Tag Archives: Minimal

Alchemic Breaks 001

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Apparently running three D&B labels and finding time to produce and DJ just wasn’t enough for Leeds-based D&B obsessive Altered Perception, as we’ve just gotten wind of a brand new imprint from the Terabyte/Transmission/Sub:mission boss in the form of Alchemic Breaks. Judging from the first release the label’s MO will be focussing on the deeper and more experimental side of D&B, with minimal stylings at play throughout the tracks.

Jaydrop serves up a tidy slice of tribal half-step business on Camo, while Transmission/Terabyte alumnus Automate brings the dark drumfunk vibes on the appropriately titled Breaksrus. Xsetra delivers the EPs heaviest hitting track with a showering of hard kicks and snares set to a backdrop of warping bass modulations, while Mystic State and Hidden Life team up to close the EP with the dub and IDM-tinged vibes of glacial halfstep number Defrost. Check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping at all good digital stores from November 22nd.

None Decay – Carnea EP [AutomAte]

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AutomAte’s latest release sees None Decay return to the imprint’s “Green” wing for a solo artist EP showcasing their deep, dark, minimal stylings. Carnea opens the EP with a stripped back, crisp, minimal drum workout, while Clockwork moves along like it’s namesake at a steady, tribal gate punctuated with steely percussion and echoing FX.

Paesan recruits Stakka Lyrics to provide vocal duties over another stark, stripped back combo of beats and bass, and the MCing doesn’t disappoint; quick flows, smart rhymes and an appropriately swaggering delivery give this one plenty of character. It’s left to Last Midnight to close the EP, building up with creepy pads and a nicely lifted vocal snippet from True Detective before dropping into a grimey combination of bass and frenetic, cymbal-led beats. Tasty stuff.

As usual this will be dropping through all good digital outlets – check out the clips below and look for the release dropping from November 10th.

Kimyan Law – Run Ames / Eclairage [Blu Mar Ten Music]

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Blu Mar Ten Music present the debut single from 19 year old talent Kimyan Law, a producer with a talent for evocative, understated beats that have a hint of the cinematic to them. The tracks represent the first glimpse of his Coeur Calme LP, due next month.

Run Ames sees the producer teaming up with vocalist Robert Manos on a stark, moody slice of D&B; insistent beats, simple but satisfying bass reverberations and Manos’ vocal take centre stage, with the merest hints of melody echoed over the mix. This “less is more” approach is a stark contrast to the usual “fill every frequency” maximalism of much of today’s electronica, and the overall effect has much more impact through the clever use of dynamic range.

Eclairage meanwhile brings together soft, natural percussion set to an unusual, lilting beat and paired with a pleasantly natural chiming melody. The track is drenched in reverb, lending it a distant melancholy, as though we’re hearing a faint reflection from some other place or time. Once again there’s a mastery of minimalism at work here, allowing the different elements of the track to breath, and the results are stunning. Check out the clips below and grab this one right now from the Blu Mar Ten store.

You can also find a “Slumber Session” mix from Kimyan below, featuring a mellow selection with tracks from Massive Attack, Burial, Stray and more.

None Decay – Night Terrors / Bicep [None Decay Music]

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None Decay return to their own imprint with another pair of dark, techy beats. Night Terrors provides a fairly hefty slice of rolling, industrial-edged D&B that brings to mind old school Virus Recordings business, but for me the star of the show is found in Bicep on the flip.

Imbued with tons of creepy atmosphere from the pads and FX, the tune flexes it’s proverbial muscles via crunchy bass growls and a stomping, insistent half-step beat. The little sonic details washing in and out over the backbone of bass and beats really make this one. Check out the clips below and grab this from the None Decay Bandcamp or your favourite digital store now.

Handra – Coat of Dust / Stay Away [Addictive Behaviour]

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Addictive Behaviour take things a little deeper than usual on their latest release from newcomers Handra. The polish production duo serve up a stripped back piano-led roller on Coat of Dust, amping up the atmosphere nicely. Stay Away seems to have the dancefloor more firmly in its sights, with a higher impact beat and more bass texture, though the stripped-back stylings are still evident.

Handra should be one to watch this year if they can continue with releases of this quality. Check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping on Beatport from September 1st, with vinyl and worldwide digital release following on September 15th.

If you’re itching to hear more from Handra then be sure to check out their recent promo mix featuring Stay Away and seven other tracks. Check it out below!

Yukon & Deluded – Snow / Lost Contact [Terabyte Records]

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Terabyte continue their quest to bring us dark, minimal D&B from the freshest names in the game with a single from Yukon & Deluded. The Birmingham based duo serve up two crisp, subby beats that fit the Terabyte aesthetic well.

A-side Snow fills in a simple half-step template with a plethora of drum edits and fills, adding character by variation while maintaining a dark, hypnotic quality. Lost Contact meanwhile thins out the beats a little to let the distorted bass growls breathe, creating both tension and space in ample quantity. Ominous strings and FX snippets add to the brooding, dangerous atmosphere.

Check out the beats below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet now!

Fuj – Terror Firmer / Pressure Plates (Remixes) [AutomAte Deep]

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Automate Deep return with a bit of tasty remix pressure as Dexta and Mtwn rework Fuj’s tunes from his previous release for the label. The Diffrent boss kicks things off with a half-time refix of Terror Firmer, all stomp and growl with an insistent riddim and bassline modulations taking centre stage against a backdrop of reverbed atmos and FX sprinkles.

Mtwn step up for the B side with a deep, dark re-imagining of Pressure Plates, stripping the tune back to it’s basic elements and working it into a twisted, dubby vibe with off kilter percussion landing left, right and centre. Check out the clips below and watch out for this one dropping at all good digital outlets from July 7th.

A-Cray – Untold Stories [Terabyte Records]

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Terabyte Records return with their 11th release in the form of a double A side from A-Cray and Kloro4m. A-Cray’s Untold Stories eschews the style of some of his rowdier material in favour of a stripped back drum workout with plenty of bass weight…this one’s all in the detailed percussion.

Kloro4m’s Solitude follows a similar pattern, with a slightly more rolling break but a focus on precise drum programming, dark, ominous bass and little else. Both tunes provide ample proof that less can be more. Check out the clips below and grab these from your favourite digital outlet now.

Binary – Etched / Polaris [E-Motion]

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Binary returns to E-Motion with a pair of dark, minimal steppers in the vein of Icicle et al. Both tracks emphasise deep sub and crisp drums over in your face lead segments and aim for groove rather than heft, and the overall effect is very satisfying.

Etched heads for dark, angular territory while Polaris softens the mood slightly with lush pads on the intro and bridge segments and a more rolling break compared to the hard drums of the A side. Check out both tracks below and watch out for the release dropping from March 24th at all good digital stores.

Fre4knc – Tellurian EP [Samurai Music]

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Fans of the tough, dark and minimal end of the D&B spectrum should already be familiar with Fre4knc (that’s pronounced “frequency”, right?). His latest EP for Samurai continues his trend for a sound which mixes darkness and precision to great effect.

Opener Tellurian strikes down with insistent tribal rhythms, while The Source makes great play of an alternation between dubby half-time beats and schizophrenic drum break syncopations as scratchy old breaks are pushed to the limits. Drumfunk heads are in for a treat with this one! Finally Flink rounds the EP off with a mean combination of hefty sub hits, an infectious scattershot lead and crisp, rapid drum rolls.

As usual from the Samurai camp the release is available on beautiful marbled wax and both the physical package and the music contained within are pretty damn stunning. Pre-orders are up now at Surus and the release drops on Monday 10th March.