Boston – Panoramic EP [Symmetry]

We’ve been eagerly awaiting new music from Boston since his last release for Symmetry and true to form he’s back on Break’s imprint with four new silky smooth rollers that glide along effortlessly.

As with previous releases, Boston’s compositions are characterised by live guitar licks, crisp percussion, rich synths and a hint of jazz. That hint of jazz is handled subtly too, unlike some of the rather sax-heavy “jazz’n’bass” stylings employed by other producers in the scene, and that subtlety really makes the music shine.

Treading that beautifully fine line between being musical enough for the living room and hefty enough for the club with style and aplomb, this is another superb EP from a producer whose style has found the perfect home on Symmetry. Absolutely lush. Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite store to grab a copy right now.

AudioSketch – Sound Design LP [Soul Trader]

Soul Trader are upping their game in a big way with their latest project, presenting their first solo artist LP after a fine run of single and EP releases, and they’re going back to the artist behind their first two releases: AudioSketch.

AudioSketch has really outdone himself on this project, serving up twelve wicked originals and three cracking remixes for an album of crisply produced rollers with an ear for both melody and a solid dancefloor bassline. Introspective deep liquid this is not, but neither is it a soulless collection of “bangers”, as the tracks tread that line between soul and heft with aplomb.

In terms of guests the Soul Trader team have brought quite the crew to the table; label owner Surplus is on hand, as are Oktiv, HLZ and Salaryman, while guest vocals come from Hannah Eve and Identified. Remix-wise the invitations are equally top-drawer, with Villem & McLeod, BCee and Random Movement turning in wicked takes on some of the album tracks.

Overall while this might not be pushing any envelopes in terms of genre innovation, the match of musicality, bassweight and production sheen is just impossible to argue with, and the tracks are more than memorable enough to stand the test of time. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab the whole LP right now.

March Roundup

We round up the best of the rest once again! New music from Shogun Audio, Hospital, Soul Trader, Lockdown, Terabyte Records and more…

Continue reading

DNB Dojo Mix Series 27: Marcus Tee

MixSeries27_MarcusTee

Liquid rollers all the way on the latest instalment of the Dojo Mix Series! Marcus Tee delivers the goods, serving up a label showcase mix featuring nothing but cuts from the Bay 6 Recordings catalogue, and the result is an hour of deep, melodic, emotional, beautiful 170BPM music. Can’t argue with that!

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 Google Drive.

Colossus – Lost In Time
Iandys – Point Of Departure
Eugenics Eight – Fade To Black
Ayshot Prod – Wooden
Kairos – Ho2k
Kairos – All That I Know
DFlect – Autumn Groove
Eugenics Eight – Enjoy The Silence
Midn8runner – Silver Lining
Iandys – Find A Way
Midn8runner – I Miss U
MoveMode – Nashik Rain
XCUZMe – From The Ashes
Marcus Tee – Rush Hour
MonoScript – Down 4 U
DFlect – Howling Winds
Pulsate – Coastlines
MonoScript – Calling
Amphix – Twilight Town (Pulsate Remix)
Amphix – Never Let Go
Kairos – Voyage
Ayshot Prod – Waterflow
XCUZMe – Turin Jazz
Marcus Tee – Bigger Than This
Britewall – Dover Woods
5-HT – Colossus
Pulsate – Chasing Saturn
Cityskape – Morning Commute

BCee & Saxxon – Blue Harbour EP [Soul Trader]

We love a good roller here at DNB Dojo; sometimes music doesn’t need to be genre-bending or revolutionary to bring a massive smile to your face, and the latest creations from BCee & Saxxon for Soul Trader Records hit that spot pretty perfectly.

BCee opens things up with the energetic, jazzy vibes of Only You before flipping things around with the tough breaks and vocal emphasis of Understanding. Not to be outdone, Saxxon dishes up a classic Liquid V style roller on Blue Harbour; this one is pure sunshine designed to wash away the winter blues. Last but not least the pair join forces with Soul Trader boss Surplus for the bouncy Tripped Up; that garage-style bassline really hits the spot!

Super smooth liquid once again from the Soul Trader crew. Look out for this on vinyl and digital from Jan 15th.

Get To Know…Bay 6 Recordings

Regular readers may well have picked up on the fact that we quite like Bay 6 Recordings. In fact we’d go so far as to say it’s one of our favourite small liquid imprints around right now, and that’s in the face of some fairly stiff competition to boot. 2016 felt like the perfect time to resurrect our ‘Get To Know’ label showcase feature, so for the first of many we present the finer points of the Bay 6 discography. Continue reading

Goldie – Broken Man [Metalheadz]

Metalheadz continue their absolutely stellar run of recent releases with a single from label boss Goldie. Broken Man brings in a heart-wrenching vocal from young soul vocalist Kwabs and generally eschews D&B conventions to focus on a more “song” style composition, with the other sonic elements all serving to lift and empower the vocal in the mix. It definitely won’t be for everyone but for our money this is a cracking piece of music, charged with emotion and not seeking anyone’s approval.

Over on the flip Ivy Lab’s Halogenix delivers a sleek remix that should tick all the requisite boxes for fans of the deep liquid roller, and certainly makes the track a bit more DJ friendly. Expect to hear this reached for late in the night, and possibly the subject of some cheeky double drops with heftier tunes. Top class from Metalheadz once again; check out the clips below and hit up their store to grab it on vinyl or digital now.

Premiere: Changing Faces – Inside Your Mind

We’re proud to present the premiere of a sublime deep liquid roller from Slovakian producer Changing Faces out today on Fokuz Recordings. Inside Your Mind brings together crisp breaks, soft melodies and occasional crunchy bass swells for an emotional ride which fits the Fokuz sound perfectly; blissful stuff.

You can grab the track (along with a rather tasty Calibre remix of Impish’s With You) from Beatport, or hit up the Fokuz Store to get it on 12″.

Tokyo Prose – Dawn Chorus EP [Samurai Red Seal]

Tokyo Prose is a rare producer in the scene, a man whose creations never fail to put a smile on my face. While Sam Reed certainly wasn’t the first to ply the deep, melodic style of Drum & Bass, he’s certainly developed his own voice over the years and his latest work is amongst his best.

Following last year’s Presence LP was always going to be tough given the quality and diversity of that record, but the Dawn Chorus EP feels perfectly pitched in that regard; lesser in scope but finely crafted and showcasing that warmth and emotion that makes his work so special. Whether on the beautiful string section of Dawn Chorus, the effortless downtempo of Vanishing Point or the bright chimes and crisp breaks of Windtalkers, the instrumentation remains beautiful and evocative.

Anyone yet to be persuaded by the gentle depth of the liquid sound may not find anything new to change their mind here, but if you appreciate the more musical side of Drum & Bass then the Dawn Chorus EP provides four tracks you will lose yourself in again and again. Serenity and bliss, softness and speed, feeling and thought, all lovingly packaged at one hundred and seventy beats per minute; it doesn’t get much better than this.

Check out the clips below and hit up the Samurai Store to grab a copy on wax before it inevitably sells out.

Eighth Moon – Western Horizon

LA liquid producer Eighth Moon is back with another pair of smooth, floaty rollers and once again it’s a blissful summery vibe to enjoy the last of the sunshine with.

Western Horizon hums along with effortless melody and a sense of unabashed glee, but still somehow avoids coming off as overly cheesy, no mean feat in the world of melodic D&B where many producers end up with a distinctly cheddarstep sound.

Celestial Flight follows suit, keeping the beats rolling and the tone warm and fuzzy, with a playful bassline unpinning soaring synth melodies and a childlike exuberance sometimes lacking from more po-faced dance music. The release is avilable now at Eighth Moon’s bandcamp, so check out the clips below and go grab it!