The Dojo podcast returns with a bumper two hour long second episode just in time for Christmas! Blog owner Hex is back on the decks with all the best cuts from the Dojo inbox representing the full spectrum of D&B sounds. Check it…
You can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
We’re proud to present another exclusive premiere from our pals at Ground Mass and man of the moment Samurai Breaks! Taken from his forthcoming Silverback EP, Malicious Intent mixes up deep sub and halftime riddims with junglist break chopping and an inspired metallic snare melody. Experimental, but with an eye on the dancefloor! Look for this at all good digital stores from Dec 20th.
Our latest exclusive mix comes from an artist we’ve been keeping an eye on for a while, so we’re hyped to welcome Samurai Breaks to the Dojo Mix Series! Hailing from Leeds but now based in Prague, the last month has seen Sam launch his Tsunami Bass Weight imprint with a big VA compilation and release a sick new single via Halogen Music. With releases coming soon on Ground Mass and support on Noisia Radio, we’re tipping Samurai Breaks for a big 2017.
Sam’s mix for DNB Dojo takes in the full range of 170BPM music with deep, halftime head nodders sitting alongside techstep rollers from the likes of Icicle and Mikal. There’s plenty of space in the bumper 106 minute selection for music from Terabyte, Subtitles Music, Critical, Free Love Digi and plenty more alongside a host of tasty dubs from the man himself and his cohorts at Tsunami Bass Weight. Sick selections; get to know!
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Air Mass (the deeper sister imprint to Mark Kloud’s well established Ground Mass) are back with their 2nd release this month from Serbian producer Alg0rh1tm. Weaving complex sonic tapestries combining cinematic soundscapes, glitchy microfunk-style percussion and a hint of the autonomic aesthetic, the 170 sound doesn’t come much deeper or more hypnotic than this.
The EP drops via the Ground Mass Bandcamp on Nov 29th and the label have kindly given us five digital download codes to give away! To be in with a chance of winning one all you have to do is like the DNB Dojo Facebook page and send an email to competitions@dnbdojo.co.uk with your name and the subject line “Air Mass Competition”. We’ll draw the winners on Tuesday Nov 29th – good luck!
Reviewers often fall back on old adages about “that difficult second album” when reviewing an artist’s sophomore full length, but such adages definitely aren’t needed when discussing Zawadi, Kimyan Law’s follow up to his exceptional 2014 debut Coeur Calme. The 21 year old producer’s work continues to show a confidence, style and eccentricity well beyond his years, and the album is an absolute joy from start to finish.
As with his first LP (and indeed the other scattered tracks that have surfaced in between) Zawadi is wide ranging in it’s influences and sonic textures, an aural melting pot taking in African music, jazz, pop, garage, jungle and who knows what else. Lush natural instrumentation combines with club influences, like on the unusual, amen-tinged glitchyness of Yore Dub or Motsa collaboration Citadelle, which sounds like something Burial might come up with if he’d found a xylophone and could be bothered to work on his mixdowns.
Elsewhere Luba sees Kimyan reconnecting with his tribal roots for a beautifully simple composition consisting almost entirely of natural percussion and chanted vocals, while album closer White Moth Anthem takes a leaf from the LA bass book to explore a lurching, low slung hip-hop jam with tons of swing and a haunting set of synth textures.
There’s plenty of space elsewhere for more conventional D&B outings, whether on soft, liquid-y Phentix collab Mondegreen, stripped back roller Lavender or the deep halftime groove of September. Even on the more fast paced cuts all of Kimyan’s material retains a softness; sharp edged hyper-clean production this is not. The use of organic instrumentation gives everything not just a unique character but a general effortlessness, and the use of space and reverb give the album a profoundly cinematic quality.
More than anything this album is an emotional, evocative collection of material that bears all the hallmarks of a young musician pouring his being into his music. Genuine, engrossing, enthralling and colourful throughout, this might just be the best album you hear this year. Check out the clips below and hit up the BMT Store to grab it on vinyl, CD or digital right now.
Ever since we first came across Frederic Robinson via early releases for London label Diffrent Music we’ve been keeping a keen ear out for more of his eclectic, innovative and utterly unique take on the 170BPM sound. Refusing to be pinned down by genre stereotypes or the trends of club music, Frederic’s material combines hints of jazz, pop and classical with a touch of the D&B sound and the results are truly exceptional.
Following his first LP for Blu Mar Ten Music, Frederic has moved to possibly the only other home within the scene his music was likely to find, and dropped his second album for Med School. Thankfully the experimental wing of Hospital Records appears to be more than happy with his musical direction, because the album picks up exactly where debut Mixed Signals left off.
Frederic’s music continues to be filled with a childlike delight; complex melodies and harmonies flitter in and out of the mix accompanied by deft, rapid yet soft percussion and the tracks live up to the album’s title in many ways. It’s not difficult to imagine an army of tiny fleas beating drums, playing tiny xylophones and waltzing manically to the uplifting symphony. Every track feels effervescent, innocent, almost like an expression of pure joy in musical form, and the overall effect is beautiful and breathtaking in equal measure.
Sadly clips of many of the album’s tracks have yet to surface, but the handful that are online can be heard below and should provide more than enough encouragement to pick up what is undoubtedly one of the album’s of the year. Hit up the Hospital Store to grab a copy on vinyl, CD or digital right now; you won’t be disappointed.
Watching artists continue to grow after more than a decade in the scene is a rare pleasure; so many solid creative musicians either fall into a comfortable stylistic groove or disappear for real life or other genres of music. Indeed, it must have been tempting for George Levins to leave the Commix project behind with the departure of longtime production partner Guy Brewer and the success of his lower tempo Endian alias. With that in mind it’s even more of an achievement for Commix to still be here, releasing some of his best music yet no less.
The second part of the Generation EP series for ‘headz sees George delving deeper into the rejuvenated project, with Freefall opening things up with an entirely unhuried, atmospheric slice of D&B; the tempo might be high but the energy levels are definitely kept on the down-low here as the track shimmers effortlessly along. One for the 5am crew!
Honey ups the ante, keeping the soft synth action but melding it together with hard, chopped amens for a track that plants one foot on the dancefloor while keeping the other firmly in introspective territory. A classic Commix roller of yesteryear this is definitely not, but this EP is all about progression rather than regression.
The back half of the selection sees the tempo dip and the vibes becoming more experimental, from the dark, tribal riddims of Behold out into the hypnotic, Aphex Twin-style downtempo of Arplong – this one is just about the lushest track we’ve heard this year. Another top EP from a producer we hope will be brightening the scene for another decade or two yet! Check out the clips below and hit up the Metalheadz store to grab a copy right now.
The prolific and unpredictable Mr Hiatus returns with another EP on his own Free Love Digi imprint next month and we’ve got the exclusive on closing track The First Time Was The Last. Quirky melodic flourishes blend with garage style beats for a typically experimental take on the 170BPM sound from one of America’s most talented underground musicians. Check it!
Free Love Digi return with a top notch new EP from Thomas B & Ghast, and we’ve got the exclusive on the latter’s tasty new remix of the former’s Nectar. Experimental riddims and a deft little tempo duck in the bridge make for a wicked ride.
Thomas B:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/thomasbmusic
SoundCloud → @thomasbaz
Twitter → www.twitter.com/Thomas_Beezy
Ghast:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/GhastMusic
SoundCloud → @ghastdub
Twitter → www.twitter.com/GhastMusic
Free Love Digi:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/FreeLoveDigi
SoundCloud → @free-love-digi
Twitter → twitter.com/freelovedigi
Vancouver’s finest bass experimenters touch down on Dexta’s influential Diffrent Music with a fresh EP and we’ve got the exclusive on deep sub rumbler Braise! Sparse riddims, spooky textures and tons of low end flavour; yes please. Look out for this dropping at all good digital outlets on the Greazus <3 U EP from Sep 28th, with an exclusive CD edition available to pre-order from Bandcamp right now.
Greazus:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/greazus
SoundCloud → @greazus
Twitter → www.twitter.com/greazus
Diffrent Music:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/Diffrentmusic
SoundCloud → @Diffrent
Twitter → www.twitter.com/Diffrentmusic