Beats News

Two of Critical's most revered artists met in the remix room, the results have been bringing down Critical clubs ever since.

Sounds of the 'Mef:Lab' - repress!

Jamaican dub structures strongly influenced by 90s Chain Reaction/Basic Channel atmospheres and UK Trip hop elements.

REPRESSED !!

Boomarm Nation and Sahel Sounds join forces yet again with this mighty sound-system mix of Tuareg synth maestro Hama's smash hit "Imidiwan N'assouf." A follow up to his stellar 2015 LP for Sahel Sounds, this single was recorded in Niamey, Niger and mixed at Boomarm Nation HQ in Portland, Oregon. Featuring a blissfully dubbed out version on the B-Side by Boomarm's Krucial Kuts (aka El Mahdy Jr. and Gulls). Released in a limited run of 10" vinyl housed in hand stamped recycled jackets, 550 copies for the world. Hama is a multi instrumentalist and electronic synthesizer composer from the Republic of Niger. His music has enjoyed wide acclaim throughout the country through his underground releases of unlabeled digital recordings on memory cards. Creating at the convergence of disparate influences, such as North African instrumental synth, Tuareg tishumaren, 90s Nigerien Hip Hop and second wave Detroit techno, Hama composes music that is futuristic and rooted in tradition, transmitting Tuareg guitar into the 21st Century.

Omar Di Bongo is an audio-visual project that melts video feedback from Hugo Saugier with two figures of french underground techno scene, Somaticae (In Paradisum, Tanzprocesz...) known for his dark cutting edge techno, and C_C (Small But Hard, Kvitnu...) master of no input mixer feedbacks, and savage analog industrial beats. Their music merges industrial music with tribal polyrythms, and makes us dive into a certain kind of psychedelia between hallucination and dementia. Reduced to the essence, their productions bring back techno to its core, the trance dimension, often fogotten in many modern musics of this genre.

One of the world's most revered drum & bass outfits SpectraSoul return with their third studio album 'How We Live', self-released on their burgeoning Ish Chat Music imprint. Turning back to their roots for a more hardened, underground sound, 'How We Live' pushes through the full spectrum of D&B showcasing once more that trademark SpectraSoul sheen and musicality that has won them legions of fans across the globe over the past 10 years.
We saw from our first three releases on Ish Chat Music that there is still a very keen appetite for forward-thinking drum and bass music and that its home was once again showing itself to be a darkened room with a big sound system, full of people. Things have become really exciting again. The last few years of working completely independently has put us back in touch with the purity of drum & bass and the core ideals that are at the foundation of the genre - the independent, f**k you attitude that doesn't conform to major label models, and isn't all about profit — it's about art, experimentation, and counter culture. We wanted to latch onto that ethos and run with it, trying to capture that vibe in an album.We have tried to collaborate with people who also live their lives by these same ideals and who share the same values. From the musical collaborators to the visual artists we have brought in to work on the accompanying artwork, we have sourced our collaborators carefully, working with friends where possible and seeking out like minded, fresh talent where necessary.As with every Ish Chat Music release, it's been a really steep learning curve. But it's this learning, the journey and the process that make the whole thing that much more enjoyable. The title of the album reflects this ethos. We have lived every part of the creative and manufacturing process, and that process, itself, is our lives. Every day we wake up to write music and to challenge ourselves in the studio. We are constantly learning and honing our craft, developing the rules and methods that determine 'How We Live'.' SpectraSoul 2017

Dear Earth is from space.An interstellar traveller with a thing for Earth girls, he cruises the solar system aboard his sample powered mothership, harnessing the raw energies of ion propulsion and jazz to slide through rifts in time and space. He is a galactic nomad, a star voyager,a wanderer through the vastness of the void.He has decided to spend some time in London and drop an EP on Wholemeal Music.

Ziúr is one of the most exciting producers to come out of the fringes of Berlin club music in the last few years. A new generation is breaking out of the techno mould and creating in a spirit of freedom and experimentation, taking seemingly incompatible influences and balancing them into a new and exciting sound. Ziúr is also the founder and resident DJ of 'Boo-Hoo', a night championing diverse lineups, reflecting it's creative audience, bringing through the cream of the experimental dance underground. Planet Mu are proud to release Ziúr's debut album 'U Feel Anything' in collaboration with Objects Limited, a label run by Lara Rix-Martin which releases music by women and non-binary people. For someone who has previously released just two EPs, the vision of Ziúr's music is advanced and precise. It's music which beckons you into an alternate world, wonderfully alien pop music that eschews conventions. She creates eldrich atmospheres that balance gentle melody and warm pop, in which strange elfin voices sing from other worlds and spiralling rhythms feel like entire structures moving. In the latter half of the record these harden into a pounding, martial symphony of steel, and introduce the kind of rough electronic riffs and guitar samples that betray her background in punk. 'U Feel Anything' was written as a way to think about music as a tool of enlightenment, a de-conditioning force and the kind of yin and yang that can be summed up in the title of one of the songs 'Laughing and Crying are The Same Things', a track which features Swedish pop singer Zhala, whose vocals straddle twisting beats, space and staccato strings. The album also features a collaboration with Aïsha Devi on the epic 'Body of Light', in which Aïsha's vocals are pitched up and down, manipulated and distorted into wispy angelic tones, setting the tone for the first half of the album. There's a process to Ziúr's music that's informed by this wish to get beyond the small things. She says "Putting a relation on what's big and small and certainly meaningless behind our existence, how nothing is everything at the same time etc... it's something that I try to explore again and again by putting myself into a thought process, rather than having everything already formulated."

It's a record of powerful, emotional twists and turns and mind-flipping contrasts that resonate with depth. As Ziúr says "I believe you can only tell that something is harsh when you have a soft side to compare it to. If everything is amazing then nothing is, right"

Dream Eater presents a six track Allstars EP for our debut release. Featuring some of the most exciting up and coming producers of the time.

A1: Following his hugely successful debut release on Hyperdub, Edinburgh local Proc Fiskal has given us an absolute heater for this plate - 'Come Here' is guaranteed to destroy any dancefloor.
A2: Stateside producer Charlux delivers an interesting trap influenced and bass driven track entitled 'Riposte.
A3: The name Nights should not be new to anyone who has followed grime music over the past few years, 'Conflict' speaks for itself, it's a monster.

B1: Dr. Hugo is a name that should be recognised by the dubstep heads, he was hugely influential in the creation of the 'Dungeon Sound'. His track 'Warrior' is a long lost dubplate from around 2009.
B2: Polonis is another one of Scotland's rising stars, with a wide range of DJs supporting him heavily both on radio and in the dance. He presents 'Slice Roll 3' for his debut release on vinyl.
B3: Bristol native SirHiss is another very talented up and coming producer. Dream Eater 001 is also his debut vinyl release. 'Blood Diamond' is a lovely 140 roller which mixes nicely with grime and dubstep.

Minor Science returns with more genre defying bass experiments on this 2 track Whities 12".
.
The sleeve designed by Alex McCullough, is a 12" accurate scale reproduction from Willem Claeszoon Heda's painting 'Still life with gilt cup' (currently hanging in Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum).

"Boxed (Mr Mitch, Oil Gang, Slackk, Logos) are proud present the fourth edition in their semi-regular survey of the further reaches of instrumental grime. Fresh from one of the biggest modern production houses in grime, Boylan and Oil Gang fuse classic jump-up sensibility and the dead-eyed swagger of classic Slew Dem productions on the anthemic 'Murder One'. Elusive underground yung gun Rebore completes side A with his first ever vinyl outing, the wild, chaotic FPS referencing 'Campaign'. Slackk and Logos helm the flip-side with an exclusive first time link-up on wax, sending weightless synth probes in to the distance on the colorful, hazy 'Moroccan Squares'. Finally Manchester grime mainstay and Chow Down affiliate Fallow rounds off the slate with his Boxed debut, the angular square wave funk of Rearmament.

V0FWRUZPUk1UUkFOU01JU1NJT05XQVZFRk9STVRSQU5TTUlTU0lPTldBVkVGT1JNVFJBTlNNSVNTSU9OV0FWRUZPUk1UUkFOU01JU1NJT05XQVZFRk9STVRSQU5TTUlTU0lPTldBVkVGT1JNVFJBTlNNSVNTSU9OV0FWRUZPUk1UUkFOU01JU1NJT05XQVZFRk9STVRSQU5TTUlTU0lPTldBVkVGT1JNVFJBTlNNSVNTSU9OV0FWRUZPUk1UUkFOU01JU1NJT04

Proudly presenting the 'Jumpsuit' EP from Halogenix. This is a diverse collection of elegant music that could only be expected from of the most important producers in the genre. Halogenix is a founding member of Ivy Lab, and their label 20/20 LDN Recordings label.

This is a dynamic and varied EP that bears the undeniable Halogenix signature throughout.

supported by Jubei, Friction, Ivy Lab, Alix Perez

We're taken on a journey through Andy's musical brain, with diversions into the rugged breaks of 'Séance' and the aural paradise that is 'Heroin Wash', which are just two of four perfectly crafted pieces of drum and bass on offer. The atmosphere and energy across the EP is weighted perfectly, whilst every track almost sounds effortless in the way it's been put together, something that Andy has mastered and can now proudly show off.

This marks the first release from Melbourne based label Modern Hypnosis. Featuring two weighty rollers from Pugilist.

'The British pair, consisting of Ben Hall and Simon James, have been impressing crowds of bassheads with their undeniable talent in producing dubstep, DnB, trap, and generally all 'From their D&B roots they've since gone on to demonstrate their impeccable production skills across a multitude of genres from 110 to dubstep to electro.' - UKF

After the viral success of their recent 'Ghost' EP, Delta Heavy have followed up this feat with their untouchable work ethic. Capitalising on a Zane Lowe Beats1 premiere, as well as millions of streams worldwide on their music video for 'Ghost', they delve into a cross-pollination of genres with a single 'White Flag' nods to not only the flawless complexity of their ability to tap into different BPMs, but also the versatility of their cross-Atlantic renowned DJ sets. A digital exclusive, 'White Flag' is underpinned by heavily climatic moments, amongst stabs of arpeggio swinging back and forth between soulful vocals. The dream-like sequence which rewinds their usually fast paced drum & bass perfectly epitomises a talent which saw them rise to prominence from coast to coast in the US.

We're then offered a switch up which sees 'White Flag' taken into faster waters. Lead by an incredibly catchy hook, peddled forward by the reworked beat patterns and ambience, the opposing sides of the original and VIP combine admirably. Choppier drums underpin the composition, manifesting a club-banger that's already nestled itself in the sets of revered headliners across the globe, from Andy C to Then on the flipside, 'Arcadia' takes on their 170 etiquette, although this time featuring Hospital stalwart Metrik. The meeting of two different styles, you're taken into a sound dimension of distorted bassline, quaking subs and pounding kick drums. Drawn in by an absorbing intro, it's an electro-fuelled roller, reminiscent of their earlier output yet adding a more contemporary twist, it provides a clear example of why Delta Heavy have been a permanent fixture in sets for half a decade.

Boddika's Nonplus label will release a series of 12-inches mixing classic Source Direct with new remixes.

Jim Baker is a pioneering drum & bass and jungle artist who's been recording solo as Source Direct since 1999 (before then the project was a duo with Phil Aslett). On June 8th Nonplus will issue a 12-inch that has a Blawan remix of "Black Rose" alongside the 1996 original. That'll be followed by a record featuring '95 cut "Approach & Identify" backed by a remix from Demdike Stare. These release will be available on vinyl and digital formats—it'll be the first time the original tunes have been available digitally.

"I first met Jim around '97/'98 at The End nightclub in Central London," Boddika told RA. "I wasn't sure who he was when I first met him. I thought he was one of the guys from Lock Stock And Two Smoking Barrels at first, but soon realised he wasn't. By that time I was an avid listener of anything Source Direct were doing and their tracks were 'buy on sight' for me. The Source Direct discography was in many ways a blueprint for lots of jungle/d&b that would come throughout the following years and has stood the test of time unbelievably well."

He adds: "There are a few reasons why we decided to re-release and remaster the SD Recordings catalogue, the first one being that it's never been available digitally before. The second is that we both think it's something that needs to be heard by a new generation who have never had the privilege and who may not own a turntable. Some of the records are hard to come by these days and if you do find them on Discogs, they'll set you back a few quid.

Thirdly, it's something we've spoken about a few times over the last couple of years and I personally thought now is a better time than ever to unleash this project, especially as there's been a growing interest in old jungle recently—it wouldn't be right to leave this music out of the loop! We also wanted to breathe new life into the project by getting remixes done to accompany the original tracks. We decided to ask artists from different scenes and genres to make use of the samples and get their interpretations on the original music."

More remix 12-inches will follow, culminating with most of the Source Direct back catalogue, much of which has never been made available digitally, being remastered and re-released. We spoke with Baker via email to discuss the project.

What are your thoughts on having your music remastered and reissued for a new generation of listeners

I'm extremely excited about working with Boddika. This gives a new generation the chance to own tracks that haven't been available until now and also introduces the Source Direct sound into the techno/deep house scenes—music I've always been a fan of and an avid buyer of since an early age. I always felt my music was ahead of its time, even within the early years of D&B. The Source Direct sound has always stood out from the crowd and I've consistently pushed myself creatively to produce original, cutting-edge club music that also sounds great within many other listening environments. So to release the original Source Direct tracks for this new generation who missed the golden years of infamous clubs and raves gives them the opportunity to re-live the excitement and energy I got from going out in my younger days and the chance enjoy that buzz of getting your hands on a new vinyl release.

What do you think of the Demdike Stare and Blawan remixes

Blawan's remix of "Black Rose" perfectly captures the dark tensions of the original track and uses the samples in new creative ways, which make a stomping techno track that retains the menacing visual concept of the original. Being the first artist to remix a Source Direct track is something I was looking forward to, and Blawan has certainly produced a great remix. Both the remix and the re-mastered original sound totally fresh and unique among current techno and D&B.

Demdike Stare have completely ripped up the script with their remix of "Approach & Identify," taking it into realms I never thought possible. It transports you a million light years away, upon which you enter new worlds of imagination. You can only hope for a wormhole 'out there' to return to normality. I'm very proud of both these releases and am looking forward to letting the future projects free within human kind.

DC Breaks are unleashing two new terrifying slabs of bass. These heavyweight monsters have been biding their time in the producer's digital record box, the beginning of a brand new musical journey for the duo. In the lead up to their debut album, this single will give you a small insight into what's to come. Sitting at the nastier end of their vast musical spectrum, prepare to be brought into the sinisterly lit world of DC Breaks through their next offering 'Arcade' and 'Creeper VIP'. Reminiscent of their earlier, heavy sound, it's a production standard held tightly together with throw down hooks and hefty basslines.

Mana is producer and composer Daniele Mana from Torino in Italy. His debut EP for Hyperdub, 'Creature', is also the first under his own surname. It's one of his most vivid, personal and confident releases to date. Since 2010, he has been releasing under the moniker Vaghe Stelle, with EPs and two full length albums on labels such as Gang of Ducks, Aisha Devi's Danse Noire, Astro:Dynamics and most recently, Nicolas Jaar's Other People records. He is also a member of One Circle with Lorenzo Senni and soundtracks composer Francesco Fantini. On 'Creature', over eight tracks, he ingests Shostakovitch, Drexciya, Darkthrone, Frank Ocean and Paul Lansky, and refashions them into an almost operatic record - a rich, melodrama of dark tension and excitable in-your-face synth melodies. In using his own name for the first time, he says he is confronting the unfiltered, brutal truth' of his self, compressing tension and anxiety' into a claustrophobic sense of emotional vacuum.' From the skulking clockwork of 'Crystaline,' the rich drifting ambience of 'Sei Nove', to the panicky, rushy rave stabs meets horror theme of 'Running Man', it's lucid, dynamic synth music which uses drums sparingly, but occasionally swirls into little sublime vortices of arpeggiated hyperrhythm. The melodies are bright and pitch bent, swollen by euphoric voltage surges and stuttering, soaring strings in 'Rabbia', plucking wide-screen, heart strings on 'Uno e Solo' and lulling down into the delicate, shimmering prisms of 'Wetlife' and 'Consolations'. While in its own lane, 'Creature' feels totally at home on Hyperdub.

Nonplus continue with the Source Direct re release and remix series and here we have one of the most influential dnb tracks ever written, Source Direct - The Crane, which was a 90s classic at the forefront of the future thinking genre. Alongside the original track there was an alternate version found on an old DAT tape which will now surface on NONPLUS LTD 003, and on remix duties, Inland & Function give their take on the track giving it the 4/4 techno treatment.

This white label 12' is limited to 300 copies and won`t be repressed and it won`t be available digitally. Bratten found the two tracks on an old computer when he was looking for some stems. He played us the tracks and we totally loved them! As he didn't find the completed tracks, they are refurbished from old stock tracker presets.

Re-Release from 2012 12 whitelabel, limited to 250 hand stamped and numbered copie

REPRESSED !

Having first surfaced on Osiris sister label 'Ruffcut' just over 2 years ago, Tremble has quickly built a small, but core following. 2017 sees Tremble launch his own platform 'Safari Music'. The first release is a 3 track slab of dubbed out plastic, with each tune offering the usual Dred beats, Heavy subs, and blissed out atmospherics that Tremble has become known for. Safari Art has a lot of exciting music lined up for the remainder of 2017, and we thank you in advance for your support.

Boka Records returns after a near 2 year hiatus to present a series of brand new releases and new recruits. First up is Bristol's Guesswerk featuring regular collaborator oneThird and a fine remix from none other than Quest of DEEP MEDi fame

Makoto, a man who's been instrumental in Japan's drum & bass movement since the birth of the genre, now signed exclusively to Hospital Records, presents his fifth solo album 'Salvation'. A perfect fit bringing that trademark sound across 14 tracks of authentic soul and rolling jazz inspirited drum & bass.
'I Don't Wanna Wake Up' featuring the outstanding vocals of Karina Ramage is the perfect summertime roller. Delightfully hypnotic, this will be a staple selection for any DJ worth their salt over the coming months, catching its premiere on Huw Stephens' BBC Radio 1 slot. Makoto also empowers Karina's topline prowess on the hauntingly beautiful 'Winds Of Change'.
Following suit, the vocally driven 'Salvation' ft DRS balances an elegant ambiance with grittier elements. Switching to 'Primitive Galaxy' which focuses more on high-energy dancefloor impact but still with his distinctive bassline groove and melodic stabs. A jazzy riff takes the lead in 'Fancy Free' with celestial vocals and staccato drums, invoking a euphoric trance that all liquid tracks strive for.
Already having an enriched history across Good Looking and his own imprint Human Elements, Makoto is a leader in the art of funk, soul and jazz entrenched drum & bass.

Despite building their careers out of strikingly different musical places, both dBridge and Radioactive Man have taken influence from the field in which each other operate. dBridge (Darren White) was part of the iconic drum & bass outfit Bad Company and he helms one of the scene's most solid and quality imprints in Exit Records and Radioactive Man (Keith Tenniswood) was born from the acid house scene and the off kilter electronics of his Two Lone Swordsman projects (alongside Andrew Weatherall) which led him to create his decidedly UK take on Drexciyan electro. It's by no means a stretch to learn that both producers have crates that contain their favourites from each genre but they've also found a mutual respect and connection in the studio over the last few years, leading to the dBRm moniker for Craig Richards' The Nothing Special label

London-based Astrophonica, headed by Charlie Fracture, kicks off 2017 with a compilation capturing the sounds that have driven the label forward for the past five years. *Gradients* is Astrophonica's first compilation and brings together its small but powerful roster with a string of close friends and allies, giving prominence to both well-known names — dBridge, DJ Earl, Stray, Om Unit under his Philip D Kick guise — and newcomers — Lewis James, Tusais, Touchy Subject, Tehbis.

Astrophonica's ties to various established players are proudly on display with contributions from Richie Brains collaborators Sam Binga — the furious, clap-driven 'BFT' — and Stray — whose uplifting 'Blink' provides a ray of sunshine — as well as Exit boss dBridge, who indulges his love of sampling and breaks on the stripped back 'db vs The 45 King'. Reflecting Astrophonica's love of Chicago footwork is 'Statisfyee', a hypnotic groover from Fracture and DJ Earl, Teklife member and a disciple of the late DJ Rashad, while Sully's 'Helios' gets a rare remix from Philip D Kick, the footwork meets jungle alias of Om Unit.

Representing the label, Parisian dub scientist Moresounds and English producer Sully come with two different but complimentary junglistic experiments: the dark and percussive 'Warriah' and the expansive and rolling 'We're Here'. Meanwhile London's Touchy Subject and Tehbis, the latest additions to Astrophonica, offer up two head-nodding burners with the bright and colorful 'Cosmic Tales' and the smoky grooves of 'Alphabet Ooz'. Label founders Fracture & Neptune dig deep into their archive for 'Whatever', a previously unreleased track updated for 2017 that pays homage to Astrophonica's roots with trademark attention to detail and an ear for rhythmic sensibilities. Fracture also flies solo with 'Back Up In This', a lean and aggressive dancefloor wrecker. Completing the picture are two new talents: Irish-born, London-based producer Lewis James displays his blend of cinematic compositions and hard-hitting beats on 'Snook' while Antwerp's Tusais does an equally efficient job of pummeling the dancefloor with the menacing 'Blackout'.

*Gradients* is a glorious celebration of Astrophonica's growth as well as its stylistic roots and forward-thinking ethos. Each of the 13 tracks has been tested in the clubs for the past year to ensure an all-killer-no-filler experience. And as with previous releases, the compilation sports artwork from Utile Creative whose striking design adds an all-important visual touch to a new milestone for the label.

Das Grammy-nominierte Produzentenduo ODESZA (Harrison Mills und Clayton Knight) gelten zurecht als eine der populärsten Gruppen im Bereich der elektronischen Musik und haben den Ruf, ihre Fans auf ihren regelmäßig ausverkauften Live-Konzerten besonders glücklich zu machen. Anfang September 2017 veröffentlichen sie ihr neues, 16 Stücke langes Album "A Moment Apart" welches über das Ninja Tune-Sublabel Counter Records erscheint. Anschließend präsentieren sie ihrem Publikum das neue Material auf einer ausgedehnten Welttournee.

"A Moment Apart" präsentiert sich gereift, ein Sound, der insbesondere auf Atmosphäre setzt, auf funkelnde Synth-Lines - und auf Gefühle wie Nostalgie, Zuversicht und Hoffnung. Die namhaften Gäste auf dem Album sind u.a. Leon Bridges, Regina Sektor und Ry X.

* Once again, providing a context for exciting new producers to release their debut 12', Cold Recordings is proud to now bring you 'Cocktail Party Effect'. Hailing from a musical family Eric Baldwin, the currently Berlin based but British pro- ducer, shows off his colours here with a diverse, rhythmical, experimental - but always dance floor savvy - EP of 4 killer cuts, all rolling out between 125-130bpm.

* The title track 'Battered' leads the EP , kicking things off with a glitching set of electronics , setting a curious mood ,be- fore dropping into a crazed rhythmical explosion, fidgety and erratic, but somehow glued together in a fluid, propelling motion. 'OOYFM' takes things into slightly more typical UK bass music territory, rolling out techno ingredients, a grimey UK bassline with broken-beat rhythmical dynamics that also hint at UK-Garage influences.

* Flip the vinyl for the second half of the EP and you'll find 'Intens' taking up a stance that sits somewhere between dancehall and techno, rolling and smashing its way as it goes along, while descending electronic motifs cascade in sympathy. Finally the EP closes with 'I Kno3' which pulls back on the instant gratification factors but hits out instead with a moody, bass driven and percussively expressive exit track.