US liquid imprint Such Music are back in the Dojo spotlight today as we present the premiere of All Around. Belgian producer Orion makes his debut on the label following releases for the likes of Influenza and Soul Deep, bringing his blend of precision drums and deep, hypnotic sounds on a subtle and understated roller. Check it out and look for the single dropping Oct 30th exclusively on Beatport.
Our second premiere for today comes courtesy of Vancouver stalwart Pacific on his and Psidream’s label Nightfall. Harking back to the golden era of mid-00s neurofunk, Blood Alley features heavy hitting breaks, modulated bass and a gritty mixdown that keeps things sounding funky, a quality often lost in the current world of hyper-clean production. Sick tune, and sure to rip up the dancefloor! Look for this one from Oct 16th at all good digital stores…
Part three of Paws Recordings’ excellent trio of vinyl exclusive white label releases is almost upon us and we’re proud to present the exclusive on B-side Bluffing! Featuring more of the old school hip-hop sampling that has characterised previous tracks like Nowadays, this one is an retro roller with a playful bassline harking back to the heyday of DJ Zinc and the like. Watch the Paws Bandcamp for pre-order details soon; the vinyl drops Oct 27th.
Alix Perez has much of the drum and bass scene in the palm of his hand. With a career spanning 12 years he has constructed masterpiece after masterpiece across several different styles; Alix has come a long way from Get It On in 2005 and his latest EP Nighthawks is concrete evidence of that progression.
The EP features an enticing menu of sounds and vibes; Blip stands out as a harsh, stripped back stepper perfectly punctuated with one-shots and FX that give it texture and depth. Similarly, Lucky Charm has drum work that is characteristic of Alix’s output in recent years, matched to a rolling low-end that will see this track being reloaded again and again.
If steppers don’t tickle your fancy, there’s plenty more to satisfy your D&B cravings. The EP’s title track Nighthawks takes the listener down a deeper road, although that doesn’t tell the full story here. Nearly two minutes in the mids start to growl at you in this dBridge-esque way that remind you of the variety of sounds Perez is so adept at manufacturing.
Finally, for those that don’t have a taste for the darker sounds of the genre, there EP is rounded off by a killer collaboration with Javeon, which reminds me a lot of Alix’s earliest material. Javeon’s cool voice gives this tune an R&B vibe that rolls out endlessly; something achieved by only a handful of artists playing in that space.
So, the EP in a nutshell: something for everyone, but by no means generalistic. Alix Perez clearly demonstrates he is at home designing all styles and all vibes (although there is a notable absence of half time on this one). But after the musical journey he’s had and his rise to the top of the pile, he barely needs to demonstrate anything to anyone anymore.
Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records
Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb
With releases for the likes of Alpha Cut, Criterion and Eastern Promise Audio, Phuture-T has been chopping up breaks for the better part of a decade and has rightly garnered a reputation as a cracking producer keeping a slightly old-school aesthetic alive within the scene. To celebrate his latest single for Inperspective we tracked him down and asked him for his top 5 breaks! Check it out for some drum rhythm history…
Quentin Hiatus’s FLD imprint continue their relentless schedule of forward-thinking future music with a fresh new album from French duo Kantyze. The Mutation LP features some serious riddims so naturally we jumped at the chance to share the premiere of one of them, and The Blastmaster is one frenetic riddim indeed. Rapid-fire breakbeats set to a lilting, swung bassline and punctuated by raved-up synth melodies and staccato vocal hits make for a relentlessly energetic track; sick vibes! Check it out and look for the full album dropping October 16th.
Bristol producer Ethos is on the buttons for our latest premiere as we present an exclusive slice of jungle-tinged goodness coming soon to Silent Dust’s None60 imprint. Injustice blends floaty pads and atmospheres, vinyl crackle and satisfyingly crusty breakbeats for a slightly retro sounding track; think a pinch of LTJ Bukem crossed with the recent productions of Sully and Dead Man’s Chest and you’re close. Check it out and watch for the release dropping Oct 27th.
It’s safe to say that Gerra & Stone are not new kids on the block. With releases on ProgRAM, Dispatch, Proximity and more, they have been mastering their craft for several years. After this period of gestation and incubation, the boys are dropping possibly their best work to date for Dispatch in the form of the Polarism LP.
With interludes and intros punctuating throughout, fans of all the rightly or wrongly noted sub-genres will have plenty to take from this LP. Tracks like Time Not Wasted, The Fourth State, and Preditor (among plenty of others) represent the harder sound that this duo is well known for.
That said, pieces such as On the Outside and In Disguise (featuring the elegant voice of Peta Oneir – my personal favourite) reflect a more liquid sound that Gerra & Stone are less known for, but nevertheless have a back catalogue speckled with. Finally, there are tracks that blend both styles. Repeat Process has smacks of Halogenix in its synth sections, while Take Me Home has more rhythm and groove to it than efforts of yesteryear.
Clearly the well balanced styles are testament to this pair’s acumen. There is something for everyone here, which represents a change to Dispatch’s more usual techy output. What we can be certain of is the beginning of a changing of the guard in D&B, as once emerging talents begin to take centre stage. I for one am excited at that prospect.
Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records
Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb