancholy liquid elements with a growling bassline and a heavy hitting halftime drum line, creating a great little hybrid of light and dark. Beer Belly Dub ups the ante, going in full roll on the drums and bringing in tons of movement in the low end for a perfect balance of grime and funk. This one’s out now at all good digital outlets; get to know!

Soul Intent – Late Night Sleaze EP [Lossless]

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Soul Intent has been really impressing us here at the Dojo lately and his latest work on his own Lossless Music imprint proves no exception to that rule. The Late Night Sleaze EP collects four cheeky rollers imbued with plenty of character and soul, walking a pleasant line between dancefloor chops and musical deftness.

1,2,3,4 kicks off the release, featuring old school hero DJ Tango and a combination of twangy double bass and rolling breakbeats which should put a skip in your step and a smile on your face; low slung and funky as hell. Go Hustle takes things murkier, skuzzing out the bass behind some tasty jazz licks for a solid head-nodder.

Late Night Sleaze continues that jazz theme, with sultry saxophone riffs accompanying another satisfyingly chunky break for a tune that positively oozes class. Eyes might even meet on the dancefloor over this one! Last but not least, Nearly There spaces things way out for an epic downtempo jam, reverb drenched snares echoing out into the distance behind the mournful piano riff for a proper tug at the heartstrings.

It’s always great to hear artists proving that drum & bass can be about emotion as well as just making your feet move, and this EP more than accomplishes that feat. Check out the clips below and hit up the Lossless Bandcamp to get a copy direct from the source on vinyl or digital now.

Goldie – Broken Man [Metalheadz]

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Metalheadz continue their absolutely stellar run of recent releases with a single from label boss Goldie. Broken Man brings in a heart-wrenching vocal from young soul vocalist Kwabs and generally eschews D&B conventions to focus on a more “song” style composition, with the other sonic elements all serving to lift and empower the vocal in the mix. It definitely won’t be for everyone but for our money this is a cracking piece of music, charged with emotion and not seeking anyone’s approval.

Over on the flip Ivy Lab’s Halogenix delivers a sleek remix that should tick all the requisite boxes for fans of the deep liquid roller, and certainly makes the track a bit more DJ friendly. Expect to hear this reached for late in the night, and possibly the subject of some cheeky double drops with heftier tunes. Top class from Metalheadz once again; check out the clips below and hit up their store to grab it on vinyl or digital now.