Q&A – Lynch Kingsley

Lynch Kingsley’s footwork-fusion style of D&B has impressed us massively here at the Dojo since we first came across him via last year’s excellent Make Your Love EPNaturally when we heard of new material for London’s Flexout Audio we had to get the inside scoop! With that in mind we tracked down the Italian producer for a quick chat about his new EP and how his unique style has come together.

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Dojo Damager: Current Value – Pulverized

To say that Current Value has a pedigree in the hard D&B scene is something of an understatement; the German producer has been knocking the fuck out of sound systems worldwide for almost two decades and judging by his latest work for BSE’s Blackout imprint he’s in no danger of losing his touch.

Our pick of his latest EP for this week’s Dojo Damager is the appropriately punishing Pulverized. Bringing together a classic technoid bleep melody with savage bassline pressure and a relentless drum line, this tune does exactly what it says on the tin. Ooooooft!

Coppa & Kung – Russian Roulette [Commanche]

For the latest release on his own Commanche imprint well-known neurofunk MC Coppa teams up with Kung for an electrifying new roller. If you’ve heard Coppa’s previous outings for the likes of Eatbrain you’ll know what to expect here; smooth flows, energetic lyricism and a massive stomping neuro riddim underpinning the vocals. Dangerous vibes! Check out the clips below and hit up Beatport to grab this one right now.

Premiere: Quadrant, Kid Hops & Iris – 206

The Seattle production trio of Quadrant, Kid Hops & Iris have been blazing quite a trail for themselves recently with releases for the likes of CIA, Dispatch and of course Commercial Suicide. Klute’s much revered imprint are poised to drop the 206 LP next month, and we’ve got the scoop on the title track!

With a pressure-cooker progression, crisp breaks and a pounding bassline, 206 sees Q, K & I with all eyes firmly rooted on the dancefloor for a throbbing groove that should propel any crowd into a sweat-drenched, fast-moving mess. Check out the track below and look out for the full LP dropping on October 16th.

Sam Binga – Wasted Days LP [Critical Music]

UK dance music’s cross-pollination of musical styles and influences has contributed to the excitement, longevity and innovation of the scene from the very genesis of rave in the late 80s, with everything from jazz to metal at some point playing its part in the evolution of some corner of the electronic sound. Perhaps the strongest of those influences though is that of dub and reggae, without which it’s difficult to imagine the early Jungle sound ever having emerged at all.

All of which brings us to Sam Binga and his new LP, Wasted Days. To say that Jamaican soundsystem culture informs this album would be a vast understatement; while there are many other elements being smashed into the aural supercollider that is Binga’s sound, the reverberations from Kingston can be felt everywhere from the patois of the vocals to the deep bass hums and beyond.

This isn’t mere cultural appropriation though, but more accurately a fantastic melding of musical styles by one of Critical Music’s most exciting and relevant artists. Bring together the positivity of dub with the urgency of grime and footwork, topped off with the polish and engineering expected within the D&B scene and you have an album that couldn’t feel more potent.

Refreshingly, this also feels like an album engineered for listening rather than for the selector’s convenience. Tracks weigh in at two and three minutes rather than five or six, and you’ll find few yawningly DJ friendly intros amongst the material. Rather than relying on breakdowns to change the energy, the track sequencing changes the pace instead, such as the fantastic switchup as the hyperactive grime of Run The Dance gives way to the beautiful, deep ambience of Hyroglifics collab Dark Day.

Speaking of collaborators, Wasted Days is stuffed with so many featuring credits that the whole thing should probably be credited to “Binga & Friends”. Deft, Chimpo, Om Unit and Hyroglifics all get in on the beats while vocal stylings come from Warrior Queen, Fox, Rudey Lee, Rider Shafique, Romaine, TT The Artist, Slick Don and of course the inimitable Redders. Quite a roster!

Overall this is one of the best albums we’ve heard in a year that continues to prove not only the quality but the diversity of the 170BPM sound. Absolutely essential listening! You can check out a selection of the tracks below (including some fearsome remixes from Ivy Lab available on a special edition 10″) so get yourself a flavour of Wasted Days before you hit up the Critical Store for a copy.

Altitude – Levitate / Falling [Warm Communications]

Warm Communications’ new digital only line of releases has seen the label kick into a higher gear in terms of frequency of releases but thankfully the quality on show remains completely undiminished, and that’s never been truer than on their latest single from Altitude.

Having previously released music with the likes of Fokuz & Prestige, Altitude’s style channels the influence of fellow Warm Comms producers like Seba to create rollers drenched in reverb and mystique in equal measure. From the more up-front and entirely hypnotic vibe of Levitate to the deep, floaty synths of Falling, this is sheer class from start to finish. There’s also some nice use of classic sampling on the B side, with the vocal from Soundsource’s Take Me Up (most famously used in Omni Trio’s legendary Renegade Snares) making an appearance.

This single sounds like a producer confidently entering their stride, and we can’t wait to hear what else Altitude has to come! Check out the clips below and look for this one at all digital stores right now.

Dojo Damager: Quadrant, Iris & Cease – Wirecutter

This week’s Damager comes courtesy of Seattle-based husband & wife team Quadrant & Iris. The duo and their regular collaborator Kid Hops are set to release their debut LP through Klute’s ever excellent Commercial Suicide imprint and the first few tracks dropped via the LP sampler last week.

While the sampler (and doubtless the forthcoming album) plays host to a varied selection of styles, one of the highlights comes on the unashamed rollout of Wirecutter, produced in collaboration with Chris Cease. Harking back to the golden era of techstep and eschewing the hyperactivity of neurofunk production, this is a straight up punishing groove with heavy drums and a low, pulsing bassline. Perfectly executed, and guaranteed to destroy a dancefloor. Yes yes!

Sonis – Killah Sound [Terabyte Records]

Terabyte Records latest release comes from Portland-based producer Sonis with a pair of fantastic experimental grooves. A-side Killah Sound explores the jungle/footwork crossover territory the likes of Fracture and Moresounds have been blazing a trail with recently, chopping up the breaks and setting them to a simply massive bassline. This one kicks like a mule!

Over on the flip Fresh blends hip-hop and footwork with a deeper, autonomic-esque sound palette for a tune that is at once mellow and insistent, rapid but chilled. Tasty stuff! Check out the clips below and hit up your favourite store to grab a copy right now.

Epilleptech – Recluse EP [Terra Null]

Fresh from some cracking collaborations with Red Army, Epilleptech brings his creepy halftime styles to Terra Null with four fresh new tracks full of character and atmosphere.

The running theme on the EP is definitely darkness, fear and danger, telling sonic tales of aggravation, withdrawal and isolation via the medium of heavy kicks, creepy pads and distorted bass. The results are impressive, making great use of intricate percussion and at times dissonant sounding chords. If you have a taste for the leftfield and an appetite for the darker side of human emotion, you should definitely check this release out.

Check out the clips below and look for the EP dropping from Monday at all good digital stores.