Hyperactive rave shenanigans on today’s premiere – hoovers, stabs, euphoric piano and breakbeats a plenty on this one! Chu Hi sees Calculon and Lil Kevo 303 teaming up for a maximum energy dancefloor destruction, teleporting the sounds of 90s rave into 2020 with a massive bang! Look for this via The Dreamers from Dec 7th exclusively on Beatport.
Rua Sound land with their tenth release this month and it comes from mystery artist San – described by the press release as “the jungle alias of a Bristol based techno producer”. Not sure if this will become the next Dawn Wall style D&B whodunnit, but in the meantime we have a pinch of intrigue, and a cracking new EP!
Subject 9 is certainly channelling classic jungle and drumfunk influences, but with a modern level of complexity that certainly doesn’t feel retro. Think of the atmospherics of Andy Skopes, the breakbeat intricacy of dgoHn and a pinch of Source Direct and you’re halfway there…eerie breakbeat jazz with hordes of character. We’ll let the music do the rest of the talking on this one; check out the clips below and hit up the Rua Bandcamp to grab the EP on vinyl or digital right now!
Winter might be drawing in but we’ve got loads of heat in the mix once again at Dojo HQ! Hex drops 90 minutes of new music for the penultimate episode of the year, with new tracks inside from Chase & Status, Gydra, Tokyo Prose, Altern 8, Duoscience, Wardown, and of course Hex’s latest releases for Detached Audio and Nurtured Beatz. Enjoy!
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
NComfortable brings the vibes on today’s premiere, taken from his Babylon Cuts LP for BNC Express! Short but sweet, this two minute wonder brings together serene melodies and jungle breaks for a joyously atmospheric ride. Check it out, and look for the album at digital stores from Nov 16th.
John Frusciante definitely isn’t a name that many people would primarily associate with electronic music, given that he found fame as the guitarist of one of the biggest rock bands in the world – Red Hot Chili Peppers. From that perspective, this month’s release of a jungle album via the Timesig imprint (run by Venetian Snares) might seem like a surprising development, but it’s actually the logical progression of a musical direction a decade in the making.
Following his departure from RHCP in 2009, Frusciante became increasingly disinterested in traditional songwriting and refocused his efforts on electronic production and engineering. In the intervening decade he has given the world a slew of works spanning genres under different aliases – exploring synth pop, producing hip-hop for Wu-Tang affiliates Black Knights, and more recently releasing acid house and IDM under his Trickfinger alias.
All of which brings us to Maya, a body of work which he describes as being heavily influenced by 90s breakbeat hardcore and jungle. Thankfully though this isn’t a mere copycatting attempt; while you can hear a clear reverence for some of the genre hallmarks via some knowing sampling, there’s also a breadth of influences blended into the music, held together by the common thread of jungle drum programming.
The result is a collection of tracks that spans from mellow and beautiful, through darkly funky and into outright aggressive breakbeats assaults on the senses. This is jungle made by someone who appreciates jungle, but also appreciates so many other forms and styles of music; a refreshing antidote to the sometimes narrow echo-chamber of modern D&B production. If you’re looking for DJ friendly club tunes this definitely isn’t that, but if you’re willing to explore something a bit less conventional then the LP is a thoroughly rewarding listen.
Maya is out now on vinyl, CD and digital. Hit up Bandcamp or your favourite retailer to grab it now.
Machinedrum’s evolution over the years has been fascinating to follow. Active now for nearly 20 years, Travis Stewart’s musical journey has taken in most shades of what you might consider “bass” music; low-end weight and syncopated beats run throughout, but style, tempo and tone have varied wildly across many releases.
While previous releases have certainly flirted into the realms of 170, notably Vapor City (and some of the excellent remixes around that release from the likes of Om Unit), this is possibly the most “drum & bass” album we’ve heard yet from Machinedrum. Wait 4 U delivers silky rolling D&B soul, while Sleepy Pietro combines yearning piano with skittering drumfunk drum rhythms. We’re also treated to an effortlessly beautiful liquid roller in 1000 Miles with none other than Sub Focus on board in the studio.
Other tracks take in halftime, hip-hop, funk and plenty more for a colourful ride with plenty of ups and downs, and the album has been on heavy rotation here at Dojo HQ as a result; equal parts boom and beauty. A View of U is out now everywhere – check the clips below and hit this link for a vast selection of stores.
Hex delivers 90 minutes of the latest D&B, with the latest episode marking 4 years of Dojo podcasts! New beats inside from Klinical, Muffler, John Rolodex, Calibre, Monika, dgoHn and many more.
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.
Mexico City crew BLDSMX are in our premiere spotlight today as we present a cut from their forthcoming ArmadaSounds 001 compilation LP! Rainforest brings the deep, jungle-tinged vibes on the appropriately named Duality; love the breakwork and the rhythms on this one. Look for the LP coming Oct 2nd with a whole host of bassy goodness across the 170 spectrum…
The iconic and pivotal Valley of the Shadows…where do I start? Produced by none other than Origin Unknown, a duo consisting of Andy C and Ant Miles, this track played a significant role in shifting the paradigm of hardcore toward a darker motif. Heralded as one of the best songs in the Drum & Bass sphere, this iconic tune rolled onto the scene in 1993 (and re-released in 1996 as a stand-alone) from Andy C’s very own RAM Records.
The first edition of Future Music Magazine’s sample CD provided many of the track’s sounds, and likewise provided a bevy of other recognizable samples found across a broad spectrum of electronic and dance music during the same era. From the hypnotizing melody to the entrancing spoken samples, the hardy break to the bold bassline, Valley of the Shadows proves itself a time-tested masterpiece.
Written by Luke Kessler
Another month, another podcast! Hex brings you the usual dose of D&B flavours including new music from Bold Theory, HLZ, Sinistarr, Drumcatcher, Spor, Break and many more, plus a host of unreleased dubs…check it!
As always you can check out the podcast via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.