Beats News

Drum & Bass duo The Prototypes release their much anticipated debut album 'City of Gold' on Viper Recordings following hit singles such as 'Pale Blue Dot', 'Don't Let Me Go' and 'Pop It Off'.

Already one of the hottest acts in the UK Drum & Bass club scene having 3 out of the Top 10 best selling tracks of 2014 on Beatport, The Prototypes are reaching new heights with their debut LP which showcases their trademark club sound and vocal anthems.

Good UK Drum & Bass at a nice price... So what ?

Bringing his 2020 story to a gleaming crescendo with an exciting new
chapter of music, Keeno graces the world of drum & bass with his very first solo album on Hospital Records, following his three previous triumphant albums on sister-label Med School.
‘I Live, I Learn’ is a divine body of work that goes above and beyond Keeno’s previous repertoire with a fresh outlook on the distinct, classically-infused D+B style that he is loved for.
Album title-track ‘I Live, I Learn (feat. F Vie)’ kickstarts the journey with a majestically cinematic introduction where Keeno’s multi-instrumentalist training shines through as earnest pianos and strings are seamlessly intertwined, laying down the canvas for F Vie to decorate with her beautiful melodies and heartfelt lyrics.
‘Behind The Glass’ instils immense euphoria and inspiration with the vocals of Kate Wild which uplift and teach the important lesson of self-love. Sublime flourishes and a bassline crafted with sonic precision elevate the irresistibly feel-good track into a world of its own. A future favourite of those who had his ‘Sick Music 2020’ contribution ‘I Wonder’ on repeat.
Transcendent atmospherics and soulful guitar grooves set the scene on ‘Severn Summers’ before splashy Amen breaks and jazzy chords ignite into an explosion of musical brightness. Exquisitely executed vintage vocal samples add to the cut’s sublime flair. This is liquid drum & bass at its finest.
Teaming up with New Zealand based singer/songwriter, and no stranger to Hospital Records, Thomas Oliver brings his infectiously enlivening vibe to ‘Sunflowers’. Pulsing sub basses, crisp breaks and a warm piano pair perfectly with the blissful vocals of Thomas Oliver. Other notable collaborations on the album include Whiney & Ebson on ‘Unreachable’, Etherwood on the well-received single ‘Fall Beneath You’ and rising star Telomic on ‘Listen Close’.
Keeno’s dedication to crafting his own unique sound has not gone unnoticed.
His remarkable productions have been supported by esteemed tastemakers, including a ‘Self-Certified Selection’ from MistaJam on BBC Radio 1, plays from Rene LaVice and his music being aired across the UK airwaves from 1Xtra to 6Music. On top of this, Keeno also hosts his widely renowned ‘Bristol Mix Series’ streams showcasing the very best established and upcoming talent in drum & bass. The success of his ‘Bristol Mix Series’ has led to his very own biweekly residency at Basement 45 in Bristol, where you’ll be able to catch Keeno spinning the latest D+B to his socially-distanced devotees.

Jack Workforce welcomes his first guest producers to the Must Make imprint, handing over three cuts from his Late Night Soundtrack project to three stellar remixers; Break, Tim Reaper and Halogenix. All three have delivered absolutely elite-level reimaginations of the Workforce cuts, spanning and encapsulating the entirety of the Drum & Bass genre; from Break’s straight-up reworking of ‘Overnight Express’, twisting the DNA of the original cut and crunching up the tones of SP:MC, to the legendary Tim Reaper’s jungle reworking of ‘Two Words’, which absolutely turns the original on it’s head, and finally to the detailed, brutal but emotive take on

The name High Contrast needs no introduction any more…the Welsh wonder has smashed his way through the D+B scene and has become one of its iconic and much respected heroes.!

Welsh-born electronic musician, producer, DJ and remixer Lincoln Barrett AKA High Contrast is the master of melodic, melancholic jungle: hardcore with a harmonic core. He has been picked up by renowned publications such as Line of Best Fit, NME, DJ Mag and Clash Magazine.nHe received a Grammy nomination earlier this year for his remix of Jorja Smith’s ‘The One’ and has played old out shows in London including Electric Brixton, Electric Ballroom Camden and London Heaven. Now High Contrast is back with his sixth studio album ‘Notes From The Underground’

dark red marbled vinyl

The 12" EP A Momentary Convergence of Differently Paced Trajectories is a heterogenous dj-oriented release, prelude and companion of Maurizio Ravalico's first solo percussion album Nobody's Husband, Nobody's Dad, released in November 2018 with the Funkiwala label. It comes in 180gms vinyl on a hand-numbered run of 300 individually screen-printed 320gsm brown card sleeves.

THE MUSIC

Side A opens with a full-size batucada version of Fear of Mapping, one of the tracks from No Fiction Now!, the 2013 debut album of Maurizio's trio Fiium Shaarrk.

It is followed by a personal take on one of Collocutor's second album tracks, Here to There to Everywhere, arranged here as a spacey 5/4 drum'n'bass epic.

Side B contains an old-school jungle remix of Just Bring Your Toys, one of the tracks from Maurizio's forthcoming album, by the Italian d'n'b veteran Enjoy (Omni Music, Bustle Beats). The EP closes with an edited version of the same track: a taste of the album.

Despite being both loosely presented as remixes, neither of the two arrangements on side A makes use of samples from the respective releases, and any material not progammed or played anew by Maurizio comes from either unreleased off-cuts or preliminary demos.

"One of the finest avant-garde percussionists in the world. Maurizio Ravalico is incredible to watch and hear. Catch him live somewhere soon!"- Jean-Claude Thompson, IfMusic uk

"Creative, deep and intriguing. Percussion avantgarde at its best." - Vince Vella, Dj, producer, Havana Cultura

Italian-born visionary cross-genres percussionist Maurizio Ravalico has been one notably eclectic presence in the London music scene since his arrival in the UK, in 1991.

Regularily seen on stage and on releases with the like of Jamiroquai and the James Taylor Quartet throughout the nineties, as well as with virtually every salsa and Cuban-oriented projects to originate from London in the same period, he has subsequently collaborated on many of the projects of the experimental music label Not applicable (Icarus, Isambard Khroustaliov, Alex Bonney, Tom Arthurs) since 2005, and is now an established name in both the London and Berlin improv and experimental scene, having played with John Edwards, Oren Marshall, Steve Beresford, Pat Thomas, Frank Paul Schubert and many others.

Maurizio Ravalico's peculiar approach to percussion is one of the distinctive traits of Tamar Osborn's modal jazz 5-piece band Collocutor (On the Corner records) and of the pan-European trio Fiium Shaarrk (on BBC3 Late Junction's 12 Best Albums of 2017). Maurizio Ravalico also collaborates with the string quartet Phaedra Ensemble, the composer Fred Thomas and the French contemporary dance company Silenda.

Belgian trio Bredren teams up with their long time collaborator Swift and Arkaik to deliver the deepness they're known for. The main track "Energy" sets of as a half step track but turns into a rolling monster and Swift's flow on this collaboration is impeccable! In 2014 released track "Mechanica" gets the remix treatment. Known for his distinct bass heavy sound Arkaik boosts Mechanica to a whole other level.

With The Sound of Graz, the springfestival graz made it possible for local talents to fulfill the dream of their own vinyl record. Styrian artists could submit their club tracks in a competition. An expert jury consisting of the Elevate Festival, FAZEmag, Radio FM4, Radio Soundportal and GROOVE magazine, chaired by initiator Thomas Mussbacher, decided who would be featured on the album. Of a total of around 80 entries, twelve made it onto the album. In October the records were released in a limited edition of 1.000 copies. The proceeds go to the Styrian Children's Cancer Aid.

Hospital Records proudly present brand new music from all-star label mainstay Nu:Tone, the first solo release since his seminal ‘Future History’ album in 2014 which included timeless classics such as ‘Tides (feat. Lea Lea)’ and ‘’Til Dawn’.

Fresh off the back of his latest installation of rollers and heavy hitters, FD drops in for a welcome visit to CIA. Already a firm favourite of the label, the producer’s recent form has seen him consistently stepping up through the gears, firing off a volley of dancefloor weapons and soulful cuts.

In what is proving to be a hectic year BTG are serving up a hectic EP from none other than the Dutch maestro TMSV with remixes from the currently prolific A.Fruit and BTG’s very own head honcho Bulu.

Ritalin Jam is just as frenetic as its name suggests and leads you on a twisted, ADHD riddled journey into cyber space. A.Fruit takes Ritalin Jam and makes it entirely her own with a deeper, darker but just as hyperactive feel.

On the B-Side we have Mountain (Wait Here) which is one of TMSV’s signature 140BPM bits that he’s known and loved for. Bulu then takes what was once a deep stepper and tears it up at 170BPM with a rolling yet broken feel.

This one comes with a warning, proceed with caution.

Black Barrel makes his Dispatch Dubplate debut in fine style, taking in collaborations with DLR and Nymfo.

DLR & Black Barrel roll out some heavyweight funk for "World to Choose From" and the bassline driven "Get Stuck" is pure fire for this first time collaboration with Nymfo.

This one is a must for fans of both the Dispatch Dubplate series and also the inimitable style of the Russian maestro.

Limited hand stamped pressing of 200 copies..

Classically trained experimentalist Aarp releases his compositionally expansive and pointedly political debut album via InFiné. ‘Propaganda’ is an album that rewards repeat listens and inspires research, pushing listeners to look for the truth beyond the headlines. The title ‘Propaganda’ is inspired in part by the death of a young man in Nantes who drowned following a police altercation at “Fête de la Musique” in 2019. Despite the fact that he was only dancing and there was clear evidence of negligence, the media campaign that followed cleared all involved and disinformation spread, distorting the truth and allowing French authorities to evade any consequence. This blatant and very recent example of press propaganda lead Aarp to explore a multitude of moments in history, each one informing a single track from his new record. Each song title is a direct quote taken from different examples of these moments, from George W. Bush to Margret Thatcher and French philosopher Gilles Deleuze to the infamous Oxycontin commercial by Purdue Pharma.

Original DAT remastered and cut to lacquer for the first time ever (the original issue was mastered using DMM).

Jonny L ‘The Remixes ‘96-‘97 - a compilation of remixes from Carl Craig, Grooverider and Photek. These remixes of drum & bass legend Jonny L are little known gems that were originally released in 1996 and 1997 when each of the artists were arguably at the height of their powers. It is the first ever reissue of these tracks. Remastered and sounding amazing!

Repress

Exciting Bristol-based artist Myth debuts on Amsterdam's boutique imprint The North Quarter with his hard-hitting “Long Time Coming EP”. Both stripped-back and widescreen at the same time, the project captures the essence of the Dub & Jungle influences that are ingrained throughout the five-tracks. Myth's undeniable technical prowess and ear for an effortless groove are on display as he shows he's one of the the brightest talents in the scene today.

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin Spirit Records now celebrates its 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* Origin Unknown's 'Eastern Promise' EP is a highly sought after Hardcore joint from 1992 that never reached a full release. Remastered from the original DAT on 180g black vinyl for the very first time.

NHS400 sees the celebration of Hospital Records' 400th release since the opening of its doors back in 1996. It's no surprise that such a huge
milestone is supported by an impeccable selection of tracks with
Unique collaborations that span across the Hospital family.

We’re excited to announce the return of Manchester-based producer Earl Grey for his latest release on Inperspective Records. Boasting a repertoire including releases on esteemed labels such as Eastern Promise Audio, Plush Recordings, Subtle Audio Recordings, Western Lore and his own Hyperchamber Music. Following the success of his experimental Headwinds LP and his addition to the “Teddy Bear Trilogy”, Earl Grey now brings dynamic new EP ‘French Exit’ to Inperspective Records.

* The third EP from Kniteforce head honcho and close friend Lowercase takes a hue leap nto the past with a double slice of old skool goodness. Two EPs in one, the first is Music By Numbers, which takes 4 tracks and bases their style on their year…so we have 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 all represented. Full on breakbeat / jungle madness ensues. Meanwhile “Progressions” gets the 4 (yes 4) Piano Progressions on one vinyl You have the original version, whioch has been rebuilt from the ground up using the original hardware, then remastered and reeqed, resulting in the same release, but more beautiful sounding than ever before. Then Piano Obsession gets a remaster, Plink (PP3) gets the breakbeat treatment, and new to the crew, Piano In Session is Piano Porgression Part 4. Whoop!

One of our proudest accomplishments of 2019 was releasing the very first 170bpm tune from Donato Dozzy. Predominantly known as a Techno artist / DJ, Donato’s musical career is increasingly diverse. From his collaborative work with Neel as Voices From The Lake to his experimental ambient solo works, and his recent LP for Raster alongside Eva Geist stretching into synth pop, the maestro effortlessly reshapes any chosen sound with his distinctive touch.

* The original sister label to Ram Records from the old Ram HQ studio in Essex, Liftin Spirit Records now celebrates its 25th year with a special ‘RELOADED’ limited vinyl series of remastered classics, alongside rare and previously unreleased tracks since the beginning in1992.

* DATs from artists such as Andy C, Ant Miles, Shimon, Joint Venture, Interrogator and Red One have been located in the archives. Also from the Ram & Liftin HQ came tracks for the Deep Seven label in 1993 and all these rare DAT masters have been located and now re-cut by Simon, the original Ram & Liftin vinyl masterer at ‘The Exchange’. Initially, Deep Seven remasters will present on a printed white label and unreleased tracks will have a black label.

* In 1994 Ant Miles launched his own imprint to accompany the vast amount of material coming out of the RAM HQ studio. The first 2 releases were white labels that formed Ant Miles’s alias as Liftin Spirits and the label itself as Liftin Spirit Records. We have selected our favourite tracks from these first 2 releases to bring you a remastered from DAT 4 track E.P which also includes the previously unreleased track ‘Blood Moon’.

Row Records is back with a heavy bass leftfield 4 tracker EP by DJ Durbin & Manu

* Showcasing Electrosoul System's innovative style with the 'Flawless' LP. An album reinvigorating drum & bass experimenting with raw industrialised sounds and futuristic twists. With an abundance of originality, 'Flawless' demonstrates the refined skill of one of Russia's most exciting musical talents.
* Journeying through an eclectic set of tracks from the deep jungle trek of 'Time Traveller' to the hypnotic warehouse wanderings of 'Shadows', tempting the ear with the all-alluring vocals of Deeizm. Title track, 'Flawless' takes a trip through a daydream state, following through with the funk fusions of 'Past-Time Cruiser' before dropping into 'Harder Than Sox' for some relentless percussive pull-ins.
* Having begun producing from the mere age of fourteen, its unsurprising Electrosoul System has already had a successful string of releases on a number of well established drum & bass imprints, alongside running his own label KOS.MOS.MUSIC. Also remembered for his prominent appearance in Hospital Record's 'The Future Sound of Russia' compilation back in 2009, whilst fast-forwarding to 2015 Electrosoul System featured on Sunchase's 'Kolo' - a firm favourite from the stunning 'The Truth' EP. Impressing once more with this fine contribution to the Med School catalogue,  'Flawless' is set to excite the ears and open the eyes of Med School and KOS.MOS fans alike. 
Tracklist:

With no sign of slowing down Rotterdam based Fokuz Recordings present their 79th vinyl release welcoming back Lenzman, the indisputed prince of soulful drum & bass. The flipside is covered by Hertfordshire based Peer Pressure Records head honcho Facing Jinx.

Random Movement's ''I Stayed Around'' taken from his 2015 Sleazy Bitch EP on Fokuz received critical acclaim and support by the likes of Technimatic and Spectrasoul fortifying his position as the go to guy for bridging the gap between rough and smooth. With this Lenzman reinterpretation the Dutchman turns the original concept into an energetic roller leaving his signature markings all over. Already one of the essential liquid tracks of 2016!

We continue on the flip with ''Meet You There'' by Facing Jinx feat. Peta Oneir that contains more subtle touches but is easily as strong in execution. Quality sounds coming from one of drum & bass' best kept secrets. A strong addition to any liquid DJ's record bag.

Following the 360-degree drum & bass experience that is ‘Waveforms’, Logistics continues his three-part EP series, linking the sounds of past, present and future on the ‘Headspace’ EP. With seven solo albums, six EPs and several collaborative releases under his belt, Logistics is one of Hospital Records’ most prolific artists. He’s joined by the lyrical extraordinaire Inja and the vocal stylings of family mainstay Thomas Oliver. Opening this four-track EP is ‘Stay True’, a sublime dose of rolling liquid with the workings of New Zealand’s singer/songwriter Thomas Oliver. Atmospheric pads, nimble organ work and graceful harmonies come together for an elegant dose of Logistics’ drum & bass mastery. Following a path of deeper liquid is ‘Rebuild’ with its low rumbling frequencies and super sharp sonics, topped with layers of mysterious atmospherics. On a darker tangent is the title track, ‘Headspace’, rolling and hypnotic, it’s a testament of Logistics’ long-standing ability to carve out timeless, melodic grooves. Switching up the vibe is ‘Brand New Beginning’ featuring the enigmatic Inja. Setting the tone with tranquil hip-hop beats, this nod to Inja’s history outside of drum & bass transitions into an upbeat number, beaming with Inja’s trademark positivity. As one of the most renowned artists in drum & bass, Logistics’ reputation is far-reaching with regular presence across major radio airwaves with support from the likes of the BBC’s Annie Mac, Rene LaVice and Mary Anne Hobbs. He can be found at festivals and events worldwide in 2020 including a main stage set at the forthcoming London D+B takeover, Hospitality Returns To The Dock.

Staggering volley of hyper junglist killers from Sophia Loizou on a new EP of pressurized subs, hoover and percolated vocals taking us somewhere between Lee Gamble's classic Diversions, Metalheadz Blue Note Sessions and some forward Arca x EVOL collusion. TIPPED!!!

Sophia's first release since the much acclaimed Singulacra (Kathexis, 2016), Irregular Territories provides a definitive example of Loizou's sound as it firmly asserts her music in a rarified hauntological rave headspace that meticulously explores an exploded deconstructionist style that she's developed since her 2014 debut Chrysalis.

With one foot in late '90s halcyon daze, and another toeing the future, Sophia combines a lust for the ruffneck with a sharp mind for complex structural integrity and inventive aesthetic. Synching fragmented beats with human gasps, choral synths and richly ephemeral textures, she bridges temporalities and dimensions in a way that recalls an auditory DeepDream composite formed from millions of eyes-shut moments at Metalheadz sessions.

Album opener Loop of Perception quite literally takes off like a jet engine in the rave, while Memories of Angels conjures and sustains a lump-in-throat suspense through unresolved pads and hide 'n seek breakbeat edits, before it all comes together, gelled by wide, pressurized subs in Shadow Box.

The brief vignette of hoover and percolated vocal motifs in Frozen Dust opens up the B-side like some Arca and EVOL collusion, and The Interior Life of Another feels like a jungle inception of 4Hero's Parallel Universe, leaving the poignant Morphogenesis to sum up the metaphysical flux of her sound in febrile detail

*Repress*

Stamped, solid orange 12'' vinyl featuring a set of reworks of two of the hottest cuts out there. Absolute sickness and highly addictive. Guaranteed to get the ladies shake their tail feathers. Bound to sell like hot cakes so act quick.

Solid orange coloured vinyl with handstamped whitelabel

Dom (and his Roland s760 sampler) was once described by seminal magazine NME as the “Ridley Scott” of drum and bass. His epic early records helped form the blueprint of the scene today.

Originally releasing on No-U-Turn in 1994 and credited as one of architects of “Tech-step”. Dom was signed by the legendary Moving Shadow label in 1996 where he released 3 solo albums and a plethora of singles becoming their most prolific and influential artist in the history of the label.

Well known for his early alliances with school friends “Optical” and “Matrix”, Dom started his own label DRP (Dom & Roland Productions) in 2006 to collaborate with like-minded artists. Now 15 years in with an enviable roster from “Noisia” to “Amon Tobin” it is now the main home of Dom’s work.

Lost in the Moment is Doms 7th Album. In his own words “I wanted to make an album that gets back to the core of the elements I love about drum and bass. The timelessness of simple tracks! A sense of being lost in the subtlety of evolving soundscapes, rhythms and loops which hint at more complex detail and emotions. These are the things I find harder to find in this era of instant gratification and easily consumable music.”

Dom’s previous album Last refuge of a Scoundrel was signed to Metalheadz in 2016. It sold out on its first day. Mixmag gave it 10/10 and named it album of the year. It was runner up in DJ Magazines “Best of British” category across all genres.

SALESPACK incl. 021 / 020 / 014. 3x12" hard hitting drum'n bass packed together in a new sleeve.

Dom (and his Roland s760 sampler) was once described by seminal magazine NME as the “Ridley Scott” of drum and bass. His epic early records helped form the blueprint of the scene today.

Originally releasing on No-U-Turn in 1994 and credited as one of architects of “Tech-step”. Dom was signed by the legendary Moving Shadow label in 1996 where he released 3 solo albums and a plethora of singles becoming their most prolific and influential artist in the history of the label.

Well known for his early alliances with school friends “Optical” and “Matrix”, Dom started his own label DRP (Dom & Roland Productions) in 2006 to collaborate with like-minded artists. Now 15 years in with an enviable roster from “Noisia” to “Amon Tobin” it is now the main home of Dom’s work.

Can’t punish me is one of Doms most seminal tracks. As well as the original version this release includes a black side Dubplate Mix from 1998 that has never before been released.

DJ PLAY: Rene Lavice, Laurent Garnier, Giles Peterson, Jerome Hill, Digital, DJ Bailey, DJ Lee, Bryan G, Fabio, Grooverider, Loxi, Andy C, Break, Kasra, Doc Scott, Dbridge, Goldie, Ant TC1, Gridlok, Ulterior Motive, Noisia + More.

Spirit delivers a stomping remix of Dissect, Sicknote and J Bionic's "Celestial" for Paws Recordings. This release has had heavy support from Loxy, Double O, Mantra and Nucleus.

Single sided 12" with reverse board sleeve with a 3mm spine and embossed sticker on front.