Release Date: 28th February 2020

The Black Sea is a curious place. Bordered by Europe and Asia, it is somewhat isolated, but still nourished by seas and rivers that touch distant lands and times past. Its unique geography causes the water to form two separate layers; the top is full of movement and life, while beneath lies a basin devoid of oxygen, where nothing but the most basic organisms can survive.

On the coast of the Black Sea, in a Russian town called Gelendzhik, lives Kercha — a rising producer, whose new ‘Broken Illusions’ EP reflects all the mysterious complexities of the depths just beyond his doorstep.

Like the sea’s rich surface, each of the EP’s tracks draw from sources separated by vast distances and generational gaps.

Opener ‘Eagle’ looks to the Middle East, its methodical plod accentuated by eerie, sun-baked flutterings — ancient instruments meeting a distinctly digital dubstep pulse. ‘Frozen’ matches oily, oscillating mids with half-heard flashes of jungle; throwing yet another curveball via the thick pops of distinctly electro kicks and snares.

‘Broken Illusions’ itself harks back to turn-of-the-millenium UKG, intricately skipping percussion meeting urgent snatches of clarinet and suspicious sax straight from the neon-lit, rain-slashed streets of some classic noir flick.
Underpinning each track is an obsidian low-end — abyssal subs that, like the hidden expanse at the bottom of the Black Sea, threaten to suffocate all life with their oppressive bass-weight.

These three stone-cold cuts not only showcase Kercha’s irrefutable raw talent, but also mark the first outing from DNO Records, the new label from the brains behind Brighton dubstep institution The Mine. A home for international talents who refuse to be confined by genre or tempo, DNO promises to be a home for rhythms of postmodern realism, and a force to be reckoned with on the dancefloor.

Kercha’s ‘Broken Illusions’ EP arrives on 12” vinyl and digital in the end of February 2020.

a1. Kercha - Eagle

b1. Kercha - Frozen

b2. Kercha - Broken Illusions

Release Date: 29th October 2021

Now firmly established as a staple of DNO Records, Russian producer Kercha follows up two outstanding releases with his first outing of 2021, the ‘Mental Ballast’ EP.

His off-kilter signature is prominent right from the opening bars of ‘Ignorants’ — the shimmering oscillations, idiosyncratic samples and subtle bass pulse we’ve come to know and love once again brought together like wisps of dark magic. Here, they’re placed alongside a clip of Russian maestro E. Ponasenkov calmly flexing his intelligence, dropping a threat that also serves as a warning for the bassline yet to come: “I will destroy you!”

‘Mental Ballast’ ups the ante, with a distinctive percussive shuffle. Hats, claps and other things that go clang form a pointillistic display above the drawn-out low-end, before a whooping siren is beamed in at half time to send the track stratospheric.

‘Analysis’, a collaboration with rising Berlin artist Yoofee, has more than a touch of purple about it. Packed with buzzing synth chords and glowing arpeggios, it might otherwise be uplifting, had they not been paired with an anxiety-fuelled vocal snippet and monstrous bassline. A very Kercha juxtaposition.

On ‘Tigers’, his trademark wobble is taken to new heights, this time forming a spine that runs the length of the track, constantly threatening to break through the skin of bright synths and ghost-like fuzz that wouldn’t go amiss in Pokémon Tower.

Finally, ‘Acid’ reverberates to spun-out rattles and bitcrushed bleeps, like tripping and falling into the dark oblivion at the bottom of a pinball machine.

And for every sonic oddity and twisted noise, the silence that hangs between is just as important. Kercha’s stripped-back, mischievous productions invite imaginative listening, encouraging the mind to wander, and creating the potential for the music to be far more than the sum of its parts.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

a1. Kercha - Ignorants

a2. Kercha - Mental Ballast

b1. Kercha - Analysis ft Yoofee

b2. Kercha - Tigers

Release date: 19th June 2020

Though citizens the world over are trapped inside under lockdown measures, freshly minted Brighton label, DNO Records, continues traversing the globe to highlight rising talents from the international bass community.

Release number two — the ‘Kiswahili’ EP — comes from CITY1, himself something of a wandering spirit. He hails from the Okinawa islands in Japan’s tropical southern tip, a place of teeming coral reefs and long golden sands, where inhabitants are known for living long lives. Having moved to the bustling capital of Tokyo, CITY1 has since joined Goth-Trad’s Back To Chill crew.

The sound of the ‘Kiswahili’ EP is the sound of CITY1’s two worlds combined — the Pacific island’s mystical soul binding with the digital roar of the hyper-modern metropolis. A-side ‘Sifa’ draws on the polyrhythmic interplay between ramshackle percussive constructions and a gruff, oscillating low-end, built to push sound systems to their limit. Over on the B-side, beat work takes a step back, allowing thunderous atmospherics to take the fore. ‘Funza’ is a sparse futurescape, where blacksmith-hammer strikes puncture the swell of murderous subs, as swarms of acidic bleeps fire off like overactive synapses. On ‘Vitu’, flabby drum skins reverberate beneath the dominating undulation of bass and mournful Middle Eastern wails — a ritualistic death march for the dawn of a new decade. Last but not least comes the digital bonus track, ‘Cheka’. Though the most traditional dubstep offering here in terms of arrangement, CITY1 infuses the track with a coarse, Doppler effect dynamism to ensure it remains a cut above your average dancefloor weapon.

Another essential release from a label determined to make its mark, CITY1’s ‘Kiswahili’ EP arrives on 12” vinyl and digital on the 19th of June 2020.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO

a1. CITY1 - Sifa

b1. CITY1 - Funza

b2. CITY1 - Vitu

Digital Bonus: CITY1 - Cheka

Release Date: 27th May 2022

Back on DNO for the first time since 2020, CITY1 delivers four more darkling cuts for shaking soundsystems to their core.

On opener ‘Ohmu’, the combination of wind and string instruments brings a folklorish quality to proceedings. Set alongside the heavyweight surge of an 808, it’s as if CITY1 were soundtracking something ancient, colossal and bewitching — which isn’t far off, considering the tune takes its name from monstrous bugs in the anime, Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

‘Jalidi’ is even more cinematic, with mournful strings that make way for a sparse marching rhythm backed with repetitive chanting and propelled by a relentless, lumbering drone bass. While on ‘Sifuri’, CITY1 sets his sights firmly on the dancefloor. Here, the deep hum of oscillating subs, plenty of dub echo and eerie squeaking stabs that hop about the stereo field provide a surefire way to keep bodies moving.

The EP’s final foray, ‘Butterfly’, presents contrasting ideas linked by a stalwart beat. It begins in spine-tingling fashion, with a discordant lullaby and crusty old vocal sample leading to a menacing dubstep stomp. But the real surprise comes with the introduction of a fluttering guitar riff that juxtaposes the rapid-fire kicks and brooding sonics found elsewhere. Switching back and forth throughout the duration, the parts reflect the unsettling alien oddity of the chrysalis and the fragile, temporary beauty of the creature that emerges from within.

A fine return from the Tokyo-based producer and another superb curation from the DJ Mag award-nominated Brighton label. CITY1’s ‘Butterfly’ EP arrives on 12” vinyl and digital on 27th of May 2022.

a1. CITY1 - Ohmu

a2. CITY1 - Jalidi

b1. CITY1 - Sifuri

b2. CITY1 - Butterfly

Release Date: 27th November 2020

Having opened the scoring for DNO Records with an explorative ‘Broken Illusions’ EP back in February, Gelendzhik-based producer Kercha returns to the Brighton label with his ‘Fulminating’ EP.

This time, the Russian artist presents four tracks not dissimilar to M. C. Escher’s iconic artwork, Relativity. Like the physically impossible, yet mathematically perfect staircases of the latter, Kercha’s world is structurally logical on its most basic level — but beyond that becomes a thing of wonder.

The familiar snap of each half-step snare is as rigid as the laws of Newton — solid, dependable. But the rest of the picture is topsy-turvy. Each track shifts in the aftershock of subs hidden deep in the frequency spectrum; while gaping expanses and narrow corridors of negative space twist together, leaving room for the imagination to wander.

There are more tangible but no less fantastical properties too. From the opening crackle of ‘Hold Your Breath’ to the closing whoop of ‘Fulminating’ itself, Kercha stirs a concoction that’s gloopy and viscus with the immense gravity of sinkhole bass, yet comes alive to haywire samples that bubble and fizz in organised chaos. A whistle blast here, a whispered vocal there. Suddenly, an erratic ping that whizzes off into the ether. Each element comes together in a swirling, psychedelic mass that would be completely mad if it wasn’t so damn brilliant.

One to keep you on your toes, Kercha’s ‘Fulminating’ EP lands on the 20th of November 2020 on 12” vinyl and digital.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

a1. Kercha - Hold The Breath

a2. Kercha - Jazz Symptoms

b1. Kercha - Suggestion

b2. Kercha - Fulminating

Release Date: 11th June 2021

Denver has long been a nexus point for the ley lines of global bass music. Home to a wealth of talent and an essential stop for artists both homegrown and international, now it’s the turn of nomadic label DNO Records to touchdown in the Mile High City, as rising stars Trisicloplox & Sectra join the roster.

Unlike anything heard on the label so far, the ‘Souls Were Never Here’ EP taps into that oh-so-Stateside sound; where dubstep’s unearthly weight meets the sound design of Detroit techno and the LA beat scene, all amplified by the screech and roar of grunge, sludge and noise.

On opening track ‘Alp’ — the only named collaboration — a methodical halftime march plays out to the footsteps of some unseen goliath, scraped and torn at by rusty needles of noise and bristling overdrive. Each following track is forged from the same dark matter, but transmogrified into its final beastial form by the individual witchcraft of each producer.

‘Duum’ sees Trisicloplox hack chunks from the rhythm so it stumbles along over raw subs, before switching up to syncopated kicks, a sheet metal melody and huge swells of bass to bring a swung hip-hop vibe to proceedings. Then, on ‘Changed Flesh’ he rips the beat from the track almost entirely, choosing to drag his thundering low-end kicking and screaming through a swamp of caustic fuzz and industrial rot.

Sectra’s solo effort, ‘I Was Never Here’, adds yet more coarse textures — like a painter mixing sand and glass shards into their palette. Picking up the pace slightly, the interplay of kick and bassline give the track a debauched groove, conjuring images of leather and iron and grease. Closing out with a digital-only track from Trisicloplox, ‘Siphon Soul’ finds the sci-fi effects that have been present throughout the EP coalesce into their strongest form yet, with snatches of guttural vocals building a tense dynamic around a slick rolling pulse.

Savage, ruined, dystopian — that’s the world depicted by the harsh, futuristic sonics of the ‘Souls Were Never Here’ EP, yet it’s also one where every sound and every second matter; where infinite dread and infinite detail sit side by side.

Whether DNO can escape the clutches of Denver’s twisted offspring to continue their journey remains to be seen.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

a1. Trisicloplox & Sectra - Alp

a2. Trisicloplox - Duum

b1. Trisicloplox - Changed Flesh

b2. Sectra - I Was Never Here

Digital Bonus: Trisicloplox - Siphon Soul

Release Date: 29th January 2021

Throughout the history of electronic music, the tempo has often been a defining factor. Whole sounds and subcultures have evolved around the number of beats per minute in their productions. It’s the movement in the music — the energy of the dance.

Though its first releases could be filed under 140, Brighton’s DNO Records has never been a one-trick pony. With release number four, the label continues to bend perceptions, both of itself and of how tempo and genre interact. The ‘Culture Clash’ EP comes from an act revered for their ability to blur the lines between dub and jungle — a Belgian duo The Untouchables. Mystical atmospherics and a knack for entrancing, ritualistic drums have put them at the forefront of the dubby, halftime drum & bass scene, and earned them spots on the likes of Samurai Music and Rupture, alongside regular releases on their own Mutable Beats label

For their DNO debut, The Untouchables blend their signature thrumming junglism with the Brighton imprint’s own sub-obsessed foundations — utilising a decade of percussive mastery to merge the two so immaculately as to make them one. Take the title track ‘Culture Clash’, where ricocheting polyrhythms bound around like particles gone berserk, giving the impression of rapidity — but take a closer look and it clocks in at a cool 140bpm.

Conversely, halftime stomper ‘Audacity’ may fit snugly into a d&b set, but the sheer sparsity of its snarling bassline and vicious kick drum give it a sluggish façade. ‘Galactic Noise’ brings a dramatic urgency, both in its alarm-like blasts and hungry beat, while the appropriately titled ‘Time Travellers’ throws countless curveballs of gruff low-end and idiosyncratic dub siren against its jungle framework. Finally, digital bonus track ‘China Haze’ unhinges from its dubstep pulse with a whirring sub and hefty smothering of delay and reverb.

Throughout each of the five tracks, the interplay of fast and slow makes the whole release as nourishing for the brain as it is for the feet — uniting styles divided by speed but bound together by their origins in soundsystem culture.

The Untouchables ‘Culture Clash’ EP lands on the 29th of January 2021 on 12” vinyl and digital.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

a1. The Untouchables - Audacity

a2. The Untouchables - Galactic Noise

b1.  The Untouchables - Culture Clash

b2. The Untouchables - Time Travellers

Release Date: 25th February 2022

One of the all-time great hubs of soundsystem culture and musical free-thinking, it was only a matter of time before Bristol had DNO Records in its grasp. A quadruple threat from the city’s Young Echo collective members, rappers Manonmars and Bogues join forces with revered producers Ishan Sound and Neek on the ‘Burning Paper’ EP, broadening the expansive horizons of DNO further still.

This time, the dish of the day is experimental rap four ways. Opener ‘Cool Runnings’ finds Ishan Sound and Neek on an upfront tip, strapping titanium beats to unruly 808 low-end that leans towards the signature slides of drill. With the battleground set, Manonmars flexes cut-throat bars, switching up to double time for the final coup de grâce.

On ‘Nuke The Threat’, Ishan Sound slows the pace, bringing in eerie chimes that tumble forth behind Manonmars methodical slur, while ‘Skinhead Chick’ — a four-way bout — continues to drop the tempo, descending from weed-induce fuzz into full codeine blur. Here, both MCs’ pitched-down vocals form a layer of sludge around sparse, creeping hats — it’s uncomfortably dark and evil but oh-so addictive.

Final masterpiece cut ‘Burning Paper’ is not so much chopped and screwed as plunged and drowned. An Ishan Sound & Neek beat gurgles below the surface as Bogues and Manomars deliver lyrical craftsmanship and precise bars on smoking, the grind and girls amidst a haze of bong rips and horrorcore weirdness.
The first DNO release that primed for home-listening release as well as doing damage over a system, the ‘Burning Paper’ EP is out on the 25th of February 2022.

Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

a1. Manonmars x Ishan Sound & Neek - Cool Runnings

a2. Manonmars x Ishan Sound - Nuke The Threat

b1. Manonmars & Bogues x Ishan Sound & Neek - Skinhead Chick

b2. Manonmars & Bogues x Ishan Sound & Neek - Burning Paper

Release Date: 2nd April 2021

Following an acclaimed EP from Brussels duo The Untouchables, DNO Records stays in Belgium for the next instalment of its global bass odyssey, but offers up a wholly different kind of trip originating from Charleroi.

Leading the way are Clearlight & Owl. The pair typically operate together as Glÿph — producing glitchy, modern techstep — but the use of their independent aliases is an early indicator to expect the minimalist experimentalism found in their solo work.

The relative calm before the storm, eponymous opener ‘Alert, Red Clouds’ is a primer of sorts. It’s militantly steady in its march forward, but with each synthetic groan and mechanical squark there comes a warning — a knowing smirk at the madness that lays ahead. As the descent continues, the edges begin to blur. ‘Lobe’ nervously picks up the pace, smothering woozy halftime d&b with the fuzzy twang of dissonant, other-worldly instruments and a sunken dub gloom, before facing its noisy oblivion like a deer trapped in the headlights of an oncoming train. The journey gets even more bizarre on ‘Bronskee Dubskee’. A globular beat that lollops along like its legs are the wrong size, it’s all fun and games until that wonky energy wears off and things take a sinister turn, edging towards the finish with a menacing chug. Finally, comes ‘Bottom Of The Deep’ — the ghost of a garage belter, with all the usual clink and sparkle washed away to reveal a kick drum that swings like a heavyweight champion and the haunted wails of the abyss.

Pick up a copy of Clearlight & Owl’s ‘Red Clouds’ EP on digital and 12” vinyl from the 31st of March 2021 and see just how deep the rabbit hole goes...
Rhythms of postmodern realism at the very bottom of the DNO.

a1. Clearlight & Owl - Alert, Red Clouds

a2. Clearlight & Owl - Lobe

b1. Clearlight & Owl - Bronskee Dubskee

Digital Bonus: Clearlight & Owl - Bottom Of The Deep