Tag Archives: Translation Recordings

The Untouchables & Resound – Seperate Reality EP [Translation]

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Esteemed US imprint Translation returns with a fantastic new 12″ EP from crafty dubslingers The Untouchables, with a couple of guest appearances from the equally crafty Finish Beatsmith and collaborator extraordinaire Resound.

If threatening, dubbed out minimalism and tribal rhythms are your bag then you might as well just stop reading and buy this right now; the EP delivers in spades on that front, and the halftime fanboys / room 2 train-spotters are doubtless already salivating over this release. Rightly so; the material here carries that blissful combination of hefty bassweight, crisp but spacious beats and terse atmospherics that made the early dubstep sound and the thriving deep halftime scene so satisfying.

This EP isn’t full of surprises by any stretch but the hypnotic echoes and resonating sub pull you in over and over, like a warm blanket of sound encasing you completely. Those that find the halftime rhythm slow / boring aren’t likely to be any more sold based on this outing, but it’s their loss; one for the heads that know! Check out the clips below and hit up the Translation Store to grab this on vinyl or digital right now.

Premiere: Red Army – Yergacheffe

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Those of you with a taste for the dark, brooding halftime style of drum & bass pushed by the likes of Amit over the past few years should already be familiar with Red Army. Hailing from Sacremento, James Fuhring has been racking up releases for the likes of Dust Audio and Onset for some time and his latest work heads up the esteemed Translation Recordings’ new EP, Bassment Beats Vol. 2.

Packing some serious bassweight, driving kick drums and a fantastic progressive groove, we’re proud to present the premiere of Yergacheffe! Check it out below and keep your eyes and ears on the Translation pages for more clips going live ahead of the August 24th release.

Survey – Chop Chop EP [Translation Recordings]

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Survey continue to hone their sound with a great new EP for US label Translation. Fans of the Berlin based duo will know what to expect here; industrial, grimey techstep in the vein of early Ulterior Motive.

Most of the EP focusses on the half-time tempo with detailed, gritty textures among sparse beats. For us though the standout track is the crisp, rolling beat of the more conventional Paperhands. Check out the clips below and hit up the Translation Bandcamp to grab the release now.

Quentin Hiatus – Passive Boycot EP [Translation Recordings]

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When two of the most innovative names in US D&B get together, you know you’re in for a treat! The latest release on Translation Recordings comes courtesy of Free Love Digi bossman and general 170BPM badman Quentin Hiatus, who regular readers probably already know we’re big fans of.

Melting down glitch, techstep, footwork, soul and more into the pot, QH comes correct with an eclectic selection that should be capable of moving both your feet and your braincells. The EP explores the slow/fast thing the likes of Om Unit have been pushing, playing with the shuffling half-time D&B pattern across a variety of tonal palettes.

The ultra-insistent, hyper-syncopated conga drums of Obsessive Nature and the swaggering bassline shenanigans of Keep It Gangster stand out as highlights among a strong four track selection which you can hear below. Hit up the Translation Bandcamp to pre-order now, and look for this one dropping at all good digital outlets from March 16th.

Nuage – Cloud Maps Vinyl Fundraiser

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Attention Nuage fans! Ever wished you could get your favourite tracks from the Russian producer on vinyl? Now’s your chance; Translation have launched a crowd funding campaign to press a triple LP featuring 12 of the most requested tracks from his back catalogue. Check out the video below and head over to IndieGogo for full details on how you can get involved!

Hidden Element – Other Forms EP [Translation Recordings]

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January is proving to be the month of deeper beats so far this year, and the new Hidden Element EP for Translation is up there with the best of them. Opening with lush microfunk and seguing through meaty yet melodic dubstep, robotic halftime and out into atmospheric 160BPM liquid, the EP provides a more than ample showcase of Hidden Element’s varied talents. There’s a thoroughly enjoyable Dexta remix thrown in for good measure too, jungling up Hot Panks nicely with plenty of break choppage. Check out the clips below and head to the Translation Bandcamp to pre-order this ahead of the Jan 26th release.

Marginal – Every 1 Needs a 0 EP [Translation Recordings]

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It’s always a good day when a new release from Translation hits the Dojo inbox! The label has carved a great reputation for forward thinking electronica crossing over from conventional D&B into other tempos, genres and styles, and their latest release from Marginal is no different in terms of either variation or quality.

Plastic World opens the EP with a slouching, downtempo fusion of hip-hop, reggae, synthy ambience and contemporary bass music, with the result sounding shimmering and lightly toasted. No sooner than the last chord echoes out over the speakers that the mood switches, retaining the futuristic synth vibes but bending them to a more intricate composition on Datasaur; this one doesn’t float so much as being driven along by crunchy bassline goodness.

The titular Every 1 Needs a 0 ups the ante, bringing rapid syncopations and the influence of trap and footwork to the table. Percussive details form the backbone of the track, with spacey FX echoes and big warm, dubby bass filling out the vibe to occupy a massive sonic space. Last but by no means least, the creepily titled Anesthesia Is Useless comes the closest to “traditional” D&B in outlook, pressing forward with tight, insistent beats and heavy sub rumblings alongside wild synth stabs and robotic warblings. Futuristic business!

Check out the clips below and head over to the Translation Bandcamp now to pick this up right now – full digital release to come November 24th.

Nuage – Prints Of You [Translation Recordings]

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Nuage returns to Translation with the first glimpse of material from his forthcoming LP for the label. Lifestyle sees him teaming up with Gerwin for a deep, mellow slice of 170BPM electronica aimed firmly at the living room rather than the dancefloor, while Prints Of You drops the tempo and explores similarly lush territory; soulful influences abound and the musicality is breathtaking.

The release also features some excellent remixes, with Silent Dust turning in a hyperactive footwork rework of Sunday Morning and Planet Mu alumnus Ital Tek turns in a skittering, bleeped up mix of Prints Of You.

Clips of a fair bit of the rest of the album’s tracks have also now surfaced, the highlight of which for me is another Gerwin collab; Slow Moves brings together shimmering synth work, a laid back drum shuffle and some suitably manipulated vocal snippets for an effortlessly cool slice of downtempo electronica with a housey switchup after the breakdown. That housey theme gets explored further on Indigo Girl and Keep Me Warm, among others, with plenty of smooth melodies and head nodding kick-lines. It seems like lower tempo beats will dominate this record which is a shame given Nuage’s talent for deeper D&B, but the quality of material on show here is still great.

You can pre-order the vinyl sampler or the CD/digital version of the album via the Translation bandcamp – physical copies will be out in the wild on September 8th with full digital for the album following on September 29th.

 

Hidden Turn – Simon Says EP [Translation Recordings]

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Translation Recordings continue to reinforce their position as one of the most innovative labels in the scene with a fresh new EP from Hidden Turn. The sounds on display here really challenge preconceptions of what kind of music can be made in the 170BPM arena and effortlessly combine musicality and heft in a way that few producers can.

The titular Simon opens up with ominous sub and a half-tempo beat before filling in the drum lines with extra beats and gradually seguing between acid basslines, floaty female vocals, wailing sirens and sampled spoken word – quite the sonic canvas! Next up Binary drops in with a beat that I challenge you not to nod your head to. Go on, try. Sheer groove on the intro alone, let alone once the main drop comes and the beats are falling all over the place amid an atmosphere of bouncy dub-imbued joy.

Champion Change heads for more ominous territory, with the intricate percussion of the previous tracks preserved but the bassline and overall tone of the composition replaced with a brooding (yet never sombre) aesthetic. The vocal sampling on this track combined with the higher frequency melodic flourishes prevent it from ever sounding like a dirge and break the mould of the usual moody D&B to boot.

Last but by no means least, What’s Going On hits that head-nodding drum groove once again with more low end growl and some deft glitching providing the background while eastern sounding strings take centre stage to round out an unusual and rewarding EP. Check out the tracks below and grab the EP from Beatport now, with full release following from May 26th.

Quentin Hiatus – Zanj Rebellion [Translation Recordings]

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Translation Recordings continue their excellent run of forward thinking releases with an EP from Quentin Hiatus. Zanj Rebellion combines shimmering pad ambience, warm low end and heavily syncopated, off-kilter rhythms to create a sound that feels like the spirit of drumfunk channelled via recent footwork influenced production.

Over on the flip Solidify continues the trend for heavily syncopated rhythms but with more of an industrial vibe, and hints of dub and techno sitting prominently in a mix that features some excellent stereo separation.

As if that wasn’t enough there’s also a free track available for download in the form of Summer in Winter, featuring more in the way of rich synths and weird rhythms, this time overlaid with some Burial style vocal echoes. Check out the tracks below and grab the release from the Translation Bandcamp.