Mark Kloud’s Ground Mass imprint is back with a brand new album from Sonic D including some tasty remixes, none tastier than Dave Owen’s light and jungley take on lead track Boom. Crispy breaks and classic jungle vocal chops blend with melodic flourishes and a hint of footwork flavour – yes please!
We’re suckers for a bit of old school break chopping here at Dojo HQ so news that dgoHn would be returning to Love Love with more of his ruffneck jungle stylings was met with rapturous applause and jubilant celebration (not really, but we were pleased). Side-note: if you missed his rather excellent All The Fuckin As EP earlier this year then definitely go and give it a listen.
The Ralph EP sees dgoHn (pronounced “John”, apparently) treading a well-worn path of breakbeat manipulation, stopping short of the full on breakcore of artists like Venetian Snares but nonetheless injecting a fair bit more chaos into the drums than is to be found in most modern drum & bass. The attention to detail is palpable too; every edit, glitch, reverse and FX stab feels placed for maximal efficacy, keeping the listener engaged with an onslaught of unpredictable kicks, snares and hats for a beautifully anarchic rhythm.
Asides from the two dgoHn originals, the EP also features a tidy remix from Rephlex producer Jodey Kendrick, who twists the relatively light and playful tones of the title track into a darker and more ominous flex, playing with tempo on a glitched-up halftime intro before knocking into full-roll choppage later in the track.
Tasty business all round; fans of Paradox, Fanu and the higher end of the beat mangling craft should definitely give this one a listen. Check out the clips below and look for the release on vinyl and digital from Sep 30th; pre-orders up now at the Love Love bandcamp.
The latest from Skitty’s Foundation X imprint sees Threshold bringing his blend of dubbed out jungle to the table across four tasty new tracks. To find out a bit more about the man’s history in the scene and his approach to making beats we grabbed him for a quick chat. Check it out…
Today we’ve got a double-dose of exclusive business as we present two tracks from the brand new Rush Records Remix LP!
First up is Solo’s epic Sun VIP! Serious break chopping business with a side of liquid pad action on this one; fans of Breakage, Paradox et al will be all over it.
The second of our two exclusives comes from Structure, on the remix for label boss Colossus. His take on What I Want serves up lush, rolling D&B with a hint of jazz and a touch of snarl in the bassline; proper liquid business! Hit up Beatport to grab yourself a copy of the album right now.
Solo:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/solodnb
SoundCloud → @solouk
Structure:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/structurednb
SoundCloud → @structurednb
Twitter → www.twitter.com/dannystructure
Rush Records:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/rushrecordsuk
SoundCloud → @rush-records-dnb
Twitter → www.twitter.com/RushRecords_dnb
Lynch Kingsley is back with two more fantastic slices of his crossover footwork-jungle badness for Italian clubnight-cum-record label The Dreamers, and once again is funky-ass choppage at it’s finest.
Whether it’s on the frantic vibes of Mute Bliss or the slightly more laid-back halftime syncopations of Secret Dream, Lynch’s latest work finds him on fine form once again! Check out the clips below and grab yourself some tasty breakbeat business from your favourite digital outlet.
Redpine & Solo return to Studio Rockers, spreading their jungle-tinged sound across four cracking new tracks that bring together old school breaks with lush modern production techniques.
Most of the EP showcases the duo’s softer-side, from the shimmering vocal-led title track Hindsight, through the jazzy guitar licks of Species and out into the spacey atmospheres and chopped breaks of Nebula One. Don’t worry if you’re looking for something with a bit more edge though; the boys have got that covered too with the hard-edged amens, gritty bass and rave stabs of This Is It.
Wicked vibes all round as Redpine & Solo bring the jungle sound firmly into the 21st century. Check out the previews below and grab this one from your favourite digital store right now.
CIA mark 20 years in the game with a massive new LP, and ahead of the main event there’s a cracking sampler just out featuring some top tracks from familiar label names.
DLR jumps in on the remix for Q Project’s anthemic Champion Sound, retaining the original’s distinctive synth hook but pairing it with an appropriately hefty selection of beats and bass for the current era of D&B. Sure fire dancefloor weapon!
Elsewhere Calibre delivers a characteristically smooth pinao-led roller in the form of Under Bars, and label dons Total Science throw down some fine break choppage on the dub-tinged Respect Due. There’s also a cheeky second remix of Champion Sound with DLR swapping out the beefy modern tech underpinnings of the 2016 remix for something a bit more jungle-y. Tasty stuff! Check out the clips below and hit up the CIA Bandcamp to grab this on vinyl or digital right now.
Before we proceed, if by some anomaly you haven’t heard Special Request’s sublime 2013 jungle revival LP Soul Music then you need to stop reading right now and go and listen to it. No really. Off you go.
Joking aside, the 2013 arrival of Paul Woolford’s Special Request alias saw new life being inserted into the jungle sound, as the classic vibe and spirit of 90s rave culture were combined with the power of the modern mixdown to create something that transcended mere nostalgia. These tracks are unmistakeably informed by jungle, but melded into something slightly different, and not just because of the obviously lower tempo of most of the productions.
Enter Detboi, much championed by Woolford and clearly tapping into the same vein with his releases for the likes of Keysound. His latest work for Metalheadz could be his best yet, featuring simple but rich analogue bass, chunky breakbeats, classic samples and tons of atmosphere. There isn’t much more that needs to be said honestly; the music more than speaks for itself so check out the clips below and channel your inner 90s raver.
The Joyride EP is out now at the Metalheadz store.
Few labels in recent memory have started as strong as RUA Sound. Their first release featured future jungle heavyweights Sully and Sam Binga and unsurprisingly sold out in no time at all (c’mon guys, repress…) so we were more than a little pleased to hear of a follow up from promising upstart TMSV.
Continuing RUA’s quest to unearth the best genre-bending sounds from the bleeding edge of the 170BPM spectrum, we’re treated to two weighty cuts with more than enough muscle for the dancefloor but plenty of playful experimentation to boot. Fission Chips kicks things off with an 8-bit grime hook, rapid footwork-style hats and hypnotic arpeggios set to a hefty slab of sub bass pressure; proper head nodding business.
Over on the flip things take on more of a dub/jungle vibe, with classic reggae sounds mixed with a sparse beat and some super tasty snare rolls. Yes please! Another fine release from a label we’ll definitely be keeping an eye on; check it out below and hit up Redeye or Kudos to grab the wax right now.
Italian label Beat Machine have been blazing quite a trail over the past few years, bringing out top releases from the likes of Lynch Kingsley and netting themselves some big remixes to boot. We’ve been thoroughly enjoying their Swinging Flavors series so with the third instalment about to drop we grabbed label co-runner Luca for a quick chat about the Milan scene, the label’s origins and their plans for the future. Check it out!