Tokyo Prose – Gossamer EP [footnotes]

We live in deeply uncertain times right now, but thankfully some things can still be relied upon, and new material from Tokyo Prose falls firmly under that heading! New Zealand’s best liquid producer and one of a small handful across the scene that can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as artists like Calibre…special stuff.

Sam’s latest work sees him making his debut on LSB’s footnotes imprint, which feels like an incredibly natural home for the deep, thoughtful music he produces; LSB is certainly a kindred spirit in this regard.

All four tracks are vintage Prose – if you’re expecting halftime curveballs or unlikely dark stompers you’ll likely be disappointed. What shouldn’t be disappointing is the effortless, hypnotic melodies on show, whether it’s the upbeat piano and jazz sax of Jacknife, the melancholy chords of Gossamer or the intricate progressions of Lights Down Low, a rare collaborative track with Satl.

Deft, subtle, joyous and thoughtful, Gossamer finds Tokyo Prose on top form, making unashamedly rolling and unashamedly emotional drum & bass. Can’t argue with that from where we’re standing! The EP is out now on vinyl and digital via the footnotes Bandcamp.

Molecular – Ultron / Dunkin [Ekou Recordings]

Having cut his teeth on some of Europe’s finest breeding ground imprints like Delta9 and Counterpoint, it’s no surprise that DLR has hand selected Molecular for his Sofa Sound imprint. This time though, we’re here to celebrate his latest single on London-based imprint Ekou Recordings.

The A-side Ultron combines Current Value style drum programming with eerie pads, stabs and strings, and even features a halftime switch up towards the end of the track. Over on the flip, Dunkin features a funky baseline with deft uses of reverb, stabs and vocals.

The Portuguese producer is on a steep trajectory now under the wing of one the finest producers of the 2010s. These two tracks may yet become significant formative material for a star of the 2020s. Hit up the EKOU Bandcamp to grab a copy right now!

Written by James Austin

DNB Dojo Podcast #48 – Oct 2020

Hex delivers 90 minutes of the latest D&B, with the latest episode marking 4 years of Dojo podcasts! New beats inside from Klinical, Muffler, John Rolodex, Calibre, Monika, dgoHn 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.

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Alix Perez – Without End EP [1985 Music]

There are few drum and bass artists that are truly accepted across a multitude of styles and sub-genres. Calibre is almost certainly the apex of these select few. Another several blog posts could be written arguing about the other alumni of this club, but in this piece, I wish to suggest that Alix Perez is as good a bet as any another. His latest 8-track, Without End, is testament to this. The build-up and indeed acclaim to date feels very much as it did when his seminal 1984 album was released over a decade ago.

Whilst a shorter body of work than 1984 and his 2013 follow-up album Chroma ChordsWithout End feels punchier for it; quality over quantity. Unlike his work above, Alix focuses purely on the 170 range, yet still encapsulates a variety of moods and vibes.

Sombre and melancholic tracks like the opener Wondering at Loss, Someone Else and the single Lost & Proud featuring the exceptionally talented Liam Bailey on vocals, are woven perfectly alongside more upbeat tracks like Moving On – again with Liam Bailey – and even the more style-agnostic Perfect Stranger with Halogenix. Distant Figures proves another highlight, featuring long-time friend and collaborator Workforce.

Despite these variations, Without End still feels like a holistic body of work, laced with the signature touches that make Alix Perez so universally adored. The deep sine wave basslines, the carefully measured and considered vocals – both sampled and recorded – and his elegant keys and chords, are clear and in abundance.

If 1984 was Alix Perez’ extraordinary freshman folio, and Chroma Chords his sophomore sound after several years of learning and devotion to his craft, Without End represents a most hard-earned (and quite long overdue) graduation ceremony into the genre’s hall of fame – if you still needed to be convinced, that is.

Written by James Austin

DNB Dojo Podcast #47 – Sep 2020

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.

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DNB Dojo Podcast #46 – Aug 2020

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.

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Guest Mix: Grappa

To celebrate his new release on Stereocilia, we’re very pleased to welcome Grappa to the Dojo decks! Bringing a varied selection of rolling D&B, the mix features dark and light, classic and contemporary and a fantastic cross section of artists including DLR, Mark System, Trex, Zero T and of course some of Grappa’s own beats!

As always you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

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DNB Dojo Podcast #45 – Jul 2020

Hex returns with a bumper episode of the DNB Dojo podcast featuring nearly two hours of new music! Beats inside this month from Friske, Kelle, Hiraeth, Resomnia, Mark Dinimal, The Outsiders, Philip D Kick and many, 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.

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DNB Dojo Podcast #44 – Jun 2020

Hex returns to the Dojo decks with 75 minutes of brand new music, including tracks from Imanu, Fixate, DLR & Script, Mage, Lynch Kingsley and many more. There are also dubs inside from The Faraday and Layton, plus two of Hex’s own new releases.

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.

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Guest Mix: Arcatype

British production trio Arcatype celebrate their brand new EP for CIA Records with a tidy selection of rolling D&B goodness on our latest guest mix! Featuring beats from the Mind Loop EP alongside cuts from the likes of Myth, Alix Perez, Total Science, FB and Dom & Roland, fans of the CIA sound will not be disappointed. Deep and dark but still plenty funky!

As always you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

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