Survival & Silent Witness – Trust No One EP [Dispatch Recordings]

Dispatch return with another top class techy release and this time it comes courtesy of Survival & Silent Witness. As you’d expect from these two the release offers up chunky slabs of tech funk with plenty of groove and bassline pressure; title track Trust No One edges it out for us as the Dojo favourite, but Cutter is no slouch either, slicing up the dance with an ominous bline and crisp snares a plenty.

On top of the two fresh tracks the EP also features the results of the recent remix contest, with Renegade Hardware’s Minor Rain serving up the winning remix of Fletcher alongside the minimal drum workout stylings of Depth Mode’s remix and Diecast’s atmospheric 140 flex. Can’t say fairer than that really!

As usual you can cop this one on vinyl and digital from the Dispatch Store right now; general release to follow from Monday. Get to it!

Goreteks – Secrets EP [Free Love Digi]

If you like your D&B grimey and militant, pay close attention! Goreteks, another of Denver’s rising crop of D&B production outfits, bring their wares to Quentin Hiatus’s Free Love Digi imprint and the EP is deadly from start to finish.

No Mercy kicks things off with a stomping halftime beat full of hard snares and cheeky drum fills, while the filtered bass roams in and out of the mix in an entirely threatening fashion. Silence is Golden ups the ante, showering down kicks and snares amongst the sea of dubbed out echoes and distorted bass. This one recalls some of SPKTRM’s best material, and it sounds like the soundtrack to a distopian warzone, brutal business.

Secrets continues the menacing vibe; shades of Amit can be heard here, but with extra grit and angst. The percussion fills on this one really make the track, and the use of space makes the composition all the more powerful. Last but not least, Louder dials back the aggression a little for a tribal, echoing exploration with plenty of dubby twists and turns and a general air of simmering danger.

It’s been some time since producers I’ve never heard have impressed me this much on a first listen. Check out the clips below and go pick this one up now!

Classic Track: DJ Trax – The Beat Freak

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Wind back to 2006 and the (now largely forgotten) drumfunk style was at a relative peak, with artists like Macc, Fracture & Neptune and of course Paradox chopping up the breaks on the regular. One of my favourite tracks from this era remains The Beat Freak by DJ Trax. Released on Paradox’s Outsider label and featured on the Nucleus mixed The Age Of Outsidersthe ambient-influenced compositional approach sounds as fresh today as it did then.

Lovingly chopped funk breaks provide the backbone of a tune under simple, soft melodies, giving the track at once an insistence and a laid-back vibe. Check it out below and relive the glory days of choppage.

Xtrah – Existence EP [Cyberfunk]

With a healthy selection of releases for the likes of Symmetry, Subtitles, Critical and Metalheadz, Yasin Elgohary aka Xtrah is the sort of producer worth paying attention to. He’s spent a few years cultivating a crisp, techy style with a nod to the old school while embracing modern production techniques to their fullest.

2015 sees Xtrah launching his own label named Cyberfunk (he apparently neglected to check that Quest already has a breakbeat label of the same name, but hey…) and the first release is out now, featuring two solo tracks from Xtrah, a beat from new discoveries Simple Technique and a collab with scene stalwart Break.

Operator opens things up nicely with a tune that owes more than a little to Dillinja’s classic material. That bassline scuzz! We Exist takes a slightly more militant, precise tone while hitting all the same techy boxes. Newcomers Simple Technique are up next with the appropriately titled Cold Steppin; as icey as the title suggests, this one is a tidy little slice of dancefloor damage. Last but not least Break & Xtrah get their breaks all chopped up for Forte, another cut that should be smashing up the dance plenty over the coming weeks.

A decent opening salvo for a new label then; few surprises but a solid offering nonetheless. Check out the clips below and look for this at all good stores now.

HLZ – Dying Memories / Duel [Warm Communications]

Warm Comms continue their impressive run of recent releases with two firing new beats from ex-Need For Mirrors member and general badman HLZ. The release shows a real knack for combining straight up D&B heft with more experimental influences as evidenced by the soaring guitar riffs of Dying Memories, bringing an element of prog rock to the tune against the backdrop of sub and breaks.

Duel meanwhile lives up to it’s name, conjuring up the image of some strange ethereal battle with the opposing forces swooping in and out of the stereo field, swiping at one another before disappearing back behind enemy lines. If anyone needed proof of the innovation present in D&B, this single should be ample evidence. Check out the clips below and look for this on vinyl and digital from April 20th.

Fre4knc – Chain Of Command / Sinjek [Plasma Audio]

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Australian creative collective Plasma present their third release and this time it’s dutch tech producer Fre4knc on the buttons. Fans of the man’s style will know what to expect – dark, energetic vibes all the way, with Chain of Command providing the roller while Sinjek heads for deeper, more ominous territory on a half-time tip. Impressively engineered and ominous in tone, it’s another impressive release from a producer who should be in for a solid year. Look for these dropping from April 20th.

If you’re looking for more from Fre4knc be sure to check out his guest mix for Dispatch Recordings below – it’s a fine selection of new beats and classic tracks alike.

Fade – Discover Music [Faded Music]

Fade returns with a new EP aiming to meld the more experimental side of the 170BPM sound with dancefloor sensibilities for a selection of tracks that can make you think as well as move. Discover Music leads the charge with a superb wonky bassline and playful drums, taking fairly dark sounds but turning them into a light hearted composition. The amusingly titled Bass Burger is up next; I’m not sure how experimental this one really is but it’s a bit of a banger regardless! Catchy hooks and massive basslines, yes please.

Error glitches things the fuck up and no mistake; rapid fire stabs and skittering percussion work lead this one all over the place; you might see some confused faces on the dancefloor if you drop this one! This just leaves Quarantine and Utopia to close out the EP with some meaty tech business. As usual Fade is on top form; check out the clips below and look for this from April 20th!

Noisia – Incessant EP [Vision]

Regular readers will know we’re big fans of Noisia here at the Dojo, and doubly so when we can get our grubby mits on new vinyl! The Incessant EP sees the two exclusive tracks from the Ten Years of Vision compilation getting a wax pressing alongside two brand new tracks from the ever busy dutch trio.

As ever the tracks display that bass-line finesse and attention to detail which only Noisia can provide, with Banshee opting for a deeper vibe while Mefjus & Hybris collab Clusterfunk hits down with an absolutely mental rhythm! Check out the clips below and head to the Noisia Store to grab a copy on vinyl or digital from April 20th.

Competition – Win A Detail & Tiiu 12″

News of a fresh collab from Detail & Tiiu landing on Addictive Behaviour was a pleasant surprise here at the Dojo, being big fans as we are of both the label and the artists involved. The pair’s last collaboration for Symmetry back in 2013 made us wish for more, and Delusion delivers the same deep, mournful vibe in spades. Over on the flip, Detail goes in on a dark, ominous slice of stripped back tech funk for Breakout.

Being generous folk, the Addictive Behaviour crew have given us a 12″ of the single to give away to one lucky winner! To be in with a chance of winning, all you have to do is like the DNB Dojo Facebook page, like the Addictive Behaviour Facebook page, and send an email to competitions@dnbdojo.co.uk with your name & address and the subject line “Detail & Tiiu Competition”. The winner will be drawn on May 2nd.

Meanwhile you can check out clips of the release below – watch for the release dropping on vinyl April 27th with digital following from May 11th.

Ten [Spearhead Records]

BCee’s Spearhead imprint celebrate a decade in the game with a massive new compilation celebrating new sounds alongside the best in the back catalogue. Disc 2’s Future Sounds include a lush, summery VIP of Technicolour’s Centrifuge, top liquid rollers from Villem & McLeod and LSB and plenty more besides. Without bothering to describe every track, suffice to say they’re all well worth a listen.

As if that wasn’t enough, Disc 1 features 12 of the best from the back catalogue remastered specially for this release. Legendary tracks such as Netsky’s I Refuse, BCee & S.P.Y’s Is There Anybody Out There? and Redeyes’ Luv & Haight are among a tremendous selection of the label’s best and brightest rollers. Personally I don’t understand why Captured In Time wasn’t in there, but everyone must have their own personal favourites that didn’t make the cut.

Ridiculously enough you can cop this tremendous selection on double vinyl and CD for the incredibly reasonable price of £20 from the Spearhead Store, or you can pick up the 3CD set (including a mix from BCee) alone for a tenner. If you’re into your liquid this is the steal of the century – go grab a copy while you still can!