Grand Royal Vol. 1 [Vandal LTD]

Vandal LTD’s latest release sees them celebrating a collection of tracks at the edge of the halftime D&B sound where the waters begin to get muddy and the influence of hip-hop, footwork and other bass music mutates the sound in new and interesting ways.

Signs, SKS & Skank get together for the EP’s opener, the swaggering and audacious Bliss Flop. This one undoubtedly owes a little to Ivy Lab’s seminal Sunday Crunk, but it’s still a fantastic slice of halftime hip-hop with a grin-inducing bassline and heaps of attitude.

Tim Reaper’s contribution to the EP (alongside Vanar and Mieur) takes things in a totally different direction, with a distinctly techno influenced beat driving along under spooky soundscapes for a hypnotic journey through 5am clubland and into weird early morning psychedelia.

Elsewhere the EP features some nice tracks influenced by the Chicago footwork sound, the best of which is undoubtedly Lumumba’s Exhale. Frantic high hats and rap vocal cut ups may well be overplayed by now but this one is still a hugely satisfying listen, and it’s nice to see this sound spreading and being played with by so many in the D&B community.

The Grand Royal EP is out now at all good stores, so check out the clips below and grab yourself an unconventional selection of beats at your leisure.

Signs – Clockout / Acid Test [Piranha Pool]

The latest from Ed Rush’s new Piranha Pool imprint comes courtesy of French trio signs who add another top tier label to their impressive roster of neurofunk affiliations. Clockout builds a massive level of tension on the intro with swelling synths, but the drop pulls a surprising twist; in place of the expected full tilt assault it’s all sub punch and spacey atmospherics. The tune progresses nicely, achieving more insistence with extra percussion fills and bass stabs but resisting the temptation to crank it up too hard; this one should prove a nice mid-set bait and switch to play with a crowd.

Acid Test kicks things off with a weighty 2-step drum line and a hypnotic lead synth melody leading to a more conventional drop; plenty of mid range modulations and general neurofunk energy to be found here. Another top release from a production outfit we’re big fans of; check out the clips below and hit up your favourite digital outlet to grab a copy now.

North Base & Stapleton – Can I Live [Nation of Shopkeepers]

Long time D&B rhymesayer Stapleton teams up with Manchester bass slingers North Base for his latest work, and they’ve recruited a weird and wonderful array of remixes for the release. The original combines Stapleton’s swaggering UK hip-hop flows with a hint of wompy dubstep for a cheeky little ode to slacking off and fucking about, but the remixes are where the release really shines.

Need For Mirrors delivers a tripped out, tough edged roller, turning the playful vocals to an altogether more ominous vibe. Resound switches the vibe again, crafting beats with a hint of Trap but keeping the synth vibes airy to the point of near-ambient stylings. Last up, Signs come with a bizarrely angular and thoroughly enjoyable half-time flex. This one was definitely not the aggy neuro remix I was expecting! Check out the clips below and grab this one right now.

Signs – Naked Lunch EP [Eatbrain]

If you’re familiar with Signs or Eatbrain you should know exactly what to expect here; grotty neurofunk riddims a plenty! Interzone and Percuss provide the stompers while Black Meat and Vermin go a little deeper, exploring less rolling drum patterns and atmospheres.

Eatbrain boss Jade gets in on the action too with a massive remix of Vermin, flipping the track on it’s head for a peak-time dancefloor workout. Check out the clips below and grab the EP from Beatport right now, with full release to follow from May 18th.

Signs – Wormdrive / Quantum [Vandal Records]

Neurofunk fans who aren’t already familiar with French production trio Signs should definitely keep an eye on them this year. Made up of Opsen, Primal Therapy and Le Lutin, Signs already have releases under their belts with the likes of RAM and Project 51 and don’t look to be slowing down!

Their latest single for Vandal sees them teaming up with MC Coppa for a big bad peak-time stomper in the mold of Pocket Full of Drops or On Like That, with a hefty instrumental on the flip for good measure. Not the most original tracks you’ll hear this year but if you’re looking for high octane beats to smash up a rave these are faultless in their execution; check out the clips below and look for the single dropping from Feb 16th.

10 Years LP Sampler [Vandal Records]

Vandal Records gear up for the release of their 10 Years LP with a sampler featuring two hefty slices of dancefloor D&B. Signs and SKS deliver a dangerously aggy slice of neurofunk business on Redline while Borderline dials down the aggression and amps up the funk on Sidecar. Check out the clips below and look for this at all good stores from November 10th.

Signs – Indigo EP [Cause4Concern Recordings]

C4C continues it’s steady run of dancefloor neurofunk weapons with a big new EP from French production trio Signs. Fans of C4C’s output will definitely be all over this one, and while the tracks are unlikely to win top marks for originality they more than make up for it in production quality and high octane vibes. Check out the clips below and grab the release from your favourite digital outlet now.