Playlist
Features
ConquestN-Mon1cinHabit Recordings
2021-11-19
In the past year inHabit Recordings has released music by producers from Brazil, Hungary, Australia, the Czech Republic and the United States among others, so it gives them no small amount of pride to be able to wheel out an Irish producer for the next MOMENTUM release, no less a talent than N-MON1C all the way from the People's Republic of Cork.
Pitching his tent somewhere between the funk of early Virus and Underfire with the sound design chops of early Phace, and enough taste and discernment to know to carve out space around everything to make it really hit every sweet spot on the biggest rig you can think about, he also brings a quirky, angular and precise approach to percussion that puts him on a level well apart from most of the standard plugin-humping youtube tutorial followers out there, which is why we are so happy to have them on board with us.
InsolitoTipperTippermusic
2021-10-20
It's always a great day when Tipper lets some of his sonic creatures out to pasture to graze on our minds. Dave again takes us on a journey through his palette of sounds and sonic landscapes like no other. An incredible C'est La VIP is sandwiched between some notoriously heavy downtempo, then he ramps up the bmp to end the EP with a twisted drum and bass number that leaves us begging for more of his high tempo wobble. Within each track's diversity, they all honor Tipper's established and recognized quest to find the unusual and bizarre waveforms that end up being the soundtrack to our lives.
Fresh Scars From Old WoundsAlternate Currentre:st
2021-10-18
re:st is a self described "small record label for ideas somewhere between leftfield/ambient/tech/d&b" out of Bern, Switzerland. Essentially, right up our alley. The latest release "Fresh Scars From Old Wounds" by Alternate Current illustrates this genre melting label perfectly, it's sound sitting in the pocket of an unknown and fascinating gap between description.
Identity EPSkorpParallel Depth
2021-10-18
Spanish newcomers Skorp and MUR present ‘Identity’ EP on Parallel Depth.
Maybe two of the best examples of Spain’s emerging talent join forces for a collaborative EP’s with two solo tracks and a collab between both for the new release series STU.
Deep, dark and with a pinch of salt. Both producers are already known for their signature obscure sound which they’ve already delivered. Their clear progression of these young producers is no doubt why Parallel took them ahead for the next step!
NocturnalFetusUnchained Recordings
2021-10-08
As Ryo Odagawa, aka Fetus, reaches further into the universe of ‘progressive’ Drum and Bass with open arms, his soundscape storytelling and unorthodox brutalist rhythms continue to elude predictable genre-slot classifications.
Composed of four richly energetic tracks, the Nocturnal EP follows his debut Dark Monkey EP, released on Unchained in 2020 and which was met with rave reviews.
The EP begins with “Nocturnal”, a mammoth futuristic roller that is deeply visceral and pays respects to the modern-day big club experience. It’s an absolute banger! “Hyakki” is a wonderful half-time come footwork piece of electronic body music that is both dancefloor and leftfield. This is followed by “Ikuchi” - a rich and eerie liquid roller that makes its sonic journey across an almost extra-terrestrial landscape with riveting and creative vocalisms. The track is the brainchild of his collaboration with fellow Japanese artist, Braven - a live code music performer and composer celebrated in the Japanese Doujin music scene. Finally, "Tsuchigumo", a spontaneous detour into both intricate rhythms and the surreal, completes the EP as a full body of work.
Fetus’s output is commendable and we’re sure that the Nocturnal EP will stake claim to many a dancefloor as we open up, as well as strike a resonant chord in the heart of the more thoughtful collector.
HeliosSKVYRBroken Vault Records
2021-10-01
What is this!? We absolutely love finding music that tempts the ear to define it. Click the sample and feel this heavy vibe, a chopped and twisted schlumping techno throb of a banger. SKVYR has a very unique sound and we are absolutely chuffed to help promote his latest EP alongside Broken Vault Records!
Seven Of Six EPAagentahIntrinzic Music
2021-09-24
The Seven of Six EP is a deep trip into Aagentah's textured approach of left-field bass music. The latest release from Intrinzic Music is proper modern deep textured beats from dubstep to techno breaks aimed straight at the dancefloor! Twisted synthesis, robotic rhythms and cavernous spaces all constructed on thick bass, and don't forget that 808!
Mount Hortus #2Various ArtistsForest Biz Records
2021-09-24
Recommended, Psychedelic, Deep, Dubstep/Grime, Heavy, Drum & Bass, Glitchy, Vocal, Ambient, Downtempo, Glitch Hop, 2 Step
Forest Biz return this month with “Mount Hortus #2”, the second installment of their EP series that focuses on the imprint’s chilled out side. Forest Biz regulars Horge, Lucas The Flow and Jai Tee appear here alongside affiliates SaxonCasi and Alexxx, finalized with FUGARU, forester and Ciller, three fresh names new to the Forest Biz roster.
SaxonCasi opens the compilation with ‘Silver’. Atmosphere is king here, as swelling pads blend with rushing synths. ‘Hard Vacuum’ by Alexxx is a glitchy piece of electronica that leads with grainy melodies, while Horge and guitarist Music Assassin collaborate on ‘Soul Reset’. ‘Soul Reset’ is a layered instrumental that takes influence from breakbeat and drum & bass, swapping out the riotous elements of those two genres for wispy guitar lines that dance around the rhythm section.
Elsewhere, Forest Biz stalwart Lucas The Flow teams up with rising singer-songwriter Meagan Hillyer for ‘Health To The World’, a glacial slice of trip-hop that gains power from eerie sonics and mesmerizing vocals. FUGARU – one of three debuting artists on this compilation – contributes ‘Renaissance’, a rain-soaked UKG number that evokes cold nights on busy streets. Fellow debuting artists forester and Ciller turn in a rousing piece of drum & bass with ‘I’ll Be Lost’, while Jai Tee returns to the label after a long absence to close out “Mount Hortus #2” with ‘Eros’, a rolling UKG track that finishes the compilation as it started: understated yet impactful.
Sydney's CatalogueNo Human SoundLow Syndicate Audio
2021-09-21
Low Syndicate Audio is back! This time, with No Human Sound. There is absolute no doubt this duo is one most representative artists from the last decade of Valencias Drum & Bass Scene. In their Low Syndicate Audio debut, they land with an EP where both the concept and the sound are pure sci-fi. With out a doubt why their artist name is No Human Sound.
'Ping Reality' opens the release in a explicit and hard way. Computer codes are materialized by acid influenced arpeggios and mercyless basslines, with only one mission, smash the dancefloor.
Naming the EP, 'Sydney's Catalogue' takes us into minimalist and deep spheres through a clear reference to Ridley Scott's masterpiece, 'Blade Runner', where androids replace the life that humans have been taking little by little from the planet, being these in the end more human than humans.
To finish, No Human Sound proposes an escape from earthly nonsense aboard Alien film legendary spaceship 'Nostromo', propelling us vertiginously towards the dark space void through sinister atmospheres that tighten until breaking into a supersonic drop.
To round off the EP, we welcome to the label Plastiks, Leipzig based German producer, co-founder of Blackhill Production and DDNBC (Dark D&B Convention), and with music released on others labels such as Onset Audio or Tesseract Records. He brings a very special remix of 'Nostromo', where he reformulates the original song, subtracting adrenaline and giving it a solid and heavy rhythm, with a mid-tempo passage at the breakdown.
Extraction EPCosmic ClapLeftback Intercities
2021-09-20
Leftback Intercities welcome back the talented French producer Cosmic Clap for their seventh release and for his second full EP on the label. The release features four hefty original slices of minimal, incorporating ethnic melodic overtones, crisp percussion, and tons of what we love, groove. The release is topped off with a remix from Dudley Strangeways but we dare say that every track on this release is an absolute belter and look forward to hearing these on a big system in a dark and dingy club!
IntaAlokaTypeless Records
2021-09-17
As Typeless steps into its fourth release, label head Aloka turns eyes and ears to the horizon with a shapeshifting drop of breakbeat, electro and ambient. Fusing together textural arrangements and genre hybrids, he sets his sights on experimentation with ‘Inta’.
The opening track ‘Inta’ moves with a dreamy, indirect gaze and wistful melodies as though sighing itself into existence. Amongst it all sits a subtle beat which carries it into the dancefloor realm, yet it’s when they apex together that its weight blooms from the core. ‘B4-XL’ begins almost as an ensuing chapter to its predecessor with its ambient washes, but soon ripens into an antagonistic electro number that tumbles between raging synths and breaks. On the B-side, ‘Chroma’ diffracts into a million colours, glassy eyed in its introduction but hiding tyrannica kicks and syncopations underneath a swooping bass. The closing track ‘Movement’ slinks straight into a workout-ready guise, merging panting exhalations, pearly synths and choppy breakbeats against the sensation of a spectral figure reaching a deep state of flow.
With this second self-release on the label, it’s as though Aloka is so deeply immersed in his complex vision that he’s stepped out of his body to watch it all unfold. There’s one word to describe this image of him in his effortless performance as both label curator and signee: fitting
UltranicheSpoonbillAddictech Records
2021-08-27
Spoonbill has cooked up a new flavor for the dancefloor with his Ultraniche quiche. Always pushing his own boundaries and therefore consequently raising the overall bar for production, Jim scrambles his vibe specifically for peak time squiggle. All of your classic eclectic spoonbill sound design is propelled by chunky rolling beats and some of the biggest bass we’ve yet to hear from such a prolific artist!
A Window To The MountainsKnayCrescent London
2021-08-09
Crescent London carries on with their EP series, this time with French artist Knay for an exciting release full of details, deep grooves and subtle elements. Legendary producer Arnaud le Texier returns to the label with a club-ready and hypnotic remix of the title track while Crescent co-founder Labyrinthine gives “Adaptive Components” an atmospherical and broken re-interpretation. Enjoy.
Rough NightsGenicDispatch Recordings
2021-07-23
Having already debuted on the Dispatch Recordings imprint, duo Genic are set to release their biggest project on the label yet. The likes of Xtrah, DJ Hype (with Genic having previously released on the seminal Playaz through their collaboration), Doc Scott, Noisia, Rene LaVice and Ant TC1 (Dispatch’s label head) have been spinning Genic’s records throughout their quick ascent, with their debut ‘Rough Nights’ album sure to gain the same support and notoriety.
Playing at mainstay clubs such as Le Bikini, alongside some of the most influential names in bass music, they’ve also become a favourite amongst drum & bass listeners and as a result news around their forthcoming album has whet fan’s appetites. Their forthcoming album features an array of influences, from Dnb, Techno, Classic and UK Hip Hop to Reggae, with their tenacity obvious from the LP’s beginning to end. Marked by a forthcoming sampler, which includes digital exclusive ‘Disposal’, as well as album track ‘Grow’, ‘Rough Nights’ is proving to be one of their most expansive musical exploits to date.
The lush bass tones of ‘Grow’ opens the album following its inclusion on its sampler, meanwhile the more robotic chimes of ‘Think’ continues the journey. Long-time Dispatch roster members Philth and Wreckless present themselves alongside Genic for ‘Radiation’ up next, as ‘The Cycle’ keeps the LP broodingly ominous. The breaks of ‘Bring it’ and title track ‘Rough Nights’ with its softer underbelly sit midway on the tracklist, whilst ‘Oreo’, ‘Sore Throat’ and ‘Lulling Over’ draws the curtains whilst exposing three more explosively subterranean selections.
It’s the next album to be dropped on Dispatch Recordings and it highlights their ability to give artists creative freedom as well as the platform they deserve. Genic are the next producers to receive the label’s seal-of-approval and the quality of their ‘Rough Nights’ album signposts why this is.
Return to SourceDuffreyThe Rust Music
2021-07-06
Amidst the landscape of American-bred bass music, Duffrey has carved out a space near the tip of the spear, brandishing a reputation as a dancefloor fiasco in his own right and an integral arm of the Ultrasloth producer group. Just in time for a return to sound systems across the continent, The Rust is incredibly excited to host his latest minted release, Return to Source.
In true Duffrey fashion, the EP is replete with a pure head-nod focus, channeling smooth synthesis and pocketed bass lines into inviting, staccato rhythms. The flash and fanfare of contemporary sound design can sometimes feel like an oversaturated veneer, but Duffrey’s straightforward texture palette eases the listener into an experience that does as much justice through easy listening as it does on the club floor. Eschewing both brooding and manic atmosphere’s, his preferences and style instead lend themselves to jovial, petrol-laden anthems that roar with confidence as opposed to sheer ferocity. For the heads looking for a package that oozes with swagger and specificity, Duffrey’s Return to Source should be more than enough to satiate your needs.
Effortless ImaginationGamma IntelMechatronica
2021-06-25
Tweaking his signature sound into a dark and heavy blend of half-time UK bass, rugged electro dips and magnetic breakbeat styles, Gamma Intel effortlessly explores fresh subsurface territory and morphs the collective sonic awareness towards new fluid illusions.
DreamsPaige JuliaUnchained Recordings
2021-06-11
Whilst a well-known force in underground bass in New Zealand for some time, Paige Julia is now being embraced by the global music community as one of the very profound artists emanating from the south pacific island’s thriving Drum and Bass scene. Primarily working in the dark corners of jungle, techno, left-field and hip-hop, she delves into the magnetic fringes of bass and breakbeats in a way that is truly special.
Her Dreams EP on Unchained is a homage to Bass music’s time-honoured artform of intelligent analogue synthesis, where every visceral note oozes dark funk swagger and a level of musical mood that is almost sentient. Whilst her sub-bass aesthetics is a unifying thread, precise drum editing and minimal synth melodics centred around a modern jungle ethos make this release into what we believe is a masterpiece with no expiry date.
Whilst some tracks such as Live and Direct or Digit, lend themselves to the club banger moniker, the EP is a wholly satisfying combination of art, ambience and energy that makes this one is for the hardcore junglist, tastemaker and punter alike.
Deformed Human NaturePolygoniaIO-Records
2021-06-10
From spirals in wet red
Came shapes with limbs
That could move in time
And rhythm with the syncopated voices,
Finding pockets of colour
And washes of groove
Stacked higher than their
Legs could reach
Still, they shiver now
With the whisper
Of something they wish
To Know,
Beyond the grey gates
Of home and bone
To the place
Of the Pulse
Of unfired desire,
Just there yonder,
Step by step to find
Your power
That no machine
Could capture
In chips
And the quantized
Quotidian
That still
Feels like
Life.
- words by Kwasu Tembo
KalmunsJulian Millan & LaeHz43 Degrees Records
2021-06-10
Julian Millan is a skilled and charismatic Colombian producer who's been building his reputation in the scene rapidly, with huge releases on established imprints such as Stereo Productions, Serrano's Kitchen, Circus Recordings, Lapsus - to name a few.
43 Degrees Records are pleased to welcome this talented artist to the family with an incredible EP, Kalmuns, including a collab with his fellow Colombian producer LaeHz, a mixture of flavoured house music and vanguard sounds, which clearly show evidence of his country's roots and rhythms.
Dancing with Cicadas EPCafe de la JungleDans le desert
2021-06-09
Dancing with Cicadas debut EP delivers elegantly synthetic narration, amplified by the modular wires. Entrenched in the grooves of the jungle, with every track mirroring a different conceptual and esthetic journey into our transcendental connection to the earth.
Dans Le Desert was created to explore mystical dreamlike states with a sense of futurism in it. We bring to life our own dreams guided by the mathematical language of sound inspired by the company of dancing spirits.
(re)currentsMargot Bluei u we records
2021-06-04
Margot Blue is an electronic musician from Los Angeles. She started making music with her partner during their first winter in Chicago together, as a way to unwind from the stress of graduate school. Since then, she has fallen in love with sonic possibilities of eurorack modular synthesizers.
Her first album, (re)currents, explores the complexity one feels when facing the unknown. Composed through improvisations with modular synths, ambient textures, and field recordings, (re)currents invites the listener to balance in the liminal space between falling and flying, music and noise, wonder and grief.
Sometimes Flying EPMeduTip Tap Records
2021-06-04
The “Sometimes Flying EP is Tip Tap Records first “Special Edition” release by Medu. It also includes two bomb remixes by Marko Nastić & Miro Pajic! This is proper Tech House aimed at the dancefloor with the minimal yet intricate driving force that Tip Tap is known for. Add it to your collection today!
ExordiumFearfulYUKU
2021-05-18
Recommended, Halftime, Heavy, Drum & Bass, Downtempo, Ambient, IDM, Deep, Dubstep/Grime, Glitchy, Chill, Breakbeat
"Following on our first EP, ‘Collisions’, we wanted to explore the use of modular synths, and also hardware, in more depth. Exordium was crafted from countless modular jams, passed back and forth between London and Liege, and polished into a piece of work that captures our love for club music, with an experimental edge. We wanted to get out for a moment from the 170 which we are a bit more known for. Hopefully you will enjoy this exploration into our shared sound and influences as much as we enjoyed creating it." - Fearful & Mtwn
Days BygoneArtefaktDelsin Records
2021-05-07
Nick Lapien and Robin Koek have earned plenty of stripes exploring different strains of techno and electronica, both individually and together as Artefakt. It is their collaborative work which has found a natural home on Delsin, and now their second album, Days Bygone, helps launch the Interstellar series as they continue to explore beyond the dancefloor trappings of conventional techno.
If their 2017 debut album Kinship married forthright techno dynamics with a mellow, melancholic sensibility and 2019’s Monsoon saw them heading into deeper, meditative rhythms, then Days Bygone finds Artefakt leaning even further away from standard structures to create an album steeped in mystery. It’s not a formless ambience they’ve conjured up though - pronounced patterns are still prevalent to propel Artefakt’s productions, but there’s less emphasis on percussion and more time spent shaping soundworlds with nimble arps and gliding pads.
There is still space for beats on Days Bygone, but as on ‘Orinoco Basin’ those drums fall in fluttering formations to gently buffet languid keys rather than imposing on the direction of the music. The heaviest they get is on the dense, swinging ‘Terraforming’, but it’s a light-footed configuration compared to a trad-techno thump, with the drums serving as another texture in conversation with the elements surrounding them.
Because of the shifted focus away from hegemonic beats, it’s left to the keys and pads to define the landscape each track traverses. Sometimes furtive and suggestive, elsewhere pearlescent and diffused across great expanses, it’s these striking, sublime formations which define the atmosphere Lapien and Koek have sought to create. The outright ambience of the closing double act pushes this idea to a logical conclusion, leaving the possibilities open for what comes next from Artefakt.
ChronosKOAN SoundVision Recordings
2021-05-07
Just in case you live under a rock, KOAN Sound have just released a massive EP on Vision Recordings! The "Chronos EP" sets a new bar on production and imagination!
“For us, VISION has always been about pushing the envelope, both musically and artistically. On the ‘Chronos’ EP, we wanted to write something with this ethos, whilst exploring themes of modern sci-fi and time travel, which is reflected in the track titles. VISION has been massively influential on us since its inception, so it’s been an honor to work with them on this release.” – KOAN Sound
OverseerDMX KrewCultivated Electronics
2021-01-11
There’s probably no finer way for Cultivated Electronics to launch their 2021 schedule than with a new release by DMX Krew with his first solo EP outing on the label, having previously appeared for a remix of J.T.C’s ‘In Transit’ (2014) and as MMT-8 (2016) – a collaborative project with CE’s label head, Sync 24.
Edward Upton has given us over 25 years of sonic wizardry with numerous highly regarded releases, not only as DMX Krew, but also a myriad of other aliases over almost as many labels, including the mighty Rephlex, as well as his own Breakin’ Records and Fresh Up. On ‘Overseer’ he delivers four vivid and stimulating analogue cuts that are full of character, delivering high-end electro funk and glittering experimentalism.
The AccidentPedestrian TacticsMuti Music
2021-01-08
Muti Music previously release Pedestrian Tactics under his former moniker, Corporate, since then he has been producing some of the funkiest and most fun ‘Future-House’, ‘Breaks’ and unique takes on dance music.
'The Accident' continues on that vibe of excellent production and super fly beats, the tune kicks off with a 4 to the floor vibe and then drops into a freaky and funky break that will have you locked to the groove.
Gut WrenchResonant LanguageColony Productions
2021-01-08
Resonant Language sits comfortably in the mix with the best glitch bass artists in the game. With every release he establishes an evolution of his sound, as well as invokes new levels of high fidelity production and low end bassweight. His lates EP "Gut Wrench" is the latest in his catalog and it delivers everything we expect from this up and coming phenomenon.