Tag Archives: Techstep

Amoss – State of Suspension EP [Dispatch]

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Since it’s inception way back in 2001 Dispatch Recordings have been crafting a niche for themselves as purveyors of top notch grimey techstep, and their recent output from artists like Break, Sabre, Silent Witness and Dabs has seen the label go from strength to strength. Their latest release comes from Hertfordshire-based production duo Amoss, who have been absolutely carving up the scene recently with releases on Horizons, Inside Recordings and the legendary Renegade Hardware.

Crisp breakbeats and dirty, warping basslines are the order of the day here, but the EP retains a deeper vibe than the full on face-smashing neurofunk of producers like Noisia and Phace. The tracks also show an attention to detail lacking from some drum & bass – every kick and snare has been deliberately placed for maximum effect, and the atmosphere across the EP is dark and brooding.

Check out the tracks below and grab yourself a copy from your favourite vinyl or digital outlet!

The Prototypes – Pandora/Abyss [Shogun]

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Shogun Audio are back with yet another absolutely stonking release, this time from The Prototypes. Big bad, up-front techstep is the order of the day here, with Pandora delivering some seriously dirty reese bass action over a thundering drum line with kicks so subby you’ll feel them in your chest cavity.

Over on the flip The Abyss opens up with a sci-fi intro that harks back to classic techstep vibes before dropping into an absolutely stomping beat layered over a gated synth line. Deadly!

Pandora/Abyss is out now from all good record stores!

GENR8 – Now The Future EP [GENR8ION]

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We’ve always got our ear to the ground for fresh Drum & Bass here at TEB and it’s always a pleasant surprise to hear not only a new artist on a new label but one hailing from the US of A! While American artists such as Gridlok have been making a healthy contribution to the scene for some time it’s still good to see that D&B has evolved beyond it’s London roots in the early 90s.

Newcomer GENR8 comes with a tasty 4 track EP of growling neurofunk with recommendations and DJ support coming from the likes of Blokhe4d and AK1200. My pick of the tunes is Terminal Balistics – check it out below and be sure to head over to Genr8ion’s soundcloud for more!

Shogun Audio Evolution EP Series 3 [Shogun]

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Shogun Audio continue to go from strength to strength and their latest release in the Evolution EP series is no exception with a quality selection of drum & bass from some of the best producers in the scene. Heavy hitters come from Rockwell with Constantcomplexrhythmicsound and a digital exclusive VIP of Subterrestrial from The Prototypes, while dBridge and Alix Perez deliver the smooth rollers of the release.

As with so much of the Shogun catalogue this is a must purchase for Drum & Bass heads, and some of these tunes will be smashing dancefloors over the next few months, so get to know ahead of the May 7th release!

April Round-Up

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April has been yet another fantastic month for Drum & Bass with so many good releases it’s been difficult to keep track! Here’s our pick of the best tracks recently released and forthcoming this month.

First up is the brilliant new EP from Nether, out April 16th on Space Cadets. Fans of ASC, dBridge and the more minimal styles of d&b should check this out for 3 tracks of atmospheric microfunk.

The Shogun release schedule has been packed as ever, with Rockwell‘s new single Tripwire dropping at the end of last month. This time they’re back with the first single from the forthcoming Spectrasoul LP. The A side is a nice piece of atmospheric liquid with a great vocal by Terri Walker but Shackles on the flipside is the highlight of the release, combining super tight amen breakwork with a  tidy ragga vocal from Fox. The single is out today so go grab a copy from your favourite digital store.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ycow5TTwToI

Total Science & S.P.Y have cooked up a lovely piece of melodic liquid aptly titled Piano Funk which is out now on Tool Room Records. Riya’s trademark soulful vocals on top of a beautifully laid back melody make this a must have for those who appreciate the deeper side of the genre.

Last but not least the good folk at Neosignal have dished up another episode of their podcast which delivers the usual storming barage of neurofunk bassline and hyper compressed kick drums.

Feb Round-up

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So much quality Drum & Bass has been hitting the speakers lately that we felt a little round up of highlights was in order!

First up, Techstep godfather and Metro Recordings head-honcho Matrix has teamed up with up and comer InsideInfo to produce Quattro and they’ve come up with something quite special. A sparkly, twinkling melody builds the song up during the intro leading up to a firm drop and some brilliant moving bass synths, with the flashes of high end keeping things sounding bright. Ice Beam on the flip on the other hand is a solid dancefloor roller with a healthy growl to it. Watch out for the release on Mar 12th.

Shogun sister label SGN:LTD have got a brand new 12″ from Technicolour & Komatic who have delivered a rough amen roller in the form of We Were Always One, also out Mar 12th.

The official video for Sabre, Stray & Halogenics feat. Frank Carter III – Oblique has dropped this week. The song has been receiving props left, right and centre and is probably the best piece of deep liquid dnb that’s been released in the last 5 years. We don’t throw around words like “essential” lightly but this tune is just that. Look out for the release on Critical coming Feb 27th, backed with a tasty garage remix from Synkro.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fffHfyie9tw]

Just today Commercial Suicide have put up the previews for SUICIDE062. Ulterior Motive have a grimey stepper on the A side but the real highlight here is the Klute VIP of Nymfo‘s Resolve. Bad tune!

Last but certainly not least, Glasgow D&B stalwarts Symbiosis have just released Episode 4 of their show on Radio Magnetic, featuring 2 hours of top quality beats including a guest mix from Edinburgh DJ and Special Records chief, Special Ed. Check it out over here.

Krakota – Be Myself VIP

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Bournemouth based producer Krakota has been carving a name for himself on the Drum & Bass scene with releases on Critical and Ingredients, including last year’s Be Myself on the Ingredients Recipe Book LP. Recently he’s been kind enough to give away his VIP of the track for free, and it’s a gorgeous tune, equal parts uplifiting liquid and techy edge – crisp rolling snares, warm bass and a slightly ghostly echoed vocal sample.

 

Krakota has also recently put together a mix for KMag which has been on fairly heavy rotation here for the last week or so – a lively mix of recent techstep rollers with some older classics and a handful of  uplifting liquid numbers.

 

You can find more mixes and some previews of his forthcoming releases on Ingredients over on his Soundcloud page. Krakota’s latest release, Scraper/Tunnel Vision is out today on Ingredients, available on vinyl and digital from all good record stores.

In The Mix… Mindscape

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Mixtape banter this week comes courtesy of Hungarian Drum’n’bass producer Mindscape via fellow Hungarian Jade‘s Eatbrain label. Spanning 29 tracks in just under an hour, this is wall to wall neurofunk DnB at it’s finest, with brand new dubs from the likes of Black Sun Empire, Gridlok, Cause4Concern, Neonlight, S.P.Y, Prolix and The Upbeats. Tight rolling breakbeats and growling bass all the way. Check it out below!