Fracture – Hype Tracks EP [Exit]

Posted on 12th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

After the success of his much lauded Loving Touch EP Fracture returns to Exit with another top selection of raved up riddims which showcase his knack for melding dancefloor chops with intriguing stylistic experiments and varied the results are too.

Makin’ Hype Tracks kicks things off with another ravey smasher in the vein of Fracture’s excellent remix of DJ Monita’s Luv Ta Luv Ya, blending footwork influences with crisp jungle breaks and a tint of the old school. This one will absolutely be doing the damage in the clubs! Black Pearl immediately flips the script, keeping the crunchy jungle-style breaks but setting them to a more liquid-y set of pads and vocal cuts for a blend of the frantic and the serene.

The appropriately titled Acid Claps sees Teklife footwork originators Taso & Spinn on board for a track that lives up to it’s name with squelchy acid lines and tons of 808 clap action. Wonky business! Last up, I Just brings things full circle with another blend of breakneck syncopations and bassweight.

Personally I can’t get enough of Fracture’s work and that of similar producers like Moresounds and Fixate; this blend of the old and the new is absolutely infectious, and long may it last! Check out the clips below and hit up the Exit Store right now to grab a copy on vinyl or digital. Hype Hype!

Premiere: AudioSketch & Oktiv – Come For Me (Random Movement Remix)

Posted on 11th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Time for another exclusive DNB Dojo Premiere and this time it comes from AudioSketch, Random Movement and Soul Trader Records!

Soul Trader continue their impressive run of releases with the debut LP from up and coming producer AudioSketch. One of the album’s best cuts comes in the form of Come For Me and Random Movement has been recruited to refix the original, turning in a sublime dancefloor roller with soul and bass heft in equal measure. Wicked stuff!

Look out for this one dropping on the 1st LP Sampler on Feb 22nd with the full album due in March.

Dojo Damager: Optical & BTK – Infection

Posted on 9th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Tuesday rolls around once again so it’s time for another slamming dancefloor selection! This week’s Damager comes fresh from the studios of Virus head honcho Optical and labelmate BTK and as you’d expect it’s gritty, rolling and punchy as hell, all the while buoyed along by an infectious (a-ha) vocal snippet. Not much more to be said; check out the clip below and hit up Beatport to grab the track right now, with general release following from Friday.

G.H.O.S.T – IV [Goldman]

Posted on 8th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Dojo favourites G.H.O.S.T are back with another EP on their own Goldman Records imprint and as usual the three man production team have poured their heart and soul into another finely crafted vinyl release. Blood Brother kicks things off with a crisp, rolling break set to crunchy bass and moody atmospheres; threatening without ever lurching into truly aggressive territory, this is spooky and unsettling in all the right ways.

The flipside takes things old school with some serious break chopping and ethereal padwork on the tough yet beautiful Brut. Fans of the natural funk breaks of 90s D&B should find plenty to enjoy here! Last but not least digital bonus track Structure hits home with a techy edge and more superbly crisp drums; those fills are unbelievably tasty. Check out the clips below and hit up the Goldman Bandcamp to grab the release on digital or strictly limited 12″, shipping out at the end of this week.

Mikal – Wilderness LP [Metalheadz]

Posted on 7th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Mikal’s journey through the D&B scene has been long and varied, with appearances on a host of labels since his debut single back in 2007. The bulk of his recent material has been for Metalheadz, and it’s Goldie’s label that is stepping up to release his debut LP, Wilderness.

Perhaps the first thing that jumped out at me about this album is how “headz” it sounds; the label family have managed to craft a very distinctive sound in recent years and while each of the producers in question have their own unique take on that sound, there is a common thread running through it. It could be a shared appreciation of the heritage of the D&B sound, or a slightly old school tinge to the material, but either way if you’ve enjoyed recent releases from SCAR, Jubei or Om Unit then you’ll probably find Mikal’s new album floats your boat.

That’s not to say this is a copycat work, merely that there is a commonality of tone and vibe running through the recent headz releases. The distinctive feature which sets Mikal’s take on this sound apart from Om Unit’s halftime business or SCAR’s slick rollers is definitely the use of rhythm; tracks like At The Controls and The Ruff Life eschew the more traditional 2-step beat patterns for unusual, skittering syncopations which keep the listener guessing. The symbiosis between these unusual rhythms and the basslines and textures gives the tracks an undeniable groove and character, keeping things rapid without leaning too heavily on genre tropes.

Mikal has recruited some fantastic guests to aid him in conjuring said rhythms, with Xtrah, RIOT, Break and Chimpo all on board for a track each and some of the albums best moments. Chimpo’s distinctive vocal stylings certainly aren’t getting old for this reviewer, and he’s on fine form on the clattering drum workout of Brain Matter.

If you enjoy dark D&B with an emphasis on absolutely stunning drum programming then this is absolutely the LP for you, and it’s great to see an artist given the space to create an album of tonally consistent material that can focus on rhythm with such purity and purpose. Check out the clips below and hit up the Metalheadz store to grab a copy on vinyl, CD or digital right now.

Allied – Obscurity EP [Methlab]

Posted on 4th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

Methlab Agency has long been a familiar name for those who keep a close eye on the neurofunk scene but it’s about to become much more prominent, with the crew starting their own imprint in the form of BNKR. Their first release proper (following an initial collaboration with Bad Taste Recordings) drops tomorrow and it’s a strong 4 track selection from Brighton production duo Allied.

The first thing that jumps out about the tracks Allied have put together for this EP is their relative subtlety. In a subgenre where impact is king and technicality is often praised above musicality, sometimes the aggressive midrange and pounding drops can become overpowering, so it’s refreshing to hear a balance being struck between heft (and trust me, these tracks are still hefty) and atmospherics. A bass-line dick-waving contest entry this is not!

The aforementioned atmospherics are another of the release’s standout features; rather than being relegated to intros and bridges and elbowed onto the sidelines once the sub kicks in, tracks like Obscurity and Godspeed make space for interesting pads and tones to float on top of the crisp breaks and throbbing bass, making for a balanced sound that’s full of depth and detail.

While the whole EP is strong, Centaurus A stands out as the Dojo favourite with it’s funky, rolling rhythms and meaty low end combining for an unbeatable groove. Wicked vibes! The Obscurity EP drops tomorrow; check out the clips below and hit up the Methlab Bandcamp Store to grab the vinyl, or head to Beatport to grab the digital. If you’re quick on the draw you can join in the competition on the Methlab Facebook page to win a copy of the vinyl, but move fast; the winner will be drawn tomorrow!

Classic Track: Adam F – Circles

Posted on 4th February 2016 by DNB Dojo

This one shouldn’t need any introduction; today’s classic selection takes us back two decades to 1995 and the golden years of the jungle sound. Keeping those crispy breaks but swapping the darker vibe of many jungle tunes for a lighter tone based around floaty synth melodies, there’s no doubt that this served as the inspiration for many artists in the development of the intelligent and liquid D&B scenes in later years.

Interest in the track clearly hasn’t waned with the likes of LTJ Bukem dropping a new bootleg from dRamatic & dbAudio so maybe we’ll see a fresh mix hitting the stores soon, but meantime the original still does the business; check it out below and lose yourself in those synths…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obv477QfDI0

The Untouchables & Resound – Seperate Reality EP [Translation]

Posted on 3rd February 2016 by DNB Dojo

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.

Dojo Damager: Minor Rain – Villain (Pulsate Remix)

Posted on 2nd February 2016 by DNB Dojo

This week’s dancefloor weapon comes from Future Funk Music and Pulsate, who closes out his new EP with a storming remix of Minor Rain’s Villain. Massive pads and shimmering synths build tension on the intro before giving way to a throbbing, hyper-kinetic bassline, cheeky stabs and a hammering drum line. The groove on this one is fantastic and the energy levels couldn’t be much higher; check it out below and grab the EP from the Future Funk bandcamp page right now.

DNB Dojo Mix Series 24: Fuj

Posted on 1st February 2016 by DNB Dojo

For our first mix of 2016 we welcome Fuj to the DNB Dojo Mix Series! With some cracking releases under his belt for AutomAte Deep and Scientia and a fresh remix just about to drop for Cirrus’s Terra Null imprint, Fuj’s deep, dark style has been turning heads for some time, and we’re big fans here at Dojo HQ.

For his DNB Dojo mix he’s compiled a selection that is threatening and thoughtful in equal measure, featuring deep cuts from the likes of Module Eight, Loxy & Overlook alongside techier business from the likes of Amoss and Fre4knc, and of course a few of his own beats for good measure. Grimey business…

As usual you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Mixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

Ghostek – Velvet (Forge remix)
Thing – Atomica
The Untouchables – Weapon X
No Rules & Torn – Massacre
Loxy & Overlook – Harbour
Pessimist – Gas Heads
Mystic State – Spirituality
MTWN – Spinal Groove
Amit – Pripyat
Space Matters – Westend
Skadi – Quick March
Mystic State – Lost Cause
Fuj & Dauntless – Deadweight
Paragon & Gremlinz – Oranda
Synx – Hollow Point
Foreign Concept & Xtrah – Harsh Reality
Paragon – Heirship
Survey – Deflection
Skeptical – Square Breathing
Fuj – Death Trader
Survey, Tehpra & Arkoze – Pattern
Amoss – Crooked Arm
Fuj – Rogue Inferno
J.Robinson – The Tribal Effect
Acid Lab – Hybrid
Module 8 – Meltdown
Last Life – 85 15
Mako – Let The Truth Be Heard
Danny Scrilla – Fallout (Goth Trad remix)
Fuj – Pressure Plates
DBR UK – 2-Shots (feat. Gremlinz)
Jaydrop – Camo
Fre4knc – Marching Cube VIP
K-Rob & Kevlar – Hostile Visitors
Cirrus – Angel (Fuj Remix)
Homemade Weapons – Beowulf VIP
SKV18 – Falling
Concealed Identity & Mental Forces – Nomad
Overlook, Loxy & Resound – The Lodge
Antagonist & Paragon – Deadly Design
Fuj – The Prow

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Monthly Archives: February 2016