You know we love break chopping here at Dojo HQ and Antares is serving up exactly that on his latest for Locked Up Music; serious amen terror on this one! The old school vibes will never die…hit up Bandcamp to grab this one right now.
This interview is an excerpt from Episode 36 of the Last Week Liquid Podcast, a weekly show dedicated to the world of Drum & Bass, centered around discussions with producers, DJs, label managers and event organizers. Listen here.
The beauty of Drum & Bass as a genre has always been the variety of styles and influences that can fit within its scope – united by tempo and perhaps drum patterns but otherwise hugely varied. Munich duo Children of Our Stars certainly exemplify that ethos, bringing strong influences from orchestral music and singer-songwriter territory and blending them with the familiar structures and 170 rhythms we know and love.
The pair have just dropped their debut LP and the resulting eleven track effort shows off their talent for soulful, evocative melodies and enthralling musical journeys. The use of live vocals and instrumentation really lends a natural edge to their sound, providing a welcome antidote to the sometimes overly digital sound of Drum & Bass in 2021.
As for the vibes, the tracks are uplifting, beautiful and engaging from start to finish, with particular highlights coming on Home, Take Us Back and First Snow. Check out the clips below and hit up Bandcamp or Spotify to buy/stream Flanell Sessions right now, and if you can’t get enough soulful vocal D&B then keep an eye out for an EP from Children of Our Stars on DNBB Records very soon.
US legend Karl K returns with a new EP this month, channelling struggles with his mental and physical health into his music following a series of strokes in 2017. The raw energy and sci-fi sound design of his productions from the early 2000s is still present today and still just as compelling…check it out and be sure to hit up the Miracle Drug Recordings Bandcamp to grab a copy from May 28th!
Sharp sound design, dark minimalism and a hypnotic lead melody on today’s premiere as Vulgarythm lands on Modular Carnage! Look for this one coming May 28th at digital stores.
Another month rolls on past which means only one thing…Hex returns with the usual selection of beats and bass. New music inside from Dedman, Break, Myselor, Artsea, Jaise, Soul Intent, Pacific 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.
Since bursting onto the scene in 2015 via EPs for Silk Recordings & Blu Mar Ten Music, Akuratyde (aka Dan Eshleman) has moved from strength to strength with more releases on BMTM, frequent collaborations with Monika, new projects in the form of 3VS and Vex Seven and starting the excellent Modern Conveniences imprint. He returns to Blu Mar Ten Music this month with his second LP Home Movies, so Hex grabbed a few minutes of his time to dig into the album, collaborations, studio gear and more.
Deep halftime vibrations from Joakuim on today’s premiere, taken from his new LP Flow for Sable Noir Recordings! Proper hypnotic textures on this one…definitely a track to get lost in. Watch out for the album coming on vinyl/CD/digital from June 4th.
Inflamers team up with Bazil MC for today’s exclusive, chanelling trap on the intro before dropping into a rolling tech groove, powered along by bass distortion and punchy but restrained vocals. Hit up Beatport for pre-orders ahead of the release on May 21st!
Dedman’s latest EP sees him follow a string of releases for Lost, Parallel Depth and his own imprint Subconscious Audio with perhaps his strongest work to date via Melinki’s label Four Corners Music.
Inspired by the legendary Blue Note sessions run by Metalheadz (though somewhat indirectly – Dedman was only born two years after the events began), the tracks showcase a confidence unusual for a producer as young as 24. From the up-front floor-filling sounds of Ash & Pallor and Lead, via the dark depths of Dreidle and the drumfunk atmospheres of Sail Away, finishing up with the halftime dread of the title track, there’s certainly variety to be found here.
There’s also a refreshingly old-school style to the production, with crunchy breakbeats and grimy distortion rather than laser snares and harsh digital harmonics. Nice to see that sound still has traction with the younger artists as well as the pipe & slippers crew! Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport or Bandcamp to grab a copy now.