Shodan continues his excellent run of releases with a new release on Addictive Behaviour alongside Cosmology, and featuring the soulful vocal stylings of Ella Sopp. Uplifting without straying into cheesy territory, this is infectious dancefloor D&B at it’s best! Watch out for the single (including VIP and Zero T Remix) coming 22nd April on Beatport exclusive and 6th May worldwide.
Hong Kong producer Kray drops his debut EP for Mettasonic this month and we’re pleased to present the premiere of Daydream! This one treads a fantastic line with soaring melodies and high energy drums giving a hugely uplifting vibe without veering into unduly cheesy territory. A feel-good roller just in time for the spring; this one drops March 20th via Bandcamp.
We’ve got an uplifting liquid rollout on today’s premiere as we present the exclusive on a brand new track from Dan Guidance. Forthcoming on Athens imprint Liquid Drops, The Two Of Us brings together tight breaks, soaring melodies and a soft female vocal for that timeless liquid sound. Pure euphoria. Look for this one coming on a massive new EP at all good digital outlets March 10th.
Regular Dojo readers will probably already be aware that we’re big fans of Seba and Blu Mar Ten Music, but probably don’t know that we’re also fans of Ulrich Schnauss. For anyone not already familiar, his sublime downtempo / ambient albums in the early 2000s for City Centre Offices are absolutely essential listening. What we weren’t aware of until now however, is that before those albums were released Schnauss had a pedigree as a D&B artist, operating under a variety of aliases including Ethereal 77 and View To The Future.
All of that leads us to the present, and a new collaborative EP from Seba and Schnauss, which finds an absolutely perfect home on Blu Mar Ten Music. As you’d expect, the three tracks on show feature crisp rolling percussion and the lushest synth lines you can imagine…from the hypnotic arpeggios and soaring melodic leads of M7, to the detailed, jazz infused hits of Interstate and out into the ambient-esque, chiming chords of Snöflingor, this is just unbelievably well constructed music with melody at its very heart.
Asides from the gifted use of melody, the track progressions are what sets this apart from a regular D&B release. While perfectly DJ-friendly, the compositions evolve effortlessly from one bar to the next, ascending beyond mere collections of loops into glorious, effervescent journeys that you’ll lose yourself in again and again. We’re quite happy to say that we think this is the finest melodic D&B you’ll hear this year, and possibly even the finest D&B full stop. Give yourself the gift of pure joy and grab yourself a copy right now from the Blu Mar Ten store.
The Dreamers round off an excellent year with a release from label boss Neve, and we’re extremely pleased to present the premiere of EP title track The Message! Bringing together the gift for melody that has seen his music catch the ear of labels like Hospital and the jungle-tinged beats that have characterised much of his recent work, the soaring piano and crispy breaks just give the whole thing an effortless joy that’s difficult to argue with. Look for the EP dropping Monday 18th December.
Crash Comet’s latest EP for Invasion Recordings fills a niche that we haven’t heard anyone occupy since LA Artist Eighth Moon‘s releases last year; truly exuberant and unpretentious music, driven almost entirely by melody. Most of the liquid D&B released today either falls into the “dancefloor” category which is aiming for a very specific kind of club euphoria, or the “deep” category, which while often excellent tends towards a more subdued sound in search of subtlety.
The Untold Stories EP fits neither of these categories; while joyous and upbeat, this is nowhere near as maximal and pop-tinged as the “hands in the air” vibe of club liquid mainstays, nor is it as melancholy as much of the deeper end of liquid. There is an emotional range here, and a soft beauty, but also a a slightly child-like, almost naive feel to the tracks; the bright beats and soaring melodies feel untouched by cynicism, pure and elegant in their positivity.
While doubtless not to everyone’s taste, we fell instantly in love with the simple charm of the four tracks on show here. If you need a pick-me-up on a cold winter’s day, this might just hit the spot; check out the clips below and hit up Juno to grab a copy right now.
The inimitable Quentin Hiatus continues his rapidly expanding discography with the third part of his I’m Neither Quentin Nor Hiatus album series this month, and we’ve got the exclusive on exuberant electronic explosion Magnetic Blast. Joyous synth hits, slow/fast halftime clap riddims and an oddly serene quality; it’s Drum & Bass Jim, but not as we know it. Look for this dropping August 7th at all the usual outlets.
Today’s exclusive comes from one of favourite labels as Neve’s The Dreamers gears up to release a summery VA compilation entitled Dream Cycle. Enjoy brings the classic jungle vibes on Contours, blending jazz influences, twinkling melodies and chunky chopped up breaks for a wicked slice of rave euphoria. Yes yes! Look for this dropping August 11th at all the usual digital outlets.
Time for another DNB Dojo exclusive premiere as we present the sublime liquid euphoria of DJ Ransome’s Unite As One. Taken from the Night Route EP, watch for this dropping September 26th on Default Recordings!
DJ Ransome:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/djransome
SoundCloud → @djransome
Twitter → www.twitter.com/dj_ransome
Default Recordings:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/Default-Recordings-208902982589941
SoundCloud → @defaultrecordings
Twitter → www.twitter.com/Defaultrec