As usual the D&B scene is throwing more material at our collective ears than we could ever possibly keep up with, so once again we’re here to assist your record buying proclivities with the best of the rest from Audio, Lockjaw, Soul:Motion & Colossus and more… Continue reading
Russian neurofunk troublemaker brings his latest beats to Vandal Records with two fantastic slices of dancefloor funk fuelled by weird and wonderful rhythms. Fck Dem combines pin sharp stacatto percussion with an onslaught of filtered bass hits cobbled together into a bizarre but utterly infectious composition that apparently gives exactly zero fucks!
Over on the flip Gas brings a hint of techno to the table, with a swung beat underpinned by constant kick drums and more unusual combinations of sounds. Anyone looking for the heft and dancefloor appeal of neurofunk but with a decidedly unusual twist should definitely check these out! Clips of the tracks in all their wonky goodness are to be found below, and you can hit up your favourite digital store to grab them right now.
Vandal’s deeper-focussed LTD imprint are back with a fresh new compilation entitled Modern Soul, and for our money it’s the best summer liquid collection you can spend your hard earned pennies on right now.
The roster features heavyweights like Random Movement, Redeyes and Kabuki alongside rising producers such as Chromatic and a few relative unknowns, but the quality and diversity on show is unarguable regardless of each contributor’s pedigree. DJ Chap & Andrezz are among the crop of new producers turning in shimmering rollers, as are Soulvent co-owners and recent Hospital signings Pola & Bryson.
While picking favourites is tough, there are a few tracks that stood out for us here at the Dojo. Kabuki bucks the melodic trend with a dark yet jazzy flex on Black Byrd, while Random Movement turns in an effortlessly sleek and faintly sleezy roller named Cash Or Credit. Regular grime-slingers Kolectiv are also on hand with a sexy melody and some R&B style vocals, though their usual dutty basslines still make an appearance.
Essential business as usual from the Vandal camp; check out the clips below and look for this dropping at all good digital stores from July 27th.
Vandal Records continue their relentless release schedule with a new single from Australian tech producer Lockjaw. The production quality on show here is more than ample evidence of just how far he’s come since early releases for Lifestyle and Mindstorm, with a ridiculous level of precision in the beats and bass.
Chasing Shadows keeps things punchy as hell with stacatto drum rhythms set to an equally stabby bass pattern and plenty of creepy atmospherics. Ions follows suit with more punishing bassy body-blows…in fact this single is so stabby it might as well be called “Knife Fight”! Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital store now!
If you like your D&B on the soulful side then you’ll enjoy this one; Redeyes returns to Vandal’s Ltd imprint with four new rhythms exploring his influences from soul & hip-hop. Old school loop sampling definitely seems to play into the sound, such as on the prominent piano of Memory Lane, and the whole EP carries a pretty lush tone.
Aside from the title track the highlight is undoubtedly the shuffling, mournful Underneath, dropping the classic liquid breaks in favour of a more experimental rhythm and a great selection of sounds and atmospheres. There’s also a cheeky ’99 hip-hop mix of Psychonauts for good measure which should have your head nodding. Check out the clips below and grab this one right now from your favourite store.
Neurofunk fans who aren’t already familiar with French production trio Signs should definitely keep an eye on them this year. Made up of Opsen, Primal Therapy and Le Lutin, Signs already have releases under their belts with the likes of RAM and Project 51 and don’t look to be slowing down!
Their latest single for Vandal sees them teaming up with MC Coppa for a big bad peak-time stomper in the mold of Pocket Full of Drops or On Like That, with a hefty instrumental on the flip for good measure. Not the most original tracks you’ll hear this year but if you’re looking for high octane beats to smash up a rave these are faultless in their execution; check out the clips below and look for the single dropping from Feb 16th.
Oliver Yorke delivers the latest release for Vandal Records’ LTD imprint with a four track EP of spacey, atmospheric, experimental D&B. Into The Void provides the perfect intro, with trance inducing melodic touches and intricate beatwork building suspense as to what the rest of the collection might hold. On Your Mind keeps things deep, with pads and reverb laying the ground work for a twisting, echoing journey set to a half-time riddim. You could get lost in this one with ease.
Celestial Shadows provides the EP’s darkest track, focussing on rumbling sub and gnarly bass growls over a backbone of intricate percussive touches, though the temptation to turn this into a dancefloor smasher has been avoided – this is still a pretty deep composition, even with the extra bass weight. Last but not least, Cerebral heads back into space with arpegiated melodies and a splash of the autonomic vibe.
Overall this EP has incredible depth and vision, especially for a producer in a relatively early stage of their career. Check out the clips below and look for this dropping from Jan 12th.
Vandal Records gear up for the release of their 10 Years LP with a sampler featuring two hefty slices of dancefloor D&B. Signs and SKS deliver a dangerously aggy slice of neurofunk business on Redline while Borderline dials down the aggression and amps up the funk on Sidecar. Check out the clips below and look for this at all good stores from November 10th.
Vandal Records continue their run of excellent releases with two solid atmospheric tech steppers from Incognito, who the attentive among you may recognise from his previous releases for Dutty Audio, Proximity Recordings and Nurtured Beatz.
Under The Dome combines lush sci-fi atmospheres with a rolling break and some tasty bass modulations; perhaps not the most innovative track this year, but sure to get your head nodding nonetheless. Autopilot meanwhile goes deeper, with a beat driven along by insistent shakers and a pleasant atmosphere crafted from echoing piano hits and deep sub vibrations.
Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet now.
Vandal Records continue their absolutely excellent run of releases with two new techy stompers from the rising talent of Lockjaw. Bounce builds tension with claps on the intro before dropping into a rhythmic smorgasbord of heavy beats and stabbing bass; serious groove meets serious heft.
Hollowed Out keeps things moving along with some serious midrange aggression as filtered synth stabs aim for the jugular; dangerously dark vibes! Once again the percussion provides a varied selection of rhythms to offset the meaty bass and the production sheen is impressive to boot. Check out the clips below and grab this from your favourite digital store now.