Spring rolls around and Hex is back on the decks with the usual monthly selection, this time featuring new music from Monika & Akuratyde, Evolved, Kray, Subp Yao, Krypta, Break 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.
Citate Forms return with more gully minimal darkness on today’s premiere; Senpai on the buttons with detailed percussion and an infectious hook. Look out for this one coming soon at digital stores…
Behold the myriad influences on Drum & Bass production; it’s not every day you see a techstep EP inspired by choice beverages. It perhaps comes as no surprise that Seattle residents Quadrant & Iris are big coffee drinkers but apparently they’re also partial to a cocktail or two based on the track titles here.
Whatever they’re drinking at the moment, said libations have spurred them on to create some of their best work yet. Channelling classic 90s D&B influences and modern production techniques to terrific effect across four groove-laden rollers, the EP spans three dancefloor damagers and the more soulful vibe of Fernet. Better still, all the tracks here showcase the somewhat lost art of the second drop switchup, something we’re big fans of here at Dojo HQ.
As if we weren’t already itching for clubs to reopen, we seriously can’t wait to hear these ones smashed out on a big system. Essential listening; check out the EP below and hit up Beatport or Bandcamp to grab it right now.
When three labels from three countries join forces for a new series of releases you know you’re in for something special. Enter T3K, Sine Function and Hanzom, as they unite for the Encounter series. With three labels collaborating on the release it seems appropriate that the music itself is also a collaborative venture – Evolved sees four producers from Brussels pooling their talents, and thus far the results have been impressive, not least their recent EP for Delta9 Recordings.
On this release the Evolved gang are flexing their creative muscles to create some finely sharpened, futuristic D&B cuts. The influence of the harder-edged neurofunk sound is audible here in the sound design and percussion but the overall aesthetic is one of restraint; detailed atmospheres have largely been prioritised over brutalising basslines.
The result is three detailed, enthralling tracks taking in different styles; Brainless delivers a dark and ominous roller, while Intuition goes deeper, serving up futuristic android soul against sharpened percussive presence. The Cure rounds things out with a menacing halftime swagger, keeping the atmosphere but adding a hint of hip-hop swing.
Overall this is a powerful statement of intent and some of the most interesting music we’ve heard so far this year, combining technicality with soul and depth. We look forward to hearing more from Evolved and more from Encounter…in the meantime Encounter 001 is available right now via digital stores and streaming.
When I found this tune some years ago, one could say I was under hypnosis of groove; Machinist, by the short-lived Treo, carries one of the most vibrant and dynamic basslines I’ve heard in Neurofunk. Despite its 2012 release, which I’m a little loathe to identify as a classic predicated simply upon its recency, it will always remain a classic in my mind.
This Syndrome Audio slapper carries a groove so infectious that one is easily compelled to bop along with it. The dirty bassline and hefty drums are so fluidly intermeshed in a way that feels natural, belying a style that screams “tech”. The arrangement is refined, with quick synth stabs providing further rhythmic appeal, against backdrops of harmonic tones that gracefully fade in and out of the mix.
Amid a sea of amazing Neurofunk tunes past and present, Machinist is a stand-out classic.
Written by Luke Kessler
Old school tech roller vibes on this one as we scoop a premiere from Minor Forms’ new release on CIA! Fans of classic Virus Recordings and the 90s Wormhole era will definitely appreciate this one…watch out for the EP coming Feb 26th exclusively at Beatport.
It’s that time once again; Hex is back on the Dojo decks with a fistful of new beats from GEST, Phonograph, Zero T, Radiax, Loxy & Resound, Sleepnet and many more, plus unreleased music from Joakuim and a new track from Hex’s forthcoming EP on Free Love Digi. Check it out!
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.
Phonograph returns to Hyperactivity Music for the fourth volume of their Polychrome VA LP series, and returns to our premiere spotlight! Cementing his trademark style for combining tough basslines with melodic elements, Feel So High treads the line between liquid and techstep…delicious, rolling vibes. Look for the LP at digital stores from Feb 26th!
Xenon continues his run of essential techstep releases with a new EP for P Lab Recordings, and we’ve got the exclusive on title track Dissolved In Disorder! Crunchy beats and an earworming acid lead characterise a tune steeped in classic rave and old school D&B influences. Hit up Bandcamp now to pre-order ahead of the release on Feb 19th!
EKOU bring us a big remix collection this month featuring a host of new takes on previous label releases, and for today’s exclusive we’ve bagged the A K A remix of Invertebrate! Keeping the tech-edged style of Volatile Cycle’s original but adding extra high-end sizzle, this transforms a minimal sub roller into a funky hybrid; neuro teeth but with a healthy dollop of soul. WIcked track – look out for the LP dropping Feb 5th at digital stores!