Tokyo Prose – Presence LP Sampler [Samurai Red Seal]

As Samurai prepare for the release of Tokyo Prose’s debut LP next month, the first glimpses have appeared via the LP sampler, and they’re a bit of a treat. Waiting On sees the ever talented Riya stepping up to the mic to deliver her trademark soulful vocals on an effortlessly smooth, piano-led roller. It would be easy to dismiss this as yet another deep tune with a Riya vocal, but while this may not be treading particularly innovative ground the execution is faultless. Perfectly reverbed vocals, soft, warm piano and crisp breaks come together in a perfect storm of mood and beauty.

Over on the flip Ventura proves no slouch either, kicking in with a slightly more insistent break and deep sub bass but keeping the tone somewhat distant; definitely one for the heads. Vinyl addicts can pre-order the 12″ from Samurai’s brand new store (along with pre-order options for the album itself) and the digital can be picked up right now exclusively from Samurai’s Bandcamp.

Yukon & Deluded – Snow / Lost Contact [Terabyte Records]

Terabyte continue their quest to bring us dark, minimal D&B from the freshest names in the game with a single from Yukon & Deluded. The Birmingham based duo serve up two crisp, subby beats that fit the Terabyte aesthetic well.

A-side Snow fills in a simple half-step template with a plethora of drum edits and fills, adding character by variation while maintaining a dark, hypnotic quality. Lost Contact meanwhile thins out the beats a little to let the distorted bass growls breathe, creating both tension and space in ample quantity. Ominous strings and FX snippets add to the brooding, dangerous atmosphere.

Check out the beats below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet now!

Get To Know…Transmission Audio

Regular readers of the blog will probably already be familiar with Leeds-based upstart Transmission Audio. Altered Perception, Peak and Sanction have been busy over the last year building a fierce catalogue of dark, edgy D&B from up and coming producers like Komatose, Skepsis and Xsetra, and they’ve even found time to start a sister Sub:mission imprint to put out some more melodic beats.

With the labels moving from strength to strength, and the releases dropping all too quickly, the Dojo crew decided it was time for a wee retrospective on the last few releases and what’s to come over the next few months.

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Lakeway – Digital Serotonin / Sinister Stepper [E-Motion Records]

E-Motion Records latest single sees Exeter producer Lakeway pushing the boundaries of the 170 sound on a pair of exciting new tunes. Digital Serotonin eschews the traditional rolling breaks that characterise much of D&B in favour of an angular beat driven by rapid snare hits and imbued with all manner of extra percussive glitches and fills. Spooky atmospherics and simple yet effective sub bass complete the tune nicely; this one should prove a tasty mood switcher for a break in the mix from the more predictable rollers.

Over on the flip Sinister Stepper lives up to its name with creepy melody and a sense of foreboding on the intro before a grimey drop. Hefty kicks and snares punctuate the rhythmic sub bass for a minimal sound with maximal impact. Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet from Monday 7th July.

Synx – Textures EP [Rogue Beatz]

Rogue Beatz return with a fresh 4 track EP from Australian producer Synx, who turns in four tracks of dark, gritty techstep. All four tracks are well worth a look for those that like it grimey and rolling but for me the picks of the bunch are the tidy head-nodding groove of Pro’s and Con’s and the eerie atmospherics of Hard As Fuck. Check out the clips below and grab this one on vinyl and digital now!

Mako – Back To The Source EP [Dispatch Recordings]

Mako continues to cement his position in the scene with a new EP for Dispatch Recordings featuring four tracks inspired by the classic sounds of 90s D&B origins. Utopia Music alumni and frequent collaborator Villem brings his studio skills to the table for the first track, bringing tonight intricate break-work, atmosphere and bass heft in the style that Mako exercises so well.

Planet Physical takes things in a darker direction, blending modern techstep bass and production sheen with the helter-skelter drum patterns of jungle. Vocal snippets interspersed in the track explore Mako’s obvious interest in philosophy; maybe a few ravers might scratch their heads in the dance a bit for good measure. Ya Know What I’m Sayin continues the drum workout, with simple sub hits and a driving energy giving the composition tons of pace.

Last but by no means least, There’s Nothing We Can’t Be brings huge reverbed snares and atmospheric synths for a softer, more melodic track full of quirky samples and musicality – a great swan song to an EP that feels like Mako really settling into his abilities as a producer and experimenting freely with the flexible form that is D&B. Check out the clips below and head over to the Dispatch Store to grab an early copy before the general release on July 7th.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-9LvJsaYIw&list=PLRcyxRjocmcCtoPBHd9sOtLmas0pnGnhR]

Revaux – Titan EP [Slinkiemusic]

It’s always a pleasure to be introduced to new artists and labels and Revaux’s latest release landing in the inbox did just that. Dropping soon via slinkiemusic Titan showcases dancefloor sensibilities and attention to detail in ample measure while Odyssey heads for deeper territory, keeping it soft and melodic on the intro before sliding into a rhythmic beats and bass workout featuring tight, intricate percussion and plenty of sub bass.

A couple of new names to keep an eye on then! Check out the clips below and watch out for the release dropping July 11th at all good digital outlets.

Fracture – Loving Touch EP [Exit Records]

The ever enjoyable beats of Charlie Fracture touch down on dBridge’s Exit Records imprint, continuing his leftfield explorations of the 170 sound. Title track Loving Touch (which absolutely went off when I heard dBridge drop it at Glastonbury last weekend) blends old school D&B bass, footwork drum patterns and the irresistible vocal hook from a Chicago house classic. Apparently it was conceived in a dream; we’re not sure if that’s entirely true, but it’s a cracking track and no mistake.

Elsewhere on the EP we’re treated to a stripped-back drum workout on Werk It, twisted, bouncing dub vibrations with more than a hint of jungle on Overload and cheeky Sam Binga collab which keeps the syncopations rapid and the subs massive to close out the EP. As usual Exit are the ones to watch when it comes to pushing the envelope; check out the beats below and grab this one on vinyl or digital now.

Lockjaw – Bounce / Hollowed Out [Vandal Records]

Vandal Records continue their absolutely excellent run of releases with two new techy stompers from the rising talent of Lockjaw. Bounce builds tension with claps on the intro before dropping into a rhythmic smorgasbord of heavy beats and stabbing bass; serious groove meets serious heft.

Hollowed Out keeps things moving along with some serious midrange aggression as filtered synth stabs aim for the jugular; dangerously dark vibes! Once again the percussion provides a varied selection of rhythms to offset the meaty bass and the production sheen is impressive to boot. Check out the clips below and grab this from your favourite digital store now.

Noisia – Purpose EP [Vision]

It’s difficult to imagine that anyone can have missed this given the massive pre-release hype via UKF, Noisia’s Facebook feed and many other channels, but in case you’ve been living under a rock for the last few weeks and haven’t heard the news, Noisia are back with a brand new EP of hefty neurofunk.

Featuring 8 tracks including new collaborations with Phace, Prolix and Evol Intent, the tunes all display the classic Noisia hallmarks of incredible sound design, monstrous bass and general production sheen. Some of the more dancefloor-oriented tracks like Asteroids and Stamp Out veer close to jump up territory, prioritising bass heft over notions of subtlety, but thankfully this isn’t the case everywhere. Evol Intent collab Long Gone proves surprisingly restrained, with atmospheric pads providing just as much of the tune’s character as the heavy snares and bass swells.

Other highlights come on the eerie techstep groove of Leopard Slug, the predictably robotic but nonetheless immensely satisfying workout of Purpose with Phace and the hefty reese and rolling breaks of Running Blind, which brings back warm memories of the classic 2005 era neuro sound which made Noisia stars of the scene. Overall if you like it hard and heavy you can’t go wrong with the Dutch legends! The release is out now on Beatport and you can pre-order a rather deluxe 4xLP package direct from Noisia’s own store – watch out for this shipping later in the month.