Axon is in our premiere spotlight today with a cut taken from Demand Records’ Selects #9 EP. Featuring wobbly bass vibrations, glitchy FX and subtly jungle-inflected beats, this one is weighty yet unusual. Check it out below and pre-order the EP ahead of the release on May 28th!
EastColors is back on Demand Records this month with a characteristically deep and detailed EP and we’re pleased once again to present an exclusive! Keeping the basslines dubby and the beats skippy, this is a proper deep stepper; 100% vibes. Hit up your favourite digital retailer to grab the EP right now…
Today’s exclusive should definitely give you that Friday feeling; serious dancefloor business from German producer SubMarine, forthcoming on the third volume of Demand’s Requisites EP series. Lulling you into a false sense of security with serene pads and strings on the intro before dropping into a massive bass riff and rolling breaks, this one is pure bounce! Check it out and watch out for the EP dropping on vinyl and digital from Jan 26th.
Our latest premiere comes courtesy of veteran Saint-Petersburg producer EastColors as he returns to Demand Records for the Vaska EP. Title track Vaska blends tight breaks, modulated bass hits and shimmering melodic elements for a mixture of beauty, funk and low-end heft. Serious attention to detail on this one; fans of Break, Total Science and the like will be all over it. Check it out below and look for the release dropping October 27th.
Our latest exclusive comes courtesy of Swiss powerhouse Demand Records! Taken from the second volume of their rather tasty Requisites EP series, Bulgarian producer Robustus serves up a wicked roller combining melancholy piano leads with rolling breaks and just enough grit in the bassline for that sweet spot of edge and soul. Requisites #2 is out on Friday; hit up the Demand Store to grab a copy on vinyl and keep your eyes on the usual digital outlets for the virtual copy.
Ever since we first heard his riddims via his rather excellent entry in the Demand Selects EP series we’ve been keeping an ear out for more material from Owneath, so we’re really pleased to be kicking off 2017 by welcoming him to the Dojo Mix Series! Vladimir’s mix takes in experimental cuts from Stray, Abstract Elements and Eastcolors alongside tons of his own beats and a few unnamed dubplates. If you like your D&B deep, dark and eclectic this one is for you!
You can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Regular readers should know we’re big fans of the vinyl format here at Dojo HQ; in an age where music has become increasingly disposable, a well produced and curated slab of wax stands as something slightly more tangible than the ever increasing slew of digital releases. Of course it sounds cracking too!
Enter Swiss label Demand and their new vinyl EP series, Requisites. To quote their own press release, “every release symbolises one particular requisite that you’d evidently need to rock the so called black gold”, starting with the obvious; headphones. It’s clear that the Demand crew hold vinyl in as much esteem as we do, and everything about this release from the artwork to the tracks themselves suggest this is a labour of love.
On to the music, and we’re treated to a diverse array of tracks from artists mostly familiar from the label’s back catalogue. Phil Tangent and Phase both turn in respectable deep but edgy rollers that are well worthy of your attention, but the limelight falls elsewhere for us. EastColors and Tiiu team up for a super deep and moody outing on Naked Skin, synths stalking through the track as Tiiu’s delicate vocals shimmer above a sparse beat.
Perhaps the best of all though comes from the super team of Big Bud, RoyGreen, Protone and Dual, who join forces to deliver blissfully laid back vibes on Gospodi. Taking a few notes from the Calibre playbook without resorting to cheap imitation, this one just grows on us more and more with every listen. Hypnotic stuff. Check out the clips below and hit up the Demand Store to grab a copy right now.
Demand continue their Selects series with an EP from Ukrainian newcomer Owneath. Channelling the 20/20 LDN halftime sound which Ivy Lab have been championing of late, the vibes are low slung and full of swagger from start to finish.
Deeper cuts Overload and Juku will probably appeal to fans of the grittier breed of halftime, but for us the best outings are to be found on the more hip-hop influenced beats. Title track Bokomaru brings together an infectious hook and a cracking swung drum line for a sparse, crunked out banger, while Pay Me follows a similar line but with a slightly more menacing edge. Gun fingers at the ready!
Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite digital outlet to grab a copy right now.
Following a quiet few months, Swiss label Demand Records are back with the first volume of a new EP series entitled Demand Selects. The series aims to showcase new talent and Demand veterans alike, and judging by this debut instalment we’re due for some sonic treats over the coming year!
Taelimb kicks things off with the stripped back, ominous halfstep vibes of Depth Charge, while Bulgarian producers Robustus & Moody switch gears with an understated liquid roller on Falling. Bristol’s Mystic State team up with Dutch wunderkind and Critical signing Signal for the driving, atmospheric delights of Seven, and last but not least Austria’s RoyGreen & Protone team up with Dual for the crisp and playful Ridestep.
Tons to enjoy here with producers from all over Europe stepping up to represent the Demand sound. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab a copy right now.
QBig & Zenith B’s latest EP for Demand Records sees them exploring unusual halftime/slow-fast riddims with a selection of top notch tracks that showcase some fantastic percussive chops.
The tracks on show veer between more spacious, dubbier vibes on Enkidu & Mombasa Dub and the more frenetic, Stray-esque sounds of Narc and This Is What You Get. The footwork-tinged insistence and generally chaotic vibe of these latter two make them the Dojo favourites, but the whole EP is really strong. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab a copy now!