Cambridge producer Actraiser returns to Dutch imprint Fokuz Recordings with four tracks of warm, melodic and bassy liquid D&B. All four tracks are excellent in their own way but the pick of the bunch for me is the rapid melodic chimes, infectious groove and huge sub bass of Without You. Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping at all good digital stores from May 19th.
For anyone who’s wondering what DJ Trace has been up to lately, it seems he’s been busy founding a new label in the form of 117 Records. Apparently having tired of the neuro sound he’d been championing for over a decade at DSCI4, he shut that label down and started 117 with a view to releasing a slew of music from producers who have been harnessing a more old school sound in combination with modern production techniques.
The label’s latest output is an absolutely gigantic LP featuring D&B and Jungle cuts which are dark and at times techy but definitely a shade different to the neurofunk sounds that defined DSCI4. The two LP bundles available are split between 8 tracks in a vinyl only bundle (available at Redeye here) consisting of 4 limited edition clear 10″s, and a 24 track digital bundle.
Particular highlights from the vinyl bundle come on from Kid Lib with the manic jungle syncopations of The Rifle, Gremlinz & Homemade Weapons absolutely menacing Scar-H and the equally brutal roll of Genotype’s aptly titled Aggression Snare. The digital bundle meanwhile plays host to some treats such as the hyperactive amen cut ups of X Nation’s remix of Trace’s Never Felt This Way, the distinctly old skool stabs and breaks of Fade’s Phobia and Trace and Nico’s clattering Monkeys.
The whole LP is well worth a listen so check out the clips on Soundcloud and pick your own favourites.
Something a little different today as we take a look at the debut release from Blind Music, a self professed “record label experiment” where every release will be entirely anonymous. The three tracks are written by three different producers, but no clues are available as to who might have penned any of them, and there appear to be no tell-tale production signs either.
BLND#1 provides a nice combination of classic breaks, reverb drenched piano and warm sub bass. The second track on the EP lulls you into a false sense of security with a semi-ambient intro before smacking down with a huge drumline (featuring some dangerously metallic snares) and a meaty sub line. This one sounds like it’d benefit from a proper rig for full effect. Finally BLND#3 heads for upbeat roller territory with some old school bass swells and some nice jazzy touches over the top.
The EP is available now from Bandcamp so have a listen and puzzle over who might be behind the beats.
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Noisia’s Invisible Recordings imprint returns with another various artists EP showcasing the deeper side of the 170BPM spectrum. Nickbee returns to the imprint with a rolling slice of tech with plenty of atmosphere, but to be honest the other tracks on the release prove far more interesting.
Bop and Diagram’s Abstract Elements collaboration make their first appearance on the label with the angular microfunk of PMS!!!, complete with one of the oddest samples I’ve heard in a tune for some time. Fre4knc serves up a dark, industrial slice of half-step business with some interesting rhythms on Cardiome, and finally Berlin duo Survey deliver a distinctly tribal sounding rhythm in the form of Swim.
Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping on vinyl from Monday with digital following on the 26th.
Scene stalwart Digital brings his wares to Horizons Music with an EP of tasty new leftfield rhythms. Figjam kicks things off with big reese bass swells set over a drum line that starts slow with nothing but kicks and hats on the intro before dropping into a syncopated frenzy of processed breaks a few bars after the drop.
Waiting heads for deep territory with a simple yet hypnotic melody layered over warm sub and a crisp, stepper’s break, with soft synthetic strings adding character. Therapy proceeds to drop things down into dubby half-time territory with varied percussion and hordes of atmosphere. Finally the Slowjam mix of Figjam rounds things off by turning the title track into a 140BPM workout drenched in delay and reverb.
To find out a bit more about the EP we caught up with Digital for a quick chat. Read on for his thoughts on track names, the D&B scene and the best studio snacks!
BCee & Bladerunner team up on a pair of deep liquid rollers for Fokuz sub label Celsius Recordings. Combining BCee’s ear for melodic flourishes and Blade Runner’s jungle tinged bass and breaks, the two tunes tread a nice line between dancefloor business and musicality.
Moonstruck makes good use of a wobbly bassline and a tight break under soft strings and pads to create an atmosphere that is energetic but slightly melancholy. Crash heads for jazzier territory with upbeat piano and saxophone over throbbing bass tones and another great rolling break; summer business on this one. Check out the beats below and grab it from your favourite outlet now!
Over the years RAM has steadily become, for better or worse, more and more focused on big room, dancefloor D&B from the likes of Wilkinson, and has moved away from the more experimental side of D&B production. It seems their new sibling label ProgRAM is seeking to change all that though, and the latest release from Hungarian producer Kelle takes things deep and dark.
Respirator opens up with a massive throbbing sub line, skittering percussion and a tribal rhythm that drives the relatively simple composition along nicely. Radiophobia ups the ante somewhat with more insistent snares and a slightly more rolling beat. Creepy synth stabs on the intro give way to a heavy steppers beat on the drop and more of that dark sub bass action.
Overall this release smacks of a producer who’s only just getting started; definitely one to keep an eye on over the rest of this year! Grab this one from your favourite outlet now.
The follow up to Frederic Robinson’s excellent Mixed Signals LP just dropped on Blu Mar Ten Music and as with all of his work it’s a treat for fans of the deeper side of 170 BPM electronica. As well as the original mix of Vamp Til Ready (one of the album’s standout tracks) we’re treated to an extended live reinterpretation of the track, which captures the essence of the original while embellishing it nicely.
The true highlights of the EP come on the brand new material though. Synkro comes in on remix duties with a fresh take on Mixed Signals, lending it his trademark shuffling percussion and airy reverb-drenched atmospheres. I can’t think of a more appropriate producer to have picked and the rework is stunningly beautiful. Finally Frederic himself comes up with the rather Gold Panda-esque Wheels, dropping the tempo to 130 and getting a house vibe on; from the driving back beat to the odd rhythms of the lead sounds it’s an interesting look at the man’s talents at a different speed.
Check out the clips below and grab this on digital now from your favourite retailer.
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]
Those of you with their fingers on the pulse of the liquid scene might have already heard this one when it dropped back in February but it only landed in our inbox recently. Still, the tunes on show proved too good not to talk about! Liquicity Records proudly present to us their Escapism LP featuring 14 tracks of smooth, melodic drum & bass from producers big and small across the liquid spectrum.
The tracks are all top quality so it’s pretty tough to pick out favourites but the effortless opener from Bachelors of Science certainly proves a highlight of the LP. Elsewhere the soft, twinkling lead of Maduk’s Change and the unconventional electric guitar work of Dan Dakota’s appropriately titled Telecaster both stand out, while BCee’s The Falls takes us to deeper territory with style.
Check out all the tracks below and pick up the album on vinyl, CD or digital now!