Fortitude lands on Incurzion Audio this month with new material, easing off on the raw aggression of much of his previous work in favour of dark, rolling grooves and moody atmospheres. The aptly titled Creepin is crisp and precise, building tension on halftime sections and releasing it on full-tempo rhythms that aim for hypnosis. Look for this coming September 10th at digital stores!
Today’s exclusive comes from London’s gothiest D&B MC Agman Gora as he gears up to release a solo EP for world renowned hard D&B slingers Therapy Sessions. Teaming up with Fortitude who provides the production chops, Cemetery Soul is an old fashioned 2-step tech rumbler which provides a perfect platform to showcase Agman’s unusual vocal stylings. Sick tune! Look for this coming Oct 1st at all the usual outlets…
The latest from Therapy Sessions Recordings is our Dojo Damager pick this week as label boss Robyn Chaos teams up with frequent collaborator Fortitude for an unusual slice of darkstep D&B.
Ominous guitar tones and the influence of bands like Tool and Lacuna Coil characterise the sparse, beatless intro as Robyn’s vocals build tension leading up to an absolutely savage drop; relentless business! Whether used as an intro tune, a mid-set breakdown or an end of night closer, this one is a guaranteed weapon for any dancefloor with a taste for the harder beats. Check out the clip below and hit up the Therapy Bandcamp to grab it right now.
If you like your D&B on the menacing side and you’re not already familiar with Fortitude then this release should be more than enough to whet your appetite. His latest work for Russian imprint Harder & Louder provides a miniature tour of the harder styles of D&B, and the tracks on show are top notch all round.
Red Shift kicks things off with a slice of dark, breakbeat-driven tech reminiscent of the golden era of Dom & Roland. Sci-fi-tinted pads, crunchy bass and tough but precise percussion; yes please! Incumbent ups the ante, bringing the bass to an animalistic snarl and adding a layer of distortion to the chaotically chopped breaks.
Last but by no means least, Succeed Control provides a dirty little roller that harks back to the time when neuro meant dirty bass and funky drums, not the level of precision and sheen currently associated with the genre. Nice! Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite store to grab a copy right now.
Drum & bass can take myriad varied forms. Sometimes you want a deep, soulful roller. Sometimes it’s all about the gully halfstep minimalism. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a straight up crossbreed smasher, and that’s where Fortitude steps in.
Purifing Me is just straight up menace; midrange bass distortion and a big bag of kick drums. So many kick drums! Absolutely deadly rhythms on this one. Stand Your Ground opts for a slightly spacier but no less aggressive rhythm constructed from angry metallic snares and savage bass before dropping into a rolling D&B pattern that should get the floor moving nicely.
No release date on this yet but it should be available soon. Savour the clips below and keep an eye on the relevant social media for release details.
AutomAte Tech break their silence with an absolutely savage new single from Fortitude. Turn Bad dials the aggression up to 11 with hard metallic snares and a snarling bassline leading the charge. Throw in a cheeky half-time breakdown and plenty of tension building cymbal action and you’ve got one big bad slice of up front tech D&B.
Over on the flip Kiwi neuro badman Dose teams up with the mysterious Dual Focus to turn in what AutomAte describe as a “trademark peak-time headbanging remix” (according to this Dutty Audio podcast tracklist DF = Dose & DJ Meltdown, for anyone curious). The remix certainly fits that bill, swapping in a slightly more rolling break and a riffier approach to basslines that fans of Gridlok and the like should enjoy. For me the original mix takes the gold, but they’re both worthy dancefloor stompers. Check out the clips below and look for this from Feb 2nd at all good digital stores.
Automate continue their assault on the dark end of D&B with the latest release on their Tech imprint featuring remixes of previous Automate release Poison. Berlin hardstep legend The Sect steps up on the A side to deliver a bone crunchingly heavy on the original that is sure to be setting dancefloors alight over the next few months.
Over on the flip Fortitude presents a totally different take on the sound, trimming the beats down to a halfstep gate and mixing deep, growling low end with shimmering, ambient synth work. Check out the beats below and watch out for the release from December 2nd.