Premiere: Mauoq – Mannoy (Kozmo Remix)

Italian producer Mauoq has fast become one of our favourite underground artists over the last few years so we’re incredibly pleased to have the exclusive on one of the new cuts from his very own Mauoq Music imprint!

Mannoy gets the remix treatment from US head Kozmo, taking the original smoother and flipping it round into a bleeped out, wonky slice of halftime D&B with skittering drums and tons of character. Sick! Hit up the Mauoq Music Bandcamp to pre-order now; MQM007 drops Nov 16th on bandcamp with full release following Nov 30th.

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Premiere: Hydro & War – Faux Amis

Methlab are back with the third release on their BNKR imprint with Utopia Music regular Hydro at the controls! The Ethos EP showcases the deeper, more minimal sound that BNKR have been making their mark on and this is exemplified in the stripped back aethetic of Hydro & War’s Faux Amis (or ‘False Friends’ in English).

Intricate drums, myserious vocal samples and growling bassline grit characterise a typically introspective track from a production duo that always bring an exciting take on the D&B sound. Check it out below and watch out for the EP dropping from Nov 29th.

Signal’s Top 5 Club Tracks

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Signal continues his fast ascent to the top reaches of the D&B scene with a contribution to Neodigital’s Eurofunk Vol. 2 EP dropping in a couple of weeks. To find out a bit more about his selections in the dance we tracked him down and asked for his top 5 club tracks. Check it out…

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Frederic Robinson – Flea Waltz [Med School]

Ever since we first came across Frederic Robinson via early releases for London label Diffrent Music we’ve been keeping a keen ear out for more of his eclectic, innovative and utterly unique take on the 170BPM sound. Refusing to be pinned down by genre stereotypes or the trends of club music, Frederic’s material combines hints of jazz, pop and classical with a touch of the D&B sound and the results are truly exceptional.

Following his first LP for Blu Mar Ten Music, Frederic has moved to possibly the only other home within the scene his music was likely to find, and dropped his second album for Med School. Thankfully the experimental wing of Hospital Records appears to be more than happy with his musical direction, because the album picks up exactly where debut Mixed Signals left off.

Frederic’s music continues to be filled with a childlike delight; complex melodies and harmonies flitter in and out of the mix accompanied by deft, rapid yet soft percussion and the tracks live up to the album’s title in many ways. It’s not difficult to imagine an army of tiny fleas beating drums, playing tiny xylophones and waltzing manically to the uplifting symphony. Every track feels effervescent, innocent, almost like an expression of pure joy in musical form, and the overall effect is beautiful and breathtaking in equal measure.

Sadly clips of many of the album’s tracks have yet to surface, but the handful that are online can be heard below and should provide more than enough encouragement to pick up what is undoubtedly one of the album’s of the year. Hit up the Hospital Store to grab a copy on vinyl, CD or digital right now; you won’t be disappointed.

DNB Dojo Podcast #1 – Nov 2016

We’re kicking off a special new feature this month as we present the very first DNB Dojo Podcast! Mixed by blog owner Hex and featuring the best cuts to land in the Dojo inbox over the last couple of months, the podcast features 80 minutes of brand new D&B from across the spectrum with liquid, techstep, neurofunk, halftime and everything in between represented. Check out the mix and look out for a new podcast coming every month from now on!

You can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to YoutubeMixcloud, Hearthis.at or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

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Break – 10 Years of Symmetry

When you think across the biggest names in the scene, it’s hard to find one both as well regarded and as prolific as Break. The Symmetry boss somehow manages to churn out a breathtaking quantity of originals and remixes, all possessing his trademark crisp drums, warm but punchy basslines and organic musical flourishes. If there were an award for the hardest working man in D&B, we’re pretty sure it would go to Break every year without fail.

This year sees him celebrating 10 years of Symmetry Recordings and for the occasion he’s put together a cracking new LP of material featuring collabs with many of the label’s familiar faces and some solo material to boot. Alongside big, stomping slices of dancefloor tech like Total Science collab Betamax and solo cut Ain’t No Turning Back there’s space for a take on the 20/20 sound on Inside (written with Spectrasoul), a reggae infused roller on Overdub and a couple of distinctly jungle-tinged beats like the cracking closing track Not Forgotten.

While none of the tracks here are particularly breaking the mould or pushing the envelope, the love, care, and detail that’s gone into their production shines through and the presence and vibe is absolutely undeniable; another fine album from a scene legend at the top of his game. Check out the clips (and a wicked 30 min promo mix) below and hit up the Symmetry store to grab a copy right now!

Q&A – Bailey

Vivid Sounds’ latest project sees them bringing scene legend Bailey on board for a tidy new mix entitled Resurrection. Packed full of belters from the likes of Dillinja, Ruffige Kru, Paradox and Future Prophecies, the mix feels like a love letter to the bygone era of mix CDs, and it’s well worth a listen. To find out a little more we grabbed Bailey for a quick chat…

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Premiere: SubMarine – Nitro

Our latest exclusive comes straight outta Deutschland courtesy of Cologne producer SubMarine and Leipzig label/events collective Boundless Beatz! Nitro combines rich bass, delicate atmospherics and detailed, intricate percussion work for a top slice of thinking-man’s D&B. So lush!

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