To celebrate yet another epic Star Warz event as the Exit Records crew touch down in Belgium, Fracture has compiled a promo mix packed full of tunes from the likes of dBridge, Commix, Om Unit and more. Fans of the deeper side of 170 will definitely enjoy this one – check it out below and grab a free download.
Our review of Sun & Bass continues with coverage of the second half of the week. Check out part one here if you missed it, otherwise read on…
Dawn Day Night (still unidentified but widely presumed to be Fracture working under an alias) drops his second EP for Astrophonica, bringing us four tracks of weird and wonderful electronica spanning tempos, styles and influences.
Re-Animation of Scottie kicks things off deep and dubby, keeping the tempo half-time and rolling out with mountains of sub and crisp percussion. Hold That Leg Up proceeds to change things up, immediately heading for pretty silly ghetto-tech territory. It’s definitely the most booty-shakin’ tune on the record, but it feels shallow compared to the rest of the material on show.
Mister Meanie makes exceptionally good use of old funk/soul sampling layered over hyper-syncopated footwork riddims, creating serious groove. Finally Higher Plains heads back to deep territory, with more dub-infused vibes; all echo, reverb and bass. Check out the beats below and grab your copy on vinyl or digital now!
It feels almost redundant to be reviewing this but just in case anyone has somehow slept on what is definitely one of the best compilations of 2013, then feast your ears on Mosaic Vol. 2. Bringing together some seriously deep and innovative cuts from thirty different producers and spanning four plates of vinyl for the wax enthusiasts, Exit have truly outdone themselves.
Among the standout tracks (and this is a tough choice given the quality on show from all concerned) are the glitchy madness of Rockwell’s *)*[808], the lush halfstep liquid of Synkro’s The Way and the classic Fist Level 2B from Insta:mental (only been waiting three years for this one guys…)
Elsewhere Kryptic Minds deliver a fantastic slice of moody halfstep with Burnt To Ashes (a rare return to the 170 tempo since their exit to Dubstep realms several years back), Om Unit and Sam Binga collab on some deeply hip-hop/footwork influenced business, and Fracture & Dawn Day Night bring us the sounds of the ghetto on Sick Wid It. Check out clips of every track below and watch out for this one dropping on digital July 29th with vinyl following on August 5th.
The mighty Metalheadz are lining up their next release in their METHXX series and this time it comes from Astrophonica head-honcho and superb leftfield beatmaker Fracture. Audio for the A side isn’t out yet but the label have given us a sneak peak at Gangbusters on the flip. Combining elements of Juke and Trap with classic drumfunk-esque breaks and trademark grimey Fracture low end, the tune hits a different rhythm to most of the other material out there just now. Clearly Fracture hasn’t run out of ways to innovate just yet! Look out for this one dropping April 8th.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g3XCux64ww]
Ever since his rather excellent release for Civil Music came out I’ve been keeping a close eye on Om Unit‘s 170BPM explorations, and his latest mix for the esteemed Solid Steel Radio sessions run by Ninja Tune delivers the goods nicely. Om Unit goes in deep for part 1 of the show with sublime cuts from himself, Fracture, Escher, ASC and Phaeleh; 170BPM vibes, but definitely not as you usually hear it. Half step and footwork influenced beats are the order of the day here.
For part 2 DK throws all kinds of different beats into the mix with tunes from Space Dimension Controller and Machinedrum sitting alongside tracks from Bonobo; a truly diverse selection. So if you’re looking for something a wee bit different, check out the mix below!
The release of new material on Total Science‘s CIA Records imprint is always a pleasure, with the boys always keeping the quality ridiculously high and only putting out releases when they’re good and ready. This latest LP (the sequel to Tuned In some eleven years on) showcases that quality from a variety of artists across pretty much all the styles of Drum & Bass, and even among a year of so many LP releases shines through as a great album.
The LP delivers deeper tracks like Lenzman’s remix of Past Lives and the beautiful Stolen Moments from Riya & Zero T alongside techier numbers from the likes of Spirit, 8-Bits & Q-Project and Beta 2, along with some standout leftfield drumwork from Fracture on The Breaks. You can stream a few of my favourites below, so check it out and go grab yourself a copy from your favourite store!
Riya & Zero T – Stolen Moments
Beta 2 – Perceptions
Spirit – Dream Demon
Fracture – The Breaks
So just who is the mysterious Dawn Day Night? Following his initial appearance on Fracture’s Get Busy the mysterious masked (and possibly undead) artist has thrown down at Sun & Bass festival, leaked a rather bizarre rider to Resident Advisor, and is now preparing to release his debut EP on Fracture & Neptune’s Astrophonica label. Given the close ties to Fracture speculation abounds that the two are in fact one and the same man…thusfar we have no confirmation, though the scenario seems to bear more than a passing resemblance to the recent Phillip D. Kick project (though with more facepaint).
The identity of the masked man aside, the EP is an intriguing fusion of ghettotech, jungle, breaks, trap and juke, with super precise syncopated percussion and tight sub lines accompanying some choice samples (my favourite being the cry of “Big Booty Girlllllllls”). Check out the previews, and look out for the EP on vinyl and digital, out tomorrow at all good stores.