Hex delivers 90 minutes of the latest D&B, with the latest episode marking 4 years of Dojo podcasts! New beats inside from Klinical, Muffler, John Rolodex, Calibre, Monika, dgoHn and many more.
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Deep, autonomic-esque explorations on today’s exclusive as we present the title track from Marc Renton’s new Signal Waves EP for Drum Army! Atmospheric and synth led, this is full of dreamy sounds and lush instrumentation, plus some characterful percussion work. Watch out for the EP coming Oct 23rd at all good digital stores!
Mexico City crew BLDSMX are in our premiere spotlight today as we present a cut from their forthcoming ArmadaSounds 001 compilation LP! Rainforest brings the deep, jungle-tinged vibes on the appropriately named Duality; love the breakwork and the rhythms on this one. Look for the LP coming Oct 2nd with a whole host of bassy goodness across the 170 spectrum…
There are few drum and bass artists that are truly accepted across a multitude of styles and sub-genres. Calibre is almost certainly the apex of these select few. Another several blog posts could be written arguing about the other alumni of this club, but in this piece, I wish to suggest that Alix Perez is as good a bet as any another. His latest 8-track, Without End, is testament to this. The build-up and indeed acclaim to date feels very much as it did when his seminal 1984 album was released over a decade ago.
Whilst a shorter body of work than 1984 and his 2013 follow-up album Chroma Chords, Without End feels punchier for it; quality over quantity. Unlike his work above, Alix focuses purely on the 170 range, yet still encapsulates a variety of moods and vibes.
Sombre and melancholic tracks like the opener Wondering at Loss, Someone Else and the single Lost & Proud featuring the exceptionally talented Liam Bailey on vocals, are woven perfectly alongside more upbeat tracks like Moving On – again with Liam Bailey – and even the more style-agnostic Perfect Stranger with Halogenix. Distant Figures proves another highlight, featuring long-time friend and collaborator Workforce.
Despite these variations, Without End still feels like a holistic body of work, laced with the signature touches that make Alix Perez so universally adored. The deep sine wave basslines, the carefully measured and considered vocals – both sampled and recorded – and his elegant keys and chords, are clear and in abundance.
If 1984 was Alix Perez’ extraordinary freshman folio, and Chroma Chords his sophomore sound after several years of learning and devotion to his craft, Without End represents a most hard-earned (and quite long overdue) graduation ceremony into the genre’s hall of fame – if you still needed to be convinced, that is.
Written by James Austin
Akuratyde’s Modern Conveniences imprint gathers steam with a second release, and this time it’s Tellus at the controls for a solo artist selection. Liberation combines the Australian producer’s gift for atmospheric sounds with a high energy drum pattern and more than enough bass to work a room. Soft strings, punchy percussion and warm sub vibrations…what more could you ask for? Look for this coming Sep 25th at digital stores.
Another month, another podcast! Hex brings you the usual dose of D&B flavours including new music from Bold Theory, HLZ, Sinistarr, Drumcatcher, Spor, Break and many more, plus a host of unreleased dubs…check it!
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Mystic State are a duo we’ve been keeping a close eye on for years here at Dojo HQ, so naturally it’s an absolute pleasure for us to be premiering a cut from their stunning debut LP My Own Private Island! Album opener Expectations sets the tone for the album with aplomb, blending their knack for atmosphere and characterful percussion with heavy kicks and a dark, brooding bassline. Sprinkle in some haunting Burial-esque vocal echoes for the icing on a deliciously moody cake; dripping with vibe! Hit up the Chikara Project bandcamp to grab the whole album right now.
We continue our label showcase series with a deep dive in the Goldfat archives! Started as an outlet for Mitekiss’s solo productions, but quickly expanding to encompass other producers’ work, Goldfat has proved itself a top-shelf purveyor of classy liquid goodness over the last five years. Read on for our favourites from the ‘fat…
Surgence lands in our premiere spotlight today with a wicked new track for Tesseract! Combinging old school techstep heft with a dollop of soul and atmosphere, this is vintage roller territory, taking you to the Summit! Check it out and look for the release coming September 12th at digital stores.
Liquid goodness on today’s exclusive as K2T delivers a typically emotive remix for D Flect’s forthcoming EP on Detached Audio! The soft piano licks of the original are present and correct, but lifted into a sunnier vibe from the original’s moody minimalism. Sunshine sounds, for Any Place On Earth. Look for this one landing this Friday at all the usual stores.