Kolectiv team up with Yung E on today’s premiere for the legendary CIA Records! Maximum bass squelch set to a stepper’s beat, plus some deft little atmospheric touches sprinkled over the tune for good measure; Platoon is chanelling the Wormhole era of D&B in the best possible way. More of this sort of thing! Watch out for the EP coming Jan 31st at digital stores.
Yung-E returns to Nurtured Beatz for today’s exclusive and he’s channelling the old-school techstep sound; spooky pads and echoing sci-fi FX combine with morphing sub and crisp drums for a track that evokes the likes of Optical from the late 90s. Dark and futuristic, just how we like it…look for this one dropping Sep 20th exclusively at Bandcamp with full release from the 27th.
Watching the drum & bass community come together in the face of tragedy and adversity is one of the most heartwarming aspects of being involved in this scene. Whether it’s specific, personal responses like those to the deaths of scene legends like Marcus Intalex, or wider campaigns like Drum & Bass Against Racism, a huge number of figures in the scene are always pushing to make our world a better place, one beat at a time.
On that very tip, our pals at Nurtured Beatz couldn’t simply sit by and watch as survivors of the Grenfell tower disaster were left high and dry by their local authority, so the label bosses responded with what they do best; a charity LP featuring no less than 18 tracks by a cracking selection of underground producers. Label regulars like Kalm & Spindall, Genotype, Interline and Kolectiv bring some gully business to the table alongside other producers like Mitekiss, DBR UK and Mystic State, and there’s even space for hip-hop from Django Mancub and the legendary Chester P, plus an accoustic swansong from Blake Bastion.
We’d be recommending this album even if it weren’t for such a good cause, but given that it is also providing support for people who desperately need it this is a must buy. Hit up the Nurtured Beatz Bandcamp to grab a copy now.
The latest from Nurtured Beatz sees Yung E making his debut for the label, with the tone remaining dark and techy. Cosmic Dust leads the charge with a sci-fi imbued roller that bears a heavy influence from 2005-era Black Sun Empire Recordings. It’s great to hear this sound again, with less focus on tearout neuro bass and more focus on a funky edge through rapid melody and crisp breakwork.
Mindset hits the ground with a more modern sound, swapping the rolling breaks for a stepper’s beat and a grimier, more minimal aesthetic. Last but not least, bandcamp exclusive track Doppler keeps the gully tone but flips the beats to a distinctly more experimental riddim. A fine selection from a producer we hope to hear more from in the future! Check out the clips below and head to Bandcamp to pre-order this now. The release drops there exclusively on Mar 23rd with full release following from Mar 30th.