2020 feels like a year of change in many ways, and welcome change in the way that the D&B scene grapples with gender diversity. Sites like Dynamics Music are a key part of that conversation, pushing female artists into the spotlight and reminding listeners that the focus doesn’t need to be as male as it has been. We caught up with founder Enada to find out about her passion for bass music, the state of the scene and her favourite up and coming female artists…
Subplate Recordings artist Demented lands in the guest mix hotseat today with an absolute firing selection! Dark tech and heavy neuro vibes on this one mixed on three decks with lots of doubles…fiya.
As always 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.
Ronin Ordinance return with another essential 12″ release this month, and we’re hyped to have the exclusive on Athena. Scene veteran Ink teams up with up and comer Loomis for a deep, atmospheric ride through bleep melodies, halftime drums and amen choppage. Wicked stuff; hit up Bandcamp for pre-orders ahead of full release November 9th.
Vancouver-based producer MAE917 returns to our premiere spotlight with a slick melodic roller. Taken from his self-released Escape EP, Cloud Capped brings together epic strings, warm bass, crispy drums and soaring arpeggios for a thrilling journey to the mountains. Hit up his Bandcamp to grab the release now!
Machinedrum’s evolution over the years has been fascinating to follow. Active now for nearly 20 years, Travis Stewart’s musical journey has taken in most shades of what you might consider “bass” music; low-end weight and syncopated beats run throughout, but style, tempo and tone have varied wildly across many releases.
While previous releases have certainly flirted into the realms of 170, notably Vapor City (and some of the excellent remixes around that release from the likes of Om Unit), this is possibly the most “drum & bass” album we’ve heard yet from Machinedrum. Wait 4 U delivers silky rolling D&B soul, while Sleepy Pietro combines yearning piano with skittering drumfunk drum rhythms. We’re also treated to an effortlessly beautiful liquid roller in 1000 Miles with none other than Sub Focus on board in the studio.
Other tracks take in halftime, hip-hop, funk and plenty more for a colourful ride with plenty of ups and downs, and the album has been on heavy rotation here at Dojo HQ as a result; equal parts boom and beauty. A View of U is out now everywhere – check the clips below and hit this link for a vast selection of stores.
Detached Audio continue their five year celebrations with a big selection of remixes on their latest offering, and we’re pleased to bring you the exclusive on Echo Motion’s contribution! Flipping Option’s melancholy original around, this new take retains the soul of the original but sharpens it for the dancefloor. Wicked stuff; look out for the full EP dropping Oct 30th at digital stores.
Samath delivers the goods for today’s exclusive with a dark tech rumbler taken from his new EP for Parallel Depth! Gritty basslines and insistent drum rhythms on this one – Mr. Twain’s atmospheres are murky indeed. Look for this coming Oct 27th at all good digital stores.
Dojo boss Hex lands in the premiere spotlight today with a track taken from his new single for Nurtured Beatz! Phosphorus blends growling basslines, halftime drums and sci-fi sampling for a deep, dark workout, progressing to a breakbeat switchup at the second drop. Check it out below and look out for the release coming Oct 23rd at Bandcamp – all other stores follow on Oct 30th.
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.
IMANU’s music has gone from strength to strength since moving away from his previous Signal moniker, and his latest work for Noisia’s Vision imprint sees him branching out into more experimental pastures.
Nagow and Cheren deliver the heavyweight neuro workouts that have become his trademark, with the former bringing a more colourful vibe via some deft melodic touches; Cheren by comparison pursues a more industrial aesthetic for pure sonic punishment.
The back half of the EP takes in some tempo drops; Whatever It Takes explores vaguely dubstep-adjacent territory with crunchy beats and grimy bass that’s sure to get your head nodding. After all that stiff competition it’s a pleasant surprise then that closing track Music To Stay In Your House To is potentially the strongest on the EP. Beautiful sound designs, wonky vocal textures and crazy drum rhythms combine on a genre-defying track that blends everything from hip-hop to IDM into a joyously chaotic melting pot.
IMANU’s new title (and doubtless a lot of encouragement from Noisia) seem to be inspiring some of his best work yet this year, and we can’t wait to hear what he comes up with next. In the meantime, you can check out the Cheren EP below – hit up your favourite store to grab it right now.