CIA 20 LP Sampler

CIA mark 20 years in the game with a massive new LP, and ahead of the main event there’s a cracking sampler just out featuring some top tracks from familiar label names.

DLR jumps in on the remix for Q Project’s anthemic Champion Sound, retaining the original’s distinctive synth hook but pairing it with an appropriately hefty selection of beats and bass for the current era of D&B. Sure fire dancefloor weapon!

Elsewhere Calibre delivers a characteristically smooth pinao-led roller in the form of Under Bars, and label dons Total Science throw down some fine break choppage on the dub-tinged Respect Due. There’s also a cheeky second remix of Champion Sound with DLR swapping out the beefy modern tech underpinnings of the 2016 remix for something a bit more jungle-y. Tasty stuff! Check out the clips below and hit up the CIA Bandcamp to grab this on vinyl or digital right now.

February Roundup Part Two

Once again we’ve been inundated with quality music in the Dojo inbox and despite the bonus extra day February has vanished before we could write it all up! Here’s some coverage of the best of the rest including new music from Alix Perez & Ivy Lab, Calibre, Hanover, SCAR, Bone and more…

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Calibre – Dreamz Dub EP [CIA]

Sometimes you just know a release will be good before you even hear it, and when the names on the tin are Calibre and CIA you can be pretty sure the contents will be worth your attention.

True to form, the maestro delivers four top notch new tracks for Total Science’s long running imprint, with Another and Believe It providing the soulful rollers, Posh Boy going in on the bassline grit and Dreamz Dub harnessing a playful dub bassline and ethereal pads for the EP’s deepest cut.

No surprises on this one then, but by now you should know if you worship at the altar of Calibre or not, and if you do his deceptively simple compositions haven’t lost their charm. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital from September 18th.

Calibre – Fourfit EP 4 [Soul:R]

The fourth in Soul:R’s excellent Fourfit EP series comes from the mighty Calibre, and he brings a fine selection of dancefloor oriented rollers that lean towards the darker end of his sound. Bogeyman Bullshit leads the charge with a simple but effective combo of rolling breaks and wobbly bass, in that classic stripped-back style that the maestro does so well. Next up, Marcus Intalex & Bricktop get in on the action, serving up a beautiful moody roller in the form of Smother.

Multitasking ups the menace level with a healthy layer of distortion on the bassline and a more angular break. Dream of You serves up the EP’s surprise track, and possibly its best, a playful, dubbed out slice of halftime with hordes of reverb drenched character and sonic detail. Tasty stuff! Check out the clips below and hit up the Soul:R Bandcamp to grab it on vinyl or digital now.

Calibre – Strumpet EP [Exit Records]

Confession time; when I first listened to this EP I wasn’t actually blown away by it. “Heresy!” I hear you cry. But before the ardent Calibre fanboys come for my head, let me finish – it’s a grower, to say the least.

There’s no doubting the musical chops of Dominick Martin at this point, but it would still be all too easy for him to slip into the formulaic manufacture of identikit liquid rollers and cease to be interesting; thankfully that’s not the case, with the tracks on this EP exploring a slightly different aesthetic than most of his previous work.

The shimmering ambience and crisp liquid breaks are still present, to be sure, but there’s a hint of darkness to the tracks, from the growling bass of Strumpet to the edgy stabs of Stranger and off into the warm and fuzzy basswork of The Sweet and Concrete, the latter of which is undoubtedly the star track of the release.

If you wanted to lay hands on the beautiful limited edition boxed version of this you’re already out of luck, but you can still pick up the regular press on double 12″ from the Exit Store. Check out the clips below and get to getting!

Classic Track: Calibre & High Contrast – Mr. Majestic

This one should need no introduction; the absolutely anthemic sounds of Mr. Majestic have smashed up so many raves since the track’s release in 2004 that by rights everyone should be sick of hearing it by now. Despite this, it’s still a firm favourite; crunchy breaks and an uplifting vibe mean this one is a guaranteed skank out in the dance. Legendary.

Classified V1 [CIA Records]

CIA return with another fine and varied selection pairing the rough with the smooth over four new tracks for what appears from the title to be the first in a series of Classified EPs. Chroma step up first, providing a tough, rolling relick of Total Science & S.P.Y’s Whoonga. Next up comes a classic Calibre deep roller; not the man’s finest work, but instilled with that unmistakable quality and atmosphere that pervades so much of his work nonetheless.

The familiar and yet never played out combination of Total Science & Riya make a welcome appearance with a silky new composition featuring the usual hints of jazz and soul over a firm backbone of breaks and bass, leaving man of the moment Mako to close the EP with a hefty slice of chopped up techstep. It’s difficult to fault any of these tracks! Check out the clips below and look for the EP dropping at all good digital outlets from March 2nd.

Top Tracks of 2014

Following our run down of our favourite albums of the year, we felt it was only right to put the spotlight on our top tracks. These are the ten tunes that haven’t left our record box since their release…

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Future Beats – The Album [31 Recordings]

The relaunch of Doc Scott’s 31 Recordings imprint has been the cause for much celebration across the scene, and the label’s output has been absolutely stellar. Rounding off 2014 in style, they’ve unveiled a massive 24 track compilation featuring artists from across the D&B spectrum, and frankly pretty much all of it is excellent.

The huge selection takes in half-time beats from Sinistarr and Ital Tek, future jungle from Moresounds, liquid rollers from Bungle and Calibre, rowdy techstep from SCAR and plenty more besides. Special mentions have to go out to the broody, militant syncopations of House of Lanterns’ Take Control, the ethereal atmospherics of Hidden Turn’s Dream of Tron and the bleepy, atmospheric vibes of Gremlinz Forlorn, but honestly the whole LP is of such a high standard that picking favourites is pretty tough. Check out clips of all the tracks below and head over to the 31 Recordings store to preorder the compilation on vinyl or digital now – the release drops on December 15th.

10 Years of Shogun Audio

Friction’s Shogun Audio are celebrating 10 years in style with a massive bundle of new tunes. The 10 Years compilation features brand new beats alongside remixes of some Shogun classics, and comes in a beautiful six piece vinyl box set.

Dancefloor tech is well represented among the new tracks with beats from Icicle & Prolix, Friction, Joe Ford and Fourward all bringing the hard and nasty vibes. There’s also rolling liquid from LSB and Technimatic, a new genre bender from Rockwell and something a little unusual from Spectrasoul in the form of Ben. On the remix front, Spor’s anthemic Aztec gets a pretty hyperactive rework from Calyx & Teebee, Aliz Perez and Spectrasoul get the liquid refix treatment from Calibre and Etherwood respectively, and Fourward turn in a chunky new mix of Dark Days. Last but by no means least, Total Science & S.P.Y bring us a new VIP of another back catalogue fave – 2010’s Gangsta.

As if all of that wasn’t enough, the set also includes a poster, stickers, 3 CDs and a DVD; the CDs provide the new tracks in digital form, a selection of classics from the Shogun back catalogue and a fresh mix from Friction, while the DVD features a 10 Years documentary. There are only 500 copies of the full bundle available so head over to the Shogun Audio store pronto if you want to bag one, or save your wallet and grab the CD or digital package.