DAUDIO026 is a very special release indeed. Forming the first part of a two-part special issue, the EP celebrates five years of BTK's nowclassic label, Dutty Audio. Dutty has always been an outlet for BTK's own music and collaborations, as well as featuring guest artists, standing for the highest quality dancefloororiented neuro- and tech-influenced drum & bass, and the new EP shows this off, with some massive releases of tracks from Optiv & BTK himself, Mindscape and Coppa, Maztek and Level 2. Prepare to enter the world of Dutty Audio, as the label sets the future by looking into its past. The first tune is Let It Loose, by Optiv & BTK, remixed by Emperor. This is classic Dutty of the highest order, dropping straight in to a charging main line, with barking samp les and an addictive bass line. Emperor sets his sights clearly on the rave, banging it out warehouse-style. Sit up, take notice, and Let It Loose. This Is swiftly followed by the Italian master Maztek taking on Do It Like This, from Mindscape featuring Coppa. After the echoing intro, Coppa's trademark vocals light up your speakers, before sinewy electronic noises take you up to the drop. Mashing beats lead you through, with Maztek adding in some rushy mini-breaks and increasing levels of insanity. Don't watch this one, just Do It Like This. The third cut sees the tables being switched, with Mindscape re-imagining Maz's Sinestesia. Yet more magic from both parties sees an epic build reaching for the ceiling, before coming crashing down with a course of flexible drum lines and rumbling electronic bass. You've Nothing To Fear from the closer, as Kyrist remixes Level 2. Creeping, crawling effects lead up to a funky, headnodding beat, which Kyrist uses as a tool to create an entire world in music and sound. DAUDIO026 rightly celebrates the first five years of Dutty Audio. Here's to five, and many, more.
The Duttyest of the dutty return with DAUDIO027, as BTK's Dutty Audio label continue to break new ground and release some of the hottest music on the neuro, and the wider drum & bass scene. This time around, label head BTK teams up with Optiv and Mindscape for two enormous tracks, Ruthless and Heads Above. Dutty have always been about standing out from the crowd, doing things a little bit different, and catering for those that love their music loud and hard. Both these tracks fit the core ethos of what Dutty is all about, and fans old and new are going to love them. Ruthless, a collab between the three producers, gets going without any hesitation. A fading vocal sample comes in and goes out in the intro, as the track builds itself up underneath. Get ready for the mental drop, as all three artists add something distinctive to the mix. Funky, hard driving drums stand firm, as the electronic bass hums along, creating a breakneck soundscape straight from the underground. Flashy samples are up next, as the pace is picked up and direction set fair for the future. BTK, Optiv and Mindscape bring the beats down, just to recharge them and let things loose again. On Heads Above, Optiv & BTK take over the production, with a sharp, metallic opening to the track. This is overlayed with warping bass sounds, and a ticking, headnodding beat. The comrades swap ideas, with elements of each other's sound obvious on the track. Always reaching forward, never looking back, Optiv & BTK know how to deliver the goods.
Support Includes: Loadstar, State of Mind, John B, Dieselboy, Doc Scott, Mob Tactics, Random Movement, Bowser, Ray Keith, Maztek, Grooverider, Borderline, Gremlinz, Serial Killaz, Trei, Foreign Concept, Dabs, Neon Lights, Ed Rush, Dose, Chris SU, Eastcolors, AMC, Mutated Forms, Mampi Swift, SIGNS, AK1200, Enei, Joe Ford, Basher, Skynet, Rene LaVice, Crissy Criss, Billian.
