Beats News

Two-tracker of club ready tunes from the don Pessimist.
He says: "Hardcore / jungle techno done my way. These are two tunes for the dancefloor, no messing around, straight to the point."

4 more quarters, 4 more contrasting expressions of global bass music culture: Barefoot sound originator and G-stone Afrofuturist Stereotyp teams-up powerfully with Malaysian rap legend Arabyrd on 'KEK', delivering a massive dose of Malay shudder trap that does not relent in either its growling bass attack or husky lyrical humour. Next up, the crisp and clean mid-90s DnB vibes of Bristolian producer K-65 ups the energy and tempo with the steadily rolling rinse-out of 'In My Mind', lightening the mood momentarily prior to the first cut on the B-side, with which we descend once more into the increasingly familiar Badman-isms of Low End Activist, who opts for a mutant strain of hardcore UKG on this outing, all scuffed swing and first light maneuvers. Finally though, it's all about the transparency of the groove, with the lush closing tune by Sentinel 793 emanating masses of UK Bruk style and charm, delivering another solid, low-slung workout from this hardworking and charismatic producer. Confined to quarters or not, get these 4 new sound pieces for the meantime, downtime, time being etc... as you like, want or need.

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Extraordinary musical talent returns with a deeply textured third outing on Blu Mar Ten Music.

Having made serious waves with the release of his debut album "Coeur Calme" in 2014 and the incredible 2016 follow up album "Zawadi", Kimyan Law steers his sound in a darker, more introspective direction with the twelve heavily themed set-pieces of his new album, "Yonda".

The album title, "Yonda", homophonically flits between a location in Kimyan Law's native Congo and definitions of something situated at a distance but still visible, foreshadowing the artist's move away from his typical uplifting palette into less playful territory.

While previous work seemed to be a personal exploration of joy-tinged melancholy, "Yonda", feels much more sober and pensive, infected with external events. In conversation with Kimyan Law the artist described one piece ("Krieg") as his "portrait of war", with the music moving through phases of violence, silence, panic, redemption and peace. Ever the allegorist, Kimyan Law relates themes of conflict and war not just to obvious geopolitics but also to his own physical struggles, and even an obsessive battle with the music itself, ("Yonda" has been more than three years in the making). In 2017 the artist wrote, "I've reached a point where I couldn't sleep because it bothered me so much... I have found myself unable to make any music except for Krieg".

An accomplished drummer in his own right, Kimyan Law's intricate rhythmic sensibility is the lifeblood that runs throughout the album, incorporating ever more outlandish sources of percussion recorded from his natural surroundings and filtered through technology.

"Yonda's opener, "Jaardin", is deceptively gentle, with off-kilter rhythms and pianos providing fertile ground for Elyn's delicate singing before the whole piece careens off into what can only be described as orchestral proto-jungle territory. It soon becomes apparent that this placid introduction is misleading, with subsequent tracks fluctuating between pounding tribal beats ("Arboreal Epitone" / "Kin"), chilling orchestration ("Byo" / "Krieg") and rehabilitated jungle forms ("Seven Ant Foley"). A constant mix of light and dark, futuristic yet primitive atmosphere hangs over the album, with waves of luscious synths and deeply musical string arrangements lovingly cloaked over the razor-sharp drum work.

Unusual conceptual themes litter "Yonda"; "Dor Rhythm" is about a Dung Beetle's journey, "Lampion" is about paper lanterns, "Nova" is about plant growth while "Kilele" is a song about peace, featuring Kimyan Law's own vocals in a new language he created himself, conjuring memories of Cocteau Twin's Liz Fraser.

While "Yonda" contains moments of incontestable beauty it can often be a difficult listen, an illustration of an anxious mind yearning for peace. An obsessive and intricate musician, Kimyan Law's use of African percussion, finely honed polyrhythmic patterns and celestial sprinklings of keys melded with slabs of sub-bass power and sheer energy makes for an intoxicating listen. As ever, Kimyan Law has delivered a profoundly serious piece of work that expands the vocabulary of his genre. Despite the darkness saturating the work, a soft light still breaks through the window. It is the east, and Kimyan Law is the sun.

Blue Vinyl

Seba smashes his way into 2022 with the much anticipated release of his third studio album, "Ingaro".

Prepare yourself for ten brand new tracks of Seba. Secret Operations presents the first LP in almost ten years, from a producer who believes albums are not to be taken lightly.

"Ingaro" takes it's name from the small island outside of Stockholm, which Seba has called home for the last 20 years and is also where he spent his formative years.

The new LP takes the listener on a soaring journey through the entire Seba sound. Whether it's the dark and insistent forces of "Horse Power", which grow and fold in on themselves throughout the track, or the blooming euphoric roller "Public Beauty". A fresh collection of tracks which contain the unmistakeable Seba DNA, which has helped cement the name Seba firmly into the world of drum and bass.

Any album is not complete without some guests joining along the way and Seba has also enlisted some helpers on the journey and the LP includes collaborations with Collette Warren, Björn Berglund, Samuel Lancine and Blackeye.

For many, Seba is a name they are very familiar with. From his early releases on Good Looking right through to the present day Seba has made a name for himself for his exciting and varied production.

His music draws influence from far and wide across the musical spectrum and his work alongside the legendary Paradox and vocalist Robert Manos have gone down in Drum and Bass history.

Not just famed for his work in the studio, Seba's sets have gained a reputation for their energy and emotion. One of the scene's unique veterans. Seba's work is inspiring producers and fans more than ever. An album which sets the bar high for 2022!

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Dutch DJ and producer, Coco Bryce, makes his Lobster Theremin debut with an incredible offering of jungle, hardcore and broken beats that conjure up feelings of warm, nostalgic euphoria. Over 25 years in the game, recently it feels Bryce is unstoppable - unleashing killer cuts on Dead Man’s Chest’s Western Lore, 7th Storey Projects and Fresh 86. Nodding to the sound of the Netherlands he was enamoured with in the 90’s - hardcore, gabber, breakbeat - and channelling the spirit of the UK hardcore scene; Lobster Theremin imprint LT White is the perfect home for this extremely vibesy, playful EP.

Title track, ‘Ma Bae Be Love’ sees saccharine sweet vocals, bouncy broken beats and jungle energy come together - an uplifting cut you’ll want to keep on loop. A2, ‘Blue Tile Lounge’ marries intricate drum patterns full of sunkissed grooves, with warm pads and uplifting vox lines. On the flip, ‘Smoke Screen’ reaches further into hardcore terrority with acid lines bubbling up, frantic percussion and whirlpool electronics swirling throughout, with timeless rave references - watch ya bass bins! Finally, ‘Get Schwifty’ is a total crusher. Hectic, old skool jungle that still sounds fresh as hell, one to shake the floor to the core, a total stonker!

The first X-Kalay release of 2022 finds Melbourne’s Escape Artist traversing wormholes, complete with an assist from the ever-prolific Roza Terenzi.

Picking up where a 2019 Salt Mines debut left off, ‘Wanna Dance’ allows proggy tendencies to flourish across some mind-altering electro. Portals to higher planes of consciousness and uncharted star systems fling open as widescreen, celestial pads make way for lysergic climax.

Ramping up the intensity with her ‘Bassbin Mix’, Roza Terenzi jumps on remix duties; another electro workout, but this time more urgent, more propulsive. Bringing the tribal-breakbeat pressure in spades, it’s quintessential Terenzi.

More prog, but leaning further towards cosmic techno percolation, ‘Levitator’ finds mazy arpeggios in seemingly infinite ascent. ‘Time Knife’, on the other hand, is a radiant, beatless highlight. Deploying cascading synth arps to truly mesmeric effect, it sees the Antipodean achieve sublime tension in a rare moment of introspection.

Boiling club music down to a brutal, incisive essence, Anthoney Hart AKA Basic Rhythm returns to Sneaker Social Club with a trio of sharply honed Drum & Bass cuts for the dance.

With releases on labels as varied as Type, Warp sub-label Arcola, Planet Mu and Future Retro, Basic Rhythm has always presented a clear-sighted vision of what works in the context of hardcore-rooted sounds without ever sounding derivative of what has come before.

Following 2019’s New Style and 2020’s I Don’t Know What I Would Do, Basic Rhythm returns to Sneaker Social with the icy impact of ‘Still’. The lead track runs across the A side in a nuanced sound field of atmospheric impressions, architectural punctuation and an understated but deadly effective beat. With a minimalist approach these subtle touches carry all the more weight.

On the flip, ‘Le Samouraï’ has a similarly spartan palette, albeit with a much knottier rhythmic framework and a more pronounced bed of dread-filled string pads ensuring the vibe remains as moody as possible in a time-honoured UK style. The extraneous silence around the 2/3 marker is the definition of an anti-drop.

Referencing a totemic study of magic and religion, ‘Still (Golden Bough)’ approaches the A side from a subtly altered angle, switching up the textural matter and thus shifting the atmosphere towards something more ritualistic and unnerving. As with the rest of the EP, In something so stark your ears relish every individual element, and yet each subsequent listen brings another dimension of the track to the fore. In the rigour of his sound, Hart once again demonstrates how his rhythms are anything but basic.

Response and Pliskin epitomise 'journey music' with this release.

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"Shade of Me And You" is liquid drum and bass with a sweet vocal. The bass is deep but the beats light. Almost too sweet. The Blu Mar Ten remix of "Never Let You Go" is the stronger track, with a heavier sub bass and more sense of urgency in the beats vying with the delicate synth on top. Quite lovely.

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Tommy Farrow has been making waves ever since his breakout single, 'Let's Just', caught the eye of Radio 1 tastemakers. His emotive, trancelike tracks, evoking influences like Bicep, have been instant hits. Joining the Classic Cuts series, Forever EP is his debut on Shall Not Fade.

'Forever' features rising star vocalist Clementine Douglas, her sultry lines coasting over melancholy chords before casting off into high drama breaks and synth melodies. Breakbeat dominates 'Feel What I'm Feeling' too, a big room track filled with pure ecstasy; closing track 'Imagination' is deep and grooving with an explosive electro edge.

Forever EP drops 10th December via Shall Not Fade.

THE HITMAN aka MARVELLOUS CAIN delivers his most sought after tracks on vinyl!

RETURN OF THE HITMAN collects together 16 of the most exclusive cuts from Marvellous Cain’s extensive back catalogue, all remastered and presented as a collectable vinyl box set package.

This album has been a long time coming, much of that time spent by Marvellous Cain digging through his studio to find original DAT recordings of his most in demand hits, in the process unearthing some exclusive, never before released gems!

This album kicks off with 2 versions of arguably his most notorious track Hitman, a certified jungle classic from 1994! For this compilation, Marvellous Cain has selected the version of Hitman previously only available on his debut Gun Talk LP back in 1995 (released on Suburban Base). He’s also treated us to the very long overdue, unreleased, DJ Stretch Dubplate VIP, originally produced in ’94, but never pressed to vinyl!

On the flip are two cuts from the infamous Lucky Spin imprint... Life Is Rollin & Miss Out. Both tracks were originally available as a very limited white label press, but never got a full release. This has been selling for £90 on reseller sites due to its scarcity.

Record 2 is again packed with rare music, with 3 of the 4 cuts being unreleased to date. The first track Will I See You? has traded hands for an incredible £500 on Discogs, we can see many buying Return Of The Hitman for this track alone!

Our 3rd slice of vinyl see’s Marvellous Cain teaming up for studio collaborations with original jungle don Bizzy B on Everyday Junglist, also with Libra for an unreleased alternative version of Nu Music discovered on the original session DAT from 1996.

The 4th and final slice of wax in this package introduces new remixes of a couple of classic tracks. CB4 has been reworked for 2022 by Marvellous Cain himself. Dubplate Style has a fresh ‘22 lick by D&B’s hardest working DJ Nicky Blackmarket alongside production partner FreezeUK who’s recently released on Ram Records sister label Prog:Ram!

We close out with two dubplate exclusives from 95 & 96 respectively, taken from Marvellous Cain’s personal arsenal of DJ ammunition, and now available for the first time to the record buying public.

Inspired by electro, techno and trance, Hess Publica emerges as a sub label for Lyon based Pomme Sanguine. The project makes balance with the introspective and emotional sounds featured by the latter since 2019. Hess Publica’s first vinyl features sweet shots of acid breaks, old school techno, electro beats and classic codes of 90’s trance music, together with new school textures and samples. It is the product of 5 artists coming from interconnected European scenes with Lyon as their confluence.

Clarity returns to the fore with the stunning Basalt EP on UVB-76 Music. Four tracks split across two tempos, bound together with a signature clinical precision and prowess commonly associated with Clarity’s work. Title track ‘Basalt’ and ‘Different Ways’ lurk at a moody 130 bpm, while ‘You Alright’ (alongside label mate Holsten) and ‘Drifter’ are prime 170 bpm drum & bass fare.

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The third release of the Rubezh Records is dedicated to the early work of the Russian female pop group Blestyashchiye. The record includes remixes and edits versions of tracks from the first album released in 1997.

Tek 9 Vintage. This LP will feature some VIPs, unreleased, and a remix from Tom and Jerry between 1992 – 1996. Original black vinyl Artwork by Malx George. Mastered by Beau Thomas.

Club Glow powerhouse and all-round Bristol bass-bin baiting badman Borai returns to his Higher Level label with three new drops of elevated breakbeat science. As well as his work alongside Denham Audio, L Major and Mani Festo in Club Glow, Borai has been busy landing uptempo slammers on Hardcore Energy, Vivid, E-Beamz and Infiltrate in the past couple of years, and he returns to home turf in peak shape.

The A side lights up with the dizzying break-juggling ruffness of 'Lights On', a surefire call to squeeze the last juice from the party, while 'Bobbi' opens the B side treading an artful line between deep and depraved as immersive tones face off against taut, driving rhythms. 'Sargasso Sea' smooths the proceedings out good and proper in true B2 style with a pitched-down slice of soul-charged broken beat that smacks where it counts, Borai's established instinct for forward-facing melody shining through in the interplay between 90s keys, diva vocal samples and illustrious pads.

As the premier release on new Jungle & Breakbeat label Bukva Sound we find the amazing Response & Buda, northerners that gather to give us a four track EP with ravey, deep & subliminal vibes.

The title track, Illusions a 160 4x4 bomb that feature the tremendous voice of Lara Lee. Known from Response & Pliskins "Stolen Keys" release on legendary label Rupture London.

Razor-sharp drum 'n' bass, cutting-edge jungle, glitchy synths and extraterrestrial machine sounds.

Offering unbelievable exhibits of their dexterity in brewing futuristic jungle and razor-sharp drum ‘n’ bass, Kamikaze Space Programme and Cocktail Party Effect step in with four meticulously designed mind-bending tracks.

Spiced up with a devastating array of extraterrestrial machine sounds and wicked sinister ambience, Food for Thought is for all those who continue to feed their minds with criticisms, refusing to adhere to a system that wants us technological adults but spiritual and emotional infants.

“...But you survived!” Cit.

Third 12inch four tracker on Dubcore by Istari Lasterfahrer. This was supposed to dive deep into rub-a-dub basslines and comes out with a wide selection of styles. `A Way She Want` kicks in with dancehall selection breaks and ping-pong percussions. `Brain Tuning` follows a more rave stabbing path. `Keep It Real` stomping up juke and jungle riddims in a trance mantra and `Fuck The Computer` ends up the plate with some 150 bpm hardcore jungle.

Concrete Castle Dubs return with a double sided 10” rocket launcher from the legend that is Spikey Tee. Two heavy hitters on that ruffnek drum and bass tip, Badder Than Me and Bumbo Ras, coming on a frosted clear 10” vinyl.

Having been involved in the music industry since the early 90’s Spikey Tee is certainly no stranger to the game, not only on a production tip but vocally too. From being signed to Virgin as part of the groundbreaking crew The Sindecut, releasing and featuring on music with the likes of Bomb The Bass, Roots Manuva, Morcheeba, Sola Rosa, Mr Scruff, Jah Wobble and many more, releasing his own solo album on Tokyo Dawn in 2020, and bossing the decks as a dj around the globe too.

We’re very proud to have him deliver two sterling tracks for the label and bring the fire we like to represent neatly!

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Dream team collaboration from 2 of the finest Drum & Bass artists in the scene.

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* Spearhead Records label boss Steve BCee returns with his 4th studio album, and it's safe to say that it's his best one yet. Not just a solo affair, BCee has also drafted in some of the finest vocal and production talent around. With features from two time best d&b vocalist winner Riya and d&b legend Logistics being just the start.

* 'Northpoint' is BCee at his most diverse. From the early 90's hardocre influenced 'Keep Moving On' to the Jungle roots of 'Hollow Eyes' this is an album that really showcases how broad the D&B spectrum can be while still keeping to the Spearhead ethos of being uplifting musical d&b packed full of heart & soul. BCee said 'I wanted to make an album packed full of d&b that would work in a club just as well as it would in the car. No fillers, no showcasing how I can produce house or hip-hop or whatever, just pure no nonsense drum & bass'.

* With BCee's Spearhead Presents brand regularly selling out shows at clubs like the legendary Egg in Kings Cross & Shoreditch's Village Underground, plus his growing DJ & production schedule and 'The Vanguard Project' his alias as a duo with fellow d&b produced Villem, it's safe to say that even though BCee has been in the game for 16 years, he's only just getting started.

* Support from Friction, Mistajam, Metrik, Technimatic, S.P.Y, Nu:Tone, Logistics, London Elektricity and a whole load more...

It's not often we say amazing, but there really are no other words for the response received for ESC & MINERAL's 'Satellite EP'!! The long-standing production duo has found a way of combining many different vibes into one stone cold EP and the results are stunning.

SATELLITE kicks off the proceedings with a sound that could have grown out from that certain basement on Hoxton Square. Fresh & updated to 2020s, this one’s for the original headz.

AURAL DESTINATION First surfacing on Loxy's seminal Applied Science Division mix late 2021, Mineral's atmospheric breakbeat is blended with a fat bassline - giving the track a classic end of the night vibe.

VORTEX A tech stepper from outer space, channeling the vibes of ‘97/’98.

PHASES OF CHARON Esc digs deep into the vaults of No U Turn & co. with a menacing dark workout.

UVB-76 veteran Overlook returns once again with a new EP in the form of ‘Lost Souls Club’. Four tracks drenched in film-noir soundscapes and topped with razor sharp breakbeats, never once compromising in its intricate details and scope. This a journey truly encompassing the past, present and future of the genre.

DJ Support
Loxy, FDW, Clouds, Zenker Brothers, Flight, Ricky Law, Israel Vines, Skitty, Karl Meier, Monic, Samuel Kerridge, Pessimist, Clarity, VEGA, Gremlinz, Holsten, Outer Heaven, Karim Maas, Stave

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Stay straight to the line. This ep is dedicated to Gerard, king of the Kings, the man won the 2017 Razzle battle.

Warning : Countrymans, do not listen to this record if you are not accustomed.

As the z-axis of our planet tilts away, and a gulf of dusty earth, air and searing fire is revealed before us, Minimal Violence holds a unflinching stare, unveiling upon us Phase Three in an act of pure psychic release. Consecutive of the destruction of Phase One and the restructuring of Phase Two it only seems appropriate that the third phase of the series finds the project reaching a state of transcendence and transition as it also aligns with the shift from a duo to the solo venture of Ash Luk following the departure of co-founder Lida P.

This third EP of the DESTROY ---> physical REALITY psychic <--- TRUST series launches straight into the 145 bpm stomper Flatline. It is a track founded by a family spirit, with lyrics co-written with Luk’s mother and their step-father Mad Johnny on vocals and guitar. It draws a hoarse chant of passion, ".. nothing matters .. I still love you .. resuscitation .. resurrection .." in answer to arching melodic euphoria. Cold (sex) follows down a scorched earth driveway into distorted whistles, detuned melodies and some of the best sequencer abuse out there.
We Suocate on the Violence of Light reveals perhaps the finest expedition so far in Minimal Violence’s particular vein of acid-singed euphoric trance. Its synths smeared and merged unholy, where the drums meddle with the tensions between drum and bass and nail to the ground four to the floor rhythm. Focus On That Form pummels hard within a deep noise volley, scratching hard to rid its environments of any longer lasting lustre.

As ever, the transformative sound of Minimal Violence emerges deep from fire. Denying any uncertain embers an escape route, Luk casts anew from a seemingly unending source of unique energy.

Samy Ponsar aka War has been a firm favourite and valued member of the Utopia family, so it was only a matter of time until his first solo body of work for them would surface. It also happens to be the first dubstep / 140 bpm offering from the label, completely taking things away from the drum & bass things for a beat.

An ice-cold body of work showcases Sam's impressive and continuously growing dexterity both in the idea and engineering spheres alike. The EP is laden with his well-known style and distinctive approach to writing music. As the artist harnesses room-shaking low end frequencies and bone breaking beats, we're invited on a trip filled with jazz and noir soundscapes between 110 and 140 bpm, served on a solid White 10” with full colour sleeve designed by War himself.

Undesignated remixes is an expansive project containing 12 remixes of tracks from dgoHn’s iconic 2020 full-length by some choice artists from in and around the Love Love sphere. Remixes that take dgoHn’s unique razor-sharp original productions and send them through a loop and round the twist, some stripped down, some messed up, most but not all maintaining the speedier tempos that dgoHn likes to work around. The result is a collection of seriously futuristic electronic music with some stylistic leanings towards labels like braindance or drumfunk or jungle but completely genre-eluding as a whole, reshaped from the minerals of the original LP by some absolute dons of their craft.

Opening the album Equinox does a fantastic job highlighting the lushness of ‘Puppet’ layering sky-high sunshine pads before sliding into Meat Beat Manifesto’s heavy sci-fi acid dub version of ‘Daisy Takes Two’. A woozy remix of ‘Lucky Gonk’ by Macc & dgoHn marks the first new material from them as a duo since ’09 and Wisp also makes a rare appearance bringing his inimitable post-rephlexian vibes on an agonisingly wonderful, melody-heavy remix of 'Electryon'. Skee Mask’s choice of remixing ‘Robin’s Windmill’ turns the original into a bundle of writhing rhythms organically unfolding with swelling ambient tones. Homegrown heroes Rognvald & Scrase both opt for pumped up post-breakcore in unconventional time signatures while Djrum emphatically provides the LP’s dose of peak jungle choppage, tempering the drum breaks of ‘Ninnyhammer’ with a blistering amen. Also featured on the LP are crisp and beefy drum workouts courtesy of Coco Bryce and Forest Drive West, visceral and apocalyptic half-time bass from Activia Benz affiliated duo Quavis and virtuosic noir-jazz tearout from fellow East-Anglian Carl Brown.

"Emotional Response is delighted to present Benoit B's new project Terra Utopia - 8 tracks of atmospheric breaks that unfold across ambient, beats and drum and bass.

This debut offers the artist a new direction, connected to feelings of an intangible warmth, where empty urban expanse and latent stillness meets a Mediterranean azure of sky and sea, oscillating, ethereal.

The music was created in a short time frame; short pieces, linked around a laconic structure flowing as if across some imaginary astral void.

An invitation, where time slows, days stretch, cloudless nights lead to a romantic dawn, the narrative to allow the listener the space and choice to dream.

Fear no more, the heat of the sun. "

Limited hand stamped copies..

MASSIVE REMIXES OF THE VICTOR SIMMONELLI CLASSIC FROM DUSKY & TOTAL SCIENCE

The mighty Ron Wells returns with his legendary “Fast Floor” project. Limited copies..