Gridlok – American Dream [Project 51]

While drum & bass is well known for it’s dark side, it’s still unusual to hear of tracks inspired by real-life tragedy. Gridlok‘s latest release for his own Project 51 imprint came about via a rooftop suicide heard from his studio; doesn’t get much darker than that.

Gridlok’s original delivers a melancholy roller which is well worthy of your attention, but the remixes are even better, with the best coming from Sinistarr who delivers a chopped up jungle-esque edit, SPKTRM who brings out the industrial half-step darkness and Mesck who drops the tempo for a warped, gritty dubstep refix. You can even pick up the SPKTRM remix as a free download.

Check out the previews below and grab the release from your favourite digital outlet.

In The Mix…Om Unit & DK

Ever since his rather excellent release for Civil Music came out I’ve been keeping a close eye on Om Unit‘s 170BPM explorations, and his latest mix for the esteemed Solid Steel Radio sessions run by Ninja Tune delivers the goods nicely. Om Unit goes in deep for part 1 of the show with sublime cuts from himself, Fracture, Escher, ASC and Phaeleh; 170BPM vibes, but definitely not as you usually hear it. Half step and footwork influenced beats are the order of the day here.

For part 2 DK throws all kinds of different beats into the mix with tunes from Space Dimension Controller and Machinedrum sitting alongside tracks from Bonobo; a truly diverse selection. So if you’re looking for something a wee bit different, check out the mix below!

Mindmapper & Fre4knc – Martial Manners EP [Translation]

US label Translation have delivered a great little EP this month from Mindmapper & Fre4knc. Equal parts grit and soul, the EPs tracks combine nice use of melodic overlays and soft pads with growling low end tight drum arrangements, and showcases a variety of styles, from the grimey stepper vibes of Collesius through the floatier vibes of Shutter Angel and out into the offbeat amen-tinged half-step of Mind of Steel. These boys are definitely ones to watch for 2013 and beyond!

Check out the tracks below and grab yourself a copy on vinyl or digital from the Translation Bandcamp page.

Sunaivod – The Wreckage [Free Download]

I recently came across the rather talented up and coming dutch producer Sunaivod via a friend’s recommendation, and was particularly impressed with the quality of his output. Rugged, hard edged neurofunk is the order of the day here, and better still the man has a tidy freebie up on his Soundcloud page in the form of The Wreckage. Check it out and grab yourself a free download below!

Command Strange – Hyperbug / Regrets [Horizons]

Kazakhstan may seem like an unlikely place for a prolific D&B producer to be based, but it hasn’t stopped the inimitable Command Strange from chalking up a ridiculously large discography over the past few years, on prestigious labels like Fokuz and Metalheadz Platinum. 2013 seems likely to see a slew more top notch releases, and among the first is a tidy little 12″ for Horizons.

A side Hyperbug sees the man from ‘stan bringing the dancefloor vibes with a dark stepper that features some nice jungle-tinged breakbeat fills but for me it’s all about the soulful, melancholy atmosphere of Regrets on the flip. Beautiful piano melodies and echoing vocal cut ups combine with a dark bass that gives the track enough edge to avoid formulaic liquid territory. One for the deep selectors.

To celebrate the release Command Strange has also recorded the latest episode of the Horizons podcast, which you can check out (and download for free) below. Grab the release from the Horizons shop, out now!

Get To Know…Dispatch Recordings

Leeds-based Dispatch Recordings have been a steady part of the D&B scene for well over a decade now, with a well deserved reputation for releasing tough, rugged tracks from some of the best names in the scene. Never compromising their integrity in favour of current trends, the label has truly gone from strength to strength over the past few years with a couple of massive LP releases and a slew of singles and EPs to boot.

Early releases on the label saw tunes from the likes of Hidden Agenda, NOS and Q-Project taking centre stage, not to mention a rather tasty collaboration between Chris.Su, Stress Levels and Ant TC1.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXN3P3OssZs]

Having gained this momentum, 2008 saw the label step up a gear with their first release from the mighty Break (collabing with Survival on the Sick/Warnings 12″). From here on in the discography speaks for itself, with a massive selection of great tracks from the likes of Hybris, EBK, Amoss and Octane & DLR (who’s 2012 LP Method in the Madness was widely hailed as one of the albums of the year).

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rDt5LiA_nw]

All of this brings us up to the present day and the rather excellent release last month of Survival & Silent Witness’ LP In From The Wild. Every bit as high quality as the Octane & DLR album last year, and lavishly released on both vinyl and CD formats, the tracks below speak for themselves.

So if you don’t know Dispatch, sit down and have a browse of the back catalogue!

Classic Track: Roni Size – Brown Paper Bag

One of the most iconic 90s drum & bass tracks of all time, Roni Size & Reprazent‘s Brown Paper Bag was one of the tunes which transcended the genre as a whole and played a part in the massive upsurge in popularity that we saw in the late 90s and early 2000s. Featuring elements of the jungle sound that was beginning to take a back foot and the emerging sound of what we now know as drum & bass, and fusing it with the sounds of funk, jazz and hip-hop that made up the unique Reprazent sound, the track is truly a timeless classic – every bit as fresh today as it was back in 1997, and still capable of moving a floor like nobody’s business.

The video isn’t bad either, so check it out below and relive the glory days!

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwI0gbGEyuI]

Audio Habitat – The Raising [Sidechain]

Frankfurt based label Sidechain Music and production quartet Audio Habitat are both new names to me, so it was something of a surprise to come across an LP of such quality from names I’m so unfamiliar with.

The LP delivers gritty, well engineered techstep in spades, some tracks like Slow Motion going for deeper, darker vibes while numbers like Reload and Smoking deliver straight up tearing neurofunk. The tunes are deservedly getting support from some big names in the scene, great vibes! Watch out for the full release on March 25th.

As if that wasn’t enough the label are giving away two full tunes for free to celebrate the release – check those out below and grab yourself some tasty free goodness!

Therapy Sessions London – 20th April 2013

Those of you who like the harder side of drum & bass are probably familiar with the notorious Therapy Sessions. The boys are celebrating their ten year anniversary in style with a huge show in London Donny, Counterstrike, Unknown Error, and Kryptic Minds doing a special one-off 2004 Defcom set.

Check out all the details on the Facebook event and get yourself along to Relay on April 20th for some serious darkness!