Ever since Kyam sent his track 'NOLA' through, we knew he'd be an artist to watch and now a few years after it's release on the 'Decade In Breakbeat' compilation we're following up with a 3 track solo 12".
'Sigh' kicks things off with it's wistful guitar notes counterpointed by some heavy hitting beats. Kyam rolls it back to his band playing days on this one, also jamming on a bass guitar to compliment the lead lick.
Things really kick off during the breakdown - a wailing, distorted guitar sound coming to the fore, and once the beats drop back in, we're into overdrive !! The main motif later combines with the edgy riffs to give a bitter / sweet ending to this unique piece of D&B. Imagine The Prodigy's 'Voodoo People' crossed with Photek's remix of Therapy? ... it's kinda like that (!)
The flip side is probably more what you would expect from our camp - 'Fernweh' combines a snappy drumfunk style with a wicked bouncing b-line. Pitched chimes and airy drawn out atmospherics add to the vibe before a darker brass sound leads a more introspective 2nd drop. Dancefloor business Subtle Audio style !
'Trinket' is definitely the most frenetic of the 3 tracks here, featuring all manner of edits, filters, echoes, cuts n chops. The drum acrobatics are kept in check by a booming bassline, a soothing, repeated refrain and some dubbed out sonics. It all builds up to a swell of strings n synths at the end which seem to be the perfect ending to both the track and the release as a whole.
DRS & LSB, two of the most exciting artists in drum & bass today, introduce 'The Blue Hour' on LSB's Footnotes label. A unique, full length LP collaboration that draws together their shared musical influences of jazz, hip hop, indie, classical, 80's and of course D&B.
"We've been writing music on and off for the last 5 years and following on from the Space Age mixes we did online we felt it was a good time to do a full release together. Initially we just considered doing an EP but then went on tour in America twice in 2 months in early 2019. During this time we had 5 days off in an apartment in Dallas. So we borrowed a sound card and using Del's tour mic began writing together. We got 6 tracks written and took them back to the UK to be developed into final versions.
It was then that we thought we may have an album on our hands and as we both wanted to really grow as artists, push beyond what we've both done before...so The Blue Hour was born.
You'll hear DRS pushing his voice a lot more, personal lyrical content, experimental arrangements and live instrumentation that all combine inside and out of the D&B sphere to make an album we're immensely proud of and hope people enjoy listening to." - LSB 2019
These two really need no introduction, as they have had many releases on some very credible record labels.
Madcap, co label manager of Creative Wax, is known for his nicely rolling style of production and 'Empire Dub' & 'Warning' fit that style just perfectly. With releases on labels like Mac II, Good Looking and Soul Deep on his list, Elliott has gained a lot of respect throughout the scene.
DJ Trax is mostly known for his connection with Moving Shadow, releasing under the names Mixrace (alongside Paradox) and DJ Trax, but also has a list of great releases for other labels.
His two tracks, 'Alien Forces' & 'Can't Stop Won't Stop' show just how versatile Dave's style of production can be. It's an honour to have both of these legends finally representing Skeleton.
The multi-faceted producer and DJ, and one of electronic music's most respected, Calibre releases his brand new record 'Planet Hearth' on November 29th. An album featuring exclusively new material, and dedicated to a very close friend who passed away last year, this is by far the most personal and poignant record he has ever made. First coined in 2015, the album has taken four years to complete and in his own words 'part of a slow metamorphosis that I have wanted to do for a long time'. Escaping to Valentia on the West Coast of Ireland, he sought solace away from the grind of modern living to write music and draw inspiration from his surroundings. It was during this time that he experienced great personal loss, which can be felt throughout the record, forming an emotional narrative that will make even the hardest of hearts shed a tear upon listening. The title track 'Planet Hearth' was made in Belfast a few weeks before losing his close friend, and in his own words: "I remember this one feeling very automatic and emotionally engaging, the timing for me has great meaning". Whilst the track 'Five Minute Flame' was written in five minutes one morning in Valentia with the sun streaming in and the coffee being made, showing just how he can draw inspirations at any moment of the day, "I love the immediacy of writing music very much" he states. Largely ambient, there is a nod to his drum and bass roots with 'Walking in Circles', a track that can, and has been played in one of his dnb set. Whilst the album has been playing throughout the year in different club settings, opening the night with the sound that he so loves, the record wasn't made for the club as such, 'originally the idea was to put music together that didn't need to be played in a club, that it could be whatever I wanted.' This is an honest and pure record that steps away from Calibre's drum and bass persona that he's so synonymous with. A somewhat melancholic and atmospheric piece of work, it still has that signature Calibre sound, attesting to incredible diversity of the man. A true master of his craft, his ability to constantly create and consistently deliver with such honest expression is staggering. A chameleonic creator in the purest form - as a painter, fine artist, multi-instrumentalist, writer and producer - he has a career stretching over two decades with over fifteen albums of varying genres. To coincide with the release of the album on November 29th, it's perhaps fitting that he makes his return to XOYO - the London venue he resided in for 10 weeks from July through to September - as he plays on the Dekmantel Soundsystem residency, who he passed the baton onto for the Autumn Winter season. This is Calibre in his rawest, purest and exposed form, delivering a body of work that he cares about the most.
![LSB & DRS - The Blue Hour [2x12"]](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/ftnts005x_{width}x.jpg?v=1573822876)
![Calibre - Planet Hearth [2x12" LP Gatefold w/ Download]](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/siglp014_{width}x.jpg?v=1573738755)
