Counterpoint continue their excellent Counter x Culture series this month with a slamming new single from Romanian beatsmith Brusten, and we’ve got the exclusive on Transvision. Keeping things dark and grimey, this one is a proper driving tech stomper, full of energy without any danger of veering into tearout territory. Sick tune! Look for this dropping June 18th at all good digital outlets.
German producer MISO is in the Dojo spotlight today as he prepares to drop a wicked new single for Counterpoint’s second Counter x Culture release, showcasing up and coming talent in the scene. Lost Frequency is a superb study in understated tech minimalism, keeping the beats precise, the sub rumbling and the midrange textures growling without swamping the rest of the track. Moody vibes! Look for this one dropping Apr 27th via all good digital stores.
Australia meets London on the latest release for Terra Firma as Sense MC lends his inimitable vocal stylings to Perth-producer Manikin’s latest track, Daydream. Dirty techstep vibes inside the ride with a slick, relaxed vocal delivery, mixing the rough with the smooth! This one is out today exclusively at Beatport; general release follows in two weeks time.
Long standing UK techstep imprint AutomAte return this month after a fairly lengthy hiatus with new music from French producer Oxius! Providing more of that dark, gritty, futuristic sound that the label has built a solid reputation for pushing, Oxius comes correct with precision beats and interesting drum patterns, and of course plenty of hefty bass distortion. Check it out below and watch for the release dropping Feb 20th.
Mystic State drop a cracking collab album on Addictive Behaviour later this month and we’re incredibly pleased to bring you a premiere from the Versus LP! Previous Third Degree collab Under The Shadow gets the VIP treatment, with the original’s stepping drums swapped out for a swaggering halftime groove that still fits perfectly with the memorable bassline riffage of the original. Sick! Look out for this alongside new beats made alongside Philth, Xanadu, Data 3 and many more…trust us, this one is dangerous. The album drops Dec 18th at the usual digital outlets.
Today’s exclusive comes courtesy of German tech powerhouse T3K Recordings as they present the latest VA EP on their LTD imprint. Macrothyst & Kilobite team up on Black Mask, a threatening, stripped-back stepper which packs punch and atmosphere in equal measure. Danger! Look for this one dropping Nov 28th.
Diffrent’s latest sees a clash of underground heads as production trio Kolectiv team up with Bristol experimentalist MEDIKA for a seriously weighty slice of dark D&B. Echoes of hip-hop punctuate the heavyweight beats and bass on this system-shaking halftime beast. Badman sound! Check it out below and look for the release dropping October 6th via the Diffrent Bandcamp.
Fast-rising Swiss duo QBig & Zenith B land on Iridescent Music for their latest outing, bringing together classic techstep vibes, crispy modern production and a dose of hip-hop swagger. The result is a grimey roller sure to mash up the dance! Check it out and watch for this one dropping Feb 13th alongside flipside No Need and a remix of the flip by new producer N3ptune.
Arkaik’s productions first caught my ear via his early releases for Diffrent Music and since then I’ve kept an eye out for more of his stripped back stylings. His latest EP for Flexout is possibly his finest work to date, bringing five slabs of gritty techstep to the table that should get fans of this deep yet edgy end of D&B excited.
The titular My Love opens the EP nicely, combining a tough but clean rolling break and dark bass with a warped yet soulful vocal line for a track that treads the path between dark and smooth with aplomb. Other highlights come on the dingy, threatening halftime of Doppelganger, which makes great use of shuffling hat fills, and the simple yet insistent staccato clicks and pops of Wusi Street.
As usual you can grab this one from your favourite digital outlet, so check out the clips below and go grab it now!
If you like your D&B grimey and militant, pay close attention! Goreteks, another of Denver’s rising crop of D&B production outfits, bring their wares to Quentin Hiatus’s Free Love Digi imprint and the EP is deadly from start to finish.
No Mercy kicks things off with a stomping halftime beat full of hard snares and cheeky drum fills, while the filtered bass roams in and out of the mix in an entirely threatening fashion. Silence is Golden ups the ante, showering down kicks and snares amongst the sea of dubbed out echoes and distorted bass. This one recalls some of SPKTRM’s best material, and it sounds like the soundtrack to a distopian warzone, brutal business.
Secrets continues the menacing vibe; shades of Amit can be heard here, but with extra grit and angst. The percussion fills on this one really make the track, and the use of space makes the composition all the more powerful. Last but not least, Louder dials back the aggression a little for a tribal, echoing exploration with plenty of dubby twists and turns and a general air of simmering danger.
It’s been some time since producers I’ve never heard have impressed me this much on a first listen. Check out the clips below and go pick this one up now!