Beats News

Can you believe we're past our first 10 dnb vinyl releases And we're opening the second 10 with something really big - a hell of a track by Handra and Mystic State, accompanied by a superb remix by Fre4knc on the flipside. "Side Effects" - as that's the title of the track in question - is all about that bass (hehe). That booming bassline, lifting the finely-programmed, soft beats up and down, adding some additional depth to the mysterious synthetic growling creeping up on the listener in the background. The single offers also yet another shade of the main course. Fre4knc dissects the original bits and pieces and puts them together in a new fashion, creating a dynamic roller driven by a no-nonsense continuous bassline, spicing things up with some heavy breakbeat choppage here and there. All in all, we're treating you to a healthy portion of low frequencies, well-rounded, tasty beats, and a range of diverse additives that cause no harmful side effects (yup, pun intended).

The polish dub master Radikal Guru is back to Moonshine Recordings with a heavyweight 12" vinyl on a 160bpm tip. This time he joins forces with two very talented MC's - Parly B and Baptiste to deliver yet another future classic. Tell dem fi run!

Alter follow on from the bilingual dark ambient theatricals of Liberez with this four track EP from veteran Hamburg producer Christoph De Babalon.

As an affiliate of Digital Hardcore, Fat Cat and the recently founded V I S, CDB has tirelessly explored the intersections of breakcore, illbient and drum and bass. His work is at once uncompromising yet stylish - broken, punishing rhythms collide with dreary, doom-laden melodies and those eerie in-between spaces of vintage Unit Moebius or Deutsch Nepal. With Hectic Shakes he delivers a meditation on the 'inner abyss', the sort of abyss that lulls the listener into his sound world with next to no resistance.

'Shakes and Shivers' fixates itself on deceptively playful grooves with eerie, nightbus-to-nowhere atmospherics whilst opening cut 'Harakiri' manages to distort familiar jungle tropes into something even die hard devotees of the sound will find fresh. The EP closes with what we can only describe as a homage to 90s ambient techno in a ruff, post-hardcore fashion. Skittering drums weave in and out of longing, futurist synth lines and enough breakdowns to satisfy the dance floor.

Electro-dub pioneers Dreadzone re-issue their 2001 album 'Sound'. The band formed in 1993 when ex-Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg 'Dread' Roberts teamed up with Tim Bran, with the duo soon joined by bassist Leo Williams. Until the release of their fourth album 'Sound' in 2001 the band continually remixed itself, chopping and changing members (and record labels). Greg and Tim approached the new millennium with a fresh idea in the form of the Dubwiser Club night at Notting Hill Arts Club - a move that would sow the seeds for the birth of 'Sound' in 2001 on the Ruff Life label. They channelled their energy into DJ based club nights that fused dub and reggae with contemporary electronic beats to create the perfect soundtrack for people from different planets. This proved a fertile musical playground with immediate feedback on the Dreadzone sound. It was in this climate (and in a new studio) that the band would create 'Sound'. The album was written and evolved over a two year period at the turn of the century and featured contributions from Don Letts, Earl 16, Brinsley Forde and MC Det. It's also most notable for the first appearance of a certain MC Spee on the opening tune Return of Dread.

* Huge 4 track E.P. featuring collabs from Optiv, BTK, Maztek and MC Kryptomedic.

* 'Divebomb' Optiv & BTK continue to bring their unique blend of funk-bass precision slammers to Virus Recordings and this is a perfect example of why they are so highly regarded in the scene. Bring on the bombs!

* 'Dark Ryder' Elemental tech-bass and their trademark razor sharp production abound as Optiv & BTK continue their mission to blow up the dancefloor.

* 'SMMF* ' Featuring the vocal talents of MC Kryptomedic...this is total Virus style future-funk with badass breaks and oldschool rap vocal intro brought to you by BTK and Maztek.

* 'Inside Out' The final instalment brings back the super-team of Optiv and BTK to finish off completely slaying the dancefloor with the most futuristic bassline funk out there!u

Melting Pot Stalwarts Malsum & Sinoptic Take The Controls For Our Latest Offering And Those Familiar With Their Signature Sound Will Know What To Expect.
With Evil Corp Ep, The Spanish Duo Expertly Blend Futuristic Atmospherics With Warped Syncopated Synthwork, Pristine Drums And Basslines Turned Up To 11!

Repress

The talents of Enei and Critical boss Kasra combine once more to kick off 2018. With the infamous Jakes on title track vocal duty, the 'Transmitter EP' rolls out four pieces of low-slung, sci-fi drum & bass designed for darkened rooms across the world.

Yak presents his first solo EP on the 3024 imprint! Three intricate percussive excursions showcasing this man's amazing talent. Rhodes Island is a vibey drum 'n bass number with dazzling edits and beat trickery, reminding us of the legacies of Nucleus and Paradox while still sounding extremely 2018. Don Greno is a more garage influenced roller that has been doing the rounds as a dub on Rinse. Ocean Floor is a sluggish, dubbed out drum groove perfect for those late night early morning vibrations.

The Bristol-based artist is a pioneer of electronic music. He has released music on seminal UK labels XL Recordings, Talkin' Loud, Full Cycle and now heads up the incomparable GutterFunk label.

Up until now, DJ Die has consistently pushed forward with his music, whether that be with music made with Dismantle as DieMantle or his collabs with Addison Groove the mantra has been 'do not rest on your laurels' but the time has now come to own his legacy as a trailblazer.

He has chosen to do this via remastering, rereleasing and repackaging 12 of his most innovative solo track recorded between 1995 and 2000 via his label GutterFunk.

There are 12 tracks being released digitally and 8 tracks on vinyl, one per side across four plates, housed in gatefold vinyl with sleeve notes and unseen photos from DJ Die

incl Sully Remix

Light Up the Night is the fourth album by the California-based duo Brothers Johnson, released in 1980. The album topped the U.S. R&B albums chart and reached number five on the pop albums chart. The single, 'Stomp!', became a dance hit, reaching number one on both the R&B singles and disco charts. The song 'This Had to Be' featured the King of Pop... Michael Jackson.

Special edition one sided 12' black vinyl.
The A side has both tracks cut on it, with the B side being screen printed with the Skeleton logo and graffiti text.
Two original Monita & K-Rox tracks from 1993 and 1994 get the remix treatment.

Smart Kid was an original '94 release, which has been brought right up to the sound of today by Threshold & Theory. Keeping that original old school feel with some seriously skilled edits.
Abandoned released in '93 was a real bouncy dance floor track and The Invaderz have done a great job in keeping that vibe, but also adding even more in a way only The Invaderz can.

A collaboration of seismic proportions, we present 'The Last Renegade' from Safire, DLR & DRS, backed with two experimental DLR forays called 'Dreaming Of A Place'. Sinister, brooding and shaped with intent, 'The Last Renegade' sees Safire & DLR combining to create a half time beast, with the piercing vocals of DRS a perfect fit. Developing the 'Dreamland' themes from his last album, DLR explores dub and techno influences and more downtempo vibes on two mixes of 'Dreaming Of A Place'. Digressing from the more typical Dispatch format, DLR, along with Safire & DRS,
express their artistic freedom to display the depth in quality within the label today.

For the vinyl heads, there will be a limited run of heavyweight clear vinyl pressed, shrink-wrapped within a bespoke, full colour sleeve.

Mannik has already blown peoples minds with his debut track on Death To Digital (KF70). And his first full EP delivers on that promise. Pure, original hardcore, as it was meant to be. Unusual in concept, sonically devastating, and showing a rare confidence and power for a relatively new artist. This EP sounds like it is 1992 again. It fits somewhere between Sublove, Automation, Hyper On Experience and all NRG without sounding like any of them. Along side Idealz's 'Run The Tune' EP (KF72) they are showing how this renaissance of old skool hardcore can grow and develop without being a simple copy of what came before. This is forward thinking yet rooted in the ethics of the past. This is what Kniteforce is about.

Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others

Fokuz Recordings' Eighty Eight - This is Fokuz is the labels 2017 Various Artist compilation including tracks by label regulars Anthony Kasper, Satl, Mutt, The Vanguard Project, Silence Groove and remixes by Break, Gerra & Stone and others. For the 12'' vinyl sampler drum & bass legends in the making Spectrasoul and Technimatic pick up remix duties for Phaction's Fantasy and Departure by Anthony Kasper. Two quality soulful and intricate cuts for the DJ's aiming to make dope moves.

Very special and highly limited project from the Fundamental Records camp, produced by different artists that will remain anonymous if they choose to. Words about the project: ''The main aim of this project is, on the one hand, to provide the artist with complete anonymity in order to create in absolute freedom and, on the other hand, to offer the listener the work of the artist without any external distortions. The use of words to describe or define music is a senseless task. Most of the time the intention of descriptive text is not to shed light on the work of the artist, but rather to serve as a promotional tool to drive sales and increase recognition. This often has the unfortunate result of limiting the creator and his work. Music is all we need, any other additives are completely dispensable. This project is also a tribute to the legendary James Stinson, an artist who was blessed with the gift of creating with a mind that was completely free from prejudices. He took his music beyond the imaginable. Beyond any name, label or genre.''

Kowton & Parris in deep concentration...

In accordance with relativity, they are in some sense interchangeable, but we do know that they form co-equal parts of a larger 'thing' called space-time, and it is only within space-time that the most complete understanding of the motion and properties of natural objects and phenomena can be rigorously understood by physicists. Space and time are to space-time what arms and legs are to humans. In some sense they are interchangeable, but you cannot understand 10,000 years of human history without including both arms and legs as part of the basic human condition.

Comma And A.fruit Land Two Unadulterated Bangers On Rua Sound, Backed With The Unmistakable Sounds Of Tmsv And Itoa On Remix Duties.

Oakland's Comma Roars Out Of The Blocks On His Rua Debut With A Crushed-up Glitchy Cut Entitled Gasworks. Comma Rams The Heavier End Of The West Coast Beat Scene Into The Uk Hardcore Continuum, On A Track Buzzing With Furious Energy.

If You Don't Know Itoa Yet - It's Time To Catch Up. Exit Record's Latest Addition Brings His Singular Production Style To The Remix With Whip-sharp Drums, A Colourful Sound Design, And Fresh, Unconventional Arrangements.

A Producer In Ascendency, Russia's A.fruit Serves Up The Darkness On The Flip With A Stepping Growler, Sodden With Bass. Her Production Is Tightly Bound Together By D.e.'s Intense Vocal And Delivers A Punch.

Rua Regular Tmsv Picks Up The Pace On The Remix, Rounding Off The Ep With Dancehall-infused Dread-rave Vibes, Like Only He Can.

Support From Deft, Fixate, Tim Parker, Breaka, Mister Shifter, Dolenz, Yorobi, Executive Steve, Coco Bryce, Hyroglifics And More.

DJ support from Mala, Toddla T, Moresounds, Simbad and more.

DJ Madd continues his futuristic bass explorations on Dub-Stuy with his second solo single for the label.

Dub-Stuy closes 2018 with a new 12' from DJ Madd, a regular contributor to the label whose productions can be heard on the label's riddim series and countless dubplates. For his second solo release on Dub-Stuy, the producer delivers a two tracker featuring some of his first productions written with hardware, including the Roland TR-8 drum machine. The two 170 bpm bass-heavy rollers follow from the forward-thinking hybrid dub Madd first displayed on his 2015 label debut, 'Kingdom'.
'Dub Champion' kicks things off with ominous horn stabs and vocal samples leading into Madd's trademark style: swift percussion, catchy leads, subtle effects and chest-rattling bass. A robust riddim for the late night dancefloor shifts.

Backing this up is 'Ghetto Sound,' an energetic instrumental number that unfurls with dubby effects and a tight combination of funky rhythm and bass. Watch for the second drop for a subtle nod to reggaeton and afrobeats polyrhythms!

Dub Champions SP is another tightly packed single in line with Dub-Stuy's commitment to current dancefloor sensibilities rooted in dub music.

Bun The Grid Catapults Into Fall With Its Second North American Signing, Brooklyn's Doctor Jeep. After Several Years Exploring The West Coast Festival Halftime Sound, Jeep Returns To His Love Of Bristolian Polyrhythmic Club Tools.

vault Of Glass' Channels Underwater Atmospherics In A Dark, Broken- Beat, Warehouse Style, While Collaborator And Tour Partner Fixate Joins The Fray On dorado' - Summoning Disembodied Voices And Frantic Breakbeats To Hypnotize Late-night Ravers. Switching The Energy With A Modern Dnb-meets-dancehall Vibe,

emergency Broadcast Test' Features Washington Dc's Cirrus. On The Flip, Two Remixes Add An Uptempo Flavour To vault Of Glass': Hyper-active Juke From London's Hyroglifics, And A Punishingly-heavy Hip Hop Twist From Calgary-via-detroit Veteran Sinistarr.

Early Support From J:kenzo, Fracture, Roska, The Librarian, And More.

Now that the dust is beginning to settle a bit after the incredible reaction to our mammoth 5th Column LP project, we are pleased to announce a 2 x 12" release from one of the most exciting minds on our roster, and it's an absolute stormer. Forest Drive West's productions have always been essays on the balance of groove and complexity, and the balance between airy fluidity and cavernous weight, but these five tracks here are the mature work of a producer who is a master of the tonal vocabulary of soundsystem music.The five tracks on the Set Free EP veer between abrasive amen carnage, apache breaks chopped and refracted, throbbing sub bass, and a rhythmical dexterity that catapults him into the vanguard of practitioners of the art.

Kid Lib Returns to Sweet Sensi Records alonside new label signing, the mysterious Dub & Wheel bringing 4 cuts of old skool 8-bit Amiga jungle.

New artist Kiljoy hits hard like Spirit and bangs riffs out like Digital! The elusive artist's debut on Function Records brings the best of the oldschool into 2018.
Banging amen breaks face off with the riff sound from the '92 classic, Anasthasia, building this Bad Man into a frenzy. On the flip, Air Raid's haunting hook and direct breaks propel you deep into the war zone. Tight bassline work from Kiljoy, ready to shell down

Last year Julien 'Redeyes' Salvi showed off his versatility on his Blueprints EP. He now takes it one step further with the release of 'Broken Soul', his first full length project for The North Quarter. Through twelve sincere tracks, the Toulouse-based artist showcases an action packed storyline co-starring some of the most sought-after vocalists in the game. Not only do Manchester legends DRS and Tyler Daley make appearances, but there are also features by fresh NQ signee Abnormal Sleepz, HMD, KinKai and Juga-Naut as well as NY underground Hip Hop phenomenon Milano Constantine. Rap, Soul and dusty Jazz flavour is woven through diverse tracks in both tempo and intensity. The Redeyes signature shines bright however, effortlessly capturing current aesthetics and eclecticism. This album shows a veteran artist comfortable in his craft and is not just at home on Lenzman's imprint, it possibly signifies the quintessence of The North Quarter philosophy

From Alex Reece To J Majik, From Dillinja To Goldie, The Influence Of Jazz Has Been A Constant And Shadowy Presence In Drum & Bass. We Can Hear Its Echoes In The Samples And Instrumental Palettes Of The Early Liquid Funk & Atmospheric D&b Championed By Fabio's Creative Source, Bukem's Good Looking Records And The Legendary Moving Shadow Or, More Obliquely, In The Smoky, Late-night Moods Of Source Direct, Dj Trace And Hidden Agenda.

The 20th Century Journey Of Jazz From Its West African Roots Through To Its De Facto Role As The Soundtrack To A Nocturnal, Urban Existence Is Reflected, Amplified, Distorted And Intensified In Drum & Bass, With A Constant And Fertile Interplay Between The Fleet-footed Improvisation Of The Former And The Rigid, Machined Discipline Of The Latter.

The City At Night Is A Complex Place, Beautiful, Chaotic, Intimidating, Peaceful, Terrifying. It Is Through This Lens And These Tensions That We Come To An Understanding Of Rq's Music. It Is The Latest Incidence Of Jazz's Dark, Metropolitan Portraits Melting Into Modern Electronic Production, Resulting In Dance Music That Has Drifted Far From The Dance And Begun A Journey Inwards.

Rq's Debut Lp For Blu Mar Ten Music, 'solid Ground', Occupies A Darkly Dreamlike Hinterland, Located Somewhere Between The Retro-futurism Of Photek And Alice Coltrane's Jazz Psychedelia. Fragmented, Distant Beats, Rippling Modal Patterns And Restrained Astral Basslines Provide Rhythmic And Harmonic Anchors To A Constellation Of Timbres And Textures.

'solid Ground' Seeks A Freedom From The Meter, Instrumentation And Other Conventions That Codify Drum & Bass, Creating Instead A Meditative And Transcendental Rendering Of The Genre. The Album Is Compelling And Mysterious, Constantly Suggesting Cosmic And Urban Musical Forms That Switch And Glide Into And Away From Each Other, Forming A Multi-directional Flow Of Reflective, Mystical Moments. 'solid Ground' Is A Spiritual Transformation Of Functional Dance Music, An Extraordinary Exercise In Metaphysics.

Rq Himself Is No Newcomer To The Scene. Not Just A Producer And Dj, As An Accomplished Graphic Artist His Visual Work Has Graced The Sleeves Of Releases On Metalheadz, Commercial Suicide, Samurai Recordings, Valve And Many More. He Is Also Resident Designer For London's Leading D&b Night, Soul In Motion. He Has Released A Range Of Ambient And Leftfield D&b, Including The Incredible 'shimmer' / 'traces' On Blu Mar Ten Music In 2015.

Logical Direction recordings Beatz EP Vinyl Edition Volume Two

* Adding to an already impressive collection of VA albums, Horizons Music returns for another part of their 'Dream Thief' series.

* Featuring producers both past and present, those who've already released on the bourgeoning imprint and those making their first debut, it's an impressive portfolio of music. Horizons have a reputation for selecting only the most ground-breaking ability and this LP is no exception. They've proved yet again that their A&R skills are second to none, cutting through the more commercial sounds and providing tunes which resound across a huge listenership. They're a label who've been standing at the underground's forefront for quite some time now and if this album's anything to go by, they're looking to make even more of an impact in the not too distant future.

* There's a huge collection of records on this forthcoming LP. Whether it's the gritty sonic of neuro pioneer Amoss on 'Yuzu', or electronic technician Break's offering 'Headway', there's a taste for every palette on the jammed track listing. Chris SU switches up his signature technique on crashing roller 'Where's My Place' and Mikal with the heavyweight sound of 'Beyond'. Particular stand outs on the album include Silent Witness' 'Totem', a rolling number that focuses heavily on percussion and ingenious drum strokes. All eyes have also been on veteran Digital recently, and it's easy to see why throughout 'Spark Cut', a grinding jungle anthem which shows no mercy.

* It's a rattling, tribal drum & bass record which breaks out of any constraints. Showing just how ingenious and unique each artist proves to be throughout the album, it demonstrates Horizons' expert eye for talent.

2x12"

More than a great Release!