Quentin Hiatus’s Free Love Digi imprint return with a free download from Denver producer Atic. Conspicuous proves a tasty slice of moody, rolling techstep imbued with some appropriately eerie horror-movie style strings over a solid foundation of bass and beats. Check it out below and grab yourself a free download from Soundcloud.
The ever prolific Break steps up for remix duties on Dr Meaker’s new single Right Back, combining his nack for hefty drums and bass with the soft, soulful vocals and summery melodies of the original. One for the festival season! Check out the tune below and watch out for it dropping via V Recordings on July 28th.
Regular readers of the blog will probably already be familiar with Leeds-based upstart Transmission Audio. Altered Perception, Peak and Sanction have been busy over the last year building a fierce catalogue of dark, edgy D&B from up and coming producers like Komatose, Skepsis and Xsetra, and they’ve even found time to start a sister Sub:mission imprint to put out some more melodic beats.
With the labels moving from strength to strength, and the releases dropping all too quickly, the Dojo crew decided it was time for a wee retrospective on the last few releases and what’s to come over the next few months.
E-Motion Records latest single sees Exeter producer Lakeway pushing the boundaries of the 170 sound on a pair of exciting new tunes. Digital Serotonin eschews the traditional rolling breaks that characterise much of D&B in favour of an angular beat driven by rapid snare hits and imbued with all manner of extra percussive glitches and fills. Spooky atmospherics and simple yet effective sub bass complete the tune nicely; this one should prove a tasty mood switcher for a break in the mix from the more predictable rollers.
Over on the flip Sinister Stepper lives up to its name with creepy melody and a sense of foreboding on the intro before a grimey drop. Hefty kicks and snares punctuate the rhythmic sub bass for a minimal sound with maximal impact. Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet from Monday 7th July.
Rogue Beatz return with a fresh 4 track EP from Australian producer Synx, who turns in four tracks of dark, gritty techstep. All four tracks are well worth a look for those that like it grimey and rolling but for me the picks of the bunch are the tidy head-nodding groove of Pro’s and Con’s and the eerie atmospherics of Hard As Fuck. Check out the clips below and grab this one on vinyl and digital now!
Mako continues to cement his position in the scene with a new EP for Dispatch Recordings featuring four tracks inspired by the classic sounds of 90s D&B origins. Utopia Music alumni and frequent collaborator Villem brings his studio skills to the table for the first track, bringing tonight intricate break-work, atmosphere and bass heft in the style that Mako exercises so well.
Planet Physical takes things in a darker direction, blending modern techstep bass and production sheen with the helter-skelter drum patterns of jungle. Vocal snippets interspersed in the track explore Mako’s obvious interest in philosophy; maybe a few ravers might scratch their heads in the dance a bit for good measure. Ya Know What I’m Sayin continues the drum workout, with simple sub hits and a driving energy giving the composition tons of pace.
Last but by no means least, There’s Nothing We Can’t Be brings huge reverbed snares and atmospheric synths for a softer, more melodic track full of quirky samples and musicality – a great swan song to an EP that feels like Mako really settling into his abilities as a producer and experimenting freely with the flexible form that is D&B. Check out the clips below and head over to the Dispatch Store to grab an early copy before the general release on July 7th.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-9LvJsaYIw&list=PLRcyxRjocmcCtoPBHd9sOtLmas0pnGnhR]
Need For Mirrors return to Horizons for a follow up to their excellent Rotor EP. She kicks things off with rolling breaks and a wonky, squelching bass riff. It’s difficult to tell exactly what the titular feminine persona of the track might be up to, but it’s certainly something energetic. Food takes the octane down a few pegs for a deeper vibe, all sub and tribal vibe over another crisp, rolling break.
Oscillator 3 flips the vibe once again with bizarre vocal echoes, bass stabs and surreal FX punctuating a tight kick/snare riddim. Pedestrian meanwhile has a really ominous tone to it with the bassline stalking along through the tune like some strange, menacing character not quite on screen. Last but by no means least Kink comes in as a digital-only bonus providing another stripped back subby roller.
Check out the beats below – this one’s out now on digital and the vinyl will be available very soon via the Horizons store.
MJD returns to Lifestyle recordings with four tracks of dark, industrial techstep showcasing the producers talents for rhythm and bass. It’s difficult to pick between the tracks given their consistent quality and tone, but particular highlights come on Tracer (which brings to mind Ulterior Motive’s early work like Featherweight) and the angular beats and creepy atmosphere of Crimmerean Dreams.
Lifespan and Vacuity meanwhile provide more straightforward but still worthy slices of rolling neuro-tech goodness. Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping from June 26th at all good digital stores.
New signing Bass Sheriff steps up with the latest release for Default Recordings. Comedown sees him teaming up with MC K Sound for a vocal-led techstepper that’s all groove and no messing around. Drums, bass and a catchy vocal hook, simple but effective.
Over on the flip The Bot continues the rolling techstep sound with a nice selection of robotic FX samples and an appropriately grimey selection of bass grunts and growls. This robot apparently knows how to roll out in style. Check out the clips below and watch out for this at all good digital outlets from June 23rd.
Soul:R present the second in their Fourfit EP series with a diverse selection from some of the best names in the scene. LSB opens up the release with a shimmering deep liquid roller replete with beautiful strings, flourishes of piano and a crisp, rolling break. Silky smooth business.
Next up FD switches thing up with a grimey tech roller that ticks all the right dancefloor boxes. Anile raids the classic breaks and turns up the atmosphere for the appropriately titled Depths, and Kid Drama rounds things off by tapping into that serene Autonomic melancholia for a great slice of leftfield 170BPM action.
Check out the beats below and look for this one on vinyl and digital from June 23rd.