With a great EP released recently on Cirrus’s Terra Null imprint and plenty more beats to come in the new year, Noh Vae is definitely a man to watch in 2017. We caught up with the young producer to find out more about his Italian heritage, favourite studio tools, and musical influences.
Our latest exclusive comes straight from the studio of Slovakian producer Subtension as he lands on Melbourne’s well respected Plasma Audio imprint with a hefty slab of 20/20 style experimental halftime hip-hop. Serious bassweight and a rude swagger on this one! Hit up Beatport to grab it now alongside a tidy remix from Nickbee of Hybris’ previous tune for the label, Carousel.
Subtension:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/subtensionmusic
SoundCloud → @subtension
Twitter → www.twitter.com/subtension
Plasma Audio:
Facebook → www.facebook.com/plasmacolab
SoundCloud → @plasma-audio-melbourne
Twitter → www.twitter.com/PlasmaColab
Flexout have crafted quite a name for themselves as purveyors of high quality, underground D&B leaning towards the grittier end of the sound, but their latest venture has seen them branch out with a new series called Waves focussed on the bass-heavy halftime hip-hop sound associated with Noisia and Ivy Lab, among others. To find out a bit more about the series we hit up Tom Retraflex for a chat…
We’re proud to present another exclusive premiere and this time we’ve got the first listen on Concord Dawn‘s sick new remix of Drifta, AudioSketch and Chaksa’s brand new track Antimatter!
Taken from the forthcoming LP Playing With Fire, look for this one dropping soon on Soul Trader Records alongside some sick remixes and collabs!
Once again we’ve been inundated with quality music in the Dojo inbox and despite the bonus extra day February has vanished before we could write it all up! Here’s some coverage of the best of the rest including new music from Alix Perez & Ivy Lab, Calibre, Hanover, SCAR, Bone and more…
With winter rapidly escaping and another two weeks of the year down, it’s time for another roundup. New beats from Response, Lenzman, Metro, Ayshot prod and more… Continue reading
Brighton production trio Klax are kicking off their 2016 in a big way with their entry to the Critical Music Systems series, following on from the previous volumes by Halogenix and Fre4knc.
Systems Vol. 3 continues the Critical trend for genre-blending experimentations, bringing together the energy and intricacy of D&B with the influence of hip-hop and the wider world of bass music for a potent selection of sonic weapons. The appropriately titled Ritalin leads the charge with an onslaught of off kilter drum rolls, hard metallic snares and ADHD vocal chop ups. Hotline continues this theme, slowing the roll slightly to focus on a hip-hop swagger and the influence of trap and footwork, while The Level brings more of a carnival vibe to the table.
Just to switch things up a bit we’re treated to a thoroughly tasty remix of previous Klax/Critical outing Blackball with Foreign Concept lending the tune his own distinctive touch. The distinctive bassline remains but the previously stark arrangement are replaced with a more rolling breakbeat and some extra pads to pack the tune out a little. Last but by no means least Wait For Me provides one last hefty halftime stomper, and stomping it is with massive kicks, echoing claps and some pretty badass synth action on the go.
As we’ve come to expect now Critical continue to push the envelope of what D&B can and should be, while keeping it firmly dancefloor focussed. We’ll have plenty more of this please; check out the clips below and hit up the Critical Store to grab the EP on vinyl or digital now.
After an initially slow cycle of releases Melbourne’s Plasma Audio have kicked things into gear this year, knocking out some really forward thinking music. Their latest release sees them close out 2015 in style with two new remixes from none other than Alix Perez.
It’s always a pleasure when a label picks one of your favourite artists to remix one of your favourite tunes from their catalogue, so when I saw the promo land in the inbox I knew I was in for a treat. Fresh from his storming collab work with EPROM, Perez has taken the chunky hip-hop spirit of Yoga and put his own distinctive touch to it, healthy with that low-slung, crunked-out vibe that he’s so good at dishing up.
In addition to the more obvious club mix, we’re also treated to a less convention bound (and less DJ friendly) rearrangement on the warped mix. My only complaint here is that it could be more warped; asides from the intro the deviations from the club mix aren’t that pronounced, which is a shame given the possibilities for experimental wonkyness. Still, this is a minor quibble in the face of a really enjoyable rework.
This one will be dropping on vinyl in January; hit up the Plasma Store to pre-order the wax, and look out for the digital at all the usual outlets from December 14th.
Vandal LTD’s latest release sees them celebrating a collection of tracks at the edge of the halftime D&B sound where the waters begin to get muddy and the influence of hip-hop, footwork and other bass music mutates the sound in new and interesting ways.
Signs, SKS & Skank get together for the EP’s opener, the swaggering and audacious Bliss Flop. This one undoubtedly owes a little to Ivy Lab’s seminal Sunday Crunk, but it’s still a fantastic slice of halftime hip-hop with a grin-inducing bassline and heaps of attitude.
Tim Reaper’s contribution to the EP (alongside Vanar and Mieur) takes things in a totally different direction, with a distinctly techno influenced beat driving along under spooky soundscapes for a hypnotic journey through 5am clubland and into weird early morning psychedelia.
Elsewhere the EP features some nice tracks influenced by the Chicago footwork sound, the best of which is undoubtedly Lumumba’s Exhale. Frantic high hats and rap vocal cut ups may well be overplayed by now but this one is still a hugely satisfying listen, and it’s nice to see this sound spreading and being played with by so many in the D&B community.
The Grand Royal EP is out now at all good stores, so check out the clips below and grab yourself an unconventional selection of beats at your leisure.
Ivy Lab’s sonic journey since the trio’s pre-alias collaboration in 2012 on the sublime Oblique has been a treat to watch. While initially known for silky smooth liquid rollers, it didn’t take the Lab long to start experimenting with a distinctly different style of beats that they refer to loosely as “halftime”, starting with the infamous Sunday Crunk and continuing with many of the tracks on the Twenty Questions EP.
That “halftime” moniker really doesn’t do the style justice though, especially since it’s a term used to describe a lot of the deeper, half tempo music created by producers like Homemade Weapons and Cirrus that has little if anything to do with the hip-hop infused sound that Sabre, Stray and Halogenix have pioneered. “Halftime Hip-hop” might be closer to the truth, but as yet noone has really found a suitable handle for their mixture of LA bass, crunk, hip-hop and glitch.
All of this brings us to now, and Ivy Lab’s decision to separate this “halftime” material from their more traditional D&B excursions, start their own 20/20 label and release a full album of it. With nary a 2-step breakbeat in sight (or should that be earshot?) this is a firm division of styles, with the trio already having stated that we can expect more D&B via Critical Music in the future.
The results here should definitely appeal to fans of EPROM, Alix Perez, and anyone who appreciates the swagger and funk of this style of beats. Low end heft, sexy vocal cut ups and great use of space define a confident and exciting sound from a production team that surely have tons more to show us. Get your groove on with 20/20 Volume One – you won’t regret it! The album is out now via the 20/20 website, and there’s a sick album mix by none other than the legendary DJ Craze below.