Today’s premiere comes from US artist Sigrah, taken from his forthcoming (and very personal) debut LP This Is Letting Go. Written in the forests of Washington state, One Revolution goes deep, incorporating elements of dub, jungle and ambient for a floaty and atmospheric slice of 170BPM business. Watch out for the track dropping Feb 28th, with the full album following on Mar 13th.
The recent passing of the venerable Edward Holmes, better known as Optiv, has been a time to celebrate his body of work. A stalwart in the pantheon of Drum & Bass luminaries, Optiv’s impact will live on forever. One such work by Nomis and Optiv sticks out indelibly for me in a lineup of classics from the Cause 4 Concern camp, released on Optiv’s Red Light Records.
Piston is an underrated 2002 track that can stand with the best bass bangers in the genre. I love to crank the dial on this tune to get the full effect of its behemoth bass…yet, I always end up having to bring it down a notch or two just because of its sheer force. Intensity is further mounted by the frantic cacophony of howls and shrieks that ensnare the atmosphere. And what’s a song in the C4C domain without slick drum sequencing? This track has it in spades. Sonorous grooves beat away in this brute force classic. Long live Optiv!
Written by Luke Kessler
Utopia Music have been quiet for some time now as Mako concentrates on his work with DLR as OneMind and his forthcoming LP for Samurai Music, so it’s great to see the label making a return on this brand new 12″ from longtime label collaborator Mikal.
Under The Earth sees Mikal and Mako teaming up on a trademark Utopia cut; exquisitely crafted breaks, bassline scuzz and tons of detail. The fusion of jungle sensibilities with a hint of ‘headz and a taste of techstep darkness has long defined the Utopia sound and this one fits that bill perfectly.
On the B-side Mikal gets militant with an angular kick-drum rhythm and a selection of aggy bass hits. This one should produce more than a few screwfaces; proper stomper! Check out the previews below and hit up the Utopia Bandcamp to grab the release right now…
Seattle-based imprint Onset Audio have carved quite a niche over the past 12 years, leading the charge of deep, dark and experimental music on the fringes of the 170 spectrum. The label drop their two-hundredth release next month so we thought it was high time for a chat with label boss Grym about the release and all things OA…
Dev Pandya broke onto the scene under his Paradox moniker in 1996 wielding solid amen smashers. The formidable energy and complexity of Pandya’s deft cuttage made him a staple of the Jungle/Drumfunk style. Remaining true to his sound, Paradox rocks his breaks-heavy style to this day.
Paradox’s breaks are relentless and stone cold on the early Renegade Hardware release A Certain Sound, with bass straight from the depths of an abyss. The 1996 heater employs a quote from the iconic film Dune to psychedelic effect, as Paul’s voice bounces along in hypnotic cadence, and is ultimately complemented by eerie atmospherics. This classic track is not to be missed – a considerable weapon of sound in any Jungle/Drumfunk DJ’s arsenal!
Written by Luke Kessler
Instinct Recordings step into our premiere spotlight today with a deep, silky roller from label boss Primitive Instinct. Crispy breaks and warm liquid bass combine with a plethora of deft melodic touches for a smooth and sultry sound…something to chase away the winter blues! Watch out for this one coming Feb 29th at Beatport…
Break should need no introduction; possibly the hardest working man in Drum & Bass and a producer and DJ with a long and amazingly consistent career. His latest work finds him on top form once again, dropping a sick new single for his own label Symmetry Recordings.
Got A Feelin’ has its sights firmly on the dancefloor, stripping things back to the essentials; sparse but weighty drums, a wonky melody, wobbly sub bass and a memorable vocal hook. Vintage Break, this one manages to be both very “drum & bass” and nothing like most of the rest of the music dropping right now.
Over on the B side, Sesame Seeds hits a more jungle-y vibe, with crunchy break-chopping and funk samples a-plenty, recalling some of the classic sounds of old Moving Shadow.
Another essential release from one of the best names in the scene! Check it out below and hit up the usual digital outlets to grab this one now…
Canadian production duo Reflektor touch down on Differential Records for today’s premiere, taken from their collaborative EP with Low5. This solo Reflektor cut blends darker bassline elements with soft, shimmering vocal slices and padwork for a tasty roller straddling the domains of tech and liquid. Watch out for the EP coming Feb 28th at all good digital stores…
Our latest exclusive guest mix comes from Australian producer Jaise! With releases on Subplate and Protocode and a huge love for vintage techstep and neurofunk, Jaise’s mix takes in selections from the likes of Enei, HLZ and Ulterior Motive alongside unreleased music from himself and Seattle’s D-Struct. Strap yourself in for a dark and rolling journey…
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.
Regular readers will know we’re big fans of K2T here at DNB Dojo. As co-manager of Detached Audio he’s been a reliable A&R presence, bringing a slew of varied releases from up and coming names to our collective ears, and he’s an accomplished producer in his own right with a gift for soulful liquid rollers with an old school percussive flavour. As he gears up to drop his debut LP The Tranquillity of Being With The Self, we grabbed him for a chat about album flows, mental health and downtempo influences…plus we’ve got the premiere of the title track! Check it out…