With less than a month to go until Sun & Bass hits the beautiful island of Sardinia the organisers have delivered another quality mix in their podcast series from Dutch DJ/producer Nymfo. Packed full of tasty beats from the likes of Ulterior Motive, Klute, Maduk & Rido, the mix traverses the many styles of D&B with the deftness that only a decade of DJing brings. Check it out and grab yourself a free download below.
Scene legends Total Science drop their debut EP for Friction’s Shogun Audio imprint, showcasing a nice variety of sub styles of D&B. The titular See Your Face sees the duo team up with go-to female vocalist Riya for a silky smooth liquid roller, all crisp drums and piano. While the tune isn’t gonna win any medals for innovation, the execution is flawless and the combination of Total Science and Riya isn’t one I’m gonna get bored of anytime soon.
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Straight into track two the duo switch things up immediately with the deadly vibes of Hush Ya Mouth, clattering straight into energetic territory with a tear-out dancefloor smasher. This one will be doing the damage in the clubs!
Out into the back end of the EP Just Want You provides an interesting juxtaposition of cut up vocal samples with blasting techstep bass set over a pretty cut-up drum line. Finally, Riya gets involved once again with a surprise tempo shift down to deep Garage territory on Suspicious. Something for everyone! Check out the previews and look out for this dropping on vinyl and digital from Monday August 26th.
Hot on the heels of their collab for XEX Audio, Callide & Intraspekt return with another pair of absolutely stomping tunes, this time for Crissy Criss’s The Zoooo Records.
Space Theory opens the salvo with a dirty reese bassline that signals serious business. Combining the energy and impact of jump up with the grit and production values of tech and neuro, this tune is a dancefloor weapon to be reckoned with.
Equinox meanwhile does a great job of lulling me into a false sense of security with a lush intro built on piano and guitar licks. Just as you’re beginning to wonder if the duo had a few too many whiskeys in the studio and got a bit emotional the drop busts in like a hundred ton slab of granite to the jaw; clattering breaks and an absolutely pounding bassline combine to absolutely wreck the place. Distorted 808s have never done so much damage.
Watch out for these dropping August 26th via all good outlets.
Seba and Blu Mar Ten tunes hold a special place in my ever expanding collection of D&B records. Both artists have proved time and again across decades of production that while other artists in the scene may only be interested in the drop and much of D&B is aimed at the dancefloor, there is space in the genre for true musical expression. More than that, they prove that melody can be used without “doing a Fresh” and heading straight for cheese-tastic euphoria territory.
Predictably then, the latest 12″ on Warm Comms went straight onto my “must buy” list (if only labels would send me vinyl promo…a man can dream). Seba sets the tone on the A side with absolutely lush pad work over a soft, deftly syncopated beat and a warm liquid bassline that you could curl up in for the winter. Vocal snippets echo in and out of the mix to provide the final icing on a beautiful liquid-funk cake.
Not to be outdone, Blu Mar Ten turn in a shimmering remix drenched in reverb and characterised by their signature melancholy synths. Something about BMT’s mellower tracks is almost trance-inducing; the hypnotic combination of rolling yet muted beats and minor key chord progressions with wholesome sub bass always hits the spot.
Check out the previews below and watch out for this dropping on vinyl and digital from August 26th. You can even pre-order a copy from surus. Go on, you know you want to.
Terabyte Records co-founder Altered Perception steps up to give us a pair of heavy-hitting techstep rollers for US label BASSordeath. Both tracks display tasty warped basslines and crisp, rolling percussion, with Bricks adding in some apt hip-hop sampling for good measure.
Check out the clips below and watch out for these dropping via all good digital outlets on August 26th.
Youtube channel turned net-label NeurofunkGrid return with another top quality free release, this time from Spanish producer Impak. Alive delivers a hyperactive slice of futuristic neuro goodness, with tons of movement in the bassline and a pounding beat.
Move It Out builds things up with some nice synth harmonics before the drop; a half-time beat with the force of a dozen sledgehammers set to some fantastic warped sub bass. Just as you think you’ve got the tune figured out it swaps to double time for maximum heft. Nice!
To top it all Impak has also put together a tidy 45 minutes mix of the latest neuro cuts for the 12th in the NFG Talents mix series. Check out the beats and the mix below and download the release from the NFG Facebook page here.
San Francisco based Anodyne Industries is a new name to my ears but definitely one I’ll be keeping a close eye on in future. His release in the extensive and varied catalogue of the IDMf net label (which admittedly I’m coming too rather late on, given it’s release back in 2011) is a tasty selection of dark, warped beats across various styles and tempos.
The EP includes a selection of remixes both by AI and others of Make It Darker and Body Weapon, plus a bonus in the form of After The Storm. Highlights for me are the skittering, leftfield neurofunk vibes of Make It Darker (AI Remix), the dark, atmospheric halfstep of Body Weapon (AI Remix) and the sublime IDM-tinged Dubstep of Make It Darker (IG88 Remix). Check it out below and grab yourself a download from bandcamp on a free/pay what you like basis.
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Automate Tech returns with another excellent pair of tunes from the appropriately named Philth. The man goes in solo on the A-side bringing dark, gnarly vibes in the form of Overload. Sci-fi samples, moody pads, skittering percussion and gravelly low end combine to form a belter of a tune that reminds me of old Audio tunes on Subtitles and clearly draws inspiration from a host of the best tech and neuro.
Remember on the flip sees Philth teaming up with Wreckless to deliver a skittering reese tearer with some seriously deft percussion work defining the track. Once again dark and gritty is the order of the day here, with seriously brooding atmosphere on the intro giving way to morphing basslines that are sure to see screwfaces on the dancefloor.
Watch out for these dropping via all good digital outlets on September 16th.
New York’s DJ Dara gets behind the decks to deliver a concept mix packed full of tunes both old and new, with one underlying theme – memorability. Featuring classic cuts such as Digital’s Deadline alongside modern anthems like S.P.Y’s remix of In The Waiting Line, Dara blends liquid, tech and dancefloor styles to great effect. Check it out and grab a free download below.
Sadly now passed away, Desimal was a hugely talented producer with an interesting take on neurofunk. One of my favourite early 12″ purchases was the sublime Hyperboria / Arcanna release on Citrus, a plate I still reach for six years on. Naturally then when I discovered that German producer Rusher was giving away his remix of the track for nothing, I jumped all over it!
Rusher has done a bang-up job with the track, keeping the essence of the original very much alive while adding his own style to the drums and bassline. Check it out below and download the track here.