Tag Archives: Halftime

DNB Dojo Mix Series 15: Phentix

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Austrian producer Phentix brings us a varied selection for the latest DNB Dojo mix! With beats signed to Citrus and Disturbed and a new EP dropping shortly on IN:DEEP Phentix is definitely one to watch for 2015, and his mix for the Dojo proves his chops as a DJ, gliding effortlessly through deep liquid and heavier tech styles. Yes yes!

As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Dropbox.

Kimyan Law – Daimyo
Dub Phizix & Skeptical – Rags
Roygreen & Protone – Warman
Loxy & Isotone – Ancients (Skeptical Remix)
Roygreen & Protone – Speak the Truth
Amoss – The Shapeshifter ft. MC Fokus (Skeptical Remix)
Alix Perez – The Observer
Dub Phizix & Skeptical – The Enemy
Bredren – Rotten
Phentix – The Grim ft. Kinetical
Skeptical – Refraction
Kasra & Enei – So Real
Pessimist – Abstract
Octane & DLR – Back in the Grind (Cern & Dabs Remix)
Phentix – Hoax (unsigned Dub)
Klax – Blackball
Ivy Lab – Forex
Bredren – Control
Enei – Trainchaser
Amoss & Dabs – Latch
Sabre & Cern – Pinch Me
Break – Condensor
S.P.Y – Xenomorph
Ivy Lab – Gomeisa
Spectrasoul – Bygones
Break – Trying

None Decay – Lithium EP [None Decay Music]

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Watching None Decay’s evolution over the last few years has been an absolute pleasure. From their humble roots as a relatively unknown act, they’ve honed their skills and notched up some impressive releases on Citrus, AutomAte, Vampire and of course their own None Decay Music imprint.

Their latest EP is absolutely their best material yet, bringing together their usual half-step darkness on The Hive and Forever with more upbeat material on the darkly ravey Lithium and the grimey, skittering Road Runner. There’s some absolute danger in here and no mistake! Check out the clips below and head to Juno to grab the EP right now.

Moresounds – Pure Niceness EP [Astrophonica]

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Moresounds returns to Fracture’s Astrophonica imprint with a new EP featuring more of his crossover footwork/jungle sound. Pillaging the classic breaks and ragga vocal samples from 90s jungle but reworking them to an entirely different set of rhythmic syncopations, the tracks here have at once an air of old school nostalgia and an up to the minute freshness.

Picks of the bunch for us here at the Dojo are the chopped up, dubbed out skank-up of Pure Niceness and the crusty breaks, jungle vox and classic pads of Fracture collab Dead & Bury. Check out the clips below and head to the Astrophonica store to grab this on vinyl or digital now!

Fixate – Throwback Therapy [Exit Records]

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Ready to get ravey? The new EP from Fixate for Exit Records is certainly that, at least on appropriately named title track Throwback Therapy. Mining the sounds of old skool hardcore and jungle and throwing in a pinch of footwork and a hint of D&B, this one doesn’t seem to be taking itself too seriously and is all the better for it.

Digital bonus Sueno treads similar territory, chopping the jungle breaks with some some classic vocal “woo”s for another tidy little rave up. The other three tracks on the EP dial back the nonsense a little in favour of footwork inspired explorations of the halftime D&B pattern, all of which are worthy additions to this growing niche of the D&B community. For me though it’s really all about the less po-faced exuberance of the title track. Check out the clips below and grab this one from the Exit Store right now!

Fre4knc – Chain Of Command / Sinjek [Plasma Audio]

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Australian creative collective Plasma present their third release and this time it’s dutch tech producer Fre4knc on the buttons. Fans of the man’s style will know what to expect – dark, energetic vibes all the way, with Chain of Command providing the roller while Sinjek heads for deeper, more ominous territory on a half-time tip. Impressively engineered and ominous in tone, it’s another impressive release from a producer who should be in for a solid year. Look for these dropping from April 20th.

If you’re looking for more from Fre4knc be sure to check out his guest mix for Dispatch Recordings below – it’s a fine selection of new beats and classic tracks alike.

Perverse – Terrain / Petrichor [Flexout Audio]

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Kiwi duo Perverse are best known for their productions in the 140 realm, with a host of deep dubstep releases for the likes of Tempa and beyond. It seems they’re dipping their toes into the D&B pond now though, and the results are pretty impressive!

Both tracks on show here carry the influence of the original dubstep sound but set to a half-time D&B tempo; deep sub, nice atmospherics and sparse but detailed drum rhythms characterise the compositions, with Terrain keeping things light and airy while Petrichor scuzzes up the bass and brings in a slightly more militant tone via metallic percussion and a more insistent back beat.

As usual Flexout don’t disappoint, and I for one hope to hear more 170BPM material from Perverse. Check out the clips below and cop this one from the Flexout Bandcamp now!

Fearful – Mechanism EP [Diffrent Music]

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Fearful returns to Diffrent Music with a great new EP exploring dark and experimental rhythms. Since the last outing on Diffrent nearly two years ago Fearful has moved from a duo to a solo project, but remaining member Chris’s output hasn’t lost any of its edge.

All four tracks carry a distinctly brooding vibe, with eerie pads, grimey bass and a general air of tension coming together to create soundscapes steeped in darkness and suspense. The whole EP is strong, but the hard edged percussion and tempo bending finale of The Lurker edge it out as the Dojo favourite (closely followed by haunting Amoss collab Carcosa).

Check out the previews below and hit up the Diffrent Bandcamp for a copy right now.

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Quentin Hiatus – Passive Boycot EP [Translation Recordings]

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When two of the most innovative names in US D&B get together, you know you’re in for a treat! The latest release on Translation Recordings comes courtesy of Free Love Digi bossman and general 170BPM badman Quentin Hiatus, who regular readers probably already know we’re big fans of.

Melting down glitch, techstep, footwork, soul and more into the pot, QH comes correct with an eclectic selection that should be capable of moving both your feet and your braincells. The EP explores the slow/fast thing the likes of Om Unit have been pushing, playing with the shuffling half-time D&B pattern across a variety of tonal palettes.

The ultra-insistent, hyper-syncopated conga drums of Obsessive Nature and the swaggering bassline shenanigans of Keep It Gangster stand out as highlights among a strong four track selection which you can hear below. Hit up the Translation Bandcamp to pre-order now, and look for this one dropping at all good digital outlets from March 16th.

Cirrus – Dark Skies EP [Alchemic Breaks]

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Alchemic Breaks cement their reputation for quality, forward thinking beats with a fresh new EP from Terra Null Recordings boss Cirrus. The Dark Skies EP lives up to its name, with all four tracks bringing ominous, foreboding vibes with dark textures and plenty of atmosphere.

All four tracks are well worth a listen, from the punchy drums of of Dark Skies through the skittering glitches and rich, throbbing bass of Lost In The Desert. The Hannibal-sampling Ugly Variables proves the standout track, with it’s mix of perfectly programmed drums and spooky vocal clips, leaving Wind Like This to close the EP with something slightly more melodic.

Cirrus and Alchemic Breaks and definitely both on our “to watch” list for this year on the strength of this release! Check out the clips below and grab the release from your favourite digital store from Mar 16th.

AMIT – 4 Stories EP [AMAR]

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Fresh material from AMIT is always a treat, and a relatively rare one at that. The elusive producer seems content to buck the trend that sees many in the scene releasing new records as much as twice a month, preferring to bide his time and hone his craft, and the quality of his output is a fierce testament to that ethos.

As with the previous two releases this latest selection of beats comes via AMIT’s own AMAR imprint, and spans a variety of tempos while exploring his very distinctive sound. Hunted follows in the footsteps of Human Warfare and Killer Driller, blending ominous vocal samples and old school reese bass with a half-time gate and more than a hint of techno as the kick drums drive the tune on. Chalvey Town meanwhile brings a dub vibe to the table set over another techno-esque kick beat, bending the 170BPM tempo to his unusual template and sending it out to space.

Frequent vocal collaborator Rani pops up on Survivor, which sees the tempo drop to 140BPM and the tone back in haunting, creeped out territory. Last but not least, Mind Over stops the flirtation and jumps into techno territory with both feet, to great effect. Check out the clips below and look for the EP on vinyl and digital via the AMAR Bandcamp.