Coma – Burn The Past EP [Flexout Audio]

Posted on 18th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

The latest release from London imprint Flexout sees Coma stepping up to the plate with a four track EP full of deep, dark flavours and some tasty collaborations.

Gritty tech minimalism is the order of the day here, with plenty of crisp percussion and grimy bass to drive the tunes along. Dionysus is one of the obvious highlights, combining the swaggering vocals of Sense MC with an ominous combo of kick, snare and heavy sub.

Out into the back side of the EP there are also some slick collabs with Arkaik and Semitone, and overall this is a tight cross-section of murky tracks for those who like their D&B threatening and minimal. Check out the clips below and hit up the Flexout Bandcamp to grab the release right now!

AudioSketch – Sound Design LP [Soul Trader]

Posted on 17th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Soul Trader are upping their game in a big way with their latest project, presenting their first solo artist LP after a fine run of single and EP releases, and they’re going back to the artist behind their first two releases: AudioSketch.

AudioSketch has really outdone himself on this project, serving up twelve wicked originals and three cracking remixes for an album of crisply produced rollers with an ear for both melody and a solid dancefloor bassline. Introspective deep liquid this is not, but neither is it a soulless collection of “bangers”, as the tracks tread that line between soul and heft with aplomb.

In terms of guests the Soul Trader team have brought quite the crew to the table; label owner Surplus is on hand, as are Oktiv, HLZ and Salaryman, while guest vocals come from Hannah Eve and Identified. Remix-wise the invitations are equally top-drawer, with Villem & McLeod, BCee and Random Movement turning in wicked takes on some of the album tracks.

Overall while this might not be pushing any envelopes in terms of genre innovation, the match of musicality, bassweight and production sheen is just impossible to argue with, and the tracks are more than memorable enough to stand the test of time. Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab the whole LP right now.

Dojo Damager: BSE & State of Mind – Kill That Noise

Posted on 15th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

This week’s Dojo Damager comes courtesy of Black Sun Empire & State of Mind with the ferocious Kill That Noise. Taken from their brand new EP The Violent Five (which we’re guessing is a little nod to Tarantino and The Hateful Eight), KTN delivers an absolutely slamming slice of tech D&B; simple but effective bass swells and an old school rolling break backed up by a hypnotic, bleeping lead melody make this a sure fire smasher. Weighty!

March Roundup

Posted on 14th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

We round up the best of the rest once again! New music from Shogun Audio, Hospital, Soul Trader, Lockdown, Terabyte Records and more…

Continue reading →

Wax Breaks [Paradox Music]

Posted on 11th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

One for the b-boys, turntablists and producers today as we take a quick look at Paradox Music’s latest release, Wax Breaks. Doing exactly what it says on the tin, the LP features 16 funky fresh breaks for scratching, sampling, rapping over, or just listening to while you eat your breakfast cereal if that’s your thing.

True to the name and true to the aesthetics of the classic break/scratch records this plate pays homage too, this one is available on vinyl only. It’s already sold out at the Paradox Music store but copies are still available at Samurai and Eastern Bloc…move fast if you want to lay hands on this!

Classic Tracks: John Rolodex – 2016 Redux

Posted on 10th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

John Rolodex returns to the scene after a few years pursuing other projects and he’s bringing fresh remasters of his back catalogue to the table, starting with a six track EP of beats from 2002-2004. Originally released by Metalheadz, Tech Itch and Dread Recordings, the tracks feature all the classic hallmarks of golden era dark D&B, namely big badass reese basslines and frantic break chopping.

With fresh masters from T.Power these tracks are sounding as fresh as they did a decade ago, with the likes of Can’t See Me and Dark Obsession still more than capable of smashing up a rave or three. Check out the EP below and look for it via the Machinist Music bandcamp from Monday.

<a href="http://machinistmusic.com/album/redux-2016-part-1">REDUX 2016 – Part 1 by MACHINIST MUSIC</a>

Dojo Damager: Dreadmaul – Destroyer Of Worlds

Posted on 8th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

When you have the audacity to give your track a name like Destroyer of Worlds then you better be bringing something pretty vicious to the table lest your wares fall a bit flat; thankfully Dreadmaul has delivered the goods in spades, hence the track’s selection as this week’s Dojo Damager!

With a nod to classic hardstep from the likes of Evol Intent, Tech Itch and Dom & Roland, this is a dark amen smasher replete with hefty sub and ominous raved up stabs, and it’ll definitely destroy some raves if not any actual worlds. Check out the clip below and hit up Juno to grab a copy right now.

Q&A – Mako [Metalheadz]

Posted on 8th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

2016 looks set to be an exciting year for Mako. With another storming release for ‘headz just round the corner and more to come on his own Utopia imprint, not to mention the forthcoming OneMind LP with DLR, I grabbed the man himself for the lowdown on drum programming, working with Goldie and his forthcoming live show. Continue reading →

Q&A – Hybris

Posted on 7th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Hybris has had a good couple of years; not everyone can boast of collaborations with Noisia, not to mention having their debut LP released on the trio’s prestigious Invisible imprint. With a new track just out on Melbourne’s Plasma Audio imprint we tracked down the Czech Tech wizard for a quick chat about his latest work, collaborating with the Dutch legends and his favourite studio snacks. Continue reading →

Lynch Kingsley – Eden EP [Inperspective]

Posted on 6th March 2016 by DNB Dojo

Lynch Kingsley continues his impressive run of releases with three new tracks for long-running London imprint Inperspective. The results are outstanding, taking the musicality of Lynch’s work to a new level while retaining the tasty break chopping that has always characterised his beats.

Vision of Suffering kicks things off with a dark, moody take on old school jungle-tinged techstep; eerie pads, heavy breaks and massive sub hits drive this one along nicely. The track manages to maintain a threatening vibe without ever veering into more tearout territory and the crunchy drum work really makes it stand out.

Minutes of Silence continues in a similar vein, with a beautiful guitar lick intro giving way to frenetic break chopping business. Last but not least, Eden touches down with huge distorted bass hits and helter-skelter drums that veer in and out of the mix at breakneck pace. The second half sees the tune drop into a serene, ambient breakdown before switching things up into less angsty drumfunk riddims for a really tidy progression.

The drum programming on show here is top notch from start to finish; fans of Mako, Paradox and Photek should be all over this. You can pick the EP up right now via the Inperspective Bandcamp page so check out the clips and go grab a copy!

DNB Dojo

Drum & Bass News and Reviews

Monthly Archives: March 2016