Archive for the 'drum and bass' Category

Favourite Records of 2009

1. Floating Points – Love Me Like This – R2 Records

I’m racking my brains trying to remember how I came across Floating Points, but I just can’t really remember. It may well have been on Gilles Peterson’s excellent Radio 1 show. LMLT, an infectious, funky 80’s sampling slice of deep house, was featured on the February edition of my podcast, and was originally given away as a free download. Within a few months, it was released on Vinyl courtesy of R2 Records. The first pressing completely sold out and a repress was soon in order to meet demand!!

FP went on this year to release further singles on Planet Mu and his own Eglo imprint. His rapidly increasing popularity was confirmed in the same year, with numerous guest appearances on Radio 1 on the Mary Anne Hobbs & Gilles Peterson shows. His second appearance for GP included a live session at the Maida Vale studios.

Links
http://www.myspace.com/floatingpoints
http://soundcloud.com/floatingpoints
http://eglorecords.com/
Floating Points @ Juno Records
http://www.discogs.com/label/Eglo+Records

2. D-Bridge & Instra:Mental – Sepia Tones EP – Darkestral Recordings

The record that completely flipped the script in the drum & bass scene this year is definitely Sepia Tones. The first time I heard Translucent, on DJ Flight’s 1xtra show back in Nov 08, it totally blew me away; The pure power of the melody and subtle drum patterns sealed Instra:Mental’s reputation as pioneers in what felt, for long time, like a stale genre. The limited edition Sepia vinyl double pack will be a sought after collectors item in years to come. Sepia Tones can only be described as an utterly timeless masterpiece.

Links
http://www.myspace.com/instramentaluk
http://www.club-autonomic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/exitrecords
Instra:Mental @ Juno Records
D-Bridge @ Juno Records

3. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns – Parlophone / Echo

Largely thanks to the excellent Spotify, I decided to check out Bat For Lashes. This album swiftly became essential listening for the latter part of 2009, and both albums were rapidly purchased. “Two Suns”, the 2nd album from BFL, effortlessly shifts from pop, to folk, to indie, and more. “Daniel” is an excellent single, with a very catchy chorus and has an undeniable Fleetwood Mac style about it. “Sleep Alone” is just utterly engaging; amazing production, haunting vocals and, quite simply, a perfect pop song.

Links
http://www.batforlashes.com/
http://www.youtube.com/user/batforlashes?blend=1&ob=4
Bat For Lashes @ Play.Com
Listen to Two Suns on Spotify

4. The Whitest Boy Alive – Rules – Asound/Bubbles

It was only through falling in love with an early single, Golden Cage, that made me think to see what TWBA were up to. It soon became apparent that they had a new album. After one listen, I was utterly hooked. Great guitars, lovely screeching fender rhodes, and brilliant vocals from Erlend Øye made this an essential purchase. This album also has the rare quality in that I like every track. Superb stuff.

Links
http://www.whitestboyalive.com/
The Whitest Boy Alive @ Play.com
Listen to Rules on Spotify

5. Spectrasoul – Alibi (Break Remix) – Critical Recordings

Every Spectrasoul record this year has been absolutely essential. This one is a guaranteed dancefloor smasher, Break quite rightly sealed his place in the drum & bass A-List with his remix; an excellent, melodic and infectious track.

Links
http://www.myspace.com/spectrasoul
http://www.facebook.com/spectrasoul
Spectrasoul @ Juno Records

6. Unquote & Mr Sizef – Hours Have No Reverse Motion – Hospital Records

Recent years have seen an explosion of dnb producers coming out of Russia. Oak, Electrosoul System, and now Unquote & Mr Sizef. This leftfield dnb track made it’s debut on the massively popular Autonomic Podcast and was an instant hit. Hard kicks, odd vocals, and sad chords make it sound fairly drab on paper, but the end result is infectious, soulful, and pretty groundbreaking stuff.

Links
http://www.myspace.com/unquoteru
http://www.hospitalrecords.com
Unquote & Mr Sizef @ Juno Records

7. Alix Perez – I’m Free – Shogun Audio

This single was a taster of the Alix Perez album 1984, and was a great choice for first single. I’m Free is a deep, dark & moody master class in drum & bass production, and a definite highlight of 2009.

Links
http://www.myspace.com/alixperez
http://www.shogunaudio.co.uk/
Alix Perez @ Juno Records

8. Blu Mar Ten – If I Could Tell You – BMT

The London-based Trio have been working hard this year, turning in two drum & bass singles and a 13-track LP, no mean feat for any producer. “If I Could Tell You” is an outstanding track which has gained attention both inside and outside the drum & bass scene for it’s gorgeous melodies, infectious vocals and solid bassline. A firm favourite of a mate of mine: Strangely enough, he really doesn’t rate drum & bass, and won’t accept that this is a dnb track!!

Links
http://www.blumarten.com
Blu Mar Ten @ Juno Records

9. Empire Of The Sun – Walking On A Dream – Virgin

Without doubt, this year’s MGMT. Empire Of The Sun’s debut is an LP bursting with retro, 80’s sounding pop tracks. Massively infectious and just a joy to listen to.

Links
www.myspace.com/empireofthesunsound
http://www.walkingonadream.com/
Empire Of The Sun @ Play.com
Listen to Walking On A Dream on Spotify

10. Spectrasoul feat Mike Knight – Melodies – Exit Records

The second appearance from Spectrasoul in this chart; It was hard deciding on the best tracks because they’ve released so many this year, on labels such as Subtitles, Exit, SGN:Ltd, and most recently, the mighty Metalheadz. Melodies is a mysterious, magical track with sparkling synths, slamming drums and amazing vocals courtesy of Mike Knight. The flipside, Insignia, is also, absolutely superb.

Links:
http://www.myspace.com/spectrasoul
http://www.facebook.com/spectrasoul
Spectrasoul @ Juno Records

Sabre – One Man Jettison – Darkestral Excursions

DARKESTRALEX 001 (DARKESTRAL EXCURSIONS)
SABRE ‘ONE MAN JETTISON’ / ‘BOUNDARY PT.1 (AFTERTHOUGHT)’ / ‘DECORUM’
2009 USHERS IN A NEW PROJECT FOR THE DARKESTRAL OPERATION WITH THE CREATION OF AN IMPRINT SPLICED FROM THE MOTHERSHIP LABEL DNA, WITH THE INTENT OF SETTIN OUT TO EXPLORE THE OUTER REACHES OF THE DARKESTRAL SOUND WITH A MORE CINEMATIC PERSUASION.
EVEN MORE STRIPPED DOWN AND MINIMAL THAN THE MAIN BODY, THIS 170BPM SERIES HAS FOUND THE PERFECT FIRST EXAMPLE THAT DESCRIBES THE FEELING OF BEING CAST OUT INTO DEEP SPACE, WHERE GRAVITY HAS A DIFFERENT IMPACT ON BOTH MIND AND BODY, SO, FITTINGLY, IT’S FIRST TITLE IS ‘ONE MAN JETTISON’, A RENEGADE PRODUCTION FROM THE ARTIST KNOWN AS SABRE.
A1 ‘ONE MAN JETTISON’ COLD, MILDLY MELANCHOLIC STRINGS PLACE YOU IMMEDIATELY IN AN UNFAMILIAR SURROUND, SLOWLY AWAKENING TO A FEELING OF ISOLATION, THE BEATS START TO PUMMEL GENTLY AS THE HEARTBEAT AND ADRENALINE RISES TO THE SURFACE BEFORE FADING BACK DOWN AND A LEVEL OF CALM REALISATION AND PEACE RESIDES . THERES NO GOING BACK. A PERFECT METAPHOR FOR THE LABEL INTENT.
A2 ‘BOUNDARY PT.1 (AFTERTHOUGHT)’
1 MIN 30 SECS OF AMBIENT DRIFT DESCRIBING THE SMALL PARTICLES OF DEEP SPACE FLOWING PAST YOUR VISOR AND HEADWEAR CREATING A SUBTLE GRAZING TEXTURE OF SOUND IN YOUR ENCLOSED SURROUND.
AA ‘DECORUM’
BEATS RISE AND FALL AS IF FLOATING WITHIN THE SONIC VACUUM CREATED BY THE ‘2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY’ FLOW OF THE SURROUNDING PRESSURED ATMOSPHERICS, YOU MENTALLY DRIFT ALONG BEING GENTLY BUFFETED BY CHANGING AIR CAVITIES WHILST THE STRING SECTION ACCENTUATES THE FEELING OF WEIGHTLESSNESS.

With Instra:Mental launching their own label, it’s great to see that Darkestral are signing material from other artists. I’ve had this release for a few months now, and I have to say that it’s a really unique,  original, cinematic, and atmospheric piece of music. A great start to a label which is clearly going to be focussed on pushing the boundaries of what is drum & bass. ST Holdings, the distributor for Darkestral, have confirmed that the release will be a limited edition run of 500 copies on Black & White streaked vinyl, untreated black reverse board with overprinted logo.

One Man Jettison will be released on 7th December 2009. The track “One Man Jettison” featured in a drum & bass mix I recorded back in February 2009, which you can download here

Links
Darkestral Excursions Myspace
Sabre Myspace

ASC – Fabric Promo Mix – November 2009

ASC has very kindly put together a superb autonomic-themed drum & bass mix. It’s an excellent selection of forthcoming tracks from the Exit / NonPlus+ stable and features music from the likes of D-Bridge, Instra:Mental, Consequence and ASC himself.

ASC’s next single, “Porcelain” is due imminantly on NonPlus+. In fact, promos have just appeared on Red Eye Records… Here’s the official statement from NonPlus+:

Instra:mental welcome a new addition to the Nonplus+ camp who goes by the name of ASC. This producer is by no means new to making music, but recently his productions have become an essential addition to dBridge & Instra:mental’s Autonomic podcast series and also frequents their club sets.

ASC ‘Porcelain’ is a perfect illustration as to why Instra:mental have been paying ASC’s music so much attention. It begins with a glitchy yet groove-laden beat coupled with dramatic piano and fx stabs, then fills out with a warm drawing sub bass and smooth atmospheres. As the track progresses and you think it’s reached its climax, ASC cleverly layers an almost oriental sounding percussion stab to accompany the bass line and picks up the track to another level. This track is a prime example of being able to express the utmost with the minimum.

ASC ‘Focus Inwards’ is the deeper side of this 12” and as the title suggests, takes you on a journey into yourself. Fully charged with progressive chords and melodies alongside electric sounding drum fills and percussion, the arrangement, musical content and pure elegance of this track give us an insight into ASC’s compositional abilities and potential for the future.

Here is the tracklisting for the mix itself:

1. dBridge – City Of Lonely Runaways [EXIT]
2. ASC – Porcelain [NON PLUS+]
3. Instra:Mental – No Future (ASC Remix) [NON PLUS+]
4. Plus Ultra – ? [NON PLUS+/EXIT]
5. Consequence – Rollin Supreme [N/A]
6. Consequence & Instra:Mental – Reflex Reaction [EXIT]
7. ASC – Untitled – Dub
8. Resound – Untitled – Dub
9. ASC – Untitled – Dub
10. ASC – Untitled – [NON PLUS+]
11. Black Pocket – U’re A Star (dBridge Remix) [EXIT]
12. Unknown – Dub
13. Consequence – Fog [EXIT]
14. Unknown – Dub

Download

Links
NonPlus+ Records @ Juno
ASC Myspace Page
asc SoundCloud Page
DeeperSounds.com – Home of the Deepsounds Forum
Club Autonomic – Home of the Autonomic Podcast
NonPlus+ Myspace – Instra:Mental’s label
D-Bridge Myspace Page

Seba – Exclusive New Drum & Bass Mix – 2009 PT1

Seba

Seba

Swedish producer Seba has been making top quality tunes for a number of years, with a string of releases on labels like Good Looking Records, Metalheadz and his own Secret operations label. Originating from Ingaro, an island just outside Stockholm, Sebastian Ahrenberg started producing in the early 90s. Working with a basic home studio, he began by making techno, but soon progressed to a more breakbeat-orientated sound, which is know today as drum & bass.

Seba is known for his emotional depth in his music, which is rarely seen in todays drum & bass. In 2001 he started his label Secret operations, as a platform to continue making beats in a deeper and emotional direction.

Last year saw the release of Seba’s debut album, Return To Forever, which, in my opinion, is probably the best drum & bass album I’ve ever heard.

Seba is probably the most talented producer in the d&b scene bar none; musically, he never fails to deliver, and his music is constantly evolving. What a joy it must be then, for him to find time to put together this excellent 50 minute drum & bass mix.

Tracklisting
1. Illogic & raf – songs of experience – Bingo
2. Mosus & HLZ – Nexus7 – Liquid V
3. Calibre – understand – deep kut
4. Seba – pressure point – hospital dub
5. Seba – dont you love me any more – dub
6. Seba – painted sky – secret operations dub
7. Seba & Kirsty Hawkshaw – The joy (face to face) – secret operations dub
8. Spy – ASBO – soul:r
9. Illogic & raf – complex identities – Bingo
10. Eward Oberon – Paradise – dub
11. Spy – the boy who cried wolf – 31 records

Links
Secret Operations – Seba’s label
Seba @ Juno Records
Secret Operations Myspace Page
Seba & Krazy Myspace Page

Blu Mar Ten – Natural History Album

“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” -Charles Darwin

Few musical acts can lay claim to such dynamic evolution as Blu Mar Ten. Formed in the big-bang of 90’s drum & bass, their superior genes saw them grow and mutate beyond the confines of the jungle into lush experimentation with downtempo, ambient, house, techno & left-field.

Returning to their ancestral roots, ‘Natural History’ is the long-awaited first full drum & bass album from Blu Mar Ten leaving you in no doubt about their position at the cutting edge of the genre. From the storming remix of vocal opener ‘Starting Over’, through the deeply abstract ‘Grey Area’, to the VIP rework of massive club hit ‘Close’ and the epic ‘Last Dance’, ‘Natural History’ showcases the trio’s ability to enrich and develop their DNA, resulting in an album full of surprising twists and turns that always carry the Blu Mar Ten stamp of quality.

DJ support for ‘Natural History’ has come from right across the d&b family tree, including:
Marky, London Elektricity, Doc Scott, Teebee, D Bridge, Hype, John B, Logistics, Ed Rush, Marcus Intalex, Utah Jazz, Makoto, Spectrasoul , Apex, SPY, Craggz, DKay, Seba, Loxy, Ink, Lynx, Instra:mental, John B, Randomer, Data, Ink, Nerm & D-Kode, Annie Nightingale, Crissy Criss, Mosus, Furney, SPY, A Sides, Tom Middleton, ASC, Kubiks, Lomax, Alleycat, Big Bud and many more….

CD Tracklisting:
01. Starting Over (2009 Remix)
02. Above Words
03. God’s Lonely Man
04. By The Time My Light Reaches You I’ll Be Gone
05. Grey Area
06. Believe Me
07. Close (VIP)
08. Clipjoint
09. If I Could Tell You
10. Nobody Here
11. Last Dance
12. Overwhelm
13. Bedroom Eyes

Audio:

Blu Mar Ten – Natural History by Blu Mar Ten

Digital Version will feature the following Bonus Tracks:
(14). Made Of Air
(15). Eight Rounds Rapid

2×12″ Vinyl Tracklist:
A) Close (VIP)
B) Clipjoint
C) If I Could Tell You
D) Last Dance

According to the official ST Holdings Announcement, the album will be in shops from 2nd November 2009.

Links
Blu Mar Ten @ Juno Records
Pre-Order The Vinyl @ Red Eye Records
Blu Mar Ten @ Chemical Records
Blu Mar Ten @ Play.com
Blu Mar Ten @ itunes
Official Blu Mar Ten Site

Fanu – Homefree – Lightless Recordings

Homefree

“Homefree” is, technically, the third long player from prolific producer Fanu aka Janne Hatula, Finland’s biggest drum & bass star. The first was “Focused Mind” under his now defunct Fanu Samurai monikor, which was eventually re-packaged as monster double-pack called “Daylightless”, containing both “Focused Mind” and a whole suite of new drum & bass tracks.

“Homefree” is a 13-track, mostly drum & bass affair. The album kicks off with the epic “Amok”, which has received much DJ support over the last 12 months; It’s a very cinematic, edgy, emotional track with a beautiful melody and haunting vocals. Fanu’s take on the do-the-do break is really phenomenal in this track; I’ve never heard it sound quite so punchy. As a bit of a surprise, the track concludes with a heavy amen brothers workout to complete what is probably one of his biggest tracks since the mighty Siren Song.

“And I Find It There” harks back to the Fanu Samurai project with his mid-tempo drums, ethnic instruments and unusual melodies.

“Where It Rains Blood”, which was previously a single on Lightless, is a homage to the latest David Lynch film INLAND EMPIRE. The vocals are used to great affect to build a lot of tension before Fanu takes us through a definitive lesson on how to program drums. It’s a pretty intense, edgy, crazy track and really stands out.

“Burning The Bridge” is another excellent example of Fanu’s ability to effortlessly switch styles and create really cinematic-sounding music. The track has really heavy, pounding drums and a growling double bass, all used to great effect.

“Cry4u” is, I think, one of Fanu’s first vocal tracks, featuring Swervez, and follows Amok’s emotional, melodic tones, but with the addition of some very nice vocals.

“End Of An Era” is an excellent 90s sounding atmospheric Amen Track, which is reminiscent of something Boymerang would have written for the landmark drum & bass album, Balance Of The Force. A nice track that quickly brings back memories of the old GLR days.

All in all, this 15-track album highlights Fanu’s tireless dedication to his craft; A very detailed, moving, and impressive piece of work.

“Homefree” was released in August 2009 on lightless recordings.

Links
Buy Homefree from Juno Records
Buy Homefree in MP3 Format from Digital Tunes.net
Buy Homefree in MP3 Format from RawRip
Buy Homefree from the itunes store
http://www.fanumusic.com/ – The Official Fanu Site
http://www.myspace.com/fanubreaks – Fanu Myspace Page

Session 015 – September 2009

Session 015 September 2009

First & Foremost, I would like to thank Rico @ Darkestral for allowing me to play the excellent “Dreadtone” by Consequence, forthcoming on Darkestral Excursions. Check out Darkestral at any of the following sites:

http://www.darkestral.com/
http://www.myspace.com/darkestralrecordings
http://www.myspace.com/darkestralexcursions

Following last month’s format, this month’s selection kicks off with some top-drawer drum & bass, followed by a hand-picked sequence of the finest electro, detroit techno, and other lush electronica.

CONSEQUENCE – DREADTONE – FORTHCOMING ON DARKESTRAL EXCURSIONS
INSTRA:MENTAL – WATCHING YOU
SPECTRASOUL FEAT. MIKE KNIGHT – MELODIES
SPECTRASOUL – ALIBI (BREAK REMIX)
CARL CRAIG – SPARKLE
CARL CRAIG – SCIENCE FICTION (VERSION)
PSYCHE – ELEMENTS
DREXCIYA – AQUA WORM HOLE
DOPPLEREFFEKT – Z-BOSON
DOPPLEREFFEKT – HYPERELLIPTIC SURFACES (EXCERPT) / MESSAGE FROM MISSION CONTROL
DREXCIYA – DAVY JONES LOCKER
TELEX – MY TIME
WAX STAG – SHORT ROAD
THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE – COURAGE
THE OTHER PEOPLE PLACE – MOONLIGHT RENDEZVOUS
SLEEPY TOWN MANUFACTURE – CHERISH

To download via the itunes podcast directory, click the image below; or alternatively, for a direct download link, click here

Next Blu Mar Ten Album Title Announced

The next Blu Mar Ten Album

The next Blu Mar Ten Album - Natural History

The title of the third album from Blu Mar Ten was announced this morning as “Natural History”. The title was announced earlier today by one of the members of the trio, together with some very nice, contemporary artwork courtesy of ithinkitsnice, who has recently provided artwork for Bop’s debut album on Medschool.

In a stark contrast to their previous albums, The Six Million Names Of God and Blackwater, “Natural History” is going to be an all-drum & bass album. I’ve always thought that drum & bass albums rarely work, so it’ll be interesting to hear what they’ve come up with; to be fair, Seba’s Return To Forever was a truly excellent example of a good, solid album of drum & bass; almost a blueprint for how it should be done.

Rumours suggest that “Natural History” will be dropping around October / November, on their own Blu Mar Ten imprint.

Links
www.blumarten.com
– Official Site
www.myspace.com/blumarten – Official Myspace Page
http://www.ithinkitsnice.com/ – Official page of graphic designer ithinkitsnice

Instra:Mental on Mary Anne Hobbs Radio 1 25th Aug 2009

Mary Anne Hobbs

Instra:Mental provided a guest mix for Mary Anne Hobbs’ BBC Radio 1 show last night, showcasing their own unique take on drum & bass. Naturally, every track is absolutely bang on; Well worth checking out I reckon.

Instra:Mental Mix for Mary Anne Hobbs
Instra:mental – ‘Forbidden’ (Applepips)
Instra:mental – ‘Vicodin’ (Naked Lunch)
Instra:mental – ‘Voyeur’ (Disfigured Dubz)
Steve Spacek – ‘Ur a Sta’ [DBridge Edit]
Instra:mental – ‘Watching You’ (Nonplus+)
Instra:mental – ‘End Credits’ (Nonplus+)

Download

Links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/maryannehobbs/ – Mary-Anne Hobbs Radio 1 Homepage
http://www.myspace.com/instramentaluk - Instra:Mental Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/nonplusrecords – NonPlus+ Records
http://www.myspace.com/darkestralrecordings – Darkestral Recordings

Blu Mar Ten – Believe Me – New Single

Believe Me

Blu Mar Ten - Believe Me - BMT 002

“Believe Me” is the second single from the forthcoming Blu Mar Ten all-drum-and-bass album.  This single follows the similar dual format as the last, with two tracks on the very limited edition vinyl 12″ with lovely artwork courtesy of ithinkitsnice, and a third bonus track available only as a download.

DJ support has been provided from some of the biggest names in the drum & bass scene: Marky, London Elektricity, Doc Scott, Teebee, Hype, Spectrasoul, Makoto, Apex, SPY, Craggz, DKay, Seba, Loxy, Ink, Lynx, Instra:mental, John B, ASC, Nerm & Dcode, Randomer and many others.

The title track “Believe Me” kicks off with swirling melodies and some no-nonsense punchy drums which wouldn’t sound out of place in the next Commix single , growing slowly before the bassline kicks in…. Some lovely Steve Reich-style chimes kick in shortly before the vocal from a long-deceased pop star appears, giving the track it’s title and a memorable hook.

The AA Site, “Made Of Air”, has the classic Blu Mar Ten sound, reminiscent of their highly-detailed work on the Everglades EP from a long time ago… The listener is immediately bombarded with tons & tons of sounds & textures from the very start. A dusty piano gives the track a real cinematic edge, and the general tone and atmosphere of the track really highlights the fact that these chaps have spent many years forging their own unique sound.

As per the last single, they decide to make the best track, “Overwhelm” a download-only exclusive. The track draws you from the very beginning with a beautiful keyboard line & crisp electronic drums, before a bassline reminiscent of their excellent “2046″ rumbles it’s way into your subconscious.

A genuinely interesting single that further blurs the distinction between drum & bass & electronic music in it’s purest form. Well worth checking out.

The single “Believe Me” was released on 13th July 2009 and is available in physical or digital formats from the following outlets:

Juno Records
Beatport
Red Eye Records
Chemical Records
Itunes
Drum & Bass Arena

Visit the official Blu Mar Ten website:
http://www.blumarten.com

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