Pennygiles – Stories Untold Remixes [IM:Ltd]

Posted on 22nd October 2014 by DNB Dojo

IM:Ltd’s latest release sees Pennygiles’ Stories Untold getting the remix treatment no less than three times. Nymfo turns in a dank dancefloor refix which keeps the soul of the tune but bolsters it with a tough break and a hefty wall of sub bass, while the flipside of the 12″ sees Pennygiles teaming up with French liquid producer Redeyes for a typically deep and satisfying roller.

Out into the digital extras, Diffrent Music’s Arkaik twists up Stories Untold into a darker and altogether more angular form, while Robustus turns drops things down even deeper with a half-time rework and some nice glitchy touches. Great work as ever from the IM:Ltd camp – check out the clips below and grab this on vinyl and digital now.

Low Profile – Distance Awareness [Reserve Audio]

Posted on 19th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

As regular readers may have noticed we always love getting sent something unexpected, and the Distance Awareness LP provided a pleasant surprise when it fell into our mailbox recently.

Fans of the deeper and more atmospheric end of D&B and it’s crossover with other forms of electronica will definitely enjoy this one, as the Prague based duo take us a journey spanning ten tracks and taking in influence from dub, hip-hop, minimal D&B and beyond. Favourable comparisons with Kryptic Minds’ dubstep outings and the sort of half-time beats coming out of the Samurai Music stable spring to mind, but that’s not to say this is mere copycatting; there’s plenty of originality to be found here.

Ultimately the music is always best left to speak for itself, so check out the tracks below and grab the LP from Bandcamp now!

Survey – Object Relations EP [Protect Audio]

Posted on 17th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

Protect Audio return with a top new EP from German production outfit Survey. Fresh from releases on Invisible and Authentic, Survey are slowly carving themselves a rep for crisp, techy beats and this latest EP sees their style and talents honed once again.

Collapse kicks things off with a smooth slice of rolling techstep which brings to mind early Ulterior Motive productions for Subtitles Music. Jumpat gets in on the action for 9814, which keeps the grimey bass texture but switches the drum rhythms up in favour of weird, tribal syncopations aimed more at your head than your dancing shoes.

The tone and detail continue through Fragment and Inhale, both harnessing a darkness and industrial quality which may well be inspired by the atmosphere of Survey’s current home, Berlin. Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping on CD and digital from October 20th.

Theory of the Avantgarde – Cosmos LP [Avantgarde Recordings]

Posted on 14th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

Dabs and Grotesque’s have brought together a fierce selection of tracks for their Avantgarde Recordings imprint’s first LP, and fans of the deep but techy end of the D&B spectrum will definitely not be disappointed with the result!

Highlights include M-zine, Skepticz and Matt Pulsa’s tight, techy workout on Fumes, Fade’s big, bad reese bass driven business on Swarm and the grimy minimalist stylings of Kush T, who teams up with Serge on Hyperspace. Sadly only a few of the clips are only so far, but keep an eye on the Avantgarde soundcloud for more, and watch out for the LP dropping from October 20th. We’ve also lined up an exclusive mix from some of the Avantgarde crew so hold tight for that one soon!

None Decay – Night Terrors / Bicep [None Decay Music]

Posted on 13th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

None Decay return to their own imprint with another pair of dark, techy beats. Night Terrors provides a fairly hefty slice of rolling, industrial-edged D&B that brings to mind old school Virus Recordings business, but for me the star of the show is found in Bicep on the flip.

Imbued with tons of creepy atmosphere from the pads and FX, the tune flexes it’s proverbial muscles via crunchy bass growls and a stomping, insistent half-step beat. The little sonic details washing in and out over the backbone of bass and beats really make this one. Check out the clips below and grab this from the None Decay Bandcamp or your favourite digital store now.

Mitekiss – Vaxe / Deltica [Sub:mission Audio]

Posted on 9th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

Leeds based imprint Sub:mission Audio continue to impress with another great new single from an up and coming talent, this time in the form of new addition to the label Mitekiss. The Croydon-based producer serves up a pair of effortless liquid rollers – Vaxe on the A-side proves a melancholy, piano-led slice of emotion straight from the school of Tokyo Prose, while Deltica heads for slightly more unusual territory, combining soft pads with odd little FX hits.

Both tracks show an appreciation for the “less is more” stylings of deep liquid D&B and a thoughtful musicality that’s difficult not to engage with. Check out the clips below, and watch out for this dropping from October 15th at all good digital stores.

Deficit & Peak – The Watchmen [AutomAte Deep]

Posted on 8th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

Label boss Deficit brings us another fine pair of tracks for AutomAte’s Deep arm, including his first solo outing for the label. The Watchmen sees him teaming up with Peak on a brooding, snarling composition that does it’s best to defy genre boundaries. Beats fall from all around in rapid syncopations but eschew the familiar D&B patterns in favour of wandering, tribal rhythms, while the bass growls away in the background and a bleeping melody dances over the top. The whole track has a superbly dystopian vibe to it, epitomized by the quote lifted from the Watchmen movie in the bridge.

Over on the flip, Eternum sees Deficit going it alone on another dark, eerie composition, blending a half-time rhythm with robotic bass and creepy sci fi FX sweeps. Once again there’s tons of detail in the mix with all manner of weird percussion making an appearance over the backbone of kicks and snares. Once again we’re treated to a cinematic quote in the breakdown, this time from Sherlock Homes. Clearly Deficit is a man who knows his movies as well as his music.

If you appreciate the weirder end of the 170BPM spectrum and the defter end of sound design you should definitely give these a listen; check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping from October 13th.

Famous Lost Words Remixes: Part 3 [Blu Mar Ten Music]

Posted on 5th October 2014 by DNB Dojo

Blu Mar Ten unveil the third and final instalment of their Famous Lost Words remix EP series with new mixes from Ulterior Motive, Nuage and their latest signing Kimyan Law. Ulterior Motive make In Your Eyes very much their own, swapping out the frantic amens of the original for a slower paced half-time beat. The twinkling atmosphere of the original is largely gone too, replaced with ominous bass growls and a spooky, pitched down version of the original vocal.

Nuage turns his hand to Famous Lost Words, channelling the autonomic spirit for a glitchy, slouching remix with tons of the lush pad work I’ve come to love on his productions. The real star of the show here though is Kimyan Law’s absolutely beautiful re-imagining of Half The Sky. An insistent beat combines with a soft chiming melody that has either been crafted fresh or has been re-sampled from the original beyond recognition, and the atmosphere of the track is dialled right up to 11. The result is effortlessly emotive and hauntingly beautiful, and I can’t wait to hear his debut album when it drops later this year.

Check out the clips below and head over to the Blu Mar Ten Music store to pick up the release on vinyl or digital now.

Clarity – Hell’s Gate [Samurai Music]

Posted on 29th September 2014 by DNB Dojo

Samurai warm us up for the impending release of Clarity’s debut LP with a 3 track EP featuring the man’s deep, dark riddims. Hell’s Gate sees T Man take the mic for a gloomy stepper imbued with an appropriately confrontational vocal, while Engineering brings on board regular partner in crime Overlook for an exercise in atmosphere and percussion precision. The bongo rolls and rumbling sub give this a really hypnotic vibe.

Last but by no means least, Hours delivers more ominous, tribal rhythms, with reverb-drenched pads and echoing gongs washing over crisp hats and an insistent kick/snare line. Check out the clips below and head over to the Samurai Store to grab the release on vinyl or digital.

If you want more from Clarity look no further than the latest episode of the Samurai Music podcast where you’ll find an hour long mix showcasing tracks from the EP alongside other selections from the experimental end of the 170 spectrum.

M:Pathy – Thumper / Velocious [Terabyte Records]

Posted on 22nd September 2014 by DNB Dojo

Terabyte return after their eclectic selection of remixes with a fresh single from previous label alumnus M:Pathy. Thumper takes it’s name from a thumping sub line, driving the tune along in tandem with a rolling techstep beat and a minimalist selection of midrange growls and subtle pads.

Velocious (as in rapid, or fast) sticks with the stripped back, gloomy tone but switches the beat up, punctuating a half-time kick/snare rhythm with a rapidly shuffling top percussion line. Once again there’s some impressively hefty sub on show here; iPod headphones or laptop speakers are certainly not gonna do these tunes justice. The release is out right now at all good digital stores so check out the clips below. If you want a little more on all things Terabyte be sure to check out our recent interview with label boss Auzi here.

DNB Dojo

Drum & Bass News and Reviews

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