Fast-rising Swiss duo QBig & Zenith B land on Iridescent Music for their latest outing, bringing together classic techstep vibes, crispy modern production and a dose of hip-hop swagger. The result is a grimey roller sure to mash up the dance! Check it out and watch for this one dropping Feb 13th alongside flipside No Need and a remix of the flip by new producer N3ptune.
The Dojo podcast returns with a bumper two hour long second episode just in time for Christmas! Blog owner Hex is back on the decks with all the best cuts from the Dojo inbox representing the full spectrum of D&B sounds. Check it…
You can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
The ever reliable three man production team that is G.H.O.S.T are back this month with another top EP on their self-run Goldman Records imprint and they’re presenting their biggest selection of tracks yet; four fresh cuts spread across two 12″ plates and a further two digital bonus tracks to boot.
Thankfully the 41:39 Deeper EP isn’t a case of quantity over quality; once again the break focussed, slightly old-school style on show is impressive, and the larger selection of tracks sees a range of atmospheres set to those funky drums. Caught Slipping and Jam sit well with previous G.H.O.S.T faves in the dark and moody end of the spectrum before Heavy Shoulders switches the mood, with soft, chiming pads reminiscent of classic atmospheric drumfunk from the likes of ASC.
Before Dust goes in deep, chopping the drums into piercing, staccato rhythms to an eerie, almost cinematic selection of pads for the last track on the vinyl selection. Morph 242 hits harder still, with tough breaks and modulating bass sounding like an ode to the late 90s birth of neurofunk, before that style got quite as clean and clinical as it sounds today. Last but not least Peaks lays down a straight-up spooky roller sure to light up the dance late into the night.
Another finely crafted release from a team who clearly love both D&B and the vinyl format dearly. True to their artform! Check out the clips below and hit up the Goldman Store to pre-order the EP ahead of release on Friday.
Our latest exclusive mix comes from an artist we’ve been keeping an eye on for a while, so we’re hyped to welcome Samurai Breaks to the Dojo Mix Series! Hailing from Leeds but now based in Prague, the last month has seen Sam launch his Tsunami Bass Weight imprint with a big VA compilation and release a sick new single via Halogen Music. With releases coming soon on Ground Mass and support on Noisia Radio, we’re tipping Samurai Breaks for a big 2017.
Sam’s mix for DNB Dojo takes in the full range of 170BPM music with deep, halftime head nodders sitting alongside techstep rollers from the likes of Icicle and Mikal. There’s plenty of space in the bumper 106 minute selection for music from Terabyte, Subtitles Music, Critical, Free Love Digi and plenty more alongside a host of tasty dubs from the man himself and his cohorts at Tsunami Bass Weight. Sick selections; get to know!
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Methlab’s dark and minimalistic BNKR imprint returns for it’s 3rd outing with Utopia Music’s Hydro on the buttons accompanied by familiar partners in crime Villem, War and Mateba.
Unsurprisingly given the artists involved, the release has a very ‘headz-y vibe, combining crisp modern production with the influence of golden era techstep D&B from the likes of Source Direct and Photek. Despite the grimey basslines and dark, ominous atmospheres there’s still an emphasis on funk and groove which can be lacking in some of the hyper-clean productions of 2016. In amongst the sharp snares and carefully tuned reverbs there’s still plenty of analogue distortion and warm, organic tones, melted together into compositions that feel both driven and hypnotic.
The drum programming on show here deserves a special mention too; after the more straightforward steppers beat of opening track Ethos Hydro and friends have gone in on hyperactive funk drum chopping that is an absolute joy to listen to; think somewhere between the chaos of a Paradox break and the sharpness of DLR’s best efforts and you’re in the ballpark. This back to basics approach, revelling in the origins of the genre and the most central elements of the D&B sound while still leveraging modern techniques is what makes these tracks such a joy to listen to.
If you’re a fan of precision, dark edged techstep with depth beyond the dancefloor then BNKR continue to deliver right at the top of the game! Check out the clips below and look for the EP dropping at all good digital stores from Nov 29th.
Dispatch are truly spoiling us right now. On top of their impending 100th release extravaganza and a ton of top notch releases over the last few months, Ant and the gang are treating us to a full length DLR album, barely more than a year on from his solo LP debut Seeing Sounds. Christmas comes early it seems!
The themes on the album couldn’t feel more topical either with the recent Brexit debacle in the UK and Trump’s election victory in the US. Where Seeing Sounds felt at times abstract and introspective, Dreamland is pointed and political, from the leftwing anti-capitalist patter of interlude tracks like Living The Dream to Gusto’s angsty attacks on modern society on standout title track Dreamland. Lyrics like “course politicians got their hand in the till” paint a vivid picture of disbelief at the status quo, and that fire in the belly comes across in the razor sharp production of whiplash snares and growling bass.
Production-wise this is very much evolution rather than revolution, honing DLR’s well tuned style of groove-laden tech-edged D&B. While this isn’t a tedious collection of “bangerz” by any stretch, pretty much all the tracks feel more than capable of causing some screwfaces in the dance, with Mako collab Anxiety Attack and the ominous, stalking basslines of album closer Time is Everything proving to be standout moments.
Dreamland is unlikely to convert non-believers to the DLR sound, but fans of his previous material will definitely be all over it. It’s great to see an artist using their music as a platform to make a statement and encourage social change too, especially in an age where so much music has little to no message beyond the intent to rip up a club. Props to DLR for balancing the dancefloor with a deeper message, and props to Dispatch for their continued belief in original independent music. Check out the clips below and hit up their store to grab this direct; Dreamland drops everywhere this Friday.
Methlab are back with the third release on their BNKR imprint with Utopia Music regular Hydro at the controls! The Ethos EP showcases the deeper, more minimal sound that BNKR have been making their mark on and this is exemplified in the stripped back aethetic of Hydro & War’s Faux Amis (or ‘False Friends’ in English).
Intricate drums, myserious vocal samples and growling bassline grit characterise a typically introspective track from a production duo that always bring an exciting take on the D&B sound. Check it out below and watch out for the EP dropping from Nov 29th.
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…
We’re kicking off a special new feature this month as we present the very first DNB Dojo Podcast! Mixed by blog owner Hex and featuring the best cuts to land in the Dojo inbox over the last couple of months, the podcast features 80 minutes of brand new D&B from across the spectrum with liquid, techstep, neurofunk, halftime and everything in between represented. Check out the mix and look out for a new podcast coming every month from now on!
You can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Our latest exclusive mix comes courtesy of Xanadu who delivers an Addictive Behaviour special to celebrate the release of their recent Rotation Part 2 LP! Packed full of tunes from the album alongside Xanadu’s new single for Dom & Roland productions and a host of other tough, rolling beats, this one is a treat from start to finish, and we feel pretty honoured to have Xanadu on board the Dojo mix series. For more info on the album be sure to check out our recent Q&A with Addictive Behaviour label bosses Clayton & Neil.
As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube, Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.