Midlands-based label Terabyte Records deliver their fourth release on April 1st, and this time it’s a a pair of dark, brooding techie numbers from newcomer M.Pathy. The appropriately titled Grit gets things going with a nice little stepper, while Stutter on the flip goes in with a little more roll on the beat and some bass growl. If you like your drum & bass tight, gloomy and stripped back then look no further!
To celebrate his addition to the already healthy lineup for this year’s Bangface Weekender, the legend that is Aaron Spectre has come up with a “Return to the Jungle” mix which delivers a tight mashup of Jungle, Breakcore, Ragga and Drum & Bass vibes. 26 minutes of clattering snares, glitched amens, rastafari vocal snippets and low end heft…get in!
It’s always interesting to hear producers crossing boundaries into unfamiliar territory (even if it is only from one substyle to another) so the news that Nymfo was putting out a collab with liquid producer Maduk for Allsorts piqued my interest. Leaving his usual gritty techstep at home for this one, Nymfo has teamed up nicely here and the pair deliver a couple of really crisp, melodic, understated liquid rollers. Crossroads kicks things off nicely, but for me it’s all about Ordinary Ways on the flip. Warm bass, crisp beats and slightly treated vocals all combine to deliver that irresistible, classic liquid sound.
Watch out for this one hitting stores on Mar 25th.
2013 is looking like quite the year for Mefjus; hot on the heels of announcements about releases for Neosignal and Virus comes the news that his debut 12″ for Critical is about to drop! The Austrian rising star has delivered two slices of crisp, tight techstep, and is busy cementing his position in the scene nicely.
Signalz on the A side delivers an impressive roller with superb drum machine percussion and some meaty bass, while Cypher sees him team up with label head-honcho Kasra to deliver a tidy stepper with some nice filtered low end. Definitely tunes you’ll be hearing again and again in the coming months!
Dutch Neurofunk legends Black Sun Empire return with Episode 23 of their podcast series, and the boys have gathered a particularly tidy selection of neurofunk belters for the mix! New cuts from Chris.Su, Telekinesis, Memtrix and more all feature in the mix. As usual it’s a free download, so check it out!
We’ve covered some of the excellent material from IM:Ltd here on DnB Dojo before, and given the two excellent releases they have lined up for March and April, now seemed like a great time to do a little retrospective on the label. Started up in 2009, the French label has been busy putting out a slew of excellent digital releases from a variety of up and coming acts, and has found time to craft a few limited 12″ releases too. The quality and style of the labels output has always leaned towards the deeper, moodier side of Drum & Bass, often eschewing the dancefloor in favour of creating atmospheres better suited to the 6am after party. Favourable comparisons can be drawn to the likes of Data’s output for Horizons, such as Mortem’s excellent Stratos 12″ released back in 2011.
But don’t mistake the imprint for a one trick pony. Not everything you’ll find on show here is merely for the chin-stroking heads; while avoiding out-and-out tearers, the label has definitely put out it’s fair share of insistent steppers such as their releases from Future Signal and Paiton.
All of which brings us up to the here and now, and the impending release of the Aftermath LP. Showcasing a mixture of leftfield Drum & Bass and more downtempo, Autonomic-esque vibes, the 10 track release packs some serious atmosphere. Highlights come from Es.tereo and Marilyn with the sublime Winteria, Calculon who delivers a brilliant clap-and-shuffle floater with Hold Back, and Physical Illusions’ We Feeling What We Doing which features a seriously smooth, laid back flow from MC KryptoMedic.
As though that isn’t enough, IM:Ltd just delivered us some grittier numbers on the aptly titled Hunted EP which dropped earlier this week. The EP heads for decidedly heavier territory than some of the labels previous releases, with some seriously dark bass on show, particularly on Disept’s Course and Kuantum’s rather excellent Lost & Found.
So get over to your favourite digital outlet and check out the tidy back catalogue!
Jade returns with the 6th episode of the sporadic Eatbrain podcast series and serves up a healthy portion of neurofunk for your listening pleasure! Brand new Eatbrain dubs from Telekinesis and Teddy Killerz feature alongside new beats and classic tracks from the likes of Noisia, Black Sun Empire, Dom & Roland, Neonlight and Bad Company. Dark and nasty all the way, just how we like it!
Following the release of 2011’s Energy EP, the Neosignal camp have been somewhat quiet, with the exception of a few excellent remixes and some vague chitchat about a revolutionary album that they apparently have in the works for Noisia’s Division imprint.
It seems they’ve been busy behind the scenes, as witnessed by the unveiling of four great new tracks that will be released over two parts as the Motor EP. Part 1 features the excellently crafted if somewhat predictable Motor; motorbike bass is the order of the day here. The flipside on the other hand features a shining collaboration with rising Austrian star Mefjus; trademark neosignal warped bass and some great drum lines combine with high pitched synth stabs to create that top-notch futuristic sound we’ve come to know and love.
Over on Part 2 the duo switch things up with Waveform. Featuring a stark, hip-hop-ish intro, followed by robotic vocoder work and a synth line that brings to mind Kraftwerk or Daft Punk, you almost wonder if they’ve turned a corner into entirely new territory before the bass drop smashes you across the face and you remember you’re listening to a Phace production.
For the final track Phace has teamed up with the mighty Noisia to deliver a slightly more stripped back number; the impact here is all in the funky drum lines, with the bassline taking a slightly more understated role.
Watch out for both parts of the EP dropping on digital from Mar 22nd and limited vinyl from April 1st.
Berlin-based production duo Survey aren’t a name I’ve come across in my previous travels but their latest release for Protect Audio certainly marks them as one to watch! Grid Sheet starts things off nicely with a dark, gritty vibe which continues over on the flip. Crisp beats and dark, complex but understated bass are the order of the day here. Favourable comparisons can definitely be drawn to the likes of Octane & DLR and Enei.
Check out the beats below and grab yourself a copy, out today!
The recent release of Nu:Logic’s Morning Light instantly reminded me of the classic 2002 track of the same name from Kiwi production outfit Concord Dawn. The track brings together the (now trademark) Concord Dawn bleepy synth leads, an absolutely tearing reese bassline and the instantly memorable vocal snippet which gives the tune it’s title, and the effect is simply stunning. Simple and effective, like so many tracks from this era of D&B, this one still finds it’s way into sets today, and it always goes off.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbLGnn07k7w]