Signal continues his fast ascent to the top reaches of the D&B scene with a contribution to Neodigital’s Eurofunk Vol. 2 EP dropping in a couple of weeks. To find out a bit more about his selections in the dance we tracked him down and asked for his top 5 club tracks. Check it out…
When it comes to hyper technical, dancefloor-focussed neurofunk there are many pretenders to the throne but few live up to the standards set by Germany’s finest. Phace’s latest work for his and Misanthrop’s Neosignal imprint finds him on top form, delivering another pair of dangerously weighty dancefloor smashers.
So Excited follows in the footsteps of previous Neosignal smash Sex Sells with a tongue in cheek vocal on the intro and playful melody (something often lacking from the polished but soulless neuro found elsewhere). When it drops it’s a chaotic blend of gut-punchingly hard drums and serious bassline distortion which defines so many Phace productions; absolutely deadly.
Over on the flipside Lit Up swaps the rolling break of the A for a more angular beat and staccato bassline but once again the vibes are utterly relentless. Not for the faint of heart! Check it out below and hit up your favourite digital store to grab a copy right now.
Austrian neuro wizard Mefjus returns to our weekly Dojo Damager feature with the title track from his forthcoming EP for Neosignal, Blitz. Three years on from his debut for the Neodigital arm of Phace & Misanthrop’s high class imprint it seems entirely fitting that Mefjus is now back on the main label with a solo EP and trust us, it’s all fire!
Blitz takes a leaf out of Phace’s playbook with a driving, throbbing bass groove set to a heavy drum line. The punchy arrangement makes for an utterly relentless vibe while still feeling more nuanced than the tearout stylings employed by some producers in the neurofunk scene. As the vocal sample so aptly puts it, more impact! Check out the track below and look for the EP dropping next month on vinyl and digital.
Following on from last month’s sampler release, Phace’s brand new LP Shape The Random is upon us! Featuring 14 new tracks from the German neurofunk mastermind, the album stays true to the signature Phace sound but still manages to throw in a few surprises.
Empty Talk yields the first of those, achieving the same kind of high energy that his tracks are known for via a relentless staccato rhythm. Emphasis here lies in the sub and highs, mostly eschewing the aggressive midrange that has become somewhat predictable across the neurofunk style. The album’s single collab provides another surprise; with Mefjus in the studio one might have expected a tearout banger, but The Mothership proves to be a creepy, suspense laden exercise in relative minimalism, packing a punch but exploring unusual percussion and FX over sheer aggression.
There’s still plenty of space for the precision, high impact neurofunk Phace has become well known for, as evidenced by the likes of Fraktal Total, Bite The Edge and the titular Shape The Random to name but a few. Exit Plan rounds the album off nicely with a another punchy, groove-laden and faintly robotic track. Phace remains at the top of his game and the cutting edge of the scene! Check out the clips below and pick up the album from the Neosignal bandcamp now!
The mighty Phace is back and his signature high-precision, high-energy neurofunk sound remains as compelling as ever! The first taste of the German producer’s second solo album drops on vinyl and digital from Monday, and fans will certainly not be disappointed. My Mind Is Modular builds suspense with tight percussion and a hypnotic melody before slamming down into a typically frenetic assault of beats and bass.
Over on the flip Monochrome proves just as fearsome, playing around with unusual rhythms on the intro before dropping into angular kicks and snares set to a terrifying rising bassline. Robotic stuff! The sampler drops on vinyl and digital from Feb 16th, with the rest of the album due to follow a month later. The physical format aficionados (or those with deep pockets at least) can also head over to the Neosignal bandcamp to pre-order an album bundle with both vinyl releases, CD, t-shirt, stickers and full digital download. Check out the clips below and prepare yourself for the neurofunk onslaught!
Following our run down of our favourite albums of the year, we felt it was only right to put the spotlight on our top tracks. These are the ten tunes that haven’t left our record box since their release…
We’re digging in the Neosignal vaults for today’s classic, back to 2008 and the label’s first release. Cold Champagne may not have the sheer dancefloor heft of some of Phace’s other work but the crisp sonic detailing, smooth atmospheric pads, precise beats and booming sub bass make it a more than worthy addition to any neurofunk head’s collection. Check it out below and head to the Neosignal store to grab a copy.
Nothing puts a smile on our faces here at the Dojo quite like a brand new release from Neosignal. Phace & Misanthrop’s latest outing sees them bringing it with a pair of suitably aggressive and finely engineered neurofunk belters, and the beats are every bit as crisp and deadly as we’ve come to expect from the duo.
Sex Sells builds up with some saucy vocal samples before dropping into an ultra-precise rolling break backed up with a seriously scuzzy bassline. Tons of little details are sprinkled into the mix, with nice glitchy FX, extra percussion and a simple but effective melodic hook rounding the tune out.
Over on the flip Nordwand provides a darker partner to the playful A-side, all atmosphere and suspense on the intro, with ominous bass groans and a half-time drum stomp leading up to a monstrous drop. Twisted bass and hard snares all the way on this one; a surefire dancefloor masher. Check out the clips below and head to Beatport or the Neosignal store to grab the digital now. There’s also a strictly limited vinyl single for the wax collectors – grab this from your favourite outlet quick if you want a copy!
Neosignal’s digital only sub-imprint returns after a bit of a hiatus with two superb new tracks. Abstract Elements & Detail get in the studio together on Wrecked, building tension on a sparse, moody intro before dropping into an angular soundscape of glitchy vocal cut ups, creaking synth swells and helter skelter drum hits. Definitely not the usual 170 business!
Over on the flip A-Cray delivers a more regulation but nonetheless tasty slice of techy D&B business, driven along by an insistent bass riff and a solid break. Solid dancefloor business. Check out the clips below and grab this one now from Beatport!
Neosignal continue their relentless assault on the futuristic 170 sound with another storming solo EP, this time from Misanthrop. Deadlock certainly defies expectations in terms of what we’ve come to expect from the German producer, mixing equal parts techno, dub and minimal D&B to create a relentlessly hypnotic and tribally rhythmic tune.
The titular Greed of Gain treads more familiar territory with a tearing mid-range growls and huge metallic snares dominating the composition after a synthy 80s intro. Out into Catch-22 and Misanthrop is breaking the mould again, combining the usual disgusting basslines with a plodding kick-snare drum line that only gives way to a tumbling full roll in the latter part of the track.
Last up System Crash ends the EP with the highest octane number of all, with stark lead stabs punctuating a maelstrom of full tilt drum breaks and cutting reese lines. Look out for the EP dropping November 25th on Digital and December 9th on limited edition vinyl.