Protect Audio continue their trend for D&B of a dark and minimal aesthetic with their tenth release from QBig & Zenith B. Exiled Mind excels in it’s precise and varied percussion, atmospheric sweeps and understated bass hits. Meanwhile Matador turns the heat up just a little, with an insistent bassline and more of those crisp beats blending to create a nice energy.
Check out the clips below and watch out for this one touching down at all good digital outlets from Feb 4th.
Special Ed’s brand new Shudder alias is one of many up and coming artists to keep an eye on over 2014. His debut tune Lines should pique the interest of fans of the deeper side of D&B, employing interesting percussive elements, deep sub, melancholy piano and a nicely sampled vocal to great effect. Currently unsigned, we at the Dojo certainly hope this gets a proper release! Check it out below and keep an eye on the Shudder Soundcloud for more.
After an exceptional 2013 Automate continue their push on the varied fronts of D&B with the third release on their Deep imprint from Australian producer Fuj. Pressure Plates proves as menacing as it is musical, with hints of dub layered into a mix of tribal halftime drum rhythms and growling bass. This may not be a full-tempo roller but it packs a mighty punch!
Over on the flip Terror Firmer dials things back a touch while amplifying the levels of tensions and gloom; ominous synths and deep sub bass pervade the mix with occasional swipes of distorted midrange reaching out of the tune to knock you off balance. The second half of the tune brings things full roll quite nicely, providing DJs with a useful weapon for switching between halftime and full frontal beats.
Fuj is definitely one to watch for 2014! Check out the beats below and watch out for this one dropping at all good digital outlets from Jan 20th.
Manchester’s NB Audio collective bring us another deep, dark EP this time from Nian Dub. Fans of Dub Phizix’s style of bashment influenced beats will definitely enjoy the opening track Aftermath – heavy kicks and deep sub combine with the unmistakable vocal stylings of Fox for a deft lesson in minimalism.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db0ZNeszbXQ]
Elsewhere on the EP we’re treated to dark Jungle rollers (Deliverance) rolling techstep (Antaeus), minimal steppers (Jazz Craft) and even a touch of Dub reggae and dubstep at the end of the EP – clearly Nian Dub is a man of versatile talents. Unfortunately no other tracks are online for preview, so you’ll need to pick it up to hear the rest – head to your favourite digital outlet to grab a copy.
Terabyte round off a fantastic 2013 with their 9th single, this time from Southampton’s Kush T. A-side Tense featuring the vocal talents of Serge has picked up widespread DJ support from some pretty big names and it’s not hard to see why – menacing bass, skittering beats and a grimey vocal all contribute to a militant slice of minimalism.
Over on the flip Waiting continues the trend of heavy hitting leftfield percussion and weighty sub pressure that we’ve come to associate with Terabyte releases. Tasty stuff. Check out the clips below and look out for the release dropping at all good digital stores from December 16th.
Ingredients launch not one but two excellent 12″ singles from newcomer Response. Hailing from Manchester, the up and coming producer has developed quite a knack for techie rollers which embody the darkness and heft of early Techstep productions from the likes of Ed Rush & Optical.
The first single sees Creep opening the Response salvo with a dark roller imbued with pure subby goodness. Over on the flip Resistance chucks in hard, crusty snares and a hypnotic repeated hook matched with more of that simple yet elegant sub bass.
The second single showcases some of Response’s deeper beats, with Surveillance taking the foot off the gas a bit to deliver a deep liquid roller. Over on the flip One Nation makes good use of ambient pads and a reggae sample on the intro before bringing back that warm, dark, sub laid over a classic stepper’s beat.
Grab yourself copies of the vinyl from Redeye and look out for the digital copies dropping later in the month. And if you want to hear more from Response, check out his promo mix for Ingredients below!
It’s always a pleasant surprise when fresh new beats arrive in your inbox from a producer and label you’ve never heard of, and a doubly pleasant surprise when they’re as good as the latest release from Oliver Yorke for Italian imprint Retrospective Recordings.
Digital Native delivers intricate percussion in spades, set to a dark, brooding bassline and gloomy industrial soundscape work; minimal in tonal pallet but maximal in both impact and depth. Lose Yourself on the other hand goes in deeper, switching the hyperactive percussion out for a simpler groove with a little more roll and adding a tightly wound sub line with a touch of wobble for character.
Check out the beats below and watch out for the release dropping September 30th.
Violation Music return with another varied array of deep D&B, this time bringing together tracks from four different producers for an EP release that keeps you on your toes. nCamargo kicks things off with a tough, gritty stepper that combines Vangelis-esque synth pads with a belting drum line and twisted, warping bass that gives the tune plenty of movement. Next up, Robustus delivers another industrial sounding beat but with a little more roll to the breaks and some great cymbal work.
DYL comes in with what is for me the stand-out track of the EP, building layers of gloomy ambience before adding in a sparse, glitchy beat full of interesting percussive samples. The whole composition sounds entirely artificial, like the whirring of gears in some weird mechanical device. Finally The Slimerz give us Boulders, characterised by a reverb drenched half-time drum line that sounds like something Instra:mental might come up with if they took a bit too much Ritalin.
Check out the clips below and watch out for the EP dropping 7th October via all good digital outlets.
Mindstorm’s latest release sees the label boss going in deep. The Descent brings together ethereal, almost ambient synths with a glitchy half-step beat and some hefty dark bass work; equal parts atmosphere and teeth.
Escape Route on the flip takes things even deeper, with a tribal percussion line taking centre stage in a tune that minimal D&B-heads are sure to love. Check out the beats below and grab a copy from your favourite digital retailer now!
Usually I’m skeptical of press release hype but I think Violation Music are genuinely onto a “hidden gem” with this release from up and coming producer Seismix. With releases on BTK’s Dutty Audio imprint and DJ support from the likes of Sabre, Octane & DLR, Insideinfo, Cern and Hybris, I wouldn’t imagine he’ll stay hidden for long mind.
Code delivers dancefloor tech at its best, combining atmospheric synths, rolling drum breaks, deft synth work and that all important bass growl to create a tune that will fit right into any dark D&B DJ set. Over on the flip, the man shows us a little more depth with a half-time tune that’s all about the percussion; natural hits and fill abound, with the warm sub adding to the deep, tribal feel.
Watch out for the single dropping July 1st via all good digital outlets.