Nymfo – Forbidden Planet EP [Dispatch Recordings]

For those unfamiliar with his work, Nymfo cut his teeth on pretty much every important label under the sun: 31 Records, Innerground, Commercial Suicide, Renegade Hardware and Metalheadz to name only a few – no one can argue with that pedigree. With a long back catalogue of bangers spanning over of decade, the initiated shouldn’t need an introduction, but his latest EP on Dispatch is worthy of one.

Nymfo’s sound largely lurks at deeper end of the spectrum, yet there’s still plenty of variety on offer with this EP. There are stepping tunes like title track Forbidden Planet and Everything Will Be; tracks that roll – albeit unconventionally – like Breach; down right weird ones like Cold Mission; and some signature Nymfo qualities in tracks like Pathfinder with longstanding Dispatch general Hijack MC.

Throughout there is a definite nod to the techstep era of the late 90s and early 00s. The EP feels raw in a way that minimal, techy numbers of the last 5-10 years have often lacked. Perhaps this record will be one of several marker points in the months and years from now that show the pendulum swinging away from technology-focused beatmaking, and back towards focusing on the overall vibe. That focus on vibe helped carve out the techstep style in the earlier eras of drum and bass, and it’s EPs like this that help cement the style’s status amongst the D&B pantheon of sounds.

The Forbidden Planet EP is out now at the Dispatch Store – all other stores follow Oct 16th.

Written by James Austin

Q&A: John Rolodex

John Rolodex’ latest work sees him returning to the mighty Metalheadz for the first time in over a decade, and bringing his first solo EP for Goldie’s esteemed imprint. To find out about all things Rainmaker we caught up with the veteran Canadian producer for a chat. Read on for the skinny…

Photo Credit: Agata Raymond

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Classic Track: Lemon D – What’s Up

Something different, you say? Look no further: we’ve got forward-thinking innovation meets cool finesse on Lemon D’s What’s Up, from Metalheadz’s 1997 Metalheadz Boxset 1, a noticeably leftfield album from the iconic label. Lemon D has shown a knack for crafting unconventional works for much of his career, and this track is an impressive example of his originality.

This classic features an onslaught of percussive hits at all the right times and tones, demonstrating the brilliance of an experimental approach over the backdrop of techstep proficiency. Lemon D’s blending of avant-garde arrangement with jazz sounds in What’s Up produces a distinctive feel and expression; timeless and refreshing.

Written by Luke Kessler

Premiere: Mako – One Reality

It doesn’t get much better than this…we’re unbelievably hyped to have the premiere of Mako’s One Reality for you today! Taken from his Oeuvre LP for Metalheadz, this is a masterclass in razor sharp breaks, shimmering pad atmospherics and groaning bass tension. 100% trademark Mako business, and all the better for it. Hit up the Metalheadz Store to grab the album on vinyl or digital right now!

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DNB Dojo Mix Series 88: Hybris

This one is pretty special…we’re incredibly excited to bring you an exclusive mix today from the one and only Hybris! Packed full of cuts from his own label Pseudoscience alongside classics from the man himself for Subtitles and Metalheadz, plus cuts from imprints like Sofa Sound, Guidance and Invisible, this is an hour long masterclass in the intricate, technical end of D&B. Sick selections!

As always you can check out the mix via Soundcloud below or head to Youtube or iTunes to stream. You can also grab a download from Google Drive.

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OneMind – EP2 [Metalheadz]

As individuals, these artists are arguably two of the most talented in the genre – certainly right now, if not ever. Impossible though it might seem, by joining forces, they have reached yet higher altitudes: OneMind’s EP2 is the second comprehensive testament to this. The EP’s opener, Pullup, is a future classic for certain. Only Mako & DLR combined could lace such a simple bassline with such complex eccentricities, and the result is frankly breathtaking sound design.

In every tune, you can hear both of their individual influences shine through. Mako’s old school vibe oozes through Late Addition, albeit with a little help from Total Science (and of course DLR). This collab definitely ticks the dBridge-coined ‘beautifully aggressive’ box, being both relentless and delicate – something many artists will never achieve. Early Daze is yet another example of the vibe OneMind are championing, intricate combinations of old-school vocals and one shots with modern-day sound design that provides such a rich texture to the track. The final track, Quiet Fire, features genre-agnostic Throwing Snow, whose Houndstooth & Moda Black heritage shines through in bags. I look forward to the prospect of more D&B from him.

OneMind have truly distilled all the ingredients that make Metalheadz the greatest label in the genre’s history – combining a pioneering integrity for sound design with a nuanced, yet deep-seated appreciation of the drum & bass past. Long live this sound; let’s end this before I run out of superlatives. Hit up the ‘headz Store to pre-order the EP ahead of the August 25th release date.

Written by James Austin, aka DJ Auzi, label manager at Terabyte Records

Facebook: facebook.com/auzidnb

Q&A: Detboi

With his second EP for Metalheadz Detboi is widening his sonic arsenal, bringing his first 170 productions to the table alongside more of that chunky 130 breakbeat goodness that he’s caught so many ears with. Ahead of the release of the Secrets EP we grabbed him for a quick chat about tempos, collabing with Goldie and his favourite old school ‘headz records.

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MDZ.02 2017 Re-Mastered [Metalheadz]

In 2015, the legendary DnB label Metalheadz embarked on a project to re-master and re-release all of its classic tunes from the 90s and beyond. This was presumably done for DJs, to give high-quality downloads of early-era songs to those who have updated their equipment but not their tastes.

What it has effectively done on top of that, however, is to expose younger generations of ravers to the wonders of the Metalheadz archives, as well as to producers and sub-genres which, if not forgotten, were buried in the record crates of first-and-second-generation junglists and D&B heads. Now even the grumpiest vinyl-loving old school heads can listen to a crisp, clean WAV of Marcus Intalex’s My Soul on their computers if they so choose.

The most recent release from the “Re-Mastered” project is of 2002’s MDZ.02. Just released on Friday, this 11-track retrospective contains classics from the likes of Klute, Teebee, Loxy & Ink and a special Usual Suspects track called Tribute, an homage to the influential D&B MC Kendo, who’d recently passed at the time the track was released.

2002 was an interesting transitional time for drum and bass. Beats became much faster, samples started to be influenced by hip hop, R&B and rave, and jungle and drum and bass structures started to merge in ways that many felt were unthinkable. Metalheadz was right on the forefront of this change and its surrounding controversy, riding the crest to emerge as the well-established and cutting-edge label it is today.

MDZ.02 2017 isn’t up on Discogs yet, but it can be purchased in a number of formats on the Metalheadz website and clips can be streamed on Soundcloud.

Written by Layla Marino

Blog: (Dropping) Weird Science
Twitter/IG: @dropweirdsci

Commix – Generation EP 2 [Metalheadz]

Watching artists continue to grow after more than a decade in the scene is a rare pleasure; so many solid creative musicians either fall into a comfortable stylistic groove or disappear for real life or other genres of music. Indeed, it must have been tempting for George Levins to leave the Commix project behind with the departure of longtime production partner Guy Brewer and the success of his lower tempo Endian alias. With that in mind it’s even more of an achievement for Commix to still be here, releasing some of his best music yet no less.

The second part of the Generation EP series for ‘headz sees George delving deeper into the rejuvenated project, with Freefall opening things up with an entirely unhuried, atmospheric slice of D&B; the tempo might be high but the energy levels are definitely kept on the down-low here as the track shimmers effortlessly along. One for the 5am crew!

Honey ups the ante, keeping the soft synth action but melding it together with hard, chopped amens for a track that plants one foot on the dancefloor while keeping the other firmly in introspective territory. A classic Commix roller of yesteryear this is definitely not, but this EP is all about progression rather than regression.

The back half of the selection sees the tempo dip and the vibes becoming more experimental, from the dark, tribal riddims of Behold out into the hypnotic, Aphex Twin-style downtempo of Arplong – this one is just about the lushest track we’ve heard this year. Another top EP from a producer we hope will be brightening the scene for another decade or two yet! Check out the clips below and hit up the Metalheadz store to grab a copy right now.