Monthly Archives: January 2015

Xanadu – Through The Oort Clouds [Dom & Roland Productions]

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Being the only producer besides Dom himself with a release on Dom & Roland Productions is more than a small honour for a young producer at the start of their career. There’s a reason for that badge of honour; Through The Oort Clouds is a pretty special album. The 12 tracks represent Xanadu’s musical explorations over the past two years, taking the listener on a journey designed to parallel the Voyager’s exploration beyond our solar system.

The results certainly have a spacey, sci-fi inspired quality, and in many ways feel like a love letter to the earliest and most formative days of mid 90s D&B, where every record was an exciting exploration of what could be done with the sound rather than a formulaic dancefloor smasher. The thing that really stands the LP apart from the pack is the drums; intricate, detailed and punchy, but steering clear of the over compressed kicks and snares that dominate much of modern club music.

Innovative and listenable though the album is, it’s not all cinematic chin-stroking by any stretch. Tracks like Ventricle and Photon are more than equipped for dancefloor damage, and have doubtless been through a few mixdown tweaks following club tests from Dom himself. Early in the year though we are, this could well be the best techstep record of 2015; it’s certainly an essential purchase either way. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital from Jan 26th.

Klute – You Won’t Like It [Commercial Suicide]

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It’s always a good day when fresh beats from Klute land in the Dojo inbox, and it seems we’ll be hearing plenty from the Commercial Suicide boss this year as he celebrates 20 years in the game with a slew of singles and EPs leading up to an album at the end of the year.

The first of those single releases sees Tom exploring his more musical side, with all the tracks bringing melody to the fore rather than focussing on bassline danger. The coyly titled You Won’t Like It (a finger flip to the haters?) fashions a groove from all sorts of unusual FX and synth sounds, producing D&B with more than a hint of IDM and experimental electronica to it.

Rays brings the lush synth work and beautiful melody that Klute does so well and layers it over a backbone of tough breaks, providing the single’s most dancefloor friendly track, leaving Be Good To The Ones (You Love) to close out the release with a bouncy rhythm and beautiful chiming melody that gives the track an almost chidlike innocence and enthusiasm.

It’s great to hear that Klute hasn’t lost his ability to innovate even over two decades of production! Check out the clips below and watch out for this dropping on digital and vinyl from Jan 23rd – preorders are available now via the Commercial Suicide store.

If you’re itching for a bit more Klute then look no further than his recent mix for the Bassic Agency – an hour of impecable selections spanning all the styles of D&B.

Kid Drama – Crimson / Azure E​​P [CNVX]

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Jon Convex’s return from the land of all things house & techno to 170BPM pastures recently has been a source of great joy for fans of the Autonomic sound that he helped to craft, and it seems he’s so enamoured with the sound that he’s launching a new sub imprint of his Convex Industries label to deal with some of the output.

The first release on the label melds the atmospherics and unusual percussion of autonomic with sometimes growling bass and shows a talent for progression often unheard in electronic music. Azure pt 1 evolves from nothing but rhythm at the start to a sprawl of lush synthesis by the end, while pt 2 reformulates some of that synthesis into a slightly steadier composition with more of a driving beat.

The two variants of Crimson meanwhile explore darker territory, with more insistent beatwork and dark, filtered bass taking centre stage. Plenty to enjoy here if you like your beats a little unusual – check out the tracks below and hit up Bandcamp to grab the release for the entirely reasonable price of £1.

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Eastcolors – Could Be [Demand Records]

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Demand Records aren’t messing around this year – hot on the heels of a great single from Mortem comes a new 3-track from Eastcolors showing off the first track from his forthcoming LP for the label alongside two other new beats.

Could Be provides a chunky slab of techstep with an instantly memorable vocal and some great bass modulations, followed by a big stomping remix from Hybris that’s sure to do the damage on the dancefloor. The real star of the show here though is Traffic & Noel collab Dreams; a perfect combo of smooth MCing, crisp breaks and kinetic bass. The keen eared among you may remember this from S.P.Y’s recent Essential Mix for Radio 1, and we suspect you’ll be hearing it a whole lot more over the coming weeks! Check out the clips below and pick up a copy on vinyl or digital now!

Fuj – Talus Nights / Aphotic Zone [AutomAte Deep]

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AutomAte Deep keep things dark and moody as Fuj returns to the label with two fresh new tracks. Similar in style to his previous Terror Firmer single, Talus Nights and Aphotic Zone both feature ominous pads, throbbing bass and detailed percussion. Halfstep heads will love these! Check the clips below and grab a copy from your favourite store right now!

Joy Orbison – Hyph Mngo (Vandera Bootleg)

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It’s good to see the old traditions of the scene being kept alive in this increasingly digital age and the release of a cheeky vinyl bootleg is always a pleasure! In this case it’s Vandera who’s come with the fire in the form of a banging 170 rework of Joy Orbison’s Hyph Mngo. True to form with bootlegs the flip is absolute garbage (did anyone need a D&B bootleg of Usher – Good Kisser? I think not), but who cares when the A side is this good? Check it out below and hit up Juno for a copy.

Mikal – Where They At [Metalheadz]

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Mikal’s latest EP for the mighty Metalheadz sees the producer taking a slightly different direction compared to some of the more straightforward techstep we’ve heard from him in the past. Where They At explores tight, percussive minimalism over deep, throbbing sub, while Nymfo collab The Chosen swaps the ever shifting beats for a steadier groove which once again holds back from the aggressive stance both producers are sometimes known for.

Last but not least, Control of the People sees Mikal teaming up with RIOT (the DJ from Portugese Kuduro/Breaks outfit Buraka Som Sistema) for an odd but very enjoyable fusion of tech D&B and the samba-esque sound Buraka have been plying for some years. Swung beats and a hint of funk sit well with growling basslines and tight snares, and the whole composition sounds very fresh. Check out the clips below and hit up the ‘headz store to preorder the EP now ahead of it’s Jan 19th release.

Respite [Audio Plants]

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Russian imprint Audio Plants offer up a superb selection of beats from the fringes of 160 and 170BPM electronica, taking in influences from ambient and downtempo on a wide variety of sonic excursions. Highlights come on the bleak atmospherics of Torn’s Believers, the soaring melodies of Thankee & Urban Trip’s The Absyss and the ominous autonomic microfunk of Hidden Element’s How Can I Trust You, but the standout track is the manic 160BPM garage infused beats of Drillcut’s Snow Walk. Check out the clips below and grab this one from your favourite digital outlet now!

Sam Binga – Nuh Chat EP [Critical Music]

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New beats from Binga for Critical mean many things to many people; the man’s unusual take on the 170 sound (and indeed Redders’ vocal stylings) have proved controversial among followers of the scene, some decrying the style as gimmicky or not true D&B while others praise the fun loving vibe and general innovation. Here at the Dojo we fall into the latter camp; anything pushing the boundaries of this music we love can only be a good thing.

The latest round of beats sees two new MC led cuts featuring Redders and two new instrumentals, plus a bonus Enei remix of Lef Dem. The latter proves pretty disappointing, taking the playful vibe of the original and smashing it against a brick wall with a rather unsubtle dose of amens and bass. The rest of the EP however proves much more entertaining, even if the patois/jungle/grime combo of the tracks with Redders is beginning to feel a little cookie cutter. The highlight in our eyes is the joyously swung Elastic, with its big enthusiastic synths and unusual drum groove. Check out the clips below and make up your own mind; this one’s out right now on vinyl and digital at the Critical Store.