Blu Mar Ten bring us the 11th episode of their regular podcast with an unusual all D&B mix featuring tons of cuts from their own label alongside cuts from Technicolour, Naibu and Commix. As you’d expect from BMT this is all things deep and soulful, check it out and grab a free download below.
Dominic Petrie delivers the third in our exclusive mix series with a tidy half hour mix of deep, forward thinking D&B. With releases on Fuzion, Lifestyle, Nerve and Sound Artillery and a residency at Edinburgh’s Xplicit clubnight, Dominic (previously known as Y2D) has been building quite a rep as both a producer and a DJ, as evidenced by this mix.
For the mix Dom has compiled a tasty 30 minute selection of deeper beats from the likes of Calibre, Mutt, Alix Perez and Burial. He’s even opened it up with a cheeky dub of his very own. Check it out below and grab a free download from MediaFire, or check it out on Mixcloud.
Dominic Petrie – Silver linings (Dub)
Anile – Another year (Med School)
Mutt – I used to (Fokuz)
Calibre – Key flix (Signature)
Alix Perez – Playing games (Shogun)
Calibre – Think on (Signature)
Blocks and Escher – Embers (Narratives)
Double O – Soul Warrior (Rupture)
Calibre – Sick of it all (Signature)
Penny Giles – Love come running free (Alignment)
Eveson – Found a groove (Liquid V)
Double O – Blackula (Rupture)
Burial – Near dark (Hyperdub)
The almost annual event that is a new album from the legendary Calibre is always a treat, and his 9th full length release keeps the quality high without falling into overly formulaic territory. Tracks like Think On, Key Flix and Simple Things provide the rolling, understated liquid we’ve come to know and love from the music man, while Cully Bridge explores slightly funkier territory with some interestingly treated vocal samples and Running adds a wee hint of samba with a great little guitar lick.
Elsewhere Sick Of It All explores moody, ethereal half-step, Keep Control superbly blends orchestral flourish with a tough, stepping beat and Wilderness sees an effortlessly soulful collaboration with vocalist Steo. Perhaps the most stand-out track on the album however comes in the form of Start Again, which sees Calibre teaming up with MC Chimpo to deliver a gritty, half stepping number that oozes atmosphere. Dark, oscillating bass, tight hats and deep, Mancunian tones; yes please!
Unfortunately only two previews of the album are up online so to hear the rest you’ll just have to buy yourself a copy from Surus, but trust me, you’ll not regret it.
Mako’s Utopia Music delivers another top notch 12″, showcasing yet more proof of the labels refusal to be pigeon-holed to a single style of D&B.
Sunchase steps up first to deliver a super chilled, ethereal piece of 170 that would feel very much at home on Blu Mar Ten music. This one’s up there with Bungle’s recent masterpiece for Soul:R, truly beautiful music.
Over on the flip Detail comes in with a more dancefloor-oriented number, bringing growling low end and hefty kick drums, punctuated with double time distorted amen bars to keep the crowd on their toes. Beauty on the A-side…beast on the B-side!
dBridge & Vegas’ True Romance is undoubtedly the best flipside in my vinyl collection, not to mention one of D&Bs most iconic and recognisable tracks. Despite being from a period where some might argue the genre was in something of a slump, the track showcases the Bad Company production talents without the savagery of earlier tracks like The Nine, and would ultimately point towards the musical direction dBridge explores now. Elegant in it’s simplicity, from the warm bass to the crisp, clean, unvaried break and instantly identifiable from the chiming melodic chords, this is a track that just never gets old.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNXBv3JycDg]
Metalheadz bring us another must have 12″ from Lenzman! A side Empty Promise covers all the bases nicely; rolling breakbeats, soft pads, soulful vocals and just enough grime in the bassline to give the tune some teeth. Then over on the flip Makoto gives Broken Dreams the remix treatment, making the song his own while retaining the trademark vocal that made the original such a big hit on release.
As if all of that wasn’t enough, the ‘headz camp are also giving away a nice little freebie in the form of Subwave’s remix of Lenzman & Riya’s Open Page. Grab yourself a copy here and look out for the Empty Promise 12″ dropping on April 29th.
Smooth liquid lovers take note; Dominic Petrie (previously known as Y2D) has just served up two lush slices of soulful, melancholy D&B for Nookie’s Phuzion Digital imprint. First up we’ve got Valid Invalid, characterised by a simple piano hook, crisp breaks and ethereal pads.
Over on the flip Con Games adopts a slightly jazzier approach while still keeping things pretty understated. Guitar licks and sublime percussion combine to produce a tune that’s simply drenched in atmosphere.
No release date on these yet but watch out for them dropping sometime in the next few months.
Dominic Petrie (previously known as Y2D) brings us a superbly deep and soulful mix featuring tunes from Bungle, Tokyo Prose, Enei, Alix Perez, Paradox and more, and a sneak peak of his latest work Valid Invalid – look out for this one dropping on Nookie’s Phuzion imprint sometime soon! Smooth vibes all the way.
The very talented Tokyo Prose are kindly giving away a lovely little liquid roller by the name of Romcom on their Soundcloud page. You don’t even have to give them a like on Facebook, but you should do it anyway to keep up with all their excellent releases. Check it out and grab yourself a download!
It’s always interesting to hear producers crossing boundaries into unfamiliar territory (even if it is only from one substyle to another) so the news that Nymfo was putting out a collab with liquid producer Maduk for Allsorts piqued my interest. Leaving his usual gritty techstep at home for this one, Nymfo has teamed up nicely here and the pair deliver a couple of really crisp, melodic, understated liquid rollers. Crossroads kicks things off nicely, but for me it’s all about Ordinary Ways on the flip. Warm bass, crisp beats and slightly treated vocals all combine to deliver that irresistible, classic liquid sound.
Watch out for this one hitting stores on Mar 25th.