Once again the sands of time have slipped past and we have another slew of top notch D&B to cover! Read on for all the latest from John B, J:Kenzo, Eighth Moon, Paradox and more…
April Roundup
Reply
Tag Archives: Dispatch Recordings
Top 10 Albums of 2015
2015 has been another strong year for the D&B LP in what seems to be a growing trend for more established artists to explore their sound across a full length record rather than just churning out singles. As the year draws to a close, here’s our run down of the then best albums we’ve heard this year. In no particular order… Continue reading
Amoss – Shadow Theories EP [Dispatch Recordings]
Ever since 2012’s State of Suspension EP we’ve been waiting for the return of Amoss to Dispatch Recordings. We’re a bit surprised it’s taken this long, but their brand new Shadow Theories release has certainly been worth the wait.
While the EP treads familiar ground for the most part, sometimes evolution can be just as satisfying as revolution and hearing the the countryside duo’s sound mature proves to be exactly that. Their dark and gnarly style sounds as fresh and dangerous as ever on tracks like The Wayman Break and driving Fre4knc collab Vortice, a track that fans who have caught any of their sets over the past few years will probably recognise.
There’s room for something a little lighter amongst the grimey shenanigans too, with Viv May and C. Tivey coming aboard for the jazzy vibes of Stalling Theme before the release closes out with the thundering kick/snare riddims of Crooked Arm. Another top release from a production duo we hope will be around for a long time to come! Check out the clips below and hit up the Dispatch Store now to grab the EP on vinyl or digital.
Cern – Hollow Moon VIP [Dispatch Recordings]
After a bit of a hiatus, Dispatch return with the fourth instalment of their Dispatch Dubplate series and this time it’s Cern on the buttons. As per previous releases in the series there are some new VIPs and one vinyl exclusive track, with Hollow Moon and Tiamat both getting the VIP treatment and new Mayhem collaboration Hydraulic on the wax for the vinyl buyers.
As you’d expect from Dispatch and Cern the EP features three tracks of rugged techstep, with a nice balance between bassline scuzz and atmosphere. If you haven’t yet snapped up a copy you should move fast – pre-orders are already flying out of the door via the Dispatch Store and Redeye.
Philth – The Cosmos EP [Dispatch Recordings]
Philth is a producer who’s steadily been honing his craft, rising through the ranks of the D&B scene over the past few years. We’re big fans here at the Dojo and his latest release for Dispatch sees him at the top of his game with six techy new cuts including a couple of MC led affairs.
The Hunted opens the EP with quite a statement of intent; this is a growling, Jurassic Park sampling, Bredren collabing danger-bass-fest that is sure to do some serious damage to a few raver’s sanities!
Other highlights include the dutty, rolling vibes of Cosmos and the scuzzy politicised atmospheres of the P-Fine vocalised Greed, but to be quite honest the whole release is a big ol’ slam dunk from start to finish. Check out the clips below and hit up the Dispatch Store for a copy right now!
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!
Amoss & Fre4knc – Oxide [Dispatch Recordings]
It has been too long by half since the last Amoss release; with the exception of some appearances on the Horizons Ten LP it’s been nearly a year since their last output, and longer still since their last release for Dispatch back in 2012. Naturally news of fresh material was, ahem, music to our ears (bad-um-psh) and their latest work sees them at the top of their game.
Lead track Oxide comes with added Fre4knc, a match up that makes perfect sense given both parties tendencies in the direction of dark, militant sounding techstep. Growling bass detail and heavy kicks and snares laid over a backdrop of creepy FX and atmospherics make for a tidy little outing.
Hold Back proves to be all about the drums, with tense, insistent cymbal rolls shuffling between an angular rhythm. Last up, Skittles sounds like a homage to the classic late 90s techstep of Photek, stripping back the bass to dark punchy stabs over a rolling break.
As usual it’s difficult to argue with Amoss and Dispatch! Check out the clips below and hit up the Dispatch store to pre-order this one on vinyl or digital ahead of the Mar 30th release.
DLR – Seeing Sounds [Dispatch Recordings]
The wait is finally over – DLR’s debut solo LP Seeing Sounds has arrived, and it’s every bit as good as I’d hoped it would be! Having deliberately avoided listening to the preview clips I sat down with the full LP for a start-to-finish listen, and I wasn’t even remotely disappointed.
Understandably enough, this record feels like a spiritual successor to Octane & DLR’s 2012 LP Method In The Madness. The same cinematic sampling and atmosphere is present, as is the sonic detail and creativity. DLR’s sound has been refined further over the past three years, and the album seems less bent on complexity for complexity’s sake; the emphasis seems to have shifted slightly towards groove and weight over technicality, and the compositions really shine for that emphasis.
Above all else this is a record that firmly injects the funk back into the techstep sound, from the playful basslines of Charlie Brown and Break collab Human Error through the chunky lower tempo breakbeat workout of I Found Out and plenty more besides. There’s room for some surprises too, such as the melancholy liquid of Hydro collaboration Empyreal and the jazzed up tech of Minds Eye. There are also two fantastic MC-led steppers, with Gusto repping the mic on The Author and Fokus providing vocals on the politically minded Ask The Question.
Many of the LPs best tracks have been pressed loud and proud onto four slabs of that black crack we love so much, and having given them a thorough mix on the decks I’m happy to attest they all sound as tight and punchy as you’d expect from the Dispatch family. The vinyl releases are already sold out via the Dispatch Store, though the digital version is still available and the vinyl plates can all be picked up via Redeye.
The first couple of listens give me the distinct impression that this is an album which will grow and grow over the coming months while we wait with anticipation for DLR’s collaborative LP with Mako. Check out the clips below and go grab yourself a copy of what is undoubtedly one of the best D&B albums we’ll hear this year.
Xtrah to release “extended project” via Dispatch Recordings
Fresh news from Dispatch HQ; it seems Xtrah is to release an “extended” project via Ant TC1’s label later this year, with a tentative release date of Autumn 2015 set. Between this and the launch of his new Cyberfunk imprint it looks set to be a busy year for Xtrah. Details are scarce as to what exactly this project might be, but we’ll bring you more as we hear it!
Top Tracks of 2014
Following our run down of our favourite albums of the year, we felt it was only right to put the spotlight on our top tracks. These are the ten tunes that haven’t left our record box since their release…