dgoHn – So Be It, Lumbricina [Love Love Records]

Jungle heads rejoice; dgoHn returns to Love Love for another wicked EP of choppy breakbeat goodness this month. Title track So Be It Lumbricina combines the breakbeat chaos of harder edged jungle with softer elements of drumfunk and ambient D&B for a wonderful montage of the hectic and the serene. Dooky meanwhile takes things in a creepier direction, eerie key chimes and unusual samples lending the track a faintly haunted vibe. Both tracks bring to mind vintage tracks by the likes of DJ Trax and Paradox, but filtered through a jungle/breakcore sensibility for that extra edge on the beats.

Last but by no means least, Rognvald is on hand to remix the title track, amping up the break chopping even further for an absolutely full-tilt, face-melting assault of snare rolls and rapidfire drum glitches. Serious danger on this one. As always you can grab this one direct from the source via the Love Love Bandcamp. Do it!

Rognvald – R.O.G.N.V.A.L.D [Love Love]

Love Love Records are back with a seriously tasty jungle EP from Richard Wilson under new alias Rognvald. Best known for his eclectic acid output as Beatwife, Wilson’s latest sees him chopping the breaks and drawing on influences from classic jungle, drumfunk and breakcore for a dark and chaotic selection of tracks.

From the outset it’s obvious that any concerns about DJ friendliness or adherence to the common confines of electronica have been chucked straight out of the window in favour of the open ended progressions and freeform danger that makes modern jungle and ‘core so enjoyable. Opener R.O.G.N.V.A.L.D wastes no time in building terrifying atmospheres amid a whirlwind assault of beats, segueing effortlessly into a haunting beatless bridge and back out into more of those crunchy drum chops. Next up, Whistle Posse lightens the mood with a distinctly tongue in cheek ode to classic nonsense jungle; wobbled up bass, helter skelter snares and of course, whistle samples a-plenty!

Out into the second half of the EP, Lowcol Junglist employs spacey pad sounds and distant ragga vocals for a tripped out ride as the beats crash down around the listener’s ears. Once again the pace is breakneck and all the tools in the breakbeat arsenal have been employed with just the right balance of precision editing and low-fi scuzz; mid 90s vibes updated for 2017. Last but by no means least, Asbiorn voyages into intricate drumfunk territory with the beats coming up a little cleaner and crispier. Replete with satisfying drum edits and haunting samples, this one is truly hypnotic.

Love Love are on fine form once again with possibly their best jungle release yet! Check out the clips below and hit up the label Bandcamp page to grab the EP on vinyl or digital now.

dgoHn – Ralph [Love Love]

We’re suckers for a bit of old school break chopping here at Dojo HQ so news that dgoHn would be returning to Love Love with more of his ruffneck jungle stylings was met with rapturous applause and jubilant celebration (not really, but we were pleased). Side-note: if you missed his rather excellent All The Fuckin As EP earlier this year then definitely go and give it a listen.

The Ralph EP sees dgoHn (pronounced “John”, apparently) treading a well-worn path of breakbeat manipulation, stopping short of the full on breakcore of artists like Venetian Snares but nonetheless injecting a fair bit more chaos into the drums than is to be found in most modern drum & bass. The attention to detail is palpable too; every edit, glitch, reverse and FX stab feels placed for maximal efficacy, keeping the listener engaged with an onslaught of unpredictable kicks, snares and hats for a beautifully anarchic rhythm.

Asides from the two dgoHn originals, the EP also features a tidy remix from Rephlex producer Jodey Kendrick, who twists the relatively light and playful tones of the title track into a darker and more ominous flex, playing with tempo on a glitched-up halftime intro before knocking into full-roll choppage later in the track.

Tasty business all round; fans of Paradox, Fanu and the higher end of the beat mangling craft should definitely give this one a listen. Check out the clips below and look for the release on vinyl and digital from Sep 30th; pre-orders up now at the Love Love bandcamp.

February Roundup Part Two

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…

Continue reading