German imprint Subplate are back with another deep, dark release and this time it’s label boss Typecell at the controls for the appropriately titled Complex. Drawing on the fine traditions of sci-fi imbued techstep, this one is all about the groove; tight drums, weird effects, and atmosphere up to eleven. Watch out for the release dropping Dec 1st at all good digital stores…
Today’s exclusive comes courtesy of German tech powerhouse T3K Recordings as they present the latest VA EP on their LTD imprint. Macrothyst & Kilobite team up on Black Mask, a threatening, stripped-back stepper which packs punch and atmosphere in equal measure. Danger! Look for this one dropping Nov 28th.
Celebrating a full year of monthly mixes, Hex is back with the 12th episode of the DNB Dojo Podcast! This bumper edition of the series weighs in at nearly two hours, packed full of music from Treega, Cyantific & BMotion, Anodyne Industries, Friske, Thomas B, Conduct and many more. As if all of that isn’t enough there are also exclusive dubs inside from Sedo and Just Jungle (aka Genotype). Play it loud and get a taste of the full range of the D&B sound!
You know the score by now; check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Our latest exclusive comes from Ipswich producer Conrad Subs as he lands on Default Recordings with a dark and dangerous new tune, Hatred. Big sub hits, tight drum programming and plenty of scuzzy low end give this one maximum impact! Look for the release dropping Nov 6th…
Our latest premiere comes courtesy of veteran Saint-Petersburg producer EastColors as he returns to Demand Records for the Vaska EP. Title track Vaska blends tight breaks, modulated bass hits and shimmering melodic elements for a mixture of beauty, funk and low-end heft. Serious attention to detail on this one; fans of Break, Total Science and the like will be all over it. Check it out below and look for the release dropping October 27th.
Our latest premiere comes from Russia with love as new name Osmas drops some serious tech funk for Citate Forms! Vague Thoughts keeps things stripped back, with heavy sub, stark atmospheres and chunky tech beats. Dark vibes! Check it out and look for the release at all good digital stores from October 29th.
Alix Perez has much of the drum and bass scene in the palm of his hand. With a career spanning 12 years he has constructed masterpiece after masterpiece across several different styles; Alix has come a long way from Get It On in 2005 and his latest EP Nighthawks is concrete evidence of that progression.
The EP features an enticing menu of sounds and vibes; Blip stands out as a harsh, stripped back stepper perfectly punctuated with one-shots and FX that give it texture and depth. Similarly, Lucky Charm has drum work that is characteristic of Alix’s output in recent years, matched to a rolling low-end that will see this track being reloaded again and again.
If steppers don’t tickle your fancy, there’s plenty more to satisfy your D&B cravings. The EP’s title track Nighthawks takes the listener down a deeper road, although that doesn’t tell the full story here. Nearly two minutes in the mids start to growl at you in this dBridge-esque way that remind you of the variety of sounds Perez is so adept at manufacturing.
Finally, for those that don’t have a taste for the darker sounds of the genre, there EP is rounded off by a killer collaboration with Javeon, which reminds me a lot of Alix’s earliest material. Javeon’s cool voice gives this tune an R&B vibe that rolls out endlessly; something achieved by only a handful of artists playing in that space.
So, the EP in a nutshell: something for everyone, but by no means generalistic. Alix Perez clearly demonstrates he is at home designing all styles and all vibes (although there is a notable absence of half time on this one). But after the musical journey he’s had and his rise to the top of the pile, he barely needs to demonstrate anything to anyone anymore.
Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records
Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb
It’s safe to say that Gerra & Stone are not new kids on the block. With releases on ProgRAM, Dispatch, Proximity and more, they have been mastering their craft for several years. After this period of gestation and incubation, the boys are dropping possibly their best work to date for Dispatch in the form of the Polarism LP.
With interludes and intros punctuating throughout, fans of all the rightly or wrongly noted sub-genres will have plenty to take from this LP. Tracks like Time Not Wasted, The Fourth State, and Preditor (among plenty of others) represent the harder sound that this duo is well known for.
That said, pieces such as On the Outside and In Disguise (featuring the elegant voice of Peta Oneir – my personal favourite) reflect a more liquid sound that Gerra & Stone are less known for, but nevertheless have a back catalogue speckled with. Finally, there are tracks that blend both styles. Repeat Process has smacks of Halogenix in its synth sections, while Take Me Home has more rhythm and groove to it than efforts of yesteryear.
Clearly the well balanced styles are testament to this pair’s acumen. There is something for everyone here, which represents a change to Dispatch’s more usual techy output. What we can be certain of is the beginning of a changing of the guard in D&B, as once emerging talents begin to take centre stage. I for one am excited at that prospect.
Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records
Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb
With autumn beginning to close in Hex is back with the 11th episode of the DNB Dojo Podcast. This month the mix features cuts from Forbidden Society, Makoto, Jazzatron, Black Opps, Ordure and many many more, as always representing the full spectrum of the D&B sound.
You know the score by now; check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
It’s nothing but Delta9 Recordings beats on our latest mix as label DJ Rili showcases the best of the label’s recent output! 51 minutes of dark techstep and halftime including tracks from Logics, Kela, Mystic State, Altered Perception and many more. Get to know Delta9…
As always you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.