Sleepnet – Angel Blade [Vision]

Since the late 2019 announcement that Noisia would be parting ways as a creative project, neurofunk fans have been waiting with anticipation to see what new projects might emerge from the trio…and we may just have heard the first music from one or more of them. All we know for sure about the mysterious Sleepnet so far is that their first track is coming out on Vision, though the internet rumour mill is already churning with many suggesting the project is a collaboration between Noisia’s Nik and fellow Vision artist Former.

Whoever might be behind the project, the first track certainly bears the hallmarks of the Vision sound; intricate sound designs build tension on the intro before releasing into crunchy breakbeats and growling reese basses, though interestingly Angel Blade doesn’t feel like it’s been primed for the dancefloor as much as the home listening environment.

We’ll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled for more details (and more music) from Sleepnet…for now you can find Angel Blade at digital stores and streaming services.

The Upbeats & Noisia – Shibuya Pet Store [No Sleep Til]

A little while ago, The Upbeats launched a kickstarter for an ambitious project called “No Sleep Til…”. Their plan involved flying to unusual parts of the world with some collaborators and exploring their locales to see how it might influence the music made. Following the success of the fundraising campaign, and with help from Creative New Zealand, the first of the material has surfaced this week featuring regular studio pals Noisia, made on a recent trip to Japan.

Named after one of Tokyo’s busier business districts, Shibuya Pet Store sees both groups of producers easing off their sometimes full-tilt production styles in favour of something a bit more relaxed and unusual. From the weird melodies of the intro into the quirky main riff, this one definitely isn’t a high octane smasher, but the result is one of the most interesting pieces of music to come out of either camp for some time.

We can’t wait to see who else The Upbeats have been working with for the rest of the No Sleep Til… releases, but in the meantime you can check out Shibuya Pet Store below. Hit up your favourite store to grab a copy right now.

Q&A – Tom Retraflex [Waves]

Flexout have crafted quite a name for themselves as purveyors of high quality, underground D&B leaning towards the grittier end of the sound, but their latest venture has seen them branch out with a new series called Waves focussed on the bass-heavy halftime hip-hop sound associated with Noisia and Ivy Lab, among others. To find out a bit more about the series we hit up Tom Retraflex for a chat…

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Noisia – Incessant EP [Vision]

Regular readers will know we’re big fans of Noisia here at the Dojo, and doubly so when we can get our grubby mits on new vinyl! The Incessant EP sees the two exclusive tracks from the Ten Years of Vision compilation getting a wax pressing alongside two brand new tracks from the ever busy dutch trio.

As ever the tracks display that bass-line finesse and attention to detail which only Noisia can provide, with Banshee opting for a deeper vibe while Mefjus & Hybris collab Clusterfunk hits down with an absolutely mental rhythm! Check out the clips below and head to the Noisia Store to grab a copy on vinyl or digital from April 20th.

Ten Years of Vision Recordings

Noisia’s Vision Recordings imprint is among the pack of esteemed D&B labels celebrating its 10th anniversary, and to mark the occasion they’ve remastered a host of top tracks from the Vision back catalogue which they’ll be releasing on CD, USB stick and digital download alongside two new tracks exclusive to the compilation (both of which you can preview below).

For the merchandise-hungry there are also bundles available featuring a 10 years of Vision t-shirt and a rather tasty (if somewhat expensive) 12″ artwork book featuring full size, full colour artwork from every single release on the label. Head over to the Noisia store to pick up one of the bundles now, or cop it from your favourite digital outlet.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ws8eUTGgsw]

 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXriboWgHDY]

Outlook 2015 Lineup – 1st Announcement!

Those with their fingers on the pulse will already be aware of this, but for anyone who missed it the first lineup announcement for Outlook 2015 is out! D&B fans certainly won’t be disappointed with the selection; Noisia, Goldie, dBridge, Om Unit, The Upbeats, Enei. Skeptical, Rockwell, Mefjus, Kasta, Ivy Lab & Emperor are already on the bill alongside some of the best names in Dubstep, Grime and Hip-hop with plenty more yet to be announced.

As usual tickets are flying off the shelves so check out the official lineup announcement video below and head over here to pick up tickets while you still can!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYFrb59WoU]

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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Classic Track: Noisia – Vanishing Point

vanishingpoint

Wind back to 2004 and Noisia are far from the titans of the electronic scene they’ve become over the past decade; at this point they’re beginning to enjoy their first successes, turning heads in the scene with 12″s for Nerve, Subtitles and Citrus. Vanishing Point saw them building on their success with a release for Mayhem’s influential (though now sadly defunct) Shadow Law imprint.

The tune is a masterclass of relatively restrained but still dancefloor worthy tech – heavy breaks, tasty atmospherics and weighty sub bass all coming together to produce a recognisable roller. The drum roll and bass hits before the main drop followed by the infectious synth stabs always make me smile, and the little details in the progression of the tune make all the difference. Snap it up if you see a copy on vinyl!

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KPcgootqBw]

DNB Dojo Mix Series 11: Hanzo & Randie

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The eleventh installment in our exclusive mix series comes from Avantgarde alumni Hanzo & Randie. The duo celebrate their forthcoming track for the label’s Theory of the Avantgarde LP with a tasty mix focussing on the techier end of the D&B spectrum but still with place for melody and soul. Check it out via Mixcloud below or head to Hearthis.at for streaming and Dropbox for a download.

Tracklist:

Inward – Monochrome (Avantgarde dub)
Cern – Tiamat (Dispatch)
Ulterior Motive – Longshot (Metalheadz)
Dabs – Objection (Dispatch)
Break & DLR – New Design (Symmetry)
Concept Vision & Segment – Deserted (Blackout)
Alix Perez, Phace, Misanthrop – Burn Out (Shogun Audio)
Enei – Hot Plate (Critical)
Dabs, ArpXP & Grotesque – Keep Shut (Avantgarde dub)
Spinline and Hydro – Perimeter (Demand)
EBK – Strength (Dispatch)
Break – Love So True (Symmetry)
Enei and Emperor – Liberation (Critical)
Inward, Hanzo & Randie – Tetra (Redlight)
Concept Vision & Segment – Mindshaker (Blackout)
Signs – Desert Storm (Cause 4 Concern)
Maztek – Limber (Renegade Hardware)
Noisia – Running Blind (Vision)
Stealth ft. Codebreaker – Nightfall (RAM)
DLR and Script ft. Martyna Baker – Blue room (Metalheadz)
Hybris, Quadrant, D-Struct & Iris – Graphene (Dispatch)
Animal Defection – Arcadia (Avantgarde dub)
Kasra & Enei – Breath (Critical)
Blu Mar Ten – In Your Eyes (Ulterior Motive Remix) (Blu Mar Ten)
DLR, Nymfo, Need for Mirrors and HLZ – Totem (Dispatch)
Heavy1 & P-Fine – Melee (Avantgarde dub)
Hanzo, Randie & Bayou – Totentanz (Avantgarde dub)
Foreign Concept – Ask yourself (Critical)
Sabre and Riya – Injustice (Critical)

Get To Know…Nerve Recordings

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Glasgow-based Nerve Recordings sadly closed it’s doors in 2010 but for nine strong years the label flew the D&B flag under the keen stewardship of Pyro and Paul Reset, with releases from homegrown and international producers alike. For this week’s #TBT posting we take a look back at 10 of the best from the Narve vaults. Don’t forget you can grab all of these releases for free from either the Nerve Bandcamp or their website.

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