Modu lands on Addictive Behaviour for today’s exclusive with a gnarly breakbeat smasher! Tech bass modulations under an absolutely razor sharp drum line make for a serious slice of dark jungle weaponry. Hit up beatport to grab this one right now – other stores follow in a couple of weeks.
Mexico City crew BLDSMX are in our premiere spotlight today as we present a cut from their forthcoming ArmadaSounds 001 compilation LP! Rainforest brings the deep, jungle-tinged vibes on the appropriately named Duality; love the breakwork and the rhythms on this one. Look for the LP coming Oct 2nd with a whole host of bassy goodness across the 170 spectrum…
Italian producer SD lands on Dispatch Recordings for today’s premiere and he’s taking a Hatchet to the dancefloor! Industrial textures and infectious drums make for a deadly roller primed for maximum impact. You can grab it as part of the Toni Solidi EP which is out today at the Dispatch store!
The iconic and pivotal Valley of the Shadows…where do I start? Produced by none other than Origin Unknown, a duo consisting of Andy C and Ant Miles, this track played a significant role in shifting the paradigm of hardcore toward a darker motif. Heralded as one of the best songs in the Drum & Bass sphere, this iconic tune rolled onto the scene in 1993 (and re-released in 1996 as a stand-alone) from Andy C’s very own RAM Records.
The first edition of Future Music Magazine’s sample CD provided many of the track’s sounds, and likewise provided a bevy of other recognizable samples found across a broad spectrum of electronic and dance music during the same era. From the hypnotizing melody to the entrancing spoken samples, the hardy break to the bold bassline, Valley of the Shadows proves itself a time-tested masterpiece.
Written by Luke Kessler
Another month, another podcast! Hex brings you the usual dose of D&B flavours including new music from Bold Theory, HLZ, Sinistarr, Drumcatcher, Spor, Break and many more, plus a host of unreleased dubs…check it!
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Montesco lands on Portugal’s Skalator Music with a slab of grimy tech minimalism. Maximum tension on this one, and those bleeps are so good…look out for the single dropping Sep 25th at digital stores.
Mystic State are a duo we’ve been keeping a close eye on for years here at Dojo HQ, so naturally it’s an absolute pleasure for us to be premiering a cut from their stunning debut LP My Own Private Island! Album opener Expectations sets the tone for the album with aplomb, blending their knack for atmosphere and characterful percussion with heavy kicks and a dark, brooding bassline. Sprinkle in some haunting Burial-esque vocal echoes for the icing on a deliciously moody cake; dripping with vibe! Hit up the Chikara Project bandcamp to grab the whole album right now.
Hex returns with over 90 minutes of new music on the August edition of the Dojo podcast! Beats inside this time around from Duoscience, Survey, Wreckless, Joshua, Tuscan, Quentin Hiatus and many more…
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
We’re hyped to have a techstep legend in the premiere spotlight today! Taken from his new EP for CNVX, The Dreamer sees DSCI4 boss Trace teaming up with Berlin duo Survey for a retro-future sci-fi roller; from the spacey pads of the intro through the crunchy breaks and modulated basslines, this is the soul of late 90s dark D&B brought up to the minute with 2020 production techniques, and it sounds glorious. Look for this coming August 14th on Bandcamp!
No classic drum & bass fan should miss out on Twisted Anger, a duo whose tunes I continually find captivating. An off-the-wall slice of techstep wickedness from Dread Recordings sub-label Penny Black, Society is among the darkest of 1997 drops.
Twisted Anger are experts at creating sinister soundscapes in their tracks (especially in their earlier works), with Society being possibly their finest specimen. Ominous and gritty, heavy atmosphere fills the space amidst filtered break cuts that crash with aggression against an askew, unworldly bass. Conjuring images of sci-fi noir (or where ever your imagination takes you), brace yourself for this monstrosity.
Written by Luke Kessler