Q&A – Quentin Hiatus

After the excellent release he put out recently on Translation, we’ve been keeping our ear to the ground for word of more material from the Arizona-based producer. The man has been hard at work in the studio on his debut album and it’s an interesting beast, blending influences from across the electronic spectrum and beyond to create a unique take on the 170 sound.

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Sensus – Primal EP [Chaos Audio]

The next release from Lancaster-based Chaos Audio comes from Canadian producer Sensus who drops an EP of dark, brooding techstep. All three tracks head for grimey territory with punchy synthetic drums and crunchy bass, the highlight for me being Pulse. Check out the tracks below and watch out for the release dropping from March 28th.

Depth of Vision Vol. 2 [AutomAte]

Automate return with the second of their Depth of Vision EP series featuring another four fresh cuts from up and coming producers. D.R.O.P.S. kick things off with the tight, dark and rolling beats of Utopia, while None Decay heads for more tribal territory with the insistent half-time kicks and morphing bass of the appropriately named Gully.

Into the latter half of the EP we’re treated to some crisp drum syncopations on Beaton’s Something From The Jungle, with spooky pads and vocal echoes moving in and out of the mix. The leftfield beat arrangements and some great use of stereo width really make this one! Lastly Ruffie delivers an industrial tinged stomper in the form of Strife, mixing hard kicks and treated snares with haunting, reverb drenched pads.

Check out the clips below and watch out for the EP dropping at all good digital outlets from April 7th.

Emperor & Mefjus – Hello World EP [Critical]

Fans of the heavier end of D&B will doubtless have been waiting on this one with keen anticipation, but the wait is now over – Emperor & Mefjus’s collaborative Hello World EP is now available on vinyl and digital, exclusively at Surus prior to the general release on April 7th.

There’s absolutely no holding back on this release as the pair showcase two collabs and two remixes, all of which prove to be 100% neurofunk killers. The level of detail, grit and weight imbued in each track is pretty self evident from the clips below so have a listen and grab yourself some dancefloor weapons!

Binary – Etched / Polaris [E-Motion]

Binary returns to E-Motion with a pair of dark, minimal steppers in the vein of Icicle et al. Both tracks emphasise deep sub and crisp drums over in your face lead segments and aim for groove rather than heft, and the overall effect is very satisfying.

Etched heads for dark, angular territory while Polaris softens the mood slightly with lush pads on the intro and bridge segments and a more rolling break compared to the hard drums of the A side. Check out both tracks below and watch out for the release dropping from March 24th at all good digital stores.

Reso – Pulse Code EP [Hospital]

I’ve been a fan of Reso ever since his early releases in the dubstep scene and more recent work at the 170 tempo has consistently proved his talents as a producer of tight, innovative electronic beats. His latest Ep for Hospital continues that trend, with particular highlights coming on Pulse Code (which sports some of the finest drum editing I’ve heard recently) and the monstrous Devastator, a spiritual successor to the epic War Machine

So far there are only short teaser clips online but they give a taste of the EP’s variation and polish. Check it out below, and head to the Hospital Shop where you can pre order the EP on limited edition 10″ vinyl or digital prior to the March 24th release.

Sam KDC – Survive / Exist [Samurai Red Seal]

Samurai Music steal Sam KDC away from ASC’s Auxiliary imprint for a 12″ on their Red Seal arm and as usual it’s a treat. Deep, dubby vibes and plenty of crackly atmosphere pervade the tracks; a lazy description of “Burial makes 170” is tempting, but while apt doesn’t really do the tunes justice. Burial with more punch, perhaps, particularly on the more energetic B-side Erogenous.

As usual the release will be served up on wax for the vinyl collectors out there, with this particular release featuring excellent artwork from the talented Petra Zhivkova. Check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping from March 17th.

SCAR – Call To Arms EP [Dispatch]

Dispatch return with a storming EP from Survival and Script in their new SCAR collaborative alias. As you’d expect from both the producers and the label this is heavy tech D&B at it’s finest with every kick, snare and mangled bassline perfectly placed for maximum impact.

Burnside gets the EP off to a fine start with a precise yet raw slice of dark, rolling drum & bass. Call To Arms ups the ante with a seriously broody intro the builds suspense all the way from the initial snares, through the ominous stab samples and into the groaning bass of the drop. Screwfaces at the ready!

Out into the back side of the EP the duo get creative on Time Constant with some nice clattering breaks and plenty of tasty drum edits, while Dodgy Dalek aims for sheer groove and succeeds in ample measure. SCAR are clearly a duo to watch this year if this EP is anything to go by. Head on over to the Dispatch Store or Surus to grab it now!

Dose – Mind The Future LP Sampler [Commercial Suicide]

Commercial Suicide wind up for the release of Kiwi producer Dose’s debut LP with a 12″ of his best work since his two singles for Subtitles in 2012. Both tracks provide the sort of heavy hitting dancefloor techstep that Dose has always excelled at manufacturing, and will doubtless get a few floors bouncing over the coming months.

It’ll be interesting to see whether the album holds any surprises, but even if it’s more of the same it should be a blast! Check out the clips below and watch out for the sampler dropping on digital and limited edition vinyl from March 17th.