Tag Archives: Drumfunk

G.H.O.S.T’s Top 5 Jungle Breaks

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G.H.O.S.T are a production outfit who have continually impressed us here at the Dojo in the relatively short time they’ve been on our radar. Their latest release for their own Goldman Records imprint sees them making great use of classic breakbeats for a pair of tracks with a hint of the drumfunk to them, plus a healthy dollop of that original G.H.O.S.T flavour.

Given their obvious affinity with old school percussion, we asked them to pick out their five favourite jungle breaks and tell us a little about each one. Over to Lewis, Tom & Will…

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Paradox – Rockdown / Divination [Paradox Music]

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The original junglist b-boy Paradox is back with another superb 12″ for his own Paradox Music imprint. Rockdown is a pure drum workout, chopping the breaks with the finesse or a man who’s been at it for the best part of two decades. Combining funk drum chops with hip-hop sampling sensibilities, this one is a stone cold killer!

Divination takes things deeper for the flip, opting for a less rolling drum line and darker bass and atmospherics. It’s great to hear Paradox keeping the drumfunk sound alive and refusing to conform to current trends that have left the style all but dead. Check out the clips below and head to the Paradox Bandcamp to pre-order now ahead of the May 4th release date.

Classic Track: DJ Trax – The Beat Freak

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beatfreak

Wind back to 2006 and the (now largely forgotten) drumfunk style was at a relative peak, with artists like Macc, Fracture & Neptune and of course Paradox chopping up the breaks on the regular. One of my favourite tracks from this era remains The Beat Freak by DJ Trax. Released on Paradox’s Outsider label and featured on the Nucleus mixed The Age Of Outsiders, the ambient-influenced compositional approach sounds as fresh today as it did then.

Lovingly chopped funk breaks provide the backbone of a tune under simple, soft melodies, giving the track at once an insistence and a laid-back vibe. Check it out below and relive the glory days of choppage.

Seba & Paradox – Delusions [Secret Operations]

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Seba and Paradox reunite for their first collaboration in a while, dropping via Seba’s Secret Operations imprint. Delusions strips things right back to the bare essentials, with weighty sub, classic breaks and an ominous sliver of melody lending the tune b-boy flavour and menace in equal proportion.

Future Now keeps the bassweight and spooky vibe but swaps out the relatively steady break of the A side for a far more chopped up affair, snares and cymbals landing all over the place as the low frequencies wobble away beneath. Dangerous! Check out the clips below and look out for this on vinyl and digital from December 8th.

Hydro & War – Censorship [Blendits]

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Blendits return with their biggest release yet, snagging a pair of techy rollers for the label’s increasingly impressive discography. Hydro & War provide the A side, combining crisp beats and techy bass with a layer of spooky melodies and atmospherics, apparently passing some comment on the production of pop music in the process.

Eastcolors comes in for remix duties on the flip, bringing a new slant to Mindmapper & Silvahfonk’s Polygraph. The soft pads and chords of the original are embelished, richer and fuller, and the previously steady mix is swapped out for a frenetic array of chopped breaks. The mixture of musically beautiful elements and rough and tough drumfunk beats is a potent combo! Check out the clips below and look for this one on vinyl and digital from November 24th.

Alchemic Breaks 001

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Apparently running three D&B labels and finding time to produce and DJ just wasn’t enough for Leeds-based D&B obsessive Altered Perception, as we’ve just gotten wind of a brand new imprint from the Terabyte/Transmission/Sub:mission boss in the form of Alchemic Breaks. Judging from the first release the label’s MO will be focussing on the deeper and more experimental side of D&B, with minimal stylings at play throughout the tracks.

Jaydrop serves up a tidy slice of tribal half-step business on Camo, while Transmission/Terabyte alumnus Automate brings the dark drumfunk vibes on the appropriately titled Breaksrus. Xsetra delivers the EPs heaviest hitting track with a showering of hard kicks and snares set to a backdrop of warping bass modulations, while Mystic State and Hidden Life team up to close the EP with the dub and IDM-tinged vibes of glacial halfstep number Defrost. Check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping at all good digital stores from November 22nd.

Alaska – Jasheri / Zoranine [Arctic Music]

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Paradox kicks off the year with a slice of beautiful, atmospheric drumfunk under his Alaska moniker. Jasheri is truly lush, soaring strings and understated sub-bass punctuated by crisp, elegant drum breaks which while heavily syncopated convey no sense of impatience whatsoever. Despite the tempo, this is music to lose yourself in, not music to lose it to.

Zoranine heads for even deeper territory, swapping the uplifting synths of the A side for equally lush but slightly more melancholy tones. Flute, oboe, xylophone and subtle touches of guitar all play into a true musical masterpiece, laid out to a downtempo back beat.

As usual with Paradox’s releases you can pick this up on beautiful limited edition snow-white vinyl, available to pre-order now from Surus. Watch out for the release dropping from January 10th.

Gremlinz & Ahmad – Nibiru / The Orchard [Paradox Music]

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Paradox Music return with an unusual release – their first 12″ to feature music from artists other than Paradox since 2010’s PM020 (featuring Equinox on the flip). Toronto badman Gremlinz teams up with new name Ahmad to provide two rough and tough slices of dark jungle.

Nibiru gets straight down to business with heavy hitting breaks, meaty sub and old school stabs – this is a beat crafted via years worshipping at the school of Photek, positively oozing 90s D&B soul. Over on the flip The Orchard trades in the full tempo breaks for a kick driven half-time beat punctuated with distorted amens and reverb heavy toms, while bass growls and haunting synths slither in and out of the mix.

As usual the release will be available on a beautiful limited edition vinyl pressing and the standard digital formats – watch out for this one dropping from December 9th.

 

Indigo – Storm EP [Samurai Music]

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Manchester producer Indigo has been busy lately – he’s signed a deal with R&S offshoot Apollo, released a new album with partner in crime Synkro under their Akkord alias and to cap it all he’s put together an essential new EP for Samurai Red Seal.

The EP sees that trademark cinematic Indigo synth work thrown into a full on soundclash with jungle-hearted breaks and some deft sampling. Dark bass and echoing percussion characterise opener Volta while Versa collab Spirit of the Winds takes a few leaves from the Paradox book of drumfunk with subtle sub taking backstage to the frantic choppy syncopation of the ever changing drum line.

The titular Storm changes gears once again, adopting a more ominous tone on a track characterised by glitchier percussive elements and a sparser composition with a much more tribal vibe. Finally Condition drops the tempo for a slice of reverb drenched deep house. As usual with Samurai you can pick this up on limited edition marbled vinyl or digital from their Surus store – don’t sleep!

Sine Language LP [Subtitles]

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After something of a period of hibernation in the wake of Calyx & Teebee’s latest album for Ram Records, Teebee’s Subtitles imprint returns in style with a massive compilation album representing all the styles of D&B. While not all the tracks are outstanding (Ulterior Motive’s Gang Rule is a bit of a let down compared to most of their material), there are more than enough top class beats here to be worthy of your attention.

Among the best tracks are the warped, hefty tech of Calyx & Teebee’s Human Reptile remix, the atmospheric drumfunk of Fanu’s Rendlesham and the epic, majestic beauty of Seba’s Under The Sun (which is without a doubt the best liquid tune you’ll hear this year). There’s also plenty on show for the deep heads, with tracks from ASC, Blocks & Escher and Mark System all tripping the leftfield path.

Check out the beats below and grab yourself a copy on vinyl, CD or digital from Surus now.