Moby – The Drum & Bass Remixes [Shogun Audio]

Shogun Audio present a very special release this month as four of their label family go in on remixes for the legendary Moby! Tackling such iconic and recognisable material is both an honour and a daunting challenge, but thankfully each of the artists has risen to that challenge and turned in some really memorable new versions within the D&B template.

Pola & Bryson and Technimatic turn in perhaps the most obvious remixes of the collection, sticking to their strengths and bringing some delicious liquid reworks to the table. The P&B remix of Porcelain in particular is just so lush; all the instantly familiar parts of the original are there, within a crispy framework of rolling breaks, warm bass and bubbling arpeggios.

Fourward also do a commendable job on their remix of Go, with the classic string segment matched by swelling reese basslines before a rough techy drop. Possibly the best of the bunch comes from Icicle though, harnessing the piano and vocals of Natural Blues into one of the wonkiest halftime compositions we’ve heard in a while. The beats and bass are positively lurching on this one, giving a really seasick lilt to the lyrics. Sick!

As with all the best remixes these are instantly recognisable yet entirely distinct from the originals; the Shogun camp have smashed this one. Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite digital outlet to grab the EP now.

Competition: Win Tickets to Shogun Audio Leeds!

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Shogun Audio hit Leeds later this month with a huge lineup of label favourites and special guest Culture Shock, and we’ve got two tickets to give away! To be in with a chance of winning all you have to do is like the DNB Dojo Facebook page and send an email to competitions@dnbdojo.co.uk with your name and the subject line “Shogun Audio Competition”. We’ll draw the winner on Thursday Oct 27th – good luck!

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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…

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Technimatic – Flashbulb EP [Shogun Audio]

Technimatic return to Shogun Audio for their first release since last year’s debut LP Desire Paths. As you’d expect, it’s crisp, melodic liquid business from start to finish, and the boys manage to keep it warm and summery without succumbing to anything too cheesy.

Highlights come on the bouncy halftime of title track Flashbulb (more liquid producers should really explore this idea…) and the soft but insistent Remember You, with Secret Smile and Dirty Hands proving capable rollers to boot. Check out the clips below and hit up the Shogun Store to grab yourself a copy right now.

Friction Vs. Volume 2 [Shogun Audio]

Shogun Audio present the second of the Friction Vs. series and this time the label boss has teamed up with Icicle and Technimatic for two fresh new collabs. Crucifix yields a slab of weighty dancefloor neurofunk which won’t win any prizes for innovation but will certainly shake down your bass bins more than adequately.

Floating Frames is the real star here though; insistent, melodic, and euphoric without becoming outright cheese, showing Technimatic’s mastery of the deep liquid roller. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital from March 15th.

10 Years of Shogun Audio

Friction’s Shogun Audio are celebrating 10 years in style with a massive bundle of new tunes. The 10 Years compilation features brand new beats alongside remixes of some Shogun classics, and comes in a beautiful six piece vinyl box set.

Dancefloor tech is well represented among the new tracks with beats from Icicle & Prolix, Friction, Joe Ford and Fourward all bringing the hard and nasty vibes. There’s also rolling liquid from LSB and Technimatic, a new genre bender from Rockwell and something a little unusual from Spectrasoul in the form of Ben. On the remix front, Spor’s anthemic Aztec gets a pretty hyperactive rework from Calyx & Teebee, Aliz Perez and Spectrasoul get the liquid refix treatment from Calibre and Etherwood respectively, and Fourward turn in a chunky new mix of Dark Days. Last but by no means least, Total Science & S.P.Y bring us a new VIP of another back catalogue fave – 2010’s Gangsta.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, the set also includes a poster, stickers, 3 CDs and a DVD; the CDs provide the new tracks in digital form, a selection of classics from the Shogun back catalogue and a fresh mix from Friction, while the DVD features a 10 Years documentary. There are only 500 copies of the full bundle available so head over to the Shogun Audio store pronto if you want to bag one, or save your wallet and grab the CD or digital package.

Technimatic – Desire Paths [Shogun Audio]

As we approach the July 27th release date gradually the good folk at Shogun Audio are revealing more and more of the new Technimatic album, and it’s shaping up to be well worth a look for fans of the melodic end of the genre. From the super mellow Music is Music and the interesting rhythms of Perseverance to the more dancefloor friendly stylings of Beneath The Skies and Tectonic, it’s difficult to argue with the quality of the tracks on show so far.

My pick of the bunch has to be the insistent yet understated piano and crisp breaks of Looking For Diversion, featuring the delicate vocal talents of Lucy Kitchen, but there are plenty of other highlights too including the drumfunk workout of Lost Times and the downtempo funk of Mucky Jeff. Check out the clips below and watch out for the album dropping very soon on vinyl and digital.

Way of the Warrior 2 LP [Shogun Audio]

After the success of 2011’s Way of the Warrior LP, Shogun return with another installment and 12 new tracks spanning the D&B spectrum. DLR brings us soulful vibes with a techy undertone and some superb percussion on Sleep Talk, and Rockwell and Joe Ford vie for position with Fourward and Mefjus to see who can turn in the dirtiest neuro belter!

Elsewhere on the LP Spectrasoul, Total Science and Technimatic serve up some smooth liquid rollers and Friction gets on the remix for Addison Groove and Sam Binga turning in a trap-infused rework of RZOR. Something for D&B heads of all tastes here. Check out the beats below and watch out for the release from November 10th.

Technimatic – Intersection EP [SGN:Ltd]

Somehow Technimatic always manage to tread that thin line of quality that is the difference between a top notch summer liquid roller and cheese-tastic nonsense. Their latest EP Intersection showcases this beautifully on opening track The Evening Loop. The super polished vocal has all the hallmarks of the sort of cheddar-step liquid that I normally find a bit tedious, but the sheer musicality in the melodies, the crisp beats and the near perfect composition are just impossible to argue with.

The titular Intersection takes things a bit deeper, laying down a pretty meaty reese bassline and stripping the piano back in the mix slightly. Light enough to amp up a liquid set, tough enough to roll out in a tech set, this is definitely a versatile tool for the record bag. Sphere also delivers a tidy slice of melody driven D&B, taking the roll down a notch in favour of a stepping beat and some hypnotic lead synth work.

As far as I’m concerned though, these are just pleasant entrees for the true main course, hitting home with the absolutely stellar Frozen Leaves. Up there with the best liquid rollers that the likes of Blu Mar Ten, Seba and Total Science have knocked out over the years, this tune is deep, rolling euphoria at it’s absolute best. Every single layer sits in the mix perfectly without overshadowing the other elements, with piano flourishes icing a big, warm, melodic cake of majestic proportions. This is *the* liquid tune of the year, and the soundtrack to your summer. 

Watch out for this one on vinyl and digital July 8th.

Shogun Audio London Warehouse Party

Shogun Audio come correct with another massive warehouse party in London on April 26th. The lineup is nothing if not epic, with sets from Noisia, Friction, Spectrasoul, Icicle, Alix Perez, Rockwell, The Prototypes, Om Unit, Technimatic and more! Those in the capital definitely shouldn’t sleep on this one. Check out the Facebook event for full details.