Beats News

Back with new material for Symmetry, Jack Boston’s latest offering showcases his musical and production talents. The two contrasting tracks demonstrate his diversity as one of the scenes top emerging artists.

His background as a guitarist is a thread that consistently runs through his production, which adds a live and natural feel to much of his work. As a trained sound engineer working at a renowned studio, his experience from recording an eclectic array of bands adds a different dimension to his approach when making Drum n Bass. Working towards his debut album, this release is the first taste of things to come.

After a slew of cassette released long players, appearances on both Blunted Breaks Vol.1 & Rupture’s recent Planet’s series (alongside Dead Man’s Chest), Thugwidow has quickly gained an underground cult following amongst leftfield junglists digging through the fringes of electronica...

‘Hard Rave Aesthetic’ (Thugwidow’s debut solo outing on wax) charges in with all the ferocity the title track suggests; a crescendo of swirling rave stabs giving way to a torrent of rolling drum & bass pressure that hits the dance like dynamite. 'A Cluster Of Angry Repeating Thoughts’ moves into more sombre, atmospheric territory; painterly break edits perform rhythm gymnastics through murky claustrophobic chords, setting the tone for a more restrained & introspective journey on the flip-side.

DJ Support
Sully, Mantra, Double O, Coco Bryce, Dead Man’s Chest, Barker, Rob Smith/ RSD, Commix, Foul Play, Sinistarr, Barely Legal, Sherelle, Amy Becker, Answer Code Request, Addison Groove, Extrawelt, Kikelomo, 96 Back, Freshta, Mad Miran, Eomac, Ciel, A-Future, Itoa, 2 Bad Mice, Mani Festo, Etch, Peder Mannerfelt, LMajor, Candy Pollard, Doc Scott, Aquarian (AQXDM) +more

2x10"

An unbelieveable set of epic remixes of this massive anthem, featuring the best in a multitude of scenes. D’n’B dons Shimon & Benny L update the classic Foul Play remix with the heaviest of beats and bass. Old Skool Legend Acen does one of the first remixes outside of Production House in his classic early 90’s style, and its amazing. Fracus & Darwin dominate the modern UK hardcore scene, and their remix is absolutely huge and anthemic, and Shoreman, a relative unknown but incredibly talented Kniteforce artists, remixes the original tune into something both new and authentic to the originals era. A must have double 10” vinyl pack by any standard.

Club / DJ Support
Shimon, Andy C, Randall, Ray Keith, Chase 7 Status, Zinc, Jack Frost, Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Liquid, Hyper On Experience, Ant To Be, Ponder and many others

2x12"

Artificial Intelligence are back with another installment of their latest project ‘The Series’; Season’s 3 & 4 will come formatted as a full vinyl LP, available across all formats. Packed with eight individually intimate episodes of deeply soulful, futuristic jams, and special appearances from longtime label mates DRS & Steo.

Proudly presenting our 2nd Various Artists Album - 'Edition 2'.
Featuring Alix Perez, Monty, Lewis James & Fixate, Halogenix, Deft, Tsuruda, Bredren, Cesco, Submarine, and Razat.

Repress

Listen To The Light / Tim Reaper Remix

The time has come for Catnapp’s debut full length record on Monkeytown Records. Break follows last year’s EP Fear and No Cover single and sees Catnapp capturing the jawdropping energy of her live shows as well as further refining her characteristic blend of rap and heavyweight electronic beats. She challenged herself with exploring more complex emotions and subjects for this album, which is more than a collection of love songs, as she explains: „With so much happening in our world today, I feel incomplete telling only love stories. I want to give people inspirational tools that work like fuel. Songs that can make one hop out of a bad and complicated situation in order to move on and up with confidence.“

Catnapp is the guise of Argentinian artist Amparo Battaglia. Long before signing to Monkeytown in 2018, the Berlin based producer, singer/rapper and striking performer already (self-)released a couple of records full of boundless creativity and originality, taking whatever she needed from every electronic genre as well as pop and rap music. Amparo cites classic influences like The Prodigy, Aphex Twin, OutKast or Beyoncé, while her productions also draw from today’s post-internet and post-rap sounds. Break combines these diverse influences in a very distinct sound.

The album’s opening track „Down In The Basement“ is an ode to the underground, dealing with how to grow as an artist whilst staying true to your roots. You can take the artist out of the underground, but you cannot take the underground out of the artist. As she is playing big stages more frequently than gritty basement clubs, Catnapp tackles the beautiful contradictions of going her own way. Next up is „The Mover“ featuring Modeselektor, a slow burning, bass-heavy song about standing up for yourself and showing strength. It opens with the line „Don’t you tell me what to do“, an eternal credo for both Catnapp and Modeselektor, two generations of maverick electronic artists. „Fight For A Fight“ is inspired by the repression the LGBTQ community is facing all around the world. It came about when Amparo was invited to perform at the Pride March in Buenos Aires in 2018, its lyrics are aimed at supporting the ongoing fight against patriarchy: „My knife is sharp, my mind is bright, you’ll never stop my will to fight.“
Still, love and heartbreak are essential elements of Catnapp’s songwriting and thus appear in songs like „Thunder“, „Lengua“ and „Give It Back“. The latter is about leaving a toxic relationship behind and regaining control about one’s life. Musically, these tracks show Catnapp alternating fierce raps and booming beats with liquid R&B vocals and melancholic, dreamlike electronica.
Catnapp has been compared to electroclash artists like Peaches, her blend of modern rap and electronics may also evoke likeminded artist Tommy Genesis. There’s leaders and there’s followers – you already know which this girl belongs to. Break is no less than her most accomplished musical statement to date.

* Last year it was estimated, that every minute 400 hours' worth of content was uploaded to YouTube, 2,430,555 posts were liked on Instagram, and 6,944,444 videos were watched on Snapchat. And these figures won't stay static. The amount of data we upload, and in turn the amount we consume every year, is growing exponentially. As this expanding data pool grows, making sense of it becomes concurrently more difficult; the distinctions between dream and reality, fact and fiction, truth and lie fade to obscurity.

* 'Information City', the sophomore album from Copenhagen's Tobias Hjørnet Pedersen aka Beastie Respond, attempts to reflect this world in a very direct sense. 'Information City' is the simulacrum in which we live and exist, where our cultural identities exist primarily as representations of a real without origin, he explains.

* Writing the album Pedersen set no limits on his sample sources, instead taking fragments from a vast array of media, reflecting on the themes outlined above. This resulted in 'Information City' being completely stylistically unchained, giving reference to everything from UK bass genres to electro, footwork and synthwave. 'Downloaded 4 R. D4wkins' for example pits Moving Shadow reminiscent rave stabs against juke-like percussive workouts, while opener 'Real Without Origin' recontextualises cliche´ trap-style drops with hollowed-out, swaggering low-end, calling to mind recent hybrids of UK Grime and American hip-hop.

* At other points, Pedersen eschews the dancefloor entirely. Tracks like 'Lullabies for the Lost and Forgotten' or 'He Used His Bench Lathe to Form His Wooden Sculpture' provide respite from the thunderous barrages of percussion with slurred melodies and dream-like anime soundscapes.

* Comprising the fourth release from Foul-Up, 'Information City' is a brave proposition for a second album. Pedersen tackles it with vibrance and audacity, inviting us into a fast-paced world of bright lights and unbridled imagination.

Launch event on September 5th in Image Movement, Berlin with Beastie Respond and Eva Papamargariti

A secret 10" heavy-hitter - both tracks are an explosive new blend of chopped up grime and violent breakbeat styles.

Vinyl only, no repress, don't sleep.

New Age" is one of those tracks that get requested year after year - or in this case decade after decade! With origins in 2008 and played by every big name of the scene it has earned an undisputed anthem status and it’s the most wanted dub in the extensive Loxy & Resound catalogue."Stone Cold" on the double A-side is equally exciting. Vintage production from 2009 it combines Resound's trademark metallic funk with some dark vibes & haunting vocals.
Digital only "Forgot Why Mix" flips the script & sounds more contemporary now than ever, highlighting Resound as one of the most innovative producers out there.

Unterton kicks off 2018 sideways with three tracks of high-octane electronics by Mark. 0-160 BPM in 15 minutes. Previous EPs for A Colourful Storm had a conceptual focus: the destructive effects of tech start-ups on Berlin's cultural landscape. Sound-wise, they paired frenetic, experimental d'n'b with musique concrète. On his Unterton debut, Mark continues further down a path of dark and psychedelic beat science. At times tranquil and hypnotic, other times charging forward between cracked whips and whiplash left-turns. 'Comedy is the dog that walks out of the room when you call its name."

OG Deth” is ragga for 2015. Wheez-ie twists and turns his way through genre tropes. Mixing elements of jungle, footwork, and grime, “OG Deth” bashes its way through the wilderness. Can you keep up?

Can you feel it? Wheez-ie’s 2015 update has been destroying dance floors all around the world for quite some time! “Touchy” burns its way through 90’s garage at a speedy 160 bpm. Not for the faint of heart!

Get ready for some original DJ culture!
As cassette tapes are making a comeback it is time for us to revive Intrauterin Tapes after a 15 years hiatus with a new release by Intrauterin Recordings mastermind baze.djunkiii who is
bringing on his latest mixtape outing „The Gangster Files“ for all lovers of original and classic UK Garage / Sublow as well as real Jungle / Drum'n'Bass headz featuring a massive vinyl selection
of rare whitelabel cuts and essential classics.

The history:
Originally launched in 2001 and operating until 2004 the Intrauterin Recordings sister label Intrauterin Tapes released eight volumes in these first years, making a previously unprecedented move in German mixtape culture in focusing on studio recorded, MC-free vinyl only DJ-mixes for true bass music lovers, covering a musical spectrum from Drum'n'Bass, DarkJungle and UK Garage, put together by both hot, emerging talent from the local Hamburg
underground as well as a special final edition featuring US-based (Dark)Jungle legend and scholar Larissa Mann a.k.a. DJ Ripley for a preliminary closing in 2004.

Dominick Martin Aka Calibre Is Responsible For Some Of The Most Beautiful And Sublime Tracks In Drum & Bass. Releasing On The Most Distinguished Labels, Including His Own 'signature Recordings', Calibre's Distinctive Sound Has Progressed Taking On Elements Of Jazz, Funk, Dub And Techno Whilst Losing None Of Its Soul.

Brian O'sullivan Aka Jet Li First Cut His Teeth On The Decks In The Late 80's Mixing Reggae, Hip Hop & Hardcore In His Remote Island Of Valentia, Off The West Of Ireland. His First Introduction Into Drum And Bass And Jungle Came In The Early 90s's When He Moved To Manchester.

Returning To Ireland He Began Promoting Drum & Bass Nights And By 2002 Envisioned The Hugely Successful Drum & Bass Festival, 'jungle Republic', The First Of Its Kind In Ireland, Which He Co-promoted With Dj Source & Bassbin Records.

His First Production Surfaced In 2004 For Bbc1xtra's, ' Xtrabass Compilation'. More Followed On Nu Urban And He Continued Releasing On, 'phase2recordings' Which Featured A Track From Calibre.

Jet Li & Calibre Come From Opposite Ends Of Ireland. Their Love Of Drum & Bass Would Have Them Meet Often And Their Friendship Grew. Having Played Alongside Each Other Over The Years In Ireland & Europe, Their Mutual Appreciation Led To Them Collaborating In 2016, Ending In The Completion Of 6 Tunes.

Their First Release Together Will Be Out On Function Records In July 2018.

Dj Support

Fabio, Storm, Jumping Jack Frost, Spirit, Randall, Need For Mirrors, Dj Marky & More

Samurai Music's Russian connection - Saint Petersburg-based Torn has refined his hi-tech dread to maximum efficacy since his solo vinyl debut on Samurai sister label Shiro in 2017. The Internal EP sees his sculpted malaise reaching a creative peak, completing construction on a distinctive desolation he now inhabits like a second skin. 'Acheron' - an inevitable collaboration with Homemade Weapons, sees these two masters of menace fusing their rhythmic prowess into a sleek, malicious tear, while the 3 solo tunes display Torn's newfound artistic maturity with pride and vigour. Sharpened breakbeat spears are deftly welded to Torn's pounding pulses of gloom, with lead track 'Internal' being the most dominating stylistic showcase on the EP. A forceful statement from one of drum and bass music's more promising new talents.

In celebration of Liondub International’s 10 year anniversary, NYC’s Liondub selected the top tracks from the Jungle To The World series and compiled them into limited edition 12” vinyl releases exclusively for Unearthed Sounds.

Volume 2 includes an incredible array of artists and producers including: Bladerunner, Serial Killaz, Marcus Visionary, Reggae Legends Johnny Osbourne & Ranking Joe, MC Navigator, Jamalski, Rocker T, Liondub, Bluntskull, and DJ Westy.

Guaranteed to move fast, this LTD 12” contains 4 tracks that been tried and tested on radio and in the clubs.


DJ Support
Crissy Cris, Bryan Gee, A Sides, Aphrodite, Dillinja, Marky, Profile, Doc Scott, Dr. Meaker, Erb N Dub, Freestylers, Jaguar Skills, Chopstick Dubplate, Jayline, DJ Phantasy, Ray Keith, Uncle Dugs, Serial Killaz, TC & more.

The new Samurai Music series of 12"s - Samurai Hannya - are based on the mythical masks of a Noh drama (a form of traditional Japanese theatre). Hannya masks capture the stages of transformation of a female character as she undergoes a metamorphosis into a demon / ogre. This transformation is caused by deep sadness and anger, fuelled by intense jealousy. The mask embodies the resentment and fierce obsession of this character. Its horrible look gives us an impression that it is not just a grotesque monster, but that it also expresses the deep sadness of human beings. A cautionary tale of the power of negative emotions portrayed aptly in this infamous play. Hannya masks are also very popular with tattooists around the world along with many other characters and symbols from the fascinating Japanese mythology.

The 12”s for the Samurai Hannya series are named after these 3 stages / masks and feature all new tracks from the Samurai family of artists created specifically for this project. The series introduces a new Russian artist Roho, plus the first two collaborations from label head Presha (with Homemade Weapons & Ancestral Voices) alongside label regulars Homemade Weapons, The Untouchables, Torn, Artilect, Last Life, Antagonist, and for the first time on Samurai, Weaponry artists Torana.

In December 2017, we released our first various artists LP, ‘Edition 1’. With this new release, we proudly present the second chapter of various artist EP’s titled; ‘Folio /2’. We have assembled a small group of our favorite artists for this 4 track EP: Hyroglifics, SubMarine, label head Alix Perez, and label newcomers Visages, Lavance, and Scepticz.

Om Unit's Cosmic Bridge label returns with 'Dark Matter', its first compilation since 2017's 'Cosmology Selections', offering a fresh snapshot of the exciting possibilities and experiments happening at the intersection of hip-hop, jungle and bass music; a hybrid sound the label has pioneered since its first release eight years ago. Across 14 tracks, 'Dark Matter' showcases Cosmic Bridge's growing global roster of artists: Moresounds, Danny Scrilla, Proc Fiskal, Margari's Kid, Oliver Yorke, J:Kenzo, TMSV, vromm, alongside new faces Samba and Rude Operator, and perennial favorites Es.tereo, Synkro and Djrum, the latter two in collaboration with label head Om Unit. Dark Matter is a finely crafted statement of intent from Cosmic Bridge and Om Unit, shunning easy self-congratulation for a dive into the musical potentials and connections of a sound that is now an established part of the global bass music vocabulary.

From stunning beaches, to delivering some of the most pivotal tracks across festival season, SUNANDBASS have helped define the soundtrack of a party-going generation. Well-known for providing the weeklong drum & bass festival in Sardinia, they've also turned their attention to delivering the type of sounds which you'll find at their sun-drenched spaces. Whether that's the music of Satl's recent 'Bravehearts' EP or the forthcoming package from ArpXP, there's a range of tastes catered for on their record label.

ArpXP also has a personal attachment to SUNANDBASS – through his work behind the scenes, he's enabled the festival to grow into the renowned event that it is today. Based in Cagliari, on the same island that SUNANDBASS takes place, His style, from 120 to 170 bpm and with influences ranging from jazz to techno, from ambient to covers the contemporary bass music spectrum. His work as the visual and creative manager for SUNANDBASS, as well as seminal imprint Metalheadz, has meant that he’s continually stayed on the pulse when it’s come to label’s vision, something which is clearly reflected in his music.

His 'Somewhere Else' EP is demonstrative of his affinity for drum & bass music, featuring five tracks and a host of collaborative names. This should come as no surprise, with his influence within the genre and the extensive DJ support he's received (including figures such as Calibre and Lenzman).

Following his 2012 debut album 'Closer' and his releases on labels such as Metalheadz and many more, the 'Somewhere Else' EP is another return to form. From the grooves of 'Radar' with HLZ, to Visionobi's winding lyrics across title-track 'Somewhere Else', through to its Was A Be rework, ArpXP takes you on a journey. '2004' with its slamming drums adds itself to the track listing, whilst Robert Manos joins ArpXP for the smooth sonics of 'Lost'.

SUNANDBASS offer another high-quality addition to their growing catalogue of music and it's to see how they created such a revered calendar date within the drum & bass community. SUNANDBASS are ready for another seminal edition of their festival and with it comes a host of new music from their imprint.

The crucial elements in many Jungle tracks are in this E.P.
Atmospherics, breakbeats and basslines that sing to you.
Digital & Response start the E.P. with a 160 bpm, breakbeat, dubbed out 4 to the floor track called, ‘Broken Dub’.
‘Tell Me’ has a little bit of Amen choppage about it and rumbling bass topped with sweet and sensual vocals.
‘Hung Up’ is a drifty, spaced-out smooth number with bass that takes you to a place you’ve never heard before.
Finally, ‘Plastic Dreams’ reminds you of the kind of track you’d play at Fabio’s night, speed to get everyone up dancing.

Proudly presenting the 'Broken Home' EP from label newcomers Dogger, Mindstate & Liam Bailey. The title track has already found much acclaim, with Calibre ending many of his sets with it. 1985 Music is renowned for our minimal, but also more melodic, nuanced dnb, so we thought it fitting to go back to this sound, and these roots for this release. This soulful, musical 4 track EP is modern liquid at its finest, with the highly respected Liam Bailey on vocals laying down the hooks. Available on 5th April on vinyl and digital.

Proudly presenting the 'Broken Home' EP from label newcomers Dogger, Mindstate & Liam Bailey. The title track has already found much acclaim, with Calibre ending many of his sets with it. 1985 Music is renowned for our minimal, but also more melodic, nuanced dnb, so we thought it fitting to go back to this sound, and these roots for this release. This soulful, musical 4 track EP is modern liquid at its finest, with the highly respected Liam Bailey on vocals laying down the hooks. Available on 5th April on vinyl and digital.

Etch's 'Ups & Downs' album is a collection of dubs which date as far back as 2014 and up to the present day. The album's tracks are united by being examples of the artists' efforts to escape the shackles of reality by using music as a vehicle.

"Timeless", Goldie's first album in 1995, changed the face of the musical culture in England by democratizing the drum & bass scene, conscripting Goldie as a local star. But not only: with the
enthusiastic support from artists such as David Bowie, he crossed the Channel and the Atlantic.
However, while everyone was waiting impatiently the following of "Timeless", Goldie had other plans: with "Saturnz Return" (1998) he came back with a concept album of 150 minutes (in its CD version), innovative, experimental and cleavable.
21 years later, his radical and innovative vision was taken up and adapted by many artists, from Carl Craig to Pete Tong. For the first time, thanks to London Music Stream label, "Saturnz Return" is finally ready to receive the critical reception it should have received when it was released. The avant-garde has become a reference.

Fresh from the frontiers of modern jungle, Rupture returns with a monolithic EP from new-comer Mani Festo. The tightly textured breaks of 'Immortal' create the foundation for a set of stabs that will cut through even the foggiest dance floor; while 'Awake' balances a dreamy pad atop cascading percussion and a thick, rumbling bass line. On the flip, snatches of 808 claps flicker in the shadows of heavily crushed drums before a familiar sample of off-world blues noir flows across the entire operation in 'Hold the Line'' - a track that has earned a lot of attention since being on heavy rotation in Rupture residents' DJ sets. Finally, closing track 'Warehouse Theory' stacks disembodied organ riffs over driving breaks to round off Mani Festo's debut Rupture release.

Profane's Guardian immediately starts into the main melody and rhythm with a filtered bass synth. Additional percussion elements both synthetic and sampled build on the central idea morphing between sparse and dense layering. Staying true to Profane's sound, hints of funk samples are dropped throughout the piece.
Iceberg 74 is broken soul music with a clangy, aggressive drum break falling on top of looped guitar samples and quick excerpts of soulful singing. In the second half, the bass starts reinforcing the rhythm bringing up the energy even more. The drums abruptly stop at the end.
Shift's Juju leaps into a vibe like late 90's dark jazz Tech Step but with large amounts of variation on the rhythm. The percussion is sharp and a rapidly evolving. Double bass and squelching synth notes trade off. This is a high energy piece.

Totem has a drum break which is a bit muted sounding sitting with sparse, delayed sax samples. The melody is a double bass loop which sits around the stuttering pattern of the drum break. The second half takes the melody and twists it into an instrument a bit like tuned steel drums.

SATL has already carved himself into the repertoire of drum & bass, something which can be seen through a succession of releases which have helped push him as a part of its more soulful trenches. SATL is a frequent traveler and performer at SUNANDBASS in Sardinia, also taking pride of place within our SUNANDBASS Recordings tour parties, enabling him to debut his music across a wide-ranging fan base. For him to release an EP on the SUNANDBASS imprint comes as little surprise, with the producer already deeply involved with the SUNANDBASS family.

The 'Braveheart' EP is an intricate look into the sounds which build SATL’s musicality – from its title track featuring Dan Stezo, through to digital bonus 'Maj', it pedestals the direction which has enabled SATL to receive such worldwide recognition. The winding pads of ‘Bravehearts’ and the gloomy lyricism of Dan Stezo gives a darker edge to the opening track, whilst 'Acid Trip' is an immersive experience, one with an urgency that catapults you into its first breakdown. 'Low End Theory' shakes through to its core with a stocky heaviness, then 'Maj' (digital only) takes you down a lighter route, one underpinned by its swatches of tinkling percussion.

From beginning to end, SATL takes you on a journey and it’s one with the mechanics that he’s becoming renowned for. Joining SUNANDBASS Recordings once again, it’ll be a welcome addition for any DJ and fan looking to add to another gem to their catalogue.

For the third release on the label Synkro teams up with Apollo label mates Arovane & Marenn Sukie.

Following on from the Refractive Index EP ‘Transmission’ is a beautiful piece of IDM / Electronica reminiscent of Arovanes early work on CCO & DiN brought up to date with Synkro’s intricate beat programming and sub bass.

‘Get Together’ is the first collaboration between Synkro & newcomer Marenn Sukie but could be the beginning of something special. Heavy jazz influences can be heard throughout from the deep Rhodes chords to the razor sharp breakbeats. Seriously deep listening but still ready for the club!