Crypticz & Lakeway – Bubblegum / Guns For Hire [Sweetbox]

Posted on 23rd June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Brand new Bristol label Sweetbox should be one to keep an eye on this year on the strength of their debut release, showcasing two forward thinking slices of 170BPM action from Crypticz & Lakeway.

The former provides an exercise in trap-infused half-time minimalism on Bubblegum, which we assume takes its name from the distinctive “popping” FX which characterise the tune. Lakeway ups the ante on the flip with a militant slice of halftime blending hip-hop style sampling with a hefty wall of sub and a tasty percussion line. This one absolutely throbs at the low end!

Hit up the Sweetbox Bandcamp for pre-order now, and watch out for these dropping from Jun 29th at all good stores.

Stray – Paradise EP [Exit Records]

Posted on 12th June 2015 by DNB Dojo

Stray is that most rare of beasts; a producer who gets better and more innovative as he advances in years, rather than settling into a comfort zone and churning out the releases. His latest EP for Exit Records finds his work in rude health, with seven new tracks spanning hip-hop, D&B and electronica.

Paradise opens things up with a big, slouching slice of bassy hip-hop which those of you who’ve caught Stray or Ivy Lab recently may well recognise. The groaningly bassy Walkonby and cheekily funky Movements continue the 85BPM hip-hop trend to great effect; it’s a style that Stray has clearly become both comfortable with and adept at over his last few releases both solo and with Ivy Lab.

Queen sees the tempo switch up for the EPs only straight D&B affair, an enjoyable little roller with plenty more of those signature vocal cutups among the soft synths and crisp breaks. Without U moves things in a jungle/footwork direction with big chunky breaks and hints of dub thrown into the mix, before Branflakes drops things back to the hip-hop swagger once again with massive punchy sub and interesting percussion.

Last but not least Dizzy provides a perfect little outro of mellow downtempo, with soft jazz and funk licks set to loose breaks. Blissful stuff. Essential listening once again; check out the clips below and hit up the Exit Store to grab this one on vinyl or digital now.

Lynx – I Am Lynx [Hospital]

Posted on 11th June 2015 by DNB Dojo

I’m gonna be totally honest here; I wasn’t expecting much from this LP. Lynx’s previous productions have been incredibly hit and miss for me, and his recent EP for Hospital struck me as pretty average. Nonetheless, I always try and keep an open mind when listening to new promo in the inbox, and I Am Lynx proved to be a very pleasant surprise.

The first thing that struck me about this album as I listened through was the diversity of the productions on show. From the punchy dancefloor tech of Clap Track to the womped-up hip-hop swagger of Drop That, through the staccato rhythms and rap of Lights Out (which is absolutely boss, by the way) and the blissful rolling liquid of Chord Time, this is a record of many delights and little laurel-resting.

While it’s not all gold (I found the Zinc-esque jump-up of Satisfaction pretty tedious) the LP definitely has way more hits than misses, and it’s good to see a producer stretching themselves. Doubtless Lynx could easily have knocked out a dozen soft liquid rollers and called it a day; bravo for pushing the boat out a bit further.

As usual with Hospital releases you can find this on CD, vinyl and digital at the Hospital Store; check out the clips below and grab yourself a solid 12 track selection right now.

If you want a wee bit more of the Lynx flavours you can also check out his 60 minute mix for Mistajam below. Nice!

Screw3000 – Nexture [Beat Machine]

Posted on 13th May 2015 by DNB Dojo

Beat Machine return with another top notch release from an artist pushing the electronic sound in exciting new directions at the fringes of D&B, Footwork and Hip-hop. The beats on display here are almost impossible to pigeonhole; swinging from warped R&B and LA Bass to Trap and Footwork and taking in all kinds of influences on the way, this is quite the melting pot of sonic flavours.

Highlights for us at the Dojo came on the short and sweet footwork shenanigans of Lookin Good (those delicious hat/snare rolls), Dead Fingaz‘ swaggering bass and weird’n’wonderful sampling, and the helter skelter junglism of Ticklish’s remix of Manual. If you like your beats forward thinking you should definitely check this one out…seriously lush synth work and a truly unique style throughout.

Unfortunately you can only hear a single track for the moment, so have a listen to When The Night Is Over below and hit up the Beat Machine Bandcamp to preorder the EP now – it drops on vinyl and digital from May 21st.

Redeyes – Memory Lane EP Pt 1 [Vandal Ltd]

Posted on 13th April 2015 by DNB Dojo

If you like your D&B on the soulful side then you’ll enjoy this one; Redeyes returns to Vandal’s Ltd imprint with four new rhythms exploring his influences from soul & hip-hop. Old school loop sampling definitely seems to play into the sound, such as on the prominent piano of Memory Lane, and the whole EP carries a pretty lush tone.

Aside from the title track the highlight is undoubtedly the shuffling, mournful Underneath, dropping the classic liquid breaks in favour of a more experimental rhythm and a great selection of sounds and atmospheres. There’s also a cheeky ’99 hip-hop mix of Psychonauts for good measure which should have your head nodding. Check out the clips below and grab this one right now from your favourite store.

MEF:LAB EP [Critical Music]

Posted on 28th March 2015 by DNB Dojo

Critical return with two fresh new remixes which you’ll likely have heard if you’ve been at a Critical Sound event recently. Mefjus takes the gold here with a thundering mix of Ivy Lab’s Sunday Crunk; all the swagger of the original with plenty of extra bass growl and some tasty little drum rolls for extra energy.

Ivy Lab return the favour with a remix of Blame You, blending the soulful vocal elements with chunky rolling tech and a hint of funk in the breaks for good measure.

As usual you can pick this up on vinyl or digital via the Critical Store where you can also find a deluxe bundle featuring stickers and slipmats! Move fast if you’re after this on wax; we can’t see copies hanging around on the shelves for long.

Ivy Lab – Twenty Questions EP [Critical Music]

Posted on 1st March 2015 by DNB Dojo

The unmistakeable production trio that is Ivy Lab are back with another fine selection for Critical Music, and they’re continuing to push their sound in all the right directions. As you’d expect, there are a couple of superb deep rollers (of which Gomeisa is the Dojo favourite), but there’s also a meaty slab of dark tech in the form of Forex, which sounds like a love letter to the early Virus Recordings sound.

The rest of the EP is given over to the team’s explorations in crunked up, half-time, hip-hop’n’bass. The D&B purists are doubtless gonna hate it, but I challenge anyone hearing the likes of Two By Two in the dance not to bust out a mad swagger! To round things out there’s fantastic discotronic remix of Live On Your Smile from El Train and an unusually deep mix of Slinky from the joyously unpredictable Sam Binga. Check out the clips below and hit up the Critical Store to grab this on vinyl or digital now; full release drops from March 9th.

Quentin Hiatus – Chocolate Cosmos EP [Free Love Digi]

Posted on 14th February 2015 by DNB Dojo

Free Love Digi continue their steady onslaught of releases with a fresh EP from label boss Quentin Hiatus. Pushing the boundaries as ever, Quentin explores more weird and wonderful takes on the 170BPM sound. The Struggle melts down influences from techno and beyond for a psychedelic and potent slice of 4×4 D&B, while Chocolate Cosmos hits those slouching, hip-hop style halftime riddims that Mr Hiatus does so well.

One Way Or Another goes into deep space, harnessing the power of dub for a tripped out, reverb drenched jam. Last but not least, Understatement ups the ante a bit with angular percussion and an ominous, robotic vibe. Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping at all good digital outlets from Feb 23rd.

Generous man that he is Quentin is also giving away a nice little freebie to promote the EP in the form of Lucy. Treading similar ground to The Struggle, this one’s got more than a hint of techno to it; check it out and grab a free download from Soundcloud.

G.H.O.S.T – Syrup EP [Goldman Records]

Posted on 2nd December 2014 by DNB Dojo

G.H.O.S.T’s latest beats on their own Goldman Records imprint were a pleasant surprise when they fell into the Dojo inbox, and it’s safe to say I’ll be keeping an eye on these guys in future. The Syrup EP features a tasty selection; the title track providing a deep, subby slice of atmospheric liquid to open the salvo, with soft pads and crisp breaks giving the tune definition and character.

On the flip things get a hefty switchup, with Swinger exploring glitchy, hip-hop infused territory at halftime tempo and Pecker providing a skittering hyper-syncopated drum workout. Last but by no means least Endless Blue heads back in a more fluid direction, taking it’s cues from the classic drumfunk and intelligent D&B of yesteryear. Vinyl fans can grab the EP on wax from Bandcamp and the digital versions should be available at all good digital stores from December 1st.

Marginal – Every 1 Needs a 0 EP [Translation Recordings]

Posted on 17th November 2014 by DNB Dojo

It’s always a good day when a new release from Translation hits the Dojo inbox! The label has carved a great reputation for forward thinking electronica crossing over from conventional D&B into other tempos, genres and styles, and their latest release from Marginal is no different in terms of either variation or quality.

Plastic World opens the EP with a slouching, downtempo fusion of hip-hop, reggae, synthy ambience and contemporary bass music, with the result sounding shimmering and lightly toasted. No sooner than the last chord echoes out over the speakers that the mood switches, retaining the futuristic synth vibes but bending them to a more intricate composition on Datasaur; this one doesn’t float so much as being driven along by crunchy bassline goodness.

The titular Every 1 Needs a 0 ups the ante, bringing rapid syncopations and the influence of trap and footwork to the table. Percussive details form the backbone of the track, with spacey FX echoes and big warm, dubby bass filling out the vibe to occupy a massive sonic space. Last but by no means least, the creepily titled Anesthesia Is Useless comes the closest to “traditional” D&B in outlook, pressing forward with tight, insistent beats and heavy sub rumblings alongside wild synth stabs and robotic warblings. Futuristic business!

Check out the clips below and head over to the Translation Bandcamp now to pick this up right now – full digital release to come November 24th.

DNB Dojo

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