Diffrent Music boss Dexta kicks off his year with a new single for None60. It’d been a while since our last chat, so we figured we’d get caught up on the new beats and all things Diffrent. Check it out…
Q&A – Dexta
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Tag Archives: Dub
Noon – Noonshine EP [Breaks Per Minute]
Breaks Per Minute present their latest release from Noon, the newest project of Croatian producer Filip Motovunski. The EP shows off his talents with a variety of styles of D&B, opening up with the grimey tech vibes of Done, rolling through the cheery bounce of Noonshine and taking in the more experimental flavours of dub-infused halftime numbers Rolling Joints and Badness. Plenty to enjoy here! Check out the clips below and look for this at digital stores from December 8th.
Alchemic Breaks 001
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.
Low Profile – Distance Awareness [Reserve Audio]
As regular readers may have noticed we always love getting sent something unexpected, and the Distance Awareness LP provided a pleasant surprise when it fell into our mailbox recently.
Fans of the deeper and more atmospheric end of D&B and it’s crossover with other forms of electronica will definitely enjoy this one, as the Prague based duo take us a journey spanning ten tracks and taking in influence from dub, hip-hop, minimal D&B and beyond. Favourable comparisons with Kryptic Minds’ dubstep outings and the sort of half-time beats coming out of the Samurai Music stable spring to mind, but that’s not to say this is mere copycatting; there’s plenty of originality to be found here.
Ultimately the music is always best left to speak for itself, so check out the tracks below and grab the LP from Bandcamp now!
Fixate – Pum Pum / System Malfunction [Diffrent Music]
Diffrent continue their excellent trend for pushing the boundaries of 170BPM music with a weird and wonderful new single from Fixate. Pum Pum melts down soca, ragga and dub influences into an infectious head nodder driven along by it’s hypnotic and hyperactive vocal cut. Pum-puppa-pum-pum-puppa-pum!
System Malfunction on the flip explores similar drum patterns and repetitive elements, with a melodic rather than vocal sample taking centre stage to provide the soundtrack to a crazy rave in someone’s mainframe. Pure D&B heads will doubtless hate it, but that’s just how the Giraffe-steppers roll. Check out the clips below and grab yourself a copy from the Diffrent store now!
Gridlok – Motion Picture [Free Download]
It’s always interesting to hear what D&B artists get up to creatively when they’re not rinsing the 170+ tempo range and Gridlok’s latest album explores distinctly slower territory. Blending his knack for heavy hitting beats and bass with a ton of atmosphere and a healthy dose of hip-hop, the LP explores a grimey, industrial sound across 13 brand new tracks.
Highlights include the creepy dub and interesting percussion of Daisy, the lurching offbeat psychedelia of Seasick and the sheer head-nodding hip-hop groove of Big Sound, but honestly the album is a stellar listen from start to finish. Best of all it’s absolutely free! Check out the clips below and download via Soundcloud.
Dabs – Stentah / Half Truth [Horizons Music]
Dabs brings another pair of innovative beats to the ever busy Horizons Music roster. Stentah sees MC Kwality step up on vocal duties, providing a ragga style toast to a distinctly dub and dancehall influenced riddim. Hints of jungle peak through the unusual drum arrangements, keeping the energy D&B while refusing to drop into an obvious rolling break.
Half Truth brings HLZ and Need for Mirrors into the mix for a deep, melancholic roller. Crisp, insistent high hats and hefty sub provides the backbone of the tune, with a liberal sprinkling of piano and strings giving the beat character and soul.
Head over to the Horizons store to grab this on vinyl or digital now.
Benny Page – Hot Body Gal (J Bostron Remix) [Rise Artists]
With the sun just beginning to show it’s face (at least here in Glasgow) it seems only right to look to the summery tunes, and there’s no better way to start than with some cheery reggae D&B vibes! Junglist badman J Bostron is on the case once again with a big, rolling remix of Benny Page’s new single Hot Body Gal.
While it’s unlikely to be the cleverest tune you’ve heard this year it proves an irresistible combination of fat snares, dub delays and ragga vocals; summer business to be sure. Check it out below and watch out for the remix dropping from April 20th alongside the original and other reworks from Moony and Famous Eno.
Rahmanee – The Stopper / Reprazent [Breaks Per Minute]
German label Breaks Per Minute present their fourth release from Rahmanee! The Stopper fuses classic jungle breaks and dancehall influences with the darker side of D&B from the ominous pads in the breakdown to the hefty bass hits. Badman dark jungle, for sure.
On the flip Reprazent rolls up with a crusty old kung fu sample on the intro before a drop into a cheeky little sub and breaks combo that sees the bass wobble in and out of a low swung skanking beat. This one will certainly prove a nice switch up from the usual rollers for the DJs looking to challenge the crowd a little.
Check out the beats below and grab this one from Beatport now!
Quentin Hiatus – Zanj Rebellion [Translation Recordings]
Translation Recordings continue their excellent run of forward thinking releases with an EP from Quentin Hiatus. Zanj Rebellion combines shimmering pad ambience, warm low end and heavily syncopated, off-kilter rhythms to create a sound that feels like the spirit of drumfunk channelled via recent footwork influenced production.
Over on the flip Solidify continues the trend for heavily syncopated rhythms but with more of an industrial vibe, and hints of dub and techno sitting prominently in a mix that features some excellent stereo separation.
As if that wasn’t enough there’s also a free track available for download in the form of Summer in Winter, featuring more in the way of rich synths and weird rhythms, this time overlaid with some Burial style vocal echoes. Check out the tracks below and grab the release from the Translation Bandcamp.